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 > Pro Mixing > Avid Pro Mixing General Discussion

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
  #1  
Old 01-30-2019, 07:52 AM
DonaldM's Avatar
DonaldM DonaldM is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Indiana
Posts: 4,588
Default Setting gain levels for VIs and such

This recent discussion on gain staging got me thinking about gain levels for input signals from VI's. I like using the Waves VU meter as it helps see how everything is behaving. What I've been doing is using it on an instrument track as I set up a VI part, and then adjust the master output gain on the VI itself so the VU meter pegs around 0.



When I want to commit a track, I'll set up an aux output to an aux track with VU and set the track fader in PT to get the output to 0 on the VU and then commit. That seems to give me a good clean audio track. I tend to think of my VI's as "live player" substitutes and set input record levels the way I would if I were miking that same part with a live player.



Then, if I set up a submix aux channel, say for all synth parts, then I'll sue the VU meter again to keep the total mix levels of all the tracks going in to 0. Then, I use the submix faders to keep the levels on the master as close to -6 or -8db as I can with the VU meter (or other).



Am I thinking of this the right way? Is there a better way? This way seems to keep everything clean and clear and I've found I get much less mud and can focus on balancing the parts better. Since most everything I do involves using only VI's, this way seems to work. But maybe I'm missing some other better way?



Thoughts?
__________________
"Never believe anything you hear in a song." Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones
Owner: Dragon Rock Productions LLC


Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 01-30-2019, 12:11 PM
64GTOBOY's Avatar
64GTOBOY 64GTOBOY is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: Cypress Texas
Posts: 798
Default Re: Setting gain levels for VIs and such

I found these helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxX5...XIklm&index=51 and there is another one that shows how he uses the waves meters to set up gain staging :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px-r3HHV6aA
__________________
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
  #3  
Old 01-31-2019, 10:42 AM
DonaldM's Avatar
DonaldM DonaldM is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Indiana
Posts: 4,588
Default Re: Setting gain levels for VIs and such

Quote:
Originally Posted by 64GTOBOY View Post
I found these helpful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dxX5...XIklm&index=51 and there is another one that shows how he uses the waves meters to set up gain staging :https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Px-r3HHV6aA

Thanks. I have seen these before. I'm really thinking (or asking, I should say) more specifically about how I'm using it in the way I commit VI's to audio and/or set up submixes.



Much of what is shown in these videos is what I try to do, especially when I import audio tracks for somewhere else.
__________________
"Never believe anything you hear in a song." Tyrion Lannister, Game of Thrones
Owner: Dragon Rock Productions LLC


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
Gain Levels nexty76 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Mac) 6 01-27-2011 05:26 AM
Mastering, gain, levels... mandinga79 Tips & Tricks 5 11-26-2009 11:56 PM
SETTING LEVELS...Unity Gain..? vjk Pro Tools M-Powered (Win) 1 08-03-2007 11:13 AM
A Question on Gain Levels - Too Hot or Not PC Nemesis 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Mac) 6 02-10-2005 02:29 PM
Mic Input Levels (Gain?) flouden 003, Mbox 2, Digi 002, original Mbox, Digi 001 (Win) 8 11-29-2001 12:47 AM


All times are GMT -7. The time now is 04:11 AM.


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