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05-27-2018, 11:30 AM
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#1
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Posts: 1,336
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I'm just learning to EQ and have a question .....
I like to sing
I have a website I download each instrument for each song separately (Does not have any EQ yet)
For each track I have added:
VST3: MEqualizer (Melda Productions)
JS: Volume/Pan Smoother v5
My first step on each instrument has been to use the JS volume to bring them to -18 BEFORE any VSTs are added. That leaves me headroom of between -18 and -0. I have been finding excellent videos on YouTube that help to learn to EQ each specific instrument and so that part seems to be working great. I am learning how many bands of the EQ to use as well as what part of the spectrum and type of band each one should be. (High Pass, Peak, Low Pass, etc.)..
When I started EQing the first instrument it is now hitting close to -6.
QUESTION: Is -6 pretty much the highest on my meters that I should let each instrument get to, or, is there some other number that is considered BEST PRACTICE ?
__________________
Bayside Studios, Berkeley, CA - Music That Brings People Together
Steven Schuyler, Singer
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05-27-2018, 11:44 AM
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#2
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Charleston, SC
Posts: 12,792
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Quote:
Originally Posted by sjs94704
I like to sing
I have a website I download each instrument for each song separately (Does not have any EQ yet)
For each track I have added:
VST3: MEqualizer (Melda Productions)
JS: Volume/Pan Smoother v5
My first step on each instrument has been to use the JS volume to bring them to -18 BEFORE any VSTs are added. That leaves me headroom of between -18 and -0. I have been finding excellent videos on YouTube that help to learn to EQ each specific instrument and so that part seems to be working great. I am learning how many bands of the EQ to use as well as what part of the spectrum and type of band each one should be. (High Pass, Peak, Low Pass, etc.)..
When I started EQing the first instrument it is now hitting close to -6.
QUESTION: Is -6 pretty much the highest on my meters that I should let each instrument get to, or, is there some other number that is considered BEST PRACTICE ?
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If the tracks are already recorded then don't worry about setting their levels. Move the faders to adjust them. -18 is from days when DAWs didn't exist. You have more headroom than you will ever need. Just before you render, make sure your master is not clipping.
If you are tracking new instruments, I aim for -10 to -5 to have some headroom left on the A/D converter because if you clip there on the input during recording that WILL be distorted.
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05-27-2018, 11:55 AM
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#3
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Calgary, AB, Canada
Posts: 6,551
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As Coachz said, the -18 thing is irrelevant once you're in the DAW.
As far as levels, it's a usually good idea to make sure that the signal leaving a particular plugin is at roughly the same level it entered. So, if your EQ changes are taking it from -18 to -6, consider turning the EQ's output fader down to -12.
Reasons to level-match your effects:
1. Makes it easier to hear what the effect is actually doing when you turn it on and off. Our brains are tuned to hear "louder" as "better (Google "Fletcher Munson" for more detail), so if the input and output aren't at the same volume your ears will have difficulty separating the EQ changes from the level.
This goes for the whole effect chain. If literally every effect in your project was level-matched, you could theoretically toggle all of the effects off to hear the "dry" mix without any change in volume. Being able to make accurate comparisons is critical.
2. Some effects simulate analog gear and will actually respond differently at different levels. Every effect will have its own preferred range for the input signal (hopefully with a meter or something to tell you), so it might be a bad idea for the previous effect to turn up the signal by 12db.
This doesn't apply, of course, to situations where you specifically WANT to change the level. Just try to make sure the level is only changing when YOU want it to change.
Side note: In most cases, your EQ shouldn't be adding 12db. I mean, if that's what you want, do it, but it suggests a problem with the original track if it needs that much EQ.
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05-27-2018, 03:57 PM
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#4
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: May 2009
Posts: 29,269
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Quote:
-18 is from days when DAWs didn't exist.
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Technically...
It's how far analog zero needs needs to be pushed down on the digital dbFS scale to account for gear levels in the audio world that can go over analog zero (most of it). -18 dbFS, didn't exist until DAWs existed - when the manufacturers had to account for this scaling discrepancy; it's the inverse of whatever the maximum analog level you could achieve minus clipping of your analog piece of gear. Well roughly, all gear differs but -15 to -20 covers it pretty well and leaves some digital headroom so you can push the analog gear harder if desired.
However, the answer is the same, if the file is already recorded, it matters not.
__________________
Music is what feelings sound like.
Last edited by karbomusic; 05-27-2018 at 04:06 PM.
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05-27-2018, 04:45 PM
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#5
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Human being with feelings
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Berkeley, CA USA
Posts: 1,336
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lokasenna
As Coachz said, the -18 thing is irrelevant once you're in the DAW.
As far as levels, it's a usually good idea to make sure that the signal leaving a particular plugin is at roughly the same level it entered. So, if your EQ changes are taking it from -18 to -6, consider turning the EQ's output fader down to -12.
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OK, I got this one! Sounds simple enough. As I have mentioned before in previous posts, so far, I am learning little bits at a time mostly by watching YT videos, but, just like this detail of bringing the output fader down to compensate, as far as I know, I have not seen anyone explain this, or, I have not understood what they were saying at the time, probably because the persons explaination was a little too technical for me at the time.
So, I did just what you suggested.... works great! I clicked on the BYPASS of my EQ to hear the difference with it on and off.
Thanks!
__________________
Bayside Studios, Berkeley, CA - Music That Brings People Together
Steven Schuyler, Singer
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