FreeG plugin clipping peak not matching the Cakewalk one

[Marcello]

It seems that the FreeG meter clipping peak is not matching the Cakewalk one (see screenshot) Who should I trust ?

Also I'm keeping al tracks very close to the peak of -6dbs sometimes it breaks it and reach -4dbs, the RMS bottom one stays anyway around -18dbs, does it really make a difference if I break the peak a little bit and reach -4dbs? is there a tolerance?

 

[Gswitz]

The only points that matter are above 0. There is a thing called inter sample peak where all the samples are not clipping but the wave does when regenerated. This is real and most engineers leave 0.2 or 0.3 db from the ceiling to reduce the chance of this. You can use tools to find inter sample peaks and limit them. For most songs leaving 0.1 headroom is sufficient, but why risk it?

I trust cakewalk for the precise peak but cakewalk does not report inter sample peaks at the channel level. You have to use a vst to find them.

Edited December 29, 2020 by Gswitz

[scook]

If you want to use FreeG at least get the 64bit version directly from Sonalksis

If loudness monitoring is important, Insight 2 is on sale for $39 at Plug-in Boutique.

Melda Production's MFreeFXBundle includes 64bit loudness meter and spectral analyzer plug-ins. While free, they also offer a licensed version with a few extra features. The license is current on sale for $30.

For a free alternative to the gain control in FreeG consider Blue Cat's Freeware Plug-ins Pack II

[Marcello]

1 hour ago, Gswitz said:

The only points that matter are above 0. There is a thing called inter sample peak where all the samples are not clipping but the wave does when regenerated. This is real and most engineers leave 0.2 or 0.3 db from the ceiling to reduce the chance of this. You can use tools to find inter sample peaks and limit them. For most songs leaving 0.1 headroom is sufficient, but why risk it?

I trust cakewalk for the precise peak but cakewalk does not report inter sample peaks at the channel level. You have to use a vst to find them.

"The only points that matter are above 0" meaning it should be fine then if the peak is around -4.0 dbs?

thing is that my drums are clipping a bit, the kick especially (hitting -4.0), but I need them louder than the guitars, the guitars volume is already at -10 (not dbs) in the bus volume bar, I don't want to decrease even more the guitar volume for the drums to be heard more.

Not sure what you mean with "inter sample peak where all the samples are not clipping but the wave does when regenerated"

[Marcello]

Basically I have this situation, these are my buses, would you suggest to leave it like this? (drums will hit -4.0 dbs), or to decrease the drums volume but then I have to decrease the guitars volume too and will go to -12/-14 volume

Edited December 29, 2020 by Marcello

[Byron Dickens]

Use your ears instead of your eyes.

[John Vere]

Don't obsess over meters and stuff. They are there to make sure you don't go over and are one of the tools you can use for balancing a mix. 

With digital being lower is OK as there is no noise floor anymore. 

I use the Youlean meter on my master bus only. I would never be overly concerned with tracks or other busses. I can see and HEAR them just fine. 

For sure you do not want to see any red lights on any track or bus.  

By the way- those guitar track reverb send are way up there?  If I did that it would sound horrible.  

https://producelikeapro.com/blog/signal-flow/

 

[Marcello]

Do you mean reverb level just under the send? I didn't check that to be honest  just noticed,

I have just tried to balance it from the reverb bus volume, not from send, indeed.

 

 

[John Vere]

The send is were most add the amount. The buss is at unity. Then if there is overall too much reverb in the mix you turn down the effect buss. 

Edited December 29, 2020 by John Vere

[Marcello]

Ok, anyway at the end I have raised quite a bit the THU guitar reverb directly from the different tracks, this because the THU reverb has a very typical guitar amp reverb, while the general bus reverb plugin is more like a HALL, ROOM, or ORCHESTRA, kind of reverb, and it hase way too many kinds of reverbs set up.

I have anyway kept also the bus reverb one on all guitars only on clean parts, it sounds good to be but I cannot identify with my ears any "mud" , maybe there is I don't know I'm not a pro   So at the end I put reverb on guitar tracks and on the general bus 

You can give a listen and tell me if it sounds good to you? would be of great help, also if you have any other suggestion, this track is already mastered but still work in progress.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VcY4ISXdpF7N_I0RFO9SGCxiSrJ162r1/view?usp=sharing

Edited December 29, 2020 by Marcello