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VU vs PPM + mixdown levels

Posted: Fri Aug 15, 2014 2:17 pm
by bennyfroobs
hi

finally got an RMS meter (a couple of years too late tbh lol)

anyway

always did my mixdowns with hi hats @ 18/20 db

btu i guess that was the value of them peaking opposed to the average volume of them

what VU should they be on the RMS meter? still about 20?

(just using hats as an example here)



inb4 'use search / moneyshot thread'
akraedy done and done


:w:

Re: VU vs PPM + mixdown levels

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 8:50 am
by kaili
assuming you mean -18/20db, it sounds alright, but you make garage(?) and garage tends to have pretty loud hats so you could probs make em louder
but really idk man just use your ears, as long as it sounds good and the whole tune isnt clipping its fine at the end of the day
as the moneyshot says just bring everything down to 0 and slowly bring each track up until it sounds good and isnt clipping, thats what i usually do
there are no rules really tho, just using ur ears is the best way to go about it, sometimes ill find if i mix as im going along, my levels will look really strange but it'll sound good so ill leave it like that

Re: VU vs PPM + mixdown levels

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:46 am
by rockonin
I never bother setting track volume to certain db levels like this. I just play it by ear.

Re: VU vs PPM + mixdown levels

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 9:54 am
by m8son666
Yeah wtf, do people actually have a set db that they always put certain elements at?

Re: VU vs PPM + mixdown levels

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:00 am
by kaili
m8son wrote:Yeah wtf, do people actually have a set db that they always put certain elements at?
yeah its funny, before reading moneyshot thread i just did everything 100% by ear mixing as i made the tune, track in my sig was made ages ago like that, and the snare was peaking so ridiculously high compared to everything else in terms of the actual db number, but somehow it turned out as one of the nicest sounding mixdowns ive done. just goes to show how numbers dont really mean anything at the end of the day OP
i still try and mix down everything by ear tho even after learning a lot and reading about what most ppl have the db of certain instruments at but its hard once you get into a habit, probs a bad thing to look at things too methodically or w/e

Re: VU vs PPM + mixdown levels

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:13 am
by m8son666
Ha i mean i look at smexoscope and the volume meter to check that nothing is peaking too high, to me though picking a number to always set a certain element at is rediculous. I have always meant to read the moneyshot thread but if that's what it suggests i don't think i will bother haha.

Re: VU vs PPM + mixdown levels

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:16 am
by kaili
m8son wrote:Ha i mean i look at smexoscope and the volume meter to check that nothing is peaking too high, to me though picking a number to always set a certain element at is rediculous. I have always meant to read the moneyshot thread but if that's what it suggests i don't think i will bother haha.
nah it doesnt suggest that, but it does suggest bringing levels down to 0 at the end of making a tune then bringing them all back up one by one, which although its good, sometimes its better to just mix as you go along, coz even tho that means the mix might seem unbalanced in the numbers it might end up sounding good just coz if youre mixing while youre making it it kinda comes together more naturally, which is what i meant in my last post
if you get what i mean anyways im kinda explaining it retardedly lol n probs contradicitng myself :corntard:

Re: VU vs PPM + mixdown levels

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 10:19 am
by m8son666
Yeah i get ya man, i'm definitely an advocate of doing as much by ear as possible with a final check on analysers to make sure nothing is too rediculous.

Re: VU vs PPM + mixdown levels

Posted: Sat Aug 16, 2014 1:31 pm
by bennyfroobs
nah mason ofc u shouldnt rely solely on analysers, but having a standard volume to set most elements for ur tracks, and then tweakign stuff after, saves hella lotta time and i always get tighter mixes since doing things that way

kaili wrote:assuming you mean -18/20db, it sounds alright, but you make garage(?)
^^ ye thats what i mean, +18 db impossibru on software, no?

i been on a minimal hau5 thing for a few months too, even more so since getting back from dekmantel q:




no one's answer my question tho
even google )-: