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Volume is very close to 0db but still sounds very low!

This always happens when I am creating music, and it is not only when I bounce but also in the project itself! My audiointerface is set to -35db when I am listening to music (normal volume), but when I make music in Logic, I have to set the audio interface to around -25/-20db to match the same volume. And somthing must wrong when the mixer level is showing very close to 0db when it still sounds so low. PLEASE HELP!


Best Regards

-WidorsToccata

iMac, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5), Logic Pro X/Logic Pro 9

Posted on Sep 30, 2013 3:41 PM

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4 replies

Sep 30, 2013 5:52 PM in response to WidorsToccata

You are confusing Volume and Level. They are two completely different things. Volume is perception, meaning, you can put two songs on a stereo system and not touch the volume control and one song sounds much louder than another even though the level meters appear to say roughly the same thing.


The art of mixing takes a very long time to get good at and this includes judging your mids and low end to give you loudness. Too much low end will take away headroom which will take away from percieved loudness. Often this low end is all down in an area that can easily be trimmed off with no detrimental affect to the song.


Your meters are showing you nothing but sample value. I don't worry about comparative loudness at all until I have bounced my song out of Logic with a good 3db of headroom. The song then goes to mastering (even if I'm mastering myself) which is when I concentrate on things like overall loudness.


When you are listening to music you are probably listening to completely finished pieces that have gone through mastering etc. I think what you are hearing is completely normal and there's nothing wrong with your system at all. We have all been through this and battle with it on every mix.


It becomes a very tricky beast, this mixing lark!!

Oct 1, 2013 2:22 AM in response to octopi

Hi Octopi! Thank you so much for replying so quick. Well, I understand what you are trying to tell me, but still I find it very strange when I see the faders audio level almost peaking though I hear very little noise so I have to turn up my interface to around -20/-25 when the normal audio level (when I listen to music from iTunes, internet etc.) is set to -35/-40. I no, I can not use a limiter/compressor to turn up the volume because then the audio gets more or less horrible because it is already way up to around 0db on the faders level.


If you can write down a general check list of how you should work in logic (when it comes to setting levels for a proper listening) I would be very grateful! 🙂


Is there anything I could do to fix this, so I do not have to set the volume on my interface all the way up to -20/-25?


Thanks again

-WidorsToccata

Oct 1, 2013 5:16 AM in response to WidorsToccata

Hi WidorsToccata,


Can you do a quick experiment? Listen to a song through iTunes that you have on your Mac. Make sure there is no extra enhancement in iTunes like the EQ etc.


Drag this same song onto a Logic project. Make sure the fader is at zero for the track and the master out. Play back the song through Logic.


Leave interface where you usually have it for music playback through iTunes.


Skip between playback in iTunes and playback in Logic without touching the interface. Does the Logic one play back quieter than the iTunes one?

Volume is very close to 0db but still sounds very low!

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