EQ:ing louder, compressing quieter. Monitoring levels.

ramses · 11-28-2021, 02:10 AM

Hi all.

A much neglected topic.

How do you use monitoring levels to your advantage while mixing? Do you, like I do, find that different "tasks" sometimes require modifying your monitoring levels, and if so, in what ways?

I'll start. I find that evaluating EQ decisions and finding general balances of individual elements is easier to accomplish at higher monitoring levels (+6-12dB or so), and that evaluating compression is easier at more moderate levels (+-0dB). This is in relation to my general "long time" monitoring levels. I could never work at +12dB for longer stretches of time, that would just make my ears too tired.

What are some of your own experiences regarding this? What about reverbs? Depth perception? Different frequency ranges? Saturation? What about production and recording? And so on...

xpander · 11-28-2021, 05:03 AM

Monitors calibrated to about 77 dB SPL (C-weighting, slow response), DAW master at 0 dB, monitor gain at marked spot. That's for the peaks of the loudest material, long time averages are lower. I have SlickEQ M eq in monitoring chain with Equal Loudness Curve at -2dB, output at -6 dB. It's on most of the time and I bypass it just in few occasions where I need to hear louder. Dan Worralls video quiet mixing strategy with that clever monitoring EQ tip helped me nicely in managing level changes and having balanced low level monitoring.

I usually only go louder when I need to know where I'm at "in full volume". I do most of my adjustments with the full mix, soloing just for the quick checks back and forth. And since I'm constantly monitoring at the levels my ears can handle safely and comfortably anyway, fx levels and balance are ok for what they are. Not to say there wouldn't be further fine tuning after louder playback, but I take that as given.

beingmf · 11-28-2021, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xpander

I have SlickEQ M eq in monitoring chain with Equal Loudness Curve at -2dB, output at -6 dB.

Yeah, there also are compensation presets on the Reaper Stash which you can load into ReaFir - caution though, most of them are super loud! But they work well in order to cheat Fletcher-Munson

xpander · 11-28-2021, 09:19 AM

You don't happen to mean pandabots equal loudness curves for the ReaFir in github? I tried those, great work, but 100 presets is overkill for my use.

beingmf · 11-28-2021, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xpander

You don't happen to mean pandabots equal loudness curves for the ReaFir in github? I tried those, great work, but 100 presets is overkill for my use.

Definitely – I just picked one and set to -12 DB.

ramses · 12-01-2021, 03:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by beingmf

Yeah, there also are compensation presets on the Reaper Stash which you can load into ReaFir - caution though, most of them are super loud! But they work well in order to cheat Fletcher-Munson

Interesting. I'll check those out for sure. I've never considered simulating a "louder" frequency response with fletcher munson, but I'll give it a go and see if it works for me. Thanks!

beingmf · 12-01-2021, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramses

Interesting. I'll check those out for sure. I've never considered simulating a "louder" frequency response with fletcher munson, but I'll give it a go and see if it works for me. Thanks!

If you know - it's easy - how to add a shortcut to e.g. "Bypass Monitoring FX slot 1" (or so), you can have a neat button sitting on your main toolbar and toggle the "loudness" thingy if you need it.