What db level do you monitor at?

[wyattt]

So I blew both my Alesis M1 MKII actives. One went 2 weeks ago and the other last night. I must be listening to loud. I recently moved into a properly built space for recording and I am thinking maybe because I didn't have bass build up that I had the volume up louder than I normally do to compensate? I really didn't think about this until it was too late. Unfortunately, I got a db meter for Christmas and so I have no idea what level I was monitoring at before. So anyway, I am curious if anyone uses a meter to make sure they are not listening at a level that would cause fatigue or damage to the ears and could tell me what they found works. My room is about 12x12 that I am listening in and my desk is right up against the ctrl/live room window/wall with about 6 feet behind me. I have built rigid fiberglass traps in the corners as well as at all first reflection points.

Tom

[rydberg]

Ideal monitoring level is generally agreed to be 85db. I find by sticking to this I experience less fatigue and can focus better on relationships when mixing. Sometimes I crank it, sometimes I dim it, but I always return to the same detent on the control room volume on the Neotek console I mix on.

[wyattt]

Yeah I was at about 90db but they had been used before me and maybe had some damage over the years. I just recently wired up my studio so everything goes through a patchbay but I doubt that would have anything to do with it. I am however, still getting used my audioarts and patchbays.

[drumsound]

I'm between 65-90. most of the time around 75. I do make sure to spend time at 85ish.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

i don't even know the level, but almost always when mixing rock music i have it QUIET. i'm sure it's way less than 85db. but i thought it was interesting the other night when i was mixing a more ambient kinda song, i had to have it CRANKED the whole time.

[GooberNumber9]

I can't do 85 dB, it's just too loud for my ears. Of course, I'm assuming we're talking average level at about 85 dB? I calibrated my setup so that -12dBFS pink noise = 76 dB SPL C-weighted. I used a little triangle of board tape to mark that point on my main output dial, which is not stepped. I have another little triangle marking -20 dBFS = 76 dBSPL for video work.

When I mix, I usually like to hear it at several different levels, so I will often mix pretty quietly and in mono to get the basic mix, then bring it up to the mark for panning and EQ and reverb and stuff, and then I usually go back and check and tweak at various levels and I switch into and out of mono a lot. I think if I upgraded my monitors and my room I'd have a much smoother time of it. I do crank it above the triangle mark at least a couple times to check how the bass comes up and to see if anything gets really harsh.

Todd Wilcox

[RefD]

i tend to monitor at the same level as a normal conversation (iow, without raised voices).

sometimes i'll turn up a little for certain things, but then i bring it back down.

[kayagum]

So I blew both my Alesis M1 MKII actives. One went 2 weeks ago and the other last night. I must be listening to loud.

Are you sure? Are we talking about blown tweeters/woofers, or blown amps? Did you have spikes (either bad practices like plugging in equipment with monitors on, or bad power supply situations)? Were you *really* only at 90dB?

[bap]

I monitor pretty low so I can last longer. Occasionally I crank it just to see.

[Jeff White]

Now that I am using NS-10Ms I have started mixing a little quieter than I was when I was using the Alesis M1 Actives MkIIs. Why? So I don't slice my eardrums to ribbons. Those NS-10Ms can be a bit harsh, but I love mixing on them, and surprisingly, I like listening to music on them, too. They sound good to me at medium volumes.

Jeff

[Brett Siler]

120dB at all times.

No really I just do it at what feels comfortable which is around normal talking level you would have with someone at a 4ft distance.

[cjac9]

is there anyway of acurately measuring an average level? Someone mentioned monitoring pink noise above....is there like a set procedure or anything? I know it doesn't have to be exact but why not get really close to that 85db range.

[wyattt]

Sorry for the delay in responding. To the one poster inquiring about my speakers, the situation I got was this. I ran a sine wave at about 50Hz via protools signal generator and because it had been about a year since I used one, I forgot to turn the volume down first. Very dumb of me, I admit. Anyway, after that, the sub had a static sound where most anything I would say at 500? or lower would not respond right. I used to work in a aftermarket car audio facility years ago and the sound was familiar to me which usually was the speaker in the car. The tweater on this one was harder to hear if it was still working because of the crackling noises from the sub but I am sure it is working.

The second speaker sounded differently. I had been monitoring in mono for a week or so which was about 50 hours or more of use. With this sub it went out as fast as a fuse breaker trips. I could hear all the highs through the tweeter though. When I pushed against the sub, it kicked in but only if I held my finger on it with some pressure.

Both of these monitors have their own independent amplifiers built in. I ended up finding a wholesaler of speaker parts for car, home, and pro audio and so I landed woofers for less than 30.00 each.

I think I am going to experiment with some new levels of monitoring. I am about 85-90 typically but I think this is mostly because it gets the bands I record (loud metal) excited, not necessarily for myself.

Does anyone make a habit of using one level for tracking and a different one for mixing every time you are at the helm?

[MoreSpaceEcho]

i monitor way louder for tracking than i do for mixing. pretty much always. you kinda have to i think....when the band comes in to hear a playback after deafening themselves with shitty headphones, i'm not going to make them listen to their song at the super quiet levels i often mix at.

i also find that when i am first getting a mix together i have the levels much louder than i do later on in the process. once i have the basic mix framed i generally keep the monitors really quiet and try to get the mix working like that.

[@?,*???&?]

i monitor way louder for tracking than i do for mixing. pretty much always. you kinda have to i think....when the band comes in to hear a playback after deafening themselves with shitty headphones, i'm not going to make them listen to their song at the super quiet levels i often mix at.

i also find that when i am first getting a mix together i have the levels much louder than i do later on in the process. once i have the basic mix framed i generally keep the monitors really quiet and try to get the mix working like that.

And what monitors are you using?