Differences from Low volume and High volume

[::XeS::]

Hi
When I listen a professional work I noticed that I can hear everything in the mix and every frequencies.
When I listen one of my works, I can hear everything only when I listen it at medium/hign levels but if I turn down the volume..the bass disappear..not all the bass but they disappear more than a pro song..
Is there a tecnique/solution for this?

Thanks

 

[LSD-Studio]

Hi
When I listen a professional work I noticed that I can hear everything in the mix and every frequencies.
When I listen one of my works, I can hear everything only when I listen it at medium/hign levels but if I turn down the volume..the bass disappear..not all the bass but they disappear more than a pro song..
Is there a tecnique/solution for this?

Thanks

mix at lower volumes.

(that's what you should do anyway)

 

[DevilJaw]

you should also calibrate your monitoring chain as well.

 

[colonel kurtz]

proper room treatment and monitoring at 85db will help

not to say you HAVE to monitor at 85...but it's where the ear hears the entire frequency spectrum as "flat" as possible

 

[everybody's x]

85db will help immensely

 

[smy1]

For me 85db is far too loud. Just tested this last tuesday ... I work at 70-75db all the time.

 

[::XeS::]

How can I know when my volume is at 85dB? My hs-50s go from MIN to -10dB (-4dB is 12o'clock and I set them to this value) and my firepod pot goes from -80dB (Min) to 0dB...

 

[Zool2107]

How can I know when my volume is at 85dB? My hs-50s go from MIN to -10dB (-4dB is 12o'clock and I set them to this value) and my firepod pot goes from -80dB (Min) to 0dB...

Use any SPL Meter to measure the actual volume level.

 

[colonel kurtz]

For me 85db is far too loud. Just tested this last tuesday ... I work at 70-75db all the time.

85 always comes off as pretty loud to me as well. maybe it's my monitors or something, but my ears get fatigued very easily at that level. i usually do most of my monitoring at low levels, then crank it up a bit to check the mix and do a little bit more tweaking.

 

[Ben Johnson]

I vary it from ~60 to almost 90 (maybe for a minute or two to hear what happens when it's really loud).

 

[::XeS::]

mmmh..do you all have an spl meter?

 

[smy1]

mmmh..do you all have an spl meter?

My friend wanted one for his bday and his gf bought it for him, so we checked on there ...

 

[colonel kurtz]

mmmh..do you all have an spl meter?

i don't have an SPL meter of my own, but i used to use one when mixing at school to check monitoring levels, and after a while you can tell if you're at 85db, plus/minus a couple.

for me, 85 comes off as just loud enough to block out someone who's talking to you from across the room

 

[Radd]

This is one of those strangely cool threads for me because XeS is asking something that I've been wondering about and then asks the same questions I wanted to know about after getting the informative answers that were given.


I mix at low volumes and only louder to check real quick.

Heres a detailed guide on Calibrating your studio I just found if anyone else is wondering:
http://msr-inc.com/downloads/pdf_files/cal_your_system_analog.pdf


I wonder what decibel level Andy & James mostly use?

 

[if6was9]

i mix at a medium level then check it on a high and low volume, I also try that stand outside the door of the room thing when the doors open- just as a check to see if everything is okay sounding,

There was a post a while back where fredrick nordstrom said he mixes really loud and gets gradually quieter, he said he starts mixing so loud that people leave the room and his ears ring when he goes home!

 

[everybody's x]

mmmh..do you all have an spl meter?

I do


85db is the area where the fletcher-munson curve is least pronounced. In other words it is the level where you are going to get the flatteset (or "truest" response) as far as actually hearing what you have balance-wise.
Of course there are a shitload of variables, room treatment, accuracy/knowledge of your monitors, comb-filtering etc.

If you really want some non-transferable shit mixes mix them loud.