Author Topic: changing master track volume  (Read 6055 times)

katz12

  • Subsonic
  • Posts: 8
  • Honor: 1
    • View Profile
changing master track volume
« on: May 17, 2016, 06:01:03 pm »
if i get all my tracks to a volume im satisfied with (i.e the parts i want to be loud are loud, the parts i want to be subtle are quiet, etc), but the track is peaking say 3db, what would be the difference of just turning the master track volume down to create headroom, as opposed to leaving the master track at 0db and altering individual tracks until i create enough headroom? I've read numerous times not to touch the master track db and to keep it at 0, but what is the difference if I just pull the master track db down instead of pulling down the db of other tracks such as the snare, or synth lead? In the end, there will be the same amount of headroom, but there's these two ways of going about it. Will dynamics be affected if I pull down the db of the master track instead of several individual tracks? thanks

Lydian

  • Mid
  • ***
  • Posts: 512
  • Honor: 107
  • Hi! I'm Danny! Let's talk production! :)
    • View Profile
Re: changing master track volume
« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2016, 06:19:02 pm »
if you pull down a master track that is peaking at +3db but you lower it -3db so that it's at -0.0db then the master is STILL outputting a clipped signal. You can lower the master so that it's at -16db and it will still be clipping. You're just lowering the volume of a clipped signal.

If you pull down the volume on all of the individual ones and none of them are clipping on their original channels then you will remove the clipping once the volume goes back down to -0.0db.

It's just like gain staging. What happens when you lower the volume of a guitar that's at +7db? The output may get lower but it's STILL a CLIPPED SIGNAL.
« Last Edit: May 17, 2016, 06:21:04 pm by Lydian »
A young 14 year old me with a really bad haircut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eMbftWV75w

katz12

  • Subsonic
  • Posts: 8
  • Honor: 1
    • View Profile
Re: changing master track volume
« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2016, 08:38:59 pm »
ahh thanks a lot for the reply. so its safe to say we should always lower the db of individual tracks instead of the master track when trying to make headroom?

Lydian

  • Mid
  • ***
  • Posts: 512
  • Honor: 107
  • Hi! I'm Danny! Let's talk production! :)
    • View Profile
Re: changing master track volume
« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2016, 11:02:50 pm »
ahh thanks a lot for the reply. so its safe to say we should always lower the db of individual tracks instead of the master track when trying to make headroom?

Yes. 99% of the time. Unless for some odd reason you're doing it for creative purposes then that covers the other 1%.
A young 14 year old me with a really bad haircut. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eMbftWV75w