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RECORDING TECHNIQUES |
SEPTEMBER,
2000 ISSUE |
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Using
Meters In Recording |
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The VU Meter
The VU meter is a marvelous tool. It reads average levels and the ear responds to
average level changes. The VU meter also tries to simulate how the ear hears volume,
having its "ballistics" (how fast it rises & falls) simulate the time it
takes the ear to respond to sound. |
| The best meters are the meters that have needles that rise and fall,
because you can read subtle changes in level that wouldn't cause change in which
"bar" was lit in a led meter. With a standard VU meter you can read
changes as low as 1/10 of a dB. |
| The meter , keyed to how we hear, helps us the in the following ways: |
| MIXING VOICES FOR STRONGEST
HARMONY |
| If there is three-part harmony, the most
balanced harmony occurs when each of the voices is at the same level, as read on a VU
meter. While setting up a mix, solo one voice and get a level. You should have
the same level when you solo the next voice, etc. Once you have established the
proper blend of the voices (equal level) it would be wise to use a fader group (if
available) so that all three voices can be turned up or down with this same blend. |
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| GET ALL INSTRUMENTS HEARD IN A
MIX |
| The first step in getting all of the
instruments heard in a mix is to get them even in level. After (and only after) you
get all instruments at the same level, using a soloing technique as described above, you
can start applying equalization to get more presence or distinction on certain instruments
that are weak. |
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| JUDGE WHICH TAKE IS THE BEST |
| Professional musicians come up about 3 dB in
level when they are enthused about this performance (and therefore probably did the best
job). We released a series of two tips on this subject. |
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| DECIDE WHICH MIX TO USE IN THE
RELEASE |
| When listening to different mixes, listen to
copies that have been "leveled." Run your mixes though a VU meter and
record them, one after another, at a level where there are the same for every mix.
The mix that sounds the best after you have leveled, probably is the best mix.
We released a tip on how to level. |
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| ADJUST DYNAMICS IN THE MIX TO
HAVE THE BEST IMPACT TO THE LISTENER |
| Sometimes it is best to adjust gain during
the tune, during the performance. We released two tips on this. Tip #4 was
about keeping the intro and the beginning of a mix as loud as the remainder of the mix.
Tip #5 has to do with getting a vocal performance with consistent levels. |
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Copyright © 2000, by
Robert Dennis, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED |
Published in Recording
Engineer's Quarterly and Alexander magazines with permission |
USE OF THIS ARTICLE SUBJECT TO USER AGREEMENT |
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