Avid Pro Audio Community

Avid Pro Audio Community

How to Join & Post  •  Community Terms of Use  •  Help Us Help You

Knowledge Base Search  •  Community Search  •  Learn & Support


Avid Home Page

Go Back   Avid Pro Audio Community > Legacy Products > Pro Tools 2018

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-08-2018, 12:24 PM
SigFriedChicken's Avatar
SigFriedChicken SigFriedChicken is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 326
Default Why does the PT VU meter default to 0VU = -14dBFS

When you look under Advanced Meter Type Settings and set the Meter Type to VU, the "0 VU" is, by default, equal to -14 dBFS.

Isn't this normally -18dBFS, or am I misunderstanding something? Why does PT have it set to -14?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 07-08-2018, 02:18 PM
Top Jimmy's Avatar
Top Jimmy Top Jimmy is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 5,919
Default Re: Why does the PT VU meter default to 0VU = -14dBFS

Probably a combination of things went into this. Somebody in the past decided that 14dB was the right amount of peak to RMS headroom for modern pop/rock production. Avid followed suit and made their LE and entry level interfaces with 14dB headroom above +4dBu. So 0VU=+4dBu same as it always has.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
__________________
James Cadwallader

Mac Studio, 64GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, Glyph 2TB USB3 HDD, OWC drive dock, Mac OS Monterey 12.6.8

Pro Tools Ultimate 2023.9, HD Native, Focusrite Red 8Pre

Presonus Faderport, Pro Tools | Control
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-08-2018, 02:39 PM
DetroitT's Avatar
DetroitT DetroitT is online now
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Detroit, Mi, USA
Posts: 2,594
Default Re: Why does the PT VU meter default to 0VU = -14dBFS

Digital VU is -18 dbfs
VU (A bit more like RMS as mentioned above) is -14

Both are adjustable.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-09-2018, 04:25 PM
64GTOBOY's Avatar
64GTOBOY 64GTOBOY is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Cypress Texas
Posts: 798
Default Re: Why does the PT VU meter default to 0VU = -14dBFS

I may be mis-remembering but I am thinking that the -14 is a carry over from older Pro Tools that used less than 24 bit processing and they just sort of left it that way even when it was no longer necessary, just to make things equal or something.
__________________
Dell XPS 8900 i7-6700K CPU @ 4.00GHz 64 Gig Memory:Seagate 2x 2TB, 4TB,500gb EVO OS Windows 10 pro
PT 2023.3 Studio through an A&H Qu-32
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-10-2018, 11:54 PM
SigFriedChicken's Avatar
SigFriedChicken SigFriedChicken is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 326
Default Re: Why does the PT VU meter default to 0VU = -14dBFS

Wow. I had no idea that 0 VU = - 14dbFS. I thought it was -18 dbFS everywhere. Is the 0 VU = -14 dbFS a Pro Tools-specific thing, or is that an industry standard?
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 07-11-2018, 12:33 AM
Top Jimmy's Avatar
Top Jimmy Top Jimmy is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Spokane, WA
Posts: 5,919
Default Re: Why does the PT VU meter default to 0VU = -14dBFS

Quote:
Originally Posted by SigFriedChicken View Post
Wow. I had no idea that 0 VU = - 14dbFS. I thought it was -18 dbFS everywhere. Is the 0 VU = -14 dbFS a Pro Tools-specific thing, or is that an industry standard?


Has nothing to do with Pro Tools. Has everything to do with the audio interface.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
__________________
James Cadwallader

Mac Studio, 64GB RAM, 1 TB SSD, Glyph 2TB USB3 HDD, OWC drive dock, Mac OS Monterey 12.6.8

Pro Tools Ultimate 2023.9, HD Native, Focusrite Red 8Pre

Presonus Faderport, Pro Tools | Control
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 07-11-2018, 08:13 AM
Rich Breen Rich Breen is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 1969
Location: Burbank, CA USA
Posts: 2,380
Default Re: Why does the PT VU meter default to 0VU = -14dBFS

0VU = +4dBu
How that relates to dBFS is arbitrarily set by the user depending on how much headroom you want above your 0VU point. Most studios in the US set 0VU = +4dBu = -18dBFS, but in broadcast -14dBFS is a common set point, and in many classical recording environments it's -20dBFS. It's up to the user as to how they want their I/O calibrated, but personally I find -18dBFS the best compromise.
__________________
http://www.richbreen.com

----------------------------------------
Mac Studio / Ventura, PT 2023.12.HDX, Avid HD I/Os and Metric Halo ULN8, 3xS1/Dock
Also running a Mac Studio Ultra / Ventura / HDX / MTRX / S6
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 07-11-2018, 12:41 PM
mbourque mbourque is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Montreal
Posts: 160
Default Re: Why does the PT VU meter default to 0VU = -14dBFS

Quote:
Originally Posted by Rich Breen View Post
but in broadcast -14dBFS is a common set point.
In Canada, -20 dBFS is the common set point for broadcast. I've never heard of a broadcaster being calibrated to -14 dBFS.
__________________
Matthieu Bourque


PT Ultimate 2022.10 on macOS 12.6.1
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 07-11-2018, 02:14 PM
JFreak's Avatar
JFreak JFreak is offline
Moderator
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: Tampere, Finland
Posts: 24,853
Default Re: Why does the PT VU meter default to 0VU = -14dBFS

LE hardware and the HD96 interface have -14, HD192 and newer have -18, only film/video are using -20
__________________
Janne
What we do in life, echoes in eternity.
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 05-10-2019, 03:26 PM
ericlees ericlees is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: CDMX, MX
Posts: 228
Default Re: Why does the PT VU meter default to 0VU = -14dBFS

The VU reference value is determinated by the audio interface, the easy formula to get your reference value is check the specs of the interface used, example:
ua apollo max output level = +20dBu. so the 0 VU= +4dBu is -16dBfs=0VU just need to check the max output and then rest 4dB and thats your reference value, the -18dBfs it's a "standarized" but not 100% accurate, check some plugins manual to know the reference value for gain stage.
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
VU meter set to -14dbfs abt Pro Tools 2018 3 01-31-2018 10:00 AM
Why are the 882 converters calibrated to -14dbFS? HSLand Pro Tools TDM Systems (Mac) 1 01-05-2015 08:10 PM
why external vu meter/ plug-in vu meter differ? sjtae macOS 8 06-06-2012 05:50 PM
Inserts affecting send meter but not channel meter? Kbrinson85 Windows 1 05-01-2012 07:00 AM
PTHD8 cpu meter vs task manager cpu meter MEAT Pro Tools TDM Systems (Win) 5 01-02-2009 05:17 AM


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 01:51 PM.


Powered by: vBulletin, Copyright ©2000 - 2008, Jelsoft Enterprises Limited. Forum Hosted By: URLJet.com