Hello.
I was wondering if anyone would be able to suggest something for getting more signal, most specifically on my snare track, to tape.
I use an analog machine with VU meters. It seems like in order to not have the peak light come on, the signal is really low.
Maybe a compressor/limiter setting (I have an RNC, dbx 160a, Pro VLA) to catch the transient of the snare hits a bit or something?
I'm not so good at setting compressors for drums just yet. I'm the only drummer that I know, and can't really tweak things on the fly, have to record, listen, record, listen.
I was just hoping for an idea to get me going in the right direction.
Thanks!
Getting more signal on the VUs
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- re-cappin' neve
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That's just the way it works with VU meters. VU meters show you the RMS signal level. Since a drum has a very fast attack and a short decay, the average level of the signal is pretty low, even if the transient is off the charts.
If you are recording with the level just below the peak light, you are recording at the proper level for that instrument.
If you are recording to digital, leave about 4 to 6db of headroom for further processing.
If you are recording with the level just below the peak light, you are recording at the proper level for that instrument.
If you are recording to digital, leave about 4 to 6db of headroom for further processing.
to reiterate, that's right.
drums barely move the VUs and sit at like -3/-6 VU for me. read up on the ballistics of the meters and transient material. steady state things like guitar hover more like 0 VU.
if you get a chance to work on a machine or console with switchable peak or VU metering you'll see that that -3/6ish range actually has you just about peaking at 0.
then again, i'm not "hitting the tape hard" or any of that stuff, just trying to record "properly". this will also come back favorably if/when you try to dump tape tracks back into the computer.
drums barely move the VUs and sit at like -3/-6 VU for me. read up on the ballistics of the meters and transient material. steady state things like guitar hover more like 0 VU.
if you get a chance to work on a machine or console with switchable peak or VU metering you'll see that that -3/6ish range actually has you just about peaking at 0.
then again, i'm not "hitting the tape hard" or any of that stuff, just trying to record "properly". this will also come back favorably if/when you try to dump tape tracks back into the computer.
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