Proper Recording Levels

[SpinningDisk]

The 003 control room output is at unity when fully clockwise - it's actually an attenuator only...it can only make the output quieter.

That's all I needed to know. Thanks K.

[Bob Olhsson]

The only real test is listening. Most converters do not have great analog stages (I'm being charitable) and hence don't sound very good when they get stressed. I just treat -10 as my "red" for everything but final masters. 24 bit files have massive "foot-room" so the best bet is simply to error on the low side.

[bryced87]

I think unity is wherever your volume knob is on the 003. I could be wrong but on my Mbox 2 I have my knob all the way up and I calibrated my monitors that way.

[WombatStudio.Org]

I don't know who Kenny is (or who killed him) but these are the videos I'm talking about by Paul Draper which cover everything you're talking about:

In The Box (part 1) 24:34
Gain staging, test tones & VUs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-Qm6NFIY2E

In the Box (part 2) 25:15
Virtual consoles, v.tape and v.instrument.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvhlKcd7VdY

In the Box (part 3) 24:43
Recording, bussing and mixing (pre-masters) on Pro Tools.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKyATL4xGEw

In the Box (part 4) 17:43
Preparing for mastering, speaker calibration, and delivery formats.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWSy6m5NCVQ

In the Box (part 5) 52:06
Pre-mastering and mastering in ProTools.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4_GRkPVi-0

[YYR123]

Originally Posted by bcwiz

A 1k ref sine wave at OVU(-14 on digi003) should measure 1.23v rms at the output. That is +4dbm which is the common studio reference (analogue desk). .

Maximum level (A-weighted): 15.7dBu at 0.883% /

that's what the Saffire 56 specs say - so does that mean that with 0vu I would have -15.7 db?

[bryced87]

But does Paul change his calibration on his monitors when she switches from -20 to -14?

[bcwiz]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

The only real test is listening. Most converters do not have great analog stages (I'm being charitable) and hence don't sound very good when they get stressed. I just treat -10 as my "red" for everything but final masters. 24 bit files have massive "foot-room" so the best bet is simply to error on the low side.

"foot-room" I love it.

[bcwiz]

Originally Posted by kdarbyshirebryant

The 003 control room output is at unity when fully clockwise - it's actually an attenuator only...it can only make the output quieter.

This is correct, I just fired up the 003 and checked it. Sorry about that. In my other life I run a UFX.

Anyway, pick a spot about 2/3 up on the monitor pot and there you go. The actual voltage is not a big deal. I think the whole point is not to 'pin' or 'peg' any part of the chain monitors included. Have a reference playback level.
As Mr. Ohlsson says, no stress.
I will put a mastering comp on the 2 buss and run peaks up to -3 or so for approval dubs but that comp comes off and -6 is the limit for the track sent to mastering.

[SpinningDisk]

Thank you all. I have now figured it out with all your help, watching videos all day and doing a lot of reading.

Talk about being excited. Going to be early so I can get up and get to work😁🔊🎶📀😚

[bryced87]

If I mix in k20 and then want to master in k14 do I turn down my master faster level 6db before I bounce or do I actually turn down studio Monitors 6db?