What dB SPL do you monitor at?

[Ermz]

I've never been big on taking loudness measurements, and just like to take things naturally during mixing, but since my phone now has a Sound Meter app, I figured I'd check what my regular monitoring level is.

Turns out I commonly monitor at 75dB SPL. I've often heard that 85dB SPL is the 'ideal' point, but that's way too loud for sustained listening to me. I'd only crank it that loud to 'feel things' for a few seconds, or demo a song to clients.

Where do you average?

 

[egan.]

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/f-o-h/858424-monitor-level-mixing.html

 

[hurdy]

yea i usually mix around 75db, I used my phone app the other day to see how loud 85db was, it was just abit too loud IMO
Good for testing for a few seconds tho

 

[Mashreef]

can anyone suggest me a spl meter for pc?

 

[Lasse Lammert]

that's just a screenshot that happened to be taking around the louder parts...it's moving between 75 and 85

 

[smy1]

Between 60-70dbVU

 

[colonel_claypoo]

around 60 on average but every SPL meter app I've tried has given me different readings up to +/-5.

 

[KHE]

according the android-app "decibel" i'm mixing mostly at ~66dBA, maximum around ~77dB. i cannot even imagine to mix at 85dB, thats fucking to loud... or my crappy app gives me wrong values

 

[John_C]

85 is, on average, the volume your ears have the flattest frequency response, but to argue that because of this you should monitor at that volume is rubbish.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Strange, either my ears are HORRIBLE or.....IDK!! I check once in a while on the Decibles app I have and I'd say between 75-90 db but honestly, 85 doesnt seem THAT loud to me.

 

[mva801]

85 is way too loud for me. I go between 72 and 80ish

 

[crillemannen]

between 65-75db if the phones spl meter is somewhat correct. Could never stand listening to 85db

 

[egan.]

Part of it depends on how you are measuring. Fast or slow? A or C? IME 85 C-rated is 80 A-rated and 85 A-rated pushed into the 90's for C. Remember, A weighting ignores all of your low frequency info-- it more or less applies a 6db/octave high pass @ 1k so you're down -20dB @ 100hz.

 

[John_C]

Part of it depends on how you are measuring. Fast or slow? A or C? IME 85 C-rated is 80 A-rated and 85 A-rated pushed into the 90's for C. Remember, A weighting ignores all of your low frequency info-- it more or less applies a 6db/octave high pass @ 1k so you're down -20dB @ 100hz.

I believe the 85 thing is A weighted slow.

 

[egan.]

If so that's pretty damn loud. Just checking, I run in the high 70's A-weighted, low-mid 80's C-weighted.

 

[John_C]

If so that's pretty damn loud. Just checking, I run in the high 70's A-weighted, low-mid 80's C-weighted.

Definitely loud enough to fuck your hearing over extended listening.

 

[sprack]

That one is crap. What it said was 86db was 102 according to an SPL meter. The iphone one is pretty close.

according the android-app "decibel" i'm mixing mostly at ~66dBA, maximum around ~77dB. i cannot even imagine to mix at 85dB, thats fucking to loud... or my crappy app gives me wrong values

 

[John_C]

That one is crap. What it said was 86db was 102 according to an SPL meter. The iphone one is pretty close.

I'd imagine writing an spl meter for non-standardised hardware is a pretty insurmountable task.

 

[amarshism]

My iPhone mic must be fucked.

 

[Pedro Teixeira]

I always monitor quite low, not sure how much, need to get an equivalent app for android to check it out. But I sometimes crank quite loud cause I do enjoy feeling the whole thing, but at the same time I'm really sensitive to loud volumes except on those occasions. Odd.