lets talk about the mixer channel headroom.

[open mind]

its very important to leave enough headroom on your highest peak because the more instruments u got the more your master fader will go high up in da sky lol. i got my highest peak at around -10db on one mixer channel then after addin a maximizer/limiter on the master fader it will not sound like shit.

my old technic was to have the highest peak at around 0db on a mixer channel but then it raises up in da sky like a mofo and then on da master fader a maximizer/limiter will sound shit because it compresses to much db.

what are your experiences and guidlines about the headroom on one single MIXER channel.(not master channel)

btw. iam mean mixes on digital gear/software.

 

[Sanova]

Well for one thing you cant mix one channel at a time. Take this for example:

I have my drums knockin and i got em compressed nicely so that they don't clip. Now i got my bass playin and its at a good volume too. Now i'm mixing my brass, and i got it to where its nice and audible but not clipping, and last but not least, lets isolate this strings channel and make there thats loud enough but not clipping.

Now when i play them all together the master fader is bouncin against the red zone and is clippin like hell. Why is this? I mean, i mixed every channel to perfection.

Well, you can't do that, you don't hear songs one channel at a time so its only right that you can't mix them that way.


Anyway, the key to giving everything its space in the mix is panning.

panning somethin slightly can give the illusion of volume (which is actually just headroom ur not using) which in turn takes it easier on the master fader, feel me?

Panning is like apartment rooms, give everything its own room, with the exception of a few roomates, and everyone gets along.

 

[open mind]

i feel ya on that one nova.but panning just takes it from one side to the other side the volume energy is still there but just not on all side.so all channels togehter are STILL clipping if u dont have your highest peak lets say at -10db.feel me? i use panning myself and without it i would be lost.

BUT, keep in mind that if i would have my highest peak on lets say 0db then i couldnt fix clipping with panning.thats why i leave headroom more then 10db!

 

[Ash Holmz]

u both are right to a degree ... truth is theres no rules to it ... genrallty the more room u leave for the engineer the better off u would be ...sanova hit it on the end though with the panning for loudness ... the way u pan and use the space can make a mix seem way bigger and louder than it is from a technical standpoint.... if u just go by dbs u wont always get a clear picture of the loudness of ur track u gotta go by ears sometimes... for example u could have a mix peaking at -3db but u have so have so much phase cancellation that the next mans mix sounds way louder than yours at -12db and ur there scratchin ur head as to why lol... the numbers are only a small part of it .. the ears are best tool to gauge evrything.... mastering engineers use a process sometimes use a process called "clipping" where they use high end converters and push the mix past the red until they detect audible clipping then ease off the volume a little .. at that point its 100% ears no looking at db meters.... but as always to each his own evrbody gets down diffrently if ur comfortable with the way u mix then by all means stick to what u know

 

[Formant024]

its a matter of taste and experience, but taste moreover lol, some cats dont seem to find or hear the proper balance in their mix.

 

[NobleWordz]

Panning give the illusions of loudness because you are giving the instrument its own space where it doesn't have to compete with other instruments.

Headroom is very important, you need to leave room for the mix and the master. You have a ME a song peaking at -12db he will give you a big kiss

~NW~