Mix levels vs. monitor levels

[badshirt]

Hello.
In the manual it says the faders in the mix window only adjust for monitor level. When I open the output window and adjust the levels it also move the mix window faders.

Is the output window fader the one used to adjust the final mixdown before bounce?
If so how do I hear the actual output level for the final mix? If I am bouncing from a master stereo track how can I hear that final mix, of all the combined tracks, before the bounce.

I don't know why I'm having so much trouble understanding this in the manual. I've read it but for some reason just can't come out with the answer. Thanks.

[Park Seward]

I'm not sure I understand the problem but I'll give you some basic advice.

If you have the mix window open and have several audio tracks and one master track, the the levels you hear coming out of the master track will be the levels you will send to bounce to a disk.

I may be confused about your other window. If you mean where you set the paths for the inputs and outputs (the I/O window), then no, this does not affect your mix if you stay internal and do not loop through any other equipment. If you have no sends on your audio tracks than you are not sending audio out to an aux output.

Make sure you have the main outputs set as the output on your master fader. Use the default settings.

The monitor levels don't affect the bounce to disk levels.

What page in the manual are you referring to?

[badshirt]

I was looking at pages 346 & 347.

So the level I hear through the monitors & see in the mix window are the output levels of the bounce? Or are the levels in the output window, pg24, my final level mix?

Basically, how do I hear and control the final mix that will be bounced?

Thanks for your help. It's greatly appreciated.


[img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[the_riot]

I think you may be confusing what they're really saying. In the mix window, when you pull down a fader, its affecting the level going to your bounce. The level shown on that track is still at its original level and looks like its actually putting out something, but if you have the fader all the way down (and the signal isn't being sent anywhere else) then its not actually sending anything to your mix. What they're saying is basically by pulling a fader down you're not really affecting the signal you recorded.

So... if you're in the mix window and have made a stereo master fader, that should essentially be what is getting bounced. Even if you see other tracks lighting up, if you have them muted, turned down, or don't hear them via the master fader, then that's what you get during bounce. So plug up to your main outs, make a master fader output, and bounce til' your heart's content! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

p.s.- I hope this didn't state anything too obvious and that it actually helps!

[badshirt]

That clears everything up for sure.
Thanks for the help.

I've gotta tell ya how impressed I am with this system. My next decision is about mastering software & if I should just master in Protools. All of my signals are straight digital except for vocals. Any input?

[the_riot]

ProTools should be great for mastering too. Some people choose Bias Peak, some stick to PT, just whatever works. Nobody can really say that one is ten times better than the other (or many others) for mastering. You might want to check out some of the 3rd party plug-ins for PT with mastering in mind. Paricularly compression and EQ. If you decide to head out of protools to hardware and back, well, that's a totally different story... there's tons of gear to consider then!

[badshirt]

Thanks for your input. It's appreciated. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]