idb DAW Gain Staging (title edited)

Discussion in 'Education' started by Gyro Gearloose, Aug 27, 2019.

  1. Sinus Well

    Sinus Well Audiosexual

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    We already had this conversation in another thread! 0 dBu are 0.7746 volts RMS! You can not convert dB FS to analogue level or volts.
    Your example with the BBC refers to the level calibration and headroom of the hardware chain and has no general validity. For German broadcasting the standard level is 1.55V RMS (+6dBu) and in the US 1.23V RMS (+4dBu) ... This has absolutely nothing to do with the meters on the Waves SSL Plugin!
    -18dBFS = 0dBu is total BS and means absolutely nothing !!
     
    Last edited: Sep 2, 2019
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  2. refix

    refix Platinum Record

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    with respect; this is a music forum, not a broadcast forum. that quote is out of the context of what is being discussed here. that is for the purpose of transmission. it is an exacting standard so that the operators can confirm that Tx is roughly equivalent to Rx. inferences from signal that deviate too far from the standard can be for use in solving technical matters, troubleshooting, etc. things to note: transmission, not reproduction.

    you can reference one of my previous comments in this thread regarding production environments which are geared to output to exacting standards.

    calibration (alignment) in a music production environment is very different matter. as well as being highly dependent on the stage of the chain that the signal was passing through it was usually in relation to amount of voltage headroom in a particular device. in professional devices that was usually somewhere beyond +20dbu or dbV. that is the kind of voltages that are required to deliver a professional line level somewhat cleanly to whatever stage or device followed in the chain. a more realistic dbu, dbV reference in this context would be in the -24 area, but it is still just a nominal value.

    i will counter with another quote in relation to this:

    "The units dB, dBu, dBFS, dBTP, LUFS and LU need to be used, and need to be used accurately. The use of “dB” without extra qualification can lead to problems. Interchanging measurements made by meter with simple electrical or digital levels has led to sub-optimal operational practices."



    the only reference in a digital system that has any practical meaning is the zero full scale hard out. the amount of theoretically usable signal is a function of the word length. you can reference at any value you choose within the usable which is ultimately bounded by the noise floor. the use of these old type measurement and metering stand within the digital domain is a fiction. however, to say it is a fiction is not to say it is useless. in effect, the ultimate reference is reproduction device, in music production this is usually the humble speaker which is more often than not the most low-fi device in any chain (least dynamic range, slowest response, etc.) great care must be taken in preparing the signal converted or re-converted back to a voltage that drives the reproduction device, this is the final and perhaps most important duty of the engineer. beyond that the engineer has no control. the engineers only mandate is to hopefully make the signal reproducible on as many types of devices as practically possible.
     
  3. Gyro Gearloose

    Gyro Gearloose Audiosexual

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    :woot:
     
  4. eXACT_Beats_

    eXACT_Beats_ Rock Star

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    They are; usually. So as not to start another tangent on what compressors "must" be used on buss', I guess I'll say that "glue" might have been the wrong word...I usually go for a sound that seems to tie all of the sound together, kind of like in the same fashion that a reverb on a buss makes every thing seem to belong to the group. And, I usually use a LA-2A, usually the Black Rooster or T-Racks.


    I usually use two compressors (as some people do on vocals,) the first, clean and transparent, for the intial utilitarian compression to tame any savage peaks (after some very lite volume leveling for anything extreme, but also setting a custom ceiling so that any intentionally extreme hits pass through--pops, slaps, pull-offs--if that happens to be the case in that particular track,) and the second, colored compressor, to pull it together. I use as little compression as I can get away with as it tends to kill any unique tones in real kicks, basses, etc...
    It is different for every mix though--I've learned it's smart to keep a *small set of rules and a *large list of guidelines. :rofl:
     
  5. refix

    refix Platinum Record

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    got very quite in here. wonder what the waves manual has to say about that?
     
  6. Gyro Gearloose

    Gyro Gearloose Audiosexual

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