Volume levels before mastering?

[eʍʍy]

Just a simple question - but around what level would I want my tracks after they're mixed and ready to be mastered?

 

[crillemannen]

People will say -6db approx. but it isn't that important. Just leave a couple of db's on the master to the mastering and you will be fine.

 

[eʍʍy]

I was thinking -6. Just wanted a good number to leave everything at.
Thanks much. :]

sorry for the newb question. this will be my first mastering attempt.
everyone around here seems mega professional.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

When working with 24bit audio, my mixes end up averaging around the -10dB mark before mastering.

 

[::XeS::]

Not RMS I suppose

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

No, not RMS, but the signal peaks are jumping around -10dBFS, going up to around -6dBFS at the loudest transients.

 

[Trevoire520]

As long as it's not clipping and it's not uber quiet it's fine.

Am I the only one that finds it strange how many people seem to be looking for specific numbers for stuff like this recently? I understand it for recording levels on the way in, but for mixing it doesn't really matter.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

As long as it's not clipping and it's not uber quiet it's fine.

Am I the only one that finds it strange how many people seem to be looking for specific numbers for stuff like this recently? I understand it for recording levels on the way in, but for mixing it doesn't really matter.

Not at all. If a person thinks he might be doing something wrong, I think it's totally natural to ask. It's not like he's asking for some magic number or mixing preset, I think he just wants to be reassured his material is technically acceptable before it's sent out to mastering. In a field of expertise such as audio engineering, there a shitloads of standards (such as radio broadcasting dynamic levels, which indeed are magical numbers and pretty strict ones too, at least around here), it's better to be sure than try your luck

 

[BLUElightCory]

It's best in these situations to contact the mastering engineer and ask them what they prefer in regards to file prep.

An unprocessed mix printed at a modest level (not loud, not quiet) is good enough for most mastering engineers.

 

[waltz mastering]

Peaking around -6 to -10 dBFS is sort of ideal because the headroom allows for compatible levels when running through an analog mastering chain (depends how the converters are calibrated) and you're not really stressing out the channels, busses and plugs on the mix daw.

 

[Trevoire520]

Not at all. If a person thinks he might be doing something wrong, I think it's totally natural to ask. It's not like he's asking for some magic number or mixing preset, I think he just wants to be reassured his material is technically acceptable before it's sent out to mastering. In a field of expertise such as audio engineering, there a shitloads of standards (such as radio broadcasting dynamic levels, which indeed are magical numbers and pretty strict ones too, at least around here), it's better to be sure than try your luck

Yeah I'm not specifically talking about the OP as he was just looking for a rough guideline. Just thinking more generally around the forum as of late. I'm sure I've read stuff like: "where should my bass level be? how many dB should my kick be peaking above my guitars? what level difference should there be between the guitar and bass?" quite alot recently.

 

[Jarkko Mattheiszen]

Yeah I'm not specifically talking about the OP as he was just looking for a rough guideline. Just thinking more generally around the forum as of late. I'm sure I've read stuff like: "where should my bass level be? how many dB should my kick be peaking above my guitars? what level difference should there be between the guitar and bass?" quite alot recently.

Ah, yeah. It's been like that as long as I can remember, though. Seems like it just comes in waves