Prime internal recording level

[johnnycoombes]

Hi all.

One thing I still see mentioned on the Forums, is the Low Recording Level of the Prime Series, when using the internal recording function…people often complain its too low.

As has been covered before, this is intentional…as it leaves plenty of headroom in the signal chain for any post processing, effects etc,without the risk of clipping the signal…which in the Digital Audio world is a very bad thing ::

Internal Recording Levels are also Pre-Master and only affected by the Channel Level Gains…regardless of the Master Output Level.

So i thought I’d put together a quick tutorial using the free Loudmax Plugin, showing how to boost this recording in an audio editor afterwards…ie Audacity, Adobe Audition, Izotope RX etc…as long as your chosen program supports VST/AU Plugins, the method and theory is still the same.

LOUDMAX

So, here is my original recording, EQs are at 0 or the 12 O’Clock position, Channel Gains are into the first White LED, Master Output is at Infinity 00 or 1 O’Clock Position

Next step is to get my Waveform Stats

Now the figure I’m interested in, is the Total RMS which in this case, is around -19.2dB

Next, open up LOUDMAX and set your Threshold to the Total RMS figue, and Output to -2.0dB which still leaves plenty of Headroom, without risk of clipping the signal

LOUDMAX will work its magic…takes around 30s for a 1hr Recording

Afterwards, you should now be left with a nice boosted and clean level recording

Here’s the final output

PENN LOUDMAX Cheers

JC

[DjAj]

I believe the same is possible with Audacity (free). There is a normalization command that allows you to amplify the signal to a higher level avoiding clipping. I have tried it and it works.

[johnnycoombes]

Normalization does work but will only boost to the maximum Peak Signal level set.

Loudmax is also free, and takes this a step further and is slightly more intelligent, as it is a brickwall Limiter, so is different to Normalization

It can be used as a VST Plugin within Audacity

[DrLastContaQt]

I use Audacity with LoudMax to master my mixes. I start with Normalize to 0dB to bring up the volume. Then I trim the record and finally use Loudmax with -6.0 dB Threshold and -1.0 dB Output set. Result is punchy and loud mixtape

[mufasa]

LOUDMAX

I use it as well in Audacity.

I just don’t understand the THRESHOLD - is it meant to be your lowest loud portion? Thats the value i have been using

Anyone got the THRESHOLD for Dummies explanation?

[johnnycoombes]

So I’ve played around with a few settings…and I found if you set it too extreme, you get that “pumping” issue…where breakdowns etc…suddenly become loud…and the signal then drops again after.

I’ve found setting it at the Total RMS Level, gives a transparent and level sound…which also preserves the Dynamic Range

[DrLastContaQt]

I set threshold to average dB level. It meas that when sound has more dB it will be limited and if it has less it will be maximized to output dB level. At least for mine understanding of it

[PKtheDJ]

IMO you shouldn’t be squashing your waveform down until it looks like a straight line. That’s too much.

Aim to just tidy it up a little by removing the peaks. Start with the threshold all the way up, at 0. Then slowly reduce it until the meter on the right side of Loudmax starts registering. Just so that the meter moves during the peaks. Don’t have the threshold so low that the meter is showing orange all or most of the time. You’re killing the dynamic range.

DJs play music that’s already been mastered. There’s no need to stomp all over it and flatten it like a hedgehog in the road!

I use Loudmax to control my stream levels to Twitch, just to prevent overload. The threshold is set to -3.

[DrLastContaQt]

Mine likes like that:

Sounds like that: 🎧 Poniedziałkowe prasowanie #18 (Deep edition) [15.02.2021] - YouTube

[yeltsin]

On the Pro Mixtape Course that Digital DJ Tips do, they say to take your loudest part of the mix (in individual tracks), find out roughly what it’s db is and then take that to 0db (or just below if you don’t wish there to even be a sniff of clipping).

In total agreement with you @PKtheDJ , you shouldn’t be compressing anything, the dynamics in the tracks are what are meant to be as per the producers mixing desk. What you might wish to consider compressing though, is the actual mix between tracks, as at this point, if you haven’t EQd it properly/gains etc it will output louder than the rest of the mix, and so no harm would come to that section being ever so slightly compressed.

[mufasa]

With this what happens to a track that I didn’t adjust the gain properly in a mix? do they get amplified to that point ?

That’s all I’m trying to achieve

[mufasa]

Mine looks like yours as well

[yeltsin]

It would take everything from your threshold to the new level, and everything below that moves up accordingly. There is a way in Audacity to fix just parts like that rather than the entire output, I can’t remember how to do it, but I’ll have a fiddle if no one else posts on here and show you what to do when I can get to my laptop.

[mufasa]

I’ve watched some YouTube videos as well, but they seem to go through the mix track by track and make adjustments to bring up quieter parts.

Seems like hard work to me.

Looking for a simpler way lol. I click job.

[yeltsin]

it does actually make better sounding mix tapes though, sound much more like the old studio CDs

[PKtheDJ]

I just wish Denon would increase the recording level, or ideally make it adjustable. I know it’s a “safety measure” but we’re not all idiots. We know how to set a sensible level.

The option of a brick wall limiter as per master output would solve any problems with people jacking the level up too high.

The low output affects streaming too. I’ve had to route my master out thru another interface because of this.

[johnnycoombes]

OK, just to add…the final picture isn’t that clear.

The track hasn’t been over-compressed and still has Dynamic Range. This is zoomed in and a little clearer.

This can be heard from the final output

PENN LOUDMAX WAV

[Dj.WTF]

I use Sony SoudForge 11 and it’s definitively the best. Audacity looks like a toy beside

[johnnycoombes]

This article explains the limiter and it’s uses.

Essentially it can be used to boost and balance out your overall Loudness of a signal…without clipping.

An Introduction to Limiters (and How to Use Them)

[Stulynn]

Thanks for the info. I have tried to download loudmax and add it to the plug-ins in Audacity (in my 2020 MacBook Pro running Big Sur OS 11.1).

When I select an audio track in Audacity and then try and open the loud max plug in effect - mine just opens an empty white box as per the screen shot below. It doesn’t bring up any kind of analytics of the track?

Am I missing something here? Tried you tube tutorials but theirs seems to open fine. Any ideas?