Input / Output Levels - Is this normal?

F

Frustrated

New member
Hi,

Total noob, here. So apologies in advance for my ignorance.

I've imported a mix into Ozone for mastering, but before I've touched anything the input level is already at +5.3db peak.

When mixing in the DAW, I've meticulously looked at all gain staging levels, left my master fader at 0, and my peaks are at -6.5db which I assumed would be ample headroom for mastering.

I exported the audio at 32bit WAV. No dither.

So why am I already in the red before I've started mastering? Do I just lower the input/output faders in Ozone so everything is below 0?

Any advice appreciated. Thanks.
 
So, you're saying that the master fader channel was hitting around -6 dB. If you opened the WAV file in a new project (empty) on Ozone with no presets selected, it should not be anywhere close to 0 dB in that case, which basically means you're doing something we are not aware of.

The volume signal on the channel should be green on your DAW.

By the way, use 24-Bit 44.1 kHz (on your OS and in the DAW's export settings) while producing and rendering. Your audio will be on point in all cases and there will not be any improper conversions during important parts.

Master only a high quality 24-Bit file, at least use that 44.1 kHz which is perfectly fine and in the mastering it will be dithered and/or converted to 16-Bit.

Also, remember to use the highest possible resampling quality when exporting the audio file.

I would really like to see your volume channels in the mixer with the track playing to see where everything hits.

You're correct about the headroom, but you haven't done something right. Always, leave your DAW's main volume to 100% (default) and same goes for the master channel fader in the mixer.
 
What you are saying is impossible.

Here's what I would do.

Look at the exported .wav file. If it really is +5db it will be totally black. Which means, yes you are exporting too hot. If that's the case, you have a fader somewhere boosting something too hot.

If it's not all black, you are boosting in Ozone somewhere.

That's about all i can tell you without seeing what you are really doing.
 
Thanks to you both for your help. After reading what you said, I started making screenshots of everything...

But this time, instead of importing into my current Ozone project, I imported into a brand new one. Success - settings and headroom as it should be. Something is wrong in my Ozone Project.

God knows what I've done to it, but at least I'm not going mad.

(I'm sure it won't belong before I'm pulling my hair out over something else!)

Thanks again.
 
Frustrated said:
Thanks to you both for your help. After reading what you said, I started making screenshots of everything...

But this time, instead of importing into my current Ozone project, I imported into a brand new one. Success - settings and headroom as it should be. Something is wrong in my Ozone Project.

God knows what I've done to it, but at least I'm not going mad.

(I'm sure it won't belong before I'm pulling my hair out over something else!)

Thanks again.
Click to expand...

Start a new project that is empty and import the rendered audio file. So, you managed to get rid off the issue?
 
kujaboy said:
Start a new project that is empty and import the rendered audio file. So, you managed to get rid off the issue?
Click to expand...

Yeah, when importing the WAV into a brand new project, the levels were well into the minus as they should be. Don't know what was wrong with the original project to have it mess up the imported files like that.
 
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