Trimming volume of all tracks (automation enabled)

[yaroslaw]

Another issue:

When you mix down, bouncing Output 1-2 to a stereo file, is it OK for the master fader to clip (red led) occasionally, or is it totally unacceptable? I've noticed that if I really wanted to save the Master from the harm of clipping, my mixes would be so low in volume that I would be ashamed to even show them to the mastering house... Or are they used to it?

Yaro

[Steve MacMillan]

A quick primer on master faders....

If you are using the 24bit mixer plug-in then you can pull down a master fader as much as 30 db without it's output clipping. Any plug-in attached to the master will see it's input drop as you lower the master fader (plug-ins are post fader).

An aux fader has no additional headroom, if you see reds on it's meter then pulling down the aux will not help. If you are using an aux then you can insert a master fader assigned to the aux's input to attenuate before the aux. All plug-ins on an aux are pre fader (the level of the aux does not affect the input to the plug-ins).

You may still want to reduce the fader levels of the entire mix if you find yourself running out of room to push up a track loud enough in the mix. You can easily select all faders by clicking on the border just to the left of the 'All' group in the group list. Then by shift clicking a track name on a fader you could deselect efx returns and subgroup components as needed. Save what's left as a trim group...

sm

[This message has been edited by Steve MacMillan (edited 11-03-99).]

[dBHEAD]

I guess I'll confuse things further. If the INDIVIDUAL TRACKS are clipping, then, no, pulling down a master fader can't help. If that's the case, I'd have to ask: can you actually HEAR the clipping? I've had clip lights come on for transients which are so quick nobody can hear them. If that's the case, you can either ignore them or grab the pencil tool and rewrite the waveform.

But, gosh, maybe I'm tripping but the master faders on my Pro Tools system operate just like master faders on a real mixer. They're summing amplifiers, plain and simple. You play a mix once with the faders at zero and get a clip light; pull them down a few dB and play the mix again -- no clip light. As I understand it, the master fader sends the Boolean algebra equasion to the D/A. If the current output level would overdrive the D/A, you clip. But pulling the master fader down changes the equasion. At some point, the least significant bit on the loudest part becomes a zero and then you aren't clipping anymore.

That having been said...I like Steve MacMillan's response best of all. It's only a tad more complicated than pulling down a master fader and it should solve the problem even if you ARE overdriving at the input stage.