Something surprised me at our recent Masterclass at Clear Lake Studios in Hollywood, CA.
The first two days were spent recording a track with EJ Michaels. Students watched us go through the entire process form scratch.
Then day three came and it was my turn to take the helm and mix it.
(You can watch the full recording for free on YouTube).
Not long after I sat down and hit play, somebody asked a question to the effect of:
“Is there something wrong with the monitors? Why are they so quiet?”
It took me a second to wrap my head around what they were asking.
Then I realized…
The volume I was mixing at was so low that they couldn’t wrap their hand around it.
For the first two days we had the speakers cranked. When you’re producing and recording, you want to listen loud to get in the mood and feel the track.
But now that we were mixing?
Listening loud would be a detriment.
And here’s the truth:
Most people mix WAY too loud.
There are several downsides to this — mainly that your ears fatigue a lot quicker. But it can also warp your perspective of the low end.
Mixing at a lower level also forces you to improve your listening abilities and hear small details in the mix without listening at crazy levels.
So, what is the ideal level to mix or master at?
I think of it as “conversational” level. If you could speak to somebody next to you without raising your voice, you’re in the right ballpark.
For a long time, I had an SPL meter at my desk and would measure my monitoring level, aiming for around 70-80 dB SPL. You can also use an SPL meter app on your phone.
Check it a few times when you’re mixing, and you’ll quickly get the feel for the kind of level you should be mixing at.
Of course, if you like to mix or master loud, go for it. I can’t tell you what to do — just be aware of the risks.
I prefer to mix at conversational level for 90% of the time, then occasionally crank it. It’s also helpful to turn the monitors way down every now and then to check the vocal is still clear at low volumes.
What level do you mix or master at? Reply to this email and let me know.
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BIG NEWS!
We’re hosting a brand new, free 2-day event next week all about mastering.
This is the first time we’ve hosted a free event about mastering!
Over 2 days you will learn the fundamentals of mastering. More importantly, you’ll learn how to THINK like a mastering engineer to reverse engineer the entire production process.
It’s completely virtual — all you have to do is register. Even if you can’t attend live, replays will be sent out to all those who register.
Starts Monday, March 24th, 9am Pacific/12pm Eastern/4pm UK time.
We also have a major announcement coming next Tuesday (March 25th) so keep an eye out for that.
AND in case you missed it we’re offering 3-year financing on The Reverse Engineer until the end of the month. You can get started for as low as $244, which is the most affordable The Reverse Engineer has ever been.
Cheers,
Rob
