Re: Best Recording Levels
Guys,
Remember that one track of 24 bit audio is a different story than mixing 100 tracks of 24 bit audio to produce one final track of 24 bit audio.
If you're only recording that one 24 bit track of audio and are going to master that; sure, just try to record it with as many bits as possible. Bottleneck is either the A/D converter (having approx 120dB dynamics) or something before that. Either way you still have to decide how much dynamics your FINAL track should have, for example going to 16 bit CD you'll have to compress it to 96dB anyway so it does not matter much whether you succeed to record 120dB dynamics. Yes there are better formats but you get the picture; and to think one step further: how is the end product going to be enjoyed? With a large scale PA that can actually put out all those 120 decibels? If not, when for example enjoyed in a common living room "reasonably loud" (say, 85 decibels) it's still not going to deliver everything that is possible IN THEORY.
That said, more dynamic music will sound more dynamic but what's the point in trying to capture +100dB dynamics when virtually nobody ever hears it?
And back to the another point; mixing tracks together. Digital audio mixing is pure math, like it or not, IOW summing zeros and ones together. And summing more tracks will always requre longer word length for the result track! So if you take a hundred tracks of 120dB audio, how many bits will you need if the master buss cannot be allowed to clip? How many bits will you have to "bring down" the final track to make it fit into 24 bits? Does it sound better or worse compared to "bringing down" the tracks before mixing them together?
Do you really need/want to mix together tens of tracks of +100dB dynamics? Really never use compressors? Ever thought about the usable "real world dynamics" that you want your track to feed the mix buss? Isn't it more common to be wanting "lead vocal to float on top of the mix" rather than have crazy dynamics going from whispering that is almost non-audible to shouting that loud the listener turns down the volume?
Really, come on, think about this. Complain about dynamics when you think that you're going to record a track that is too flat. It's like using 60's gear with today's artists. Not going to happen very often. If you need more dynamics, you'll know it before you hit record.
But if you feel you're recording nice sounding track that feels dynamic enough, then everything is all right and you can move on. No need to tweak where the benefits are minimal.
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Janne
What we do in life, echoes in eternity.
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