[LAU] master levels

[Len Ovens]

On Mon, 2 Feb 2015, Brent Busby wrote:

> Len Ovens <len at ovenwerks.net> writes:
>> 6db down is one bit of 24... to go to 16 for a CD means cutting off
>> bits on the bottom (maybe adding some noise) so -6 is safe.
>
> Wow, I never would have imagined that.
>
> So, I could mix to -6db in Ardour and still use most of the headroom on
> a CD?  Is there any advantage to keeping your peak level that low on the
> master in the digital world?  Or, put another way, if I *could* get the
> whole track to behave itself and not go above -1db at loudest peak, is
> there a reason not to?

I do not know if there is something in ardour to do this, but if you 
import the final wav file into Audacity, it is very easy. Once you have 
imported the track, there is an "Effect" dropdown menu and the first 
effect is called amplify. If you select that, the default amplification 
will be the amount needed to set the highest peek to 0db.

However, as I (and Ralph) meantioned in passing and Atte went into much 
more and better detail. It does depend on the audience. What is 
technically best may not be what is best for your application. If what you 
are recording will be played along side other people's work, you pretty 
much need to follow the same guidlines as they have with reguards to 
levels and compression. What sounds best to most people is what they are 
used to hearing. So mixdown to -6 peeks or so for your private master to 
archive, then tweek it for the finished product to what is commercially 
viable in your sittuation. After doing all the tweeks, you find you wish 
to change the mix to work with the tweeking  :)

This speaking from a strictly Amateur POV. I have a lot to learn about 
mixdown and mastering and so in mastering I find the need for remixing to 
make my mastering work. Lots to learn.


--
Len Ovens
www.ovenwerks.net