tom volumes

[GearMan2point0]

If your snare is peaked at -18 db and so is your kick is too, where would you be setting your toms?

 

[Heabow]

It totally depends of the context/orchestration, of what you want to achieve (I want now the toms to sound pretty loud and deep) and it depends of the tom sound itelf. Sorry dude it does not help but this is all I have to say about it

 

[nezvers]

I don't like thinking in this way - set everything on certaing db, because everything depend on source how good it cut through n stuff.

 

[mva801]

Why would your snare be peaking at -18dB? RMS levels should be close to -18dB, not peak. First, don't mix with your eyes. Second, you could probably still read up a bit on proper gain staging.

 

[Trevoire520]

Yeah mixing doesn't really work like that. There's no formula's, no set recipe's, everything effects everything else.

 

[GearMan2point0]

Yeah guys I understand. Thanks for the input. I set everything negative -18 or less for head room. My Tom's always stick thru I was just curious to how everybody set their volumes. But I appreciate the feedback. Much love

 

[GearMan2point0]

Also before I mix I usually set the volumes. I know it was a vague question tho.

 

[KHE]

i automate the volume of nearly all tom-hits /rolls so they sit where they need to be. pushing them high up when the drummer plays some rythmic accents to get a strong impact, sometimes lower them when the played figure isn't that important for the song etc. i cannot remember when i mixed the last song with a static tom-volumes during a whole song!

 

[SoundSpiral]

+1 for going thru all tom hits with volume automation

 

[RedDog]

Loud. Duh. Forget your meters for a second, listen to the track. If your huge tom fill is cloudy, automate something down a bit to make some room. Even with midi toms, this is still paramount.

 

[Skinny Viking]

basic levels are usually set to SOUND about the same volume as my snare. From there I'll do a little automation in specific parts to bring them out more or tuck them in, depending on whats happening in the song at that moment

 

[mva801]

Yeah guys I understand. Thanks for the input. I set everything negative -18 or less for head room. My Tom's always stick thru I was just curious to how everybody set their volumes. But I appreciate the feedback. Much love

Are you sure you're gain staging correctly? Most equipment is designed to work around -18dB RMS. You may be giving a bit TOO much headroom. There is a difference betweeen RMS and peak.... Typically the snare will be the highest peak and should hit closer to -10 or -8ish. This will give you plenty of headroom while keeping most things at nominal operating level.

And FWIW, usually my snare peaks around 5-6 dB higher than the kick depending on the song, and the toms fall wherever they fall to sound huge. Automation is key for that though, as everyone else has said.

 

[Alphanumeric]

-18 is the dbfs/RMS! for converters, pre's, PEAKING at that seems like it would be way too low. My toms, peak about where my snare does, so around -6 to -3.