Gain Staging Made Easy Using a VU Meter
Рет қаралды 128,140
Күн бұрынGain staging doesn’t have to be a laborious process, it can be done quickly and easily on only kick and bass, so the entire mix self-balances without causing distortion. Watch as I use a VU meter when gain staging every mix so that it gives enough headroom for mixing with EQ, compression and volume automation.
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📋 Grab the cheat sheet HERE www.simplymixing.com/gain-sta...
Waves VU Meter waves.alzt.net/k0zRGv
Klanghelm VU Meter klanghelm.com/contents/produc...
Fabfilter Pro-L2 Limiter: www.fabfilter.com/products/pr...
🔥 Watch me mix using this gain staging method: www.simplymixing.com/rock-mas...
- Behind the scenes of the masterclass [VIDEO] go.simplymixing.com/Mastercla...
Timestamps:
0:00 Introduction
01:39 Habits of a good audio engineer
02:13 Why is headroom important?
04:00 Why is gain staging important?
04:21 What is a VU meter?
05:06 What is dBFS?
05:16 VU meter vs Peak meter in audio
06:21 Most common cause of digital clipping
06:49 Klanghelm VU Meter plugin
07:14 Waves VU Meter
07:21 How to read a VU meter
09:55 Gain staging into plugins
10:06 What is unity gain?
12:03 Why I balance kick and bass first
13:07 Using a VU meter to set mix bus level
17:52 Setting the kick drum with a VU meter
19:47 Balancing kick and bass together
22:15 Reading a VU meter whilst mixing
23:04 Gain staging the mix, how do YOU do it?
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-- Gain Staging Made Easy Using a VU Meter --
In this video, I'm going to explain what a VU meter is, why it's different to your DAW's standard metering and how to use one to balance the kick and bass in a way that automatically gain stages your final mix so it’s ready for further mastering and online streaming.
The method here isn't a hard and fast rule but is intended to get you in the ballpark, so don't overthink it, move quickly and have fun!
My name is Sara Carter, I’m a professional mix engineer with over 18 years experience, and on this music production channel I’m going to share some of my best mixing tips using a simple mixing tutorial style that will teach you how to mix music like a pro music producer in your own home studio.
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-- Related Content --
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#GainStaging #VUMeter #MusicProduction #HomeStudio #MixingTutorial
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@Producelikeapro 3 жыл бұрын
Another absolutely fantastic video Sara!! Thanks ever so much for sharing!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much!! 😊
@Smashinarun 2 жыл бұрын
You both are awesome. Thanks for being in my life as a mentor. Respect. 🤘
@txddyfarquh3916 2 жыл бұрын
If Warren gives it an approval?...you just KNOW you need to be watching from beginning to end lol 😁✌🏽
@GILLISH 2 жыл бұрын
yes and she responds back to people lol and you don't have to pay money to join her Facebook
@jenisp.galicinao9147 3 жыл бұрын
Most relaxing voice of sound engineer ❤️
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Jenis Music, thank you so much 😊
@amdizle28 2 жыл бұрын
4real!
@lucaslutzerler5429 Жыл бұрын
true 👌
@grandphenally3928 11 ай бұрын
Yeah she has teaching voice.
@norakat 2 ай бұрын
Since her dialog sounds so good, I'll listen to her advice 👂🖐
@eljuanchosf 3 жыл бұрын
Oh my goodness! This video is outstanding, the clarity of the explanations, the process and the information transmitted is off the charts. Thank you so much for this! Cheers from Madrid!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much, I'm glad it was helpful!
@patchesinblue 2 жыл бұрын
This video is the single greatest explanation for gain staging that has worked for me after watching countless other videos on the subject. I appreciate so much that you didn’t skip any details or make assumptions about what your audience knows (ex - what does VU stand for?). You’ve actually illustrated two things to me - one is the subject of this video, but the other implicit one being, building a mix around the key elements of the arrangement and keeping that perspective throughout the process. Your approach has also inspired me to think less and do more; like how changing gears when driving a manual transmission car becomes after a while. Thank you!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Wow! I’m so happy to hear that it has helped you in such a big way! That’s amazing. Thanks for sharing that.
@ratedepth 3 жыл бұрын
No single piece of instruction has done more my mixing than this video. Beyond grateful for what you're doing...Thank you!!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
You are so welcome, I'm so glad to have helped you so much! 😊
@Macacos 7 ай бұрын
This was so amazingly helpful. I've watched dozens of videos on mixing, but never did I get such useful information, it may actually have saved a mix I have been working on for weeks. Thank you!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 7 ай бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@timball8429 3 жыл бұрын
Sara, you’re a genius. Thanks for sharing this. It’s a basic step that every mixer should know.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
You're so welcome!
@unclemick-synths 3 жыл бұрын
Good video. It's so nice that the concept of headroom made a comeback. It's a long time since I heard anyone say "you gotta use all the bits".
@blackiewheeler4706 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for a very informative session. I used to work in analog studios for years and have been in the digital world for over twenty years now and I had forgotten just how great the VU meter is. The visual of it puts everything into perspective. Since I started using the VU meters again my tracks are more consistent and natural sounding. Thanks for reminding me of the power of the VU meter and what it can do to produce great mixes.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@zakrahman479 2 жыл бұрын
At last, I found an experienced engineer explaining how VU meters work. Thank you for this video. Extremely educational.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
You are welcome!
@TunzAmazin 2 жыл бұрын
This was very informative. I recently bought the waves VU meter plugin but was confused on the calibration aspect. This cleared it right up. You also answered the question on how to start setting the gains and ballparking each element. Thank you!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Great! Glad to have helped 👍
@bumcrackhole1 Жыл бұрын
Thank you for being sincere and being practical and telling us straight up what to do, i feel this is much needed for in todays day in age. Many people don't tell us exactly what to do and is 100% practical. Saves me months, years of my life. Priceless. I will share this knowledge if anyone were to ask me in the future to pay it back.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Glad to help!
@davidlee-michaels9430 2 жыл бұрын
This was a better explanation of using a VU meter and gain staging than any of the other videos I've come across. I realised I was doing all this incorrectly because other channels over complicated the process. Thanks!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Glad to help!
@carlasker9285 3 ай бұрын
Your channel just got a new fan and a new subscriber! Excellent teaching, excellent content, excellent topics, excellent speaking voice and tempo in your lessons. What a gem! Cheers from a certified high school/college teacher of music, SAE alumni, producer and general geek.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 ай бұрын
Awesome, thank you!
@garyrandall3059 2 жыл бұрын
Sara, thank you so much for your instruction on metering. I'm a music producer/artist that enjoy recording my own projects. I'm fairly new to audio engineering. I've only been certified in AVID Protools as a User and quickly discovered that I was a novice in the finer points of Audio Engineering. I appreciate your lesson in gainstaging. I've gone back over one of five songs that I've been producing over the past five months and discovered that my gainstaging needs additional work. I haven't had any clipping on my submix bus or master bus due to my diligence in watching the dbfs meter. However, going back and properly gainstaging ,with the VU meter, has made my mix pop more in the bass and drum area. Thank you so much. I'm a new subscriber!!! Also thanks for the unity gain tip.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
that's great news! I'm glad it's worked for you
@MarcBecker_Music 3 жыл бұрын
Great video, Sara. Thank you. I've learned a lot. In my template I have a VU meter on all of my tracks, buses and call me paranoid, two on my master bus. One before the master buss processing on after. I use them to check the levels of the tracks, but I never thought about watching the VU meter to check the balance between Drums and Bass. Very valuable and it'll definitely make its way into my mixing toolbox. And thank you for using Freaking Out for the video! I still love the mix you did of the song!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
That is awesome!
@borisvillar 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much Sara I’ve been searching for a proper explanation of how to use a VU meter all day this one is the best definitely subscribed 👍
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Great! Thanks, glad it helped
@MoonhareStudio 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for that. Coming from recording in 24 track 2" tape back in the 90s I love VUs. So I have always had a Klanghelm on my master buss for monitoring but this vid was a masterclass in looking at the earlier stages of the mix with the VU that has set my mind racing. Thanks; you have another Sub!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much, I'm glad it's given you a new use case!
@pavelcal1798 Жыл бұрын
Finally I get to fully grasp this concept. Great explanation and way of teaching. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge in such a clear and professional way. You have gained a new subscriber.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@sidetrackwalker 11 ай бұрын
Just stumbled on this by accident, and wow, this is such a great explanation! I'll definitely try to implement it into my workflow. Also, I immediately felt right at home on your channel: it's a very welcome change of pace from all the high-octane, over-produced YT content full of attitude and marketing techniques, and I left the video feeling singularly relaxed and well-informed. You're doing a fantastic job and your unagitated, to-the-point approach resonates with me much more than 99% of the other studio-related content on YT. You've found an instant subscriber and I'm looking forward to checking out more! As for my own gain staging approach, it really doesn't quite exist yet, and I've always been doing this at the seat of my pants for the most part, just using a bit of clip gain or slapping a gain reduction plugin on most tracks at -6 to -12 dB as the first insert and hoping that it'll be more or less alright. Well, we live and learn, and since I do all the stages of music production entirely by myself, some things are bound to be less ideal than others. Do you have any tips for gain staging when the process of arranging/producing/recording material can't really be separated from mixing? I always start doing mix moves very early on (even before all the elements are in place) because it's part of the sound design process in my production workflow. Guess I should just check the VU right from the start for every track I start editing, then, be it a recording or a VST instrument… And maybe double-check the low-end once everything's arranged.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 11 ай бұрын
I'm so pleased that you are enjoying the channel! Regarding your method of working, I would always have a VU meter open that's across the mix bus output and keep my eye on it. I'd experiment with a -18dB and a -14dB calibration point to see which works best in that scenario.
@welwoodmusic 3 жыл бұрын
Best tutorial YET on gain staging, and getting the foundation, (kick and bass) right first! You go Sara! :-)
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks David Anthony that means a lot 😊
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
David Anthony, thank you so much :)
@DavidDavis-FA-photog Жыл бұрын
Ok! been messing around with staging for awhile now and your simple explanation of setting the Kick and Bass/Drums and then everything else around that cleared up my perspective. Thanks.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Glad it helped!
@matthewmiller3205 Жыл бұрын
Best gain staging video I've saw yet. Awesome..
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Wow, thanks!
@simonjackson7 3 жыл бұрын
Brilliant, Sara. Thank you. Although I just learned I've been mixing way too hot, and did not understand gain staging at all. Gah! I've never seen this so well explained. Back to the mix.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Wonderful! Good luck 😀
@julienmancilla5576 2 жыл бұрын
Great video, love your voice, love how easy going you are and cohesive the material is. Keep it up!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Julien Mancilla, thank you so much :)
@IsmaelAngelus 5 ай бұрын
You're just amazing, Sara! Thanks for this class! 🙏🏼
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 4 ай бұрын
You're so welcome!
@ericjtomsky 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this video! I recently picked up the waves VU meter and implemented this by sending my bass and drums to a mix bus (after some light mixing) while using pre fader sends in logic so I could turn the faders all the way down on the original tracks after and make all my changes from there. My tracks sound better already, I appreciate it!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
You're welcome!
@santiagorestrepo6063 Жыл бұрын
The most practical and effective video about gain staging on KZfaq... Thanks
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@ironkag3 Жыл бұрын
thanks alot you're a great teacher!!!!! ,I had no idea how to gainstage properly and ended up squashing my mixes to bits with the limiter ,I can't thank you enough!!!!!!!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Let me know if it works for you, glad to help!
@ToXball 3 жыл бұрын
This video make me happy ti know details I was ignoring for balance kicks and bass. Thaaanks! I’m using vu meters inside the great Waves Shoep Omni channel that I use to put on every track, it’s a very powerful tool. I’ll put the Vu meter in top of my master channel starting today!!! Love this video, love your channel and the way you explain.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Remember to find out how to change the calibration for the Omnichannel VU, it most likely defaults to -18. You want to set it at -14 to use my ballpark numbers. Have fun!
@bradgordon7955 Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much Sara for this great Video on Gain Staging with VU Meters.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
You're so welcome!
@HankStoneMusic 2 жыл бұрын
Really blown away by your knowledge and the professionalism of your workflow. Loved the video! I calibrated my audio monitors as well so I'm always monitoring at consistent volume, and combined with these gain staging concepts I'm able to have an incredible foundation for mixes and productions.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Glad to have helped!
@renanluy Жыл бұрын
How do you calibrate your monitors? Can i calibrate my headphones also? (beginner here)
@HankStoneMusic Жыл бұрын
@@renanluy Play pink noise via a sound file or system generated noise in your daw, and set the level so that your daw meter reads your desired target. For example, I set mine so that it plays at -20dBFS, which is the standard for film. Then you decide on your desired dBSPL level in the room (around 82dB is great - but do some research here) and calibrate each monitor individually by playing the pink noise signal through the monitor and adjusting the monitor level until you reach the desired loudness in room in the listening position (use a dB meter). The beauty of this is that you're now monitoring sounds at the ideal loudness in your room while composing/mixing/producing for appropriate frequency response and internally in the daw you would still have 20dB of headroom, which gives you all the room you need for both mixing and mastering.
@dustystewart430 Жыл бұрын
Exceptional video, Sara. I always enjoy your channel; your presentation is always so nice to listen to, and you offer information that is pertinent, in a way that engages your viewers, neither “shouting” at them or boring them to tears. 😉 FWIW, You are setting up the VU’s in your DAW exactly the way that I do (though there are some occasions when I’ll set the VU calibration at -18db, depending on the musical style and inherent dynamics of the tracks I’m working with). I started out years ago working in the analog realm, as that was just the way things were in every studio (back in the bad old days of mullets and swatches, LOL) and using VU’s was just a day to day part of recording and mixing, so it was always a second nature thing for me. I became so acclimated to it, that even in the modern digital age of recording, I still prefer using VU’s in my DAW to do gain-staging with. Question… With the Klanghelm VU’s that you are using, is there a particular meter ballistics setting that you find you prefer, or use most? An example of which would be meter ballistics for instruments with faster transients, like kick and snare, versus elements with slower transients, such as vocals, synths, guitars… Just curious. 😊 Again, great video! 🙏
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
That's brilliant, thank you!
@Prodoozer 3 жыл бұрын
Bought the VU meter using your link. Thanks for the gain staging demonstration.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
That's great, have fun!
@Moykel 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you Sara, first video of yours that I've watched. Will be back for more.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Awesome! Thank you!
@MatheusBiele 4 ай бұрын
I was using VU Meter from waves pack but I was like a robot, all I knew was that I needed to set my instruments to some level. Unfortunately I was mixing at -11 and this didnt give enough headroom for my mastering enginner. I looked up your video and now I understand everything about it. I mixed it "right", but with the wrong set on my VU, now I'm mixing at -15. At least it was easy to solve the problem, I just did a -6db on every instrument and then it was perfect mix! Thanks for the explanation. I can now mix my own music tracks and this will help me a lot for understanding more and more about music
@balladofmadt 2 жыл бұрын
Most brilliant and easiest to understand mixing tutorial i have ever seen
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Great! Glad to help!
@StratsRUs 2 жыл бұрын
Absolutely great.And the way you say "LUFS" is cool too.Thank you.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! 😃
@outofthinair1 3 жыл бұрын
Excellent tutorial, I will try your technique at -14 dbfs. Gain creep has always been a problem with my mixes. My biggest issue thus far has been reverb it sounds good on my monitors but way over what I think is acceptable in say a car test or small speakers . I will search your channel for a video on reverb. Your approach is uncomplicated and simple Bravo !
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
I hope you find it helps
@boldbearStudios 3 жыл бұрын
Phantastic content, perfectly explained. The first time I heard about the kick-drum-bass-guitar-technique was from Jacquire King and since then I never struggled with my mix balance. Really like your style of explaning stuff, thank you Sara. Keep up the good work! BTW: the Klanghelm plugins are amazing. Tony Frenzel is such an amazing engineer and a very humble guy!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Cool, thanks! I think that's where I picked up the concept but adapted it to my needs.
@boldbearStudios 3 жыл бұрын
@@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Absolutely! Setting the calibration of the VU meter to -14 dB and then level the kick to about -7 to -5 dB is brilliant. Thus, the mix level for most of the streaming services will be in the ballpark virtually by itself. By the way: what immediately caught my attention is that you don't move the faders beyond unity gain. This may seem nerdy, but I can totally relate to it. 😀
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
@@boldbearStudios Thanks! Yes, and if you need them louder then just apply a some limiting with a -1dB true peak output and you're good to go! The Unity thing is probably because of the way I was trained but also, I'm a bit of a neat freak by nature: tidy desk-tidy mind!!!
@EmilianoFederico 3 жыл бұрын
All this time around this particular topic, this is the best explanation about it! THX!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Glad you think so! Thanks for watching
@thebarf9235 2 жыл бұрын
Wow, that was a fabulous lesson. I now understand metering and the importance of using it. Subscribed.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for subscribing and glad you enjoyed the lesson!
@DystopianTofuTV Жыл бұрын
one of the best videos about basics of mixing (and i watched a lot)
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@khalilroukoz 3 жыл бұрын
awesome best video i have seen on gain staging! clear and precise explanation! Cheers
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Wow! Glad you enjoyed it!
@Bronwyn031 Жыл бұрын
Finally!!! I now know what I was doing so very wrong trying to gain stage everything. I was gain staging my kick to 0VU and then trying to bring everything else in. My mix was averaging way too hot with my peaks clipping 0db. The -7VU on the kick was the missing piece for me. Sara, you get three hearts! 💖💖💖
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Glad to help!
@aries4973 2 жыл бұрын
This is great stuff and super helpful gain staging tutorial! Thanks for sharing this with us!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
My pleasure!
@kjohnson1099 3 жыл бұрын
this brought so much more clarity to my mix! Thank you so much.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
So glad to have helped!
@GreatContinentofAfrica Жыл бұрын
Your voice sounds you mix it as it comes out of your mouth, so soothing not a single excessive frequency
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@eves_disrhythms 8 ай бұрын
Thank you so much, I teach first year higher education students in Music Production and your videos have been so informative and clarifying! Thanks again
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 8 ай бұрын
You're very welcome!
@Multipass05 Жыл бұрын
Perfectly concise video on an important subject! Thanks for the help!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@BarryDocherty 2 жыл бұрын
Outstanding! Very nice tutorial.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Glad you liked it!
@CaldoHits 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for this video. It was insightful and this is about to improve the quality of my mixes.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Great to hear!
@petervandewoestijne9371 2 жыл бұрын
stumbled upon this channel, what a relief ! A real to watch in-between all the hyperactive men and nerds treating subjects like this. Great video, very clear and with a pleasant tone. Thank you. I subscribed,
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Wow, thank you! Glad you are enjoying the channel
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! Glad to be more calming in your feed!
@Landmaaler 3 жыл бұрын
Very well explained Sara - I loved that you gave us some 'ballpark' numbers that we can experiment with; very useful! And, of course, 'ballpark' is the right word, because these figures will naturally need to be adjusted if you're working with different genres e.g. anything from hip-hop to folk-rock ballads... Or maybe not?
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful! The ballpark figures will work regardless of genre, except maybe anything without drums! I just don't want people to get too hung up on the numbers and at -14 there is enough headroom built in for any adjustment based on personal taste, client requests, genre etc.
@patxiplg 3 жыл бұрын
Excellent tutorial, perfectly explained. Thank you!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Glad you enjoyed it!
@user-ll8us9he4m 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for this informative lesson on how important gain staging is
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Any time! Thanks for watching 😃
@FrederickLewisDeAngelis 3 жыл бұрын
Brilliant. You are a wonderful and very effective communicator. Extremely enlightening video. Thank you.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Frederick Lewis DeAngelis that means a lot 😊
@mohokios 2 жыл бұрын
i found your channel by luck... learned new things, more approaches in stuff in things i already knew, you're doing really a great job :) keep up it :) seriously i love the way you explain everything, it's not "we do this" it's also "why", specially for beginners known WHY other than just "doing this" probably is more important than the thing itself to actually for someone to get himself in the way "why or when i should do this, and what i am trying to achieve?" ... thank you so much for making so great stuff...
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your feedback, it's really helpful. Thanks for watching!
@claudiuseredinschi9043 2 жыл бұрын
Congratulations Sara... Precise and concise...
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you 🙂
@steveparkins6854 Жыл бұрын
exactly what i was looking for.and really👍👍 well explained
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Glad it helped
@Jalliams 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Sara. Brilliant video. So very clear and helpful. Subscribed :)
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@RichardThomas-sp4iy 5 ай бұрын
what a lovely style of presentation.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 5 ай бұрын
Thank you 🙏
@lucaslutzerler5429 2 жыл бұрын
Eye opening! Now i know that i know nothing. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
You’re welcome ☺️
@firubbi 3 жыл бұрын
that is so nice of you to explaining VU meters :)
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Jingle Dot Com, thank you so much :)
@glizzyhendrix Жыл бұрын
you have an amazing ability for teaching! Thank you for this video!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@richardstopford2133 2 жыл бұрын
This is a really great tutorial. There were still things that I've been strugging with about gain staging and this cleared them up. The struggle was largely that I was seeing it recommended that you hit processing plugins from instruments at between -3 to 0db VU. As such I'd been aiming for this as the output to 2 buss both before and after processing. This lead to a VU level which was far too high. If I understand correctly, you gain stage individual channels for processing at -3 to 0db VU, but then aim to hit the 2 buss at a lower volume determined by a kick at -7db. I tried this, and whilst it ends up with pretty low levels (I'm calibrated at -18dbfs which I will probably now be able to adjust) the overall level, space and balance is amazing. And oodles of headroom to spare. By all means tell me if I've misunderstood something, but otherwise, this was awesome. Thanks!
@sashlipinski7034 2 жыл бұрын
This is what I was wondering as well. Set everything at just under 0db......set kick at around -6db, and place everything around that kick, bass being first and staying just above the kick number. That would bring everything down lower than originally staged, but end result would keep the total mix at around -18db to -14db. In the past, I've just gain staged everything at -18db, including kick, then mixed, and gain staged my mix bus a final time at -18db. Maybe not perfect, but miles cleaner than when I first started and new nothing about gain staging lol.
@renanluy Жыл бұрын
@@sashlipinski7034 Im stil confused with that too
@thesebarehandsmusic 2 жыл бұрын
Wow. Great video. Immediate improvement here!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Marc Smith, thank you so much, glad it helped!
@Sool101 3 жыл бұрын
Thank you for introducing me to Klanghelm. Off I go into the rabbit hole.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Hope you enjoy it!
@MisterReos 3 ай бұрын
Awesome, love the way you explain
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 ай бұрын
Thanks a lot 😊
@TonyKilaBeatz 2 жыл бұрын
You’re a genius Sara!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Haha! Thanks!
@yourgen1891 2 жыл бұрын
Seems a good level comfortable and sure.
@MrAlFuture 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for a great video. Well reasoned info minus any hype or click bait. :) Personally I think the default peak metering in DAWs and the lingering myth of recording digital as close to 0FS as possible hinders learning to mix. This vu/averaging meter approach in the box is a good antidote to that. Thanks again!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing! I always say to watch the DAW fader meter and go for green to yellow!
@DouglasShibata1 3 жыл бұрын
Explanation clear, great video 🎶🏆🎯
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Appreciate it!
@nersonangelo 2 жыл бұрын
Amazing relaxing voice and concise explainations.. just found an amazing mixing channel.. Thnx sara
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much!
@ReneSerna1021 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you for this Sara!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
You're so welcome!
@MOMirrors 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Sara. Fast and easy. Nice rule of thumbs. (Kicks -7, bass -4-5) Bye.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@smtonlinevideos 3 жыл бұрын
Excellent video! I'm going to try this in my next mix. Thank you!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Wonderful!
@reziahamed6654 3 жыл бұрын
Great great insight about VU meters amongst all other vague stuff available on youtube... Really appreciate if you could keep these golden advises pouring through pleaseeeeee.. Thanks a bunch & God bless.... 🎉🎉🎉👊👍
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, will do! 😀
@GeoffTEEVEE 3 жыл бұрын
This is SO WELL EXPLAINED. Thanks for this.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Geoff TEEVEE, thanks for watching and for the feedback!
@hooligancowboy 2 жыл бұрын
Iam getting one of these now. Thanks Sara!!!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Have fun!
@rockstarjazzcat 3 жыл бұрын
Yay for the antidotes to the lingering scourge of the loudness wars! As I see it, and having started on a Tascam Porta One back in the day, bits are bits. They don’t have an innate loudness. With 24-bit or higher recording, I feel zero need to reduce my headroom when tracking. Targeting a dynamic range going to mastering makes sense, but otherwise I appreciate the -18dBFS (or lower) freedom from artificially induced clipping issues on calibrated monitors, and the compatibility with plugins that model analog gear. Cheers, D
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
RockStarJazzCat, 😊 thanks for watching and for your thoughts!
@mozwall_2560 3 жыл бұрын
You’ve just got yourself a new follower. Good vid!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
MozWall _, thanks for watching and for the feedback!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@dpinskey 3 жыл бұрын
Sara! Just found your channel and it is fantastic. This is THE best explanation of how to build your track levels that I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to put what I’ve learned into practice. Plus, the quality of your voice is so soothingly pleasant to listen to I could listen to you all day! Thank you so much and glad to be a new subscriber to you channel. Cheers!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Awesome! Thank you so much! ☺
@scrawfordmusic 2 жыл бұрын
I have gotten SO MUCH out of these videos. Thank you!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
That’s great, pleased to have helped!
@cornerliston 3 жыл бұрын
Sara, a VU meter is in my shopping list and next mix will be accordingly. One thing though about clipping that seems to be forgotten quite often is that “clipping” on each channel is actually not going to cause any clipping in the sound, according the massive headroom 32 bit processing gives. Not to be confused with having 0 at the master bus that will be causing clipping.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks for commenting!
@frankiesunswept 4 ай бұрын
Absolutely awesome, thanks for a well explained, extremely helpful video :) cheers
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 4 ай бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@JoeReillyDoesthings 2 жыл бұрын
Sarah, you are one of the absolute best teachers on you Tube.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Joe Reilly that means a lot 😊
@DeltaWhiskeyBravo13579 Жыл бұрын
Very useful meter tutorial Sara. Thanks. I recently began using my Studio One 6 DAW stock VU meters, one set to -18 at the beginning of my audio before any plug-ins. I use a second on my Master bus after everything which is set to -12. The S1 meter doesn't have the edit options like your Klanghelm VU does, however mine is a combo VU, digital peak, and correlation meter. I can change my VU's zero to -18, -12, -6, 0, and then a sensitivity knob. I am beginning to get better consistent mix levels when I'm going by my VU meters. I'm still used to my analog roots.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing Жыл бұрын
The last time I used S1's VU meter it wasn't that accurate. Might be worth checking against the Klanghelm or the Waves VU
@DeltaWhiskeyBravo13579 Жыл бұрын
@@SaraCarterSimplyMixing It can't hurt to make sure. I'll look into the Klanghelm meter. Thanks for the feedback. PS ordered the Klanghelm meter. Great price.
@kamusik2 2 жыл бұрын
Wow! Thank you for this tutorial, Sara :)
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
You’re welcome ☺️
@jermainesmith6315 3 жыл бұрын
Im going to be doing my gain staging just like this video for now on.... Thanks and great video
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@fjn667 2 жыл бұрын
Amazing tutorial, i learned a ton watching this
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Fredrik Johansson, thanks for watching and for the feedback!
@von_Apa 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, you're really good at this! And a very good teacher! Thanks for sharing, I learned a lot. 🎶🎧🙏🙋♂️❤️
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Happy to hear that! Thank you so much for saying that ☺☺
@justinharrison7517 2 жыл бұрын
This is a fantastic video. Thank you!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you!
@Firetracks 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing! Well done!💯🎯
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@michael.gagarin 3 жыл бұрын
Learnt a lot. I loved your video.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Michael Gagarin, thank you so much :)
@balthazarqasar2755 Жыл бұрын
Incredible content and powerful teacher
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 11 ай бұрын
Thank you!
@sampoetry 2 жыл бұрын
Great informative video. Thanks for sharing.
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@allpdmusic 2 жыл бұрын
Great video Sara. Thank you!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
You're so welcome!
@leronstokes3220 2 жыл бұрын
Absolutely helpful thank you so much miss Sarah
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 2 жыл бұрын
Glad it was helpful!
@LuRojas 3 жыл бұрын
You're a great teacher Sara!!!!
@SaraCarterSimplyMixing 3 жыл бұрын
Thanks Lu Rojas that means a lot 😊
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