Tracking Out From The Mpc to Pro-Tools (Volumes)

SoS wrote:Because Pro Tools LE systems use the computer host CPUs to undertake all the audio processing, the LE mixer employs 32-bit floating-point arithmetic. Without getting into all the maths behind this, it means that there is loads of internal headroom in the LE mixer. The HD mixer is a different ball game, as it has to use the TDM chips on the Pro Tools cards, and these chips don’t support floating-point arithmetic. So, to be safe, the Pro Tools designers use a 48-bit mixer to provide the appropriate headroom. Even so, you can still run into problems, as we shall see. You are much less likely to run into headroom problems on an LE system,

SoS wrote:By recording in a digital system with a signal level averaging around -18 or -20 dBFS, you are simply replicating the same headroom margin as was always standard in analogue systems, and that headroom margin was arrived at through 100 years of development for very good practical reasons.
Furthermore, the noise floor of a typical analogue console might be around -90dBu (-100dBu was always the holy grail). That gives a total dynamic range of 90 + 24 = 114dB, which happens to be the same as a typical budget 24-bit digital interface. The very best interfaces and converters are currently providing dynamic ranges of around 124dB, which is the same as the holy grail of analogue gear.
So working with average levels of around -20dBFS or so is fine and proper, works in exactly the same way as analogue, and will generally make your life easier when it comes to mixing and processing.

Bob Katz wrote:The peak meter is currently being seriously misused. Remember that the upper ranges of the peak meter were designed for headroom, not for level. A compressed piece of music peaking to -6 dBFS can sound much louder than an uncompressed work peaking to 0. Mixing and mastering engineers, use compression for creative purposes, but why not master the CD at a lower peak level, and monitor at the same gain you used for your last CD? There's no reason to fill up all those bits if the CD sounds loud enough. Or, useless limiting if you insist on peaking to 0 dBFS. Too many producers are unskilled meter readers; they seem to need all those lights flashing. Try working at a fixed monitor level, with the meter hidden from view. It'll be a very educational experience.

Steven Slate wrote:To have the same amount of "headroom" as we do on the SSL we must create a reference of 0VU or 1.23 volts at -20 from 0DBFS or the top of the Digital scale.

So if you simply place the good old trim plugin as the very first plugin, you now have the ability to adjust your tracks to our Mixing (+4/1.23 volt) reference IE -20. Just like you did on the SSL. You have have the same amount of headroom. Now with your tracks properly gain staged, you can add EQ/dynamic plugins and not run out of headroom. You can also insert hardware and they will operate much better as they are operating at the level they were designed to operate at.

Plugins use the same reference at real equipment. Never try and drive them to the top of the Digital scale. Don't try and make your mix look like a master. You don't do that on an analog console, so why do we do it ITB?

The answer is simple. DAW meters suck Butt. There should be a meter mode in all DAW's that makes the meter at 3/4 scale equal -20 at 1.23 volts. Just like the old VU. This way, novices will quit corn-holeing their levels.

Something to think about. The noise floor of an analog desk is about -75 DB from our +4 reference. Our equivalent "problem level" below our -20 reference in digital is well over 100 DB. So please don't let people tell you analog has more "headroom" than digital. This is simply not true. Headroom is only relative to your noise floor below your reference. Remember if the volume is to low, turn up the darn speaker volume.

Running a Digital mix right to the top of the scale is like running your SSL mix buss where the VU meters are slammed all the way to the right and you are constantly hitting it at +25. No one will get a good sounding running the desk like that. You won’t get a good sounding mix in digital either.