(This article is not discussing how audio levels impact plugins, or what happens at an output leading to a d/a converter. This article is discussing the linear behavior of audio passing between channels within our DAW.) What you’re seeing in the picture: Going Up Taking a test tone, calibrated to -18dbfs Boosting that test tone to +762db of gain above … Read More
What Happens At The -18 “Sweet Spot”?
Common advice is to “gain stage” your tracks by calibrating them to -18. People often leave out whether they mean -18 dBFS or -18 dBVU, both of which would yield vastly different levels depending on the source material. But why choose a calibration point to begin with? Here’s Matthew Weiss from The Pro Audio Files describing the differences between VU … Read More
Take Off The Training Wheels Already!
Yes, this is audio related. Read on. The San Francisco Bike Coalition teaches that training wheels aren’t very effective in teaching one how to balance on their own. Once they’re removed, the rider knows how to pedal, but they aren’t confident in their ability to keep upright without crashing. They haven’t developed the muscle memory to keep balanced, and therefore … Read More
Gain Staging: What to know, & why you shouldn’t stress too much about it!
FULL TRANSCRIPT BELOW: There’s a lot of emphasis placed on the importance of gain staging within the audio community, and while it is important to understand, it’s also exaggerated as the lynchpin between a good mixer and a bad mixer. Personally I would argue that monitoring is a much higher priority, so lets spend a few moments discussing what … Read More