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asnively · Last edited by asnively on Fri Feb 27, 2009 1:58 am; edited 1 time in total

Hi--

Another lame audio question. I have the following instruction:
"We ask that all submission audio levels be at 100%."

Ok.

What does that mean? Are they asking me to normalize to 100%?
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Hart · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 11:58 am Post subject:

Sounds like it. Weird. You can play with your compressor settings to get it there too.

I'm lazy, I'd probably compress it and get it close and then use the no-no process.
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asnively · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:02 pm Post subject:

That's what I was thinking, Bri. And this after I had just been merrily weaned off of normalization.
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Hart · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:03 pm Post subject:

I guess I'm a bad influence.

Come on, try the normalize... all the big kids are doing it.
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Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:03 pm Post subject:

Sorry I'm of no help here, Amy.

Just chiming in (threadjacking) to say I loathe when people say something like "giving you 110%" since, well, there is no such thing, literally. Barf

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asnively · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:05 pm Post subject:

What if you give your all, and about 10% of somebody else's stuff?
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TheVoiceOfBob · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:23 pm Post subject:

todd ellis · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:26 pm Post subject:

i'd just like to say that i support diane's comment 110%
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Diane Maggipinto · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:33 pm Post subject:

mofo
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Jeffrey Kafer · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:44 pm Post subject:

Frank F · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 12:52 pm Post subject:

The real question is not what 100% is or is not; but since audio levels are a subjective process, the instruction should have been "to our 100% level". The instruction should have also included a sample tone at 100% for matching purposes.

My 0 db and your 0 db may be off by as much as 30% depending upon how your meters are set and the way you master. Especially when dealing with video... a 100% audio level for video - is actually set to -9 db in audio terms. This is required to make sure there is NO saturation of the signal when placed on video tape. Even in the "digital age" this has not changed.

Zero db or 100%; are subjective terms and are based upon one persons settings, not the industry... there are "reference tones" avaialable which are indiciative of how we might consider setting our equipment, but how many of us actually have those tones avaialble?

O.K, no more long winded diatribe... ask the producer for a "refernece tone"; you will really confuse 'em that way.

Toodles

Frank F
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asnively · Posted: Fri Apr 13, 2007 1:04 pm Post subject:

Thanks Frank! That was very educational! I just requested that she send me a file to serve as an example of the level and amount of compression she wants so I can approximate that for her! Thanks!
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SouthBySoWhat · Guest

Requesting a sample is always a good idea when working for a new client.

Eyeballing the waveform in a familiar editor is a good start, then you can take that file into an application like Sound Forge and using the normalization plug you can get the average RMS level. At the end of the day, though, your ears will always be the "decider".

sdelgo · Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 4:42 am Post subject:

Frank,

The reference tones you speak of should be available in your DAW.

Steve
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Frank F · Posted: Sat Apr 14, 2007 12:12 pm Post subject:

Steve,

What is available on-board your software was/is generated internally. Using an external source; which is optimally at 0 dbu, you may calibrate your equipment (including your software to "standardized" reference tones).

You could reference backwards, by setting your inputs to equal the DAW, but you are defeating the purpose of standardization by doing so. Or you might generate a tone, record to an off-the-computer device, then reference all your equipment to that tone, which would then calibrate back to the original DAW software... This concept would also defeat standardization processes however. Your 0dbu would be different from any other device owned by anyone anywhere.

Sound cards may also be a culprit, due to manufacturers settings. The output voltage of one device (microphone, CD or tape player, internal CD player, DVD players, etc.) may vary. It is your job (as the owner of these devices) to create an optimal output level from the devices into the sound card and ultimatly into the DAW and/or computer.

As an example: The microphone may be plugged into a pre-amp, which has a lower output voltage than the mixer or sound card requires as a minimum. The sound card or mixer's output is set to a lower volatge that what the DAW desires as a minimum. This cascading effect results in a dbu level in the DAW of -42 to -30 dbu as peaks. Any adjustment to the pre-amp or mixer results in clipping and/or splatter... bad news for recording.

What would you do to adjust the levels to optimum? Most people would use "normalize" to make the audio waveform look like it was reaching 100% or 0 dbu. However, this reults in a "thin" sounding audio file, and may also introduce noise or artifacts into the audio file. Again, not a good thing.

By using an externally produced "reference tone"; you can match input and output levels, and voltages, to reach a "standardized" level across the spectrum of equipment in your arsenal. You do this by working backward... starting with the DAW then working through the chain to the microphone.

OK, this is getting too long and too technical. Just suffice it to say: on-board tones are only a reference to the DAW, not to the real world.

Toodles

Frank F
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