Is sample loudness important?

jocasrb

Battle Champion!
Hello! I want to ask this, becouse i have a big problem with my production, mix more precisely...is sample loudness important for making a loud beat? i dont mean on samples like molidyes, loops, chops, i mean on drum samples; kicks, snares, hats ect...becouse how i see, i do to them some compression (not perfect, im still learning but i dont make them worse than the original version...) adding eq (yea, first eq then compression) then to some reverb ect..classicaly...so can you answer and help me here? i dont see any other reasons for my quiet beat...(i like them now, becouse they are not overcompressed but its not bad thing to have them a little louder :D )

***recentry i found here, the best option to do mix is to mix to -6db/-7db...so even with that method my beats are quiet again :/
 
well remember when your finishing mixing you don't want your beat to be too loud because when its mastered the mastering engineer is going to bring the volume up so a quieter beat after mixing is not so bad, and regarding compression(i had to learn this myself) its not completely neccesary and if you use it dont over do it because when you over do your taking out alot of your songs dynamic range so keep that in mind, but above all keep practicing
 
Hello! I want to ask this, becouse i have a big problem with my production, mix more precisely...is sample loudness important for making a loud beat? i dont mean on samples like molidyes, loops, chops, i mean on drum samples; kicks, snares, hats ect...becouse how i see, i do to them some compression (not perfect, im still learning but i dont make them worse than the original version...) adding eq (yea, first eq then compression) then to some reverb ect..classicaly...so can you answer and help me here? i dont see any other reasons for my quiet beat...(i like them now, becouse they are not overcompressed but its not bad thing to have them a little louder :D )

***recentry i found here, the best option to do mix is to mix to -6db/-7db...so even with that method my beats are quiet again :/

what is your monitoring level like? we went over this before: unless your monitors are producing 83dBSPL for your nominal 0dBRMS value (should be -12dBfs at most) then it is likely that you will be over-compensating for the lack of spl in your listening environment and subsequently thinking that anything below a much higher dBfs value is too quiet

fix that first then tell us if you still think things are too quiet

well remember when your finishing mixing you don't want your beat to be too loud because when its mastered the mastering engineer is going to bring the volume up so a quieter beat after mixing is not so bad, and regarding compression(i had to learn this myself) its not completely neccesary and if you use it dont over do it because when you over do your taking out alot of your songs dynamic range so keep that in mind, but above all keep practicing

a mastering engineer may do what you suggest but that is unlikely - they are more likely to be looking at things like meta-data, subtle shifts in eq, identifying problems with over-compression, clipping and other distortions, and generally making the song as good as it can for your genre prior to distribution
 
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thanks both, but lets continue...@muhal, yea im doing a master also...for making a bet louder (becouse i dont know other tricks there yet)...and yea also then they are quiet, but it comes from my mix (i think)...

@bandcoach yea, you already mention 'dBSPL' 'dBRMS' and so on, but and now i cant understand these things...i googled them, and they are confusing me...found some K-System which is external component, but theres alternative, some vst which does the same work...:S also you said word 'Monitors', can we equalize it with Speakers? :D becouse i have hi fi speakers, from '76, Brown, but they have really good 3 way sound...but i think it doesnt matter on what you are doing, becouse someone can do good, profy beat at Genius speakers (20e)...:)
 
difference between speakers and monitors is one of flatness of frequency response more than anything else

the way forward with setting your monitoring levels is getting an spl app for your smart phone and then using an a weighted curve blast some pink noise at your preferred 0dBRMS value (-20 to -12dBfs) and turn your amplifier up to the point where you register this as 83dBSPL. use nail polish or liquid paper to mark the positions on the volume control and note your audio interface output and your audio drivers volume level

it is literally a 5 minute thing to do once you have everything set to go
 
difference between speakers and monitors is one of flatness of frequency response more than anything else

the way forward with setting your monitoring levels is getting an spl app for your smart phone and then using an a weighted curve blast some pink noise at your preferred 0dBRMS value (-20 to -12dBfs) and turn your amplifier up to the point where you register this as 83dBSPL. use nail polish or liquid paper to mark the positions on the volume control and note your audio interface output and your audio drivers volume level

it is literally a 5 minute thing to do once you have everything set to go

okay thanks man, now i dont have any smart phone, but ill ask my friend...also one of my speakers isnt at my house, has bass-problem, so ill wait 2 days for repairing .... ill write here when i do it/test it, thanks anyway!
 
Well, I am, sort of, but I meant no harm. I actually didn't figure it out until after I posted. No offense, bro, just confused (that's actually not rare for me either).

GJ

PS-- In my experience, sample volume matters. Meaning, the cleanest, closest to max-gain-before-distortion, gives you the most options at mix time, whether you are working with samples, or your own recorded tracks. You can always turn it down, but if there's not enough, you won't be able to turn it up.
 
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well thanks both...im confused, becouse im using DJ Premier's pack, J Dilla's one, 9th Wonder's ect...and i assume that a lot of people (who do old schol style) use them...but i havent seen this problem anywhere..so i still dont know is that problem to my computer or on these samples.....also they visually are loud...becouse when i open certain sample (snare/kick/hat/tom blabla) in my FL, i cant normalize it, becouse its already set on 'max volume'...i hope you understand what im trying to say hah

ill see, in my head, only solution is to change my soundcard settings in FL, i mean option about ASIO4ALL...maybe at the start i configured it in wrong way.....if that doesnt work ill change my packs and ill see what im gonna do hah , thanks anyway :)
 
Thanks to all for help...problem wasnt on samples...problem is my FL STUDIO OUTPUT...its located in the down left corner (when you open mixer)...it is 100% becouse with changing these options my sound is totally different, i mean its really louder...im using ASUS Xonar DGX Audio, so the only remaining thing to do is to choose properly number on that output becouse i have these options:

ASUS Xonar DGX Audio 1 - ASUS Xonar DGX Audio 2

then

ASUS -||- 3 - ASUS 4

then

5 with 6

and the last one is

ASUS Xonar DGX Audio 7 - ASUS Xonar DGX Audio 8

...

how i listened and recognized, each of them gives the different sound...so i will be grateful if anyone knows what is the best solution to pick out there...thanks :)

***and its weird a little, becouse i need to change this option to every seperate channel in the mixer hah, but thats not a problem

EDIT: Its not like i meant...on the Master OUT by default it is Xonar 1 - 2...thats probably okay, becouse it is playing with my Xonar SoundCard...but...all of my channels have 'none' at the OUT...so maybe, changing that to the same Xonar as Master's one - will do the job...
 
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@the maz, i understand keeping mix at -6db...i put it on -6db but its quiet than it should be (also when i do master on -0.1 it is not that...), i dont know if you understand....i learned that my speakers are 88db at one meter...dont know exactly that calculation but i know its 88db, which is not very loud, becouse i recently heard 114 or 122db on one meter, and it has different sound power, or no matter how professional is that called....my problem is not on speakers, becouse when i listen to songs at youtube also on soundcloud, ill cut a little a volume gain on my speakers, but when i want to listen to my mix+mastered beats its really annoying, quietl volume...so i need to give a gain on the speaker's gain volume......so the problem is in Fl studio by my way of thinking...possibly some settings
 
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What do you mean 'put it on -6dB'? That sounds like you're setting a dial and expecting it to do all the work.

I suspect some serious study concerning RMS, peak, crest factors should sort you out. Setting a dial at -6dB simply means that you're reducing the output of a channel by 6dB. People are saying you should be aiming for an RMS value of -6dB (if you want to get embroiled in the loudness wars).

I wrote a post many yonks ago about compression that might shine a light for you. You can find it HERE.
 
well thank you very much, ill read it when i have time.....(man how production is reallly hard and boring for old-style-beatmakers..:D )
 
Hello! I want to ask this, becouse i have a big problem with my production, mix more precisely...is sample loudness important for making a loud beat? i dont mean on samples like molidyes, loops, chops, i mean on drum samples; kicks, snares, hats ect...becouse how i see, i do to them some compression (not perfect, im still learning but i dont make them worse than the original version...) adding eq (yea, first eq then compression) then to some reverb ect..classicaly...so can you answer and help me here? i dont see any other reasons for my quiet beat...(i like them now, becouse they are not overcompressed but its not bad thing to have them a little louder :D )

***recentry i found here, the best option to do mix is to mix to -6db/-7db...so even with that method my beats are quiet again :/
now thatt would depend on the beat now wouldn't it...
 
Hello! I want to ask this, becouse i have a big problem with my production, mix more precisely...is sample loudness important for making a loud beat? i dont mean on samples like molidyes, loops, chops, i mean on drum samples; kicks, snares, hats ect...becouse how i see, i do to them some compression (not perfect, im still learning but i dont make them worse than the original version...) adding eq (yea, first eq then compression) then to some reverb ect..classicaly...so can you answer and help me here? i dont see any other reasons for my quiet beat...(i like them now, becouse they are not overcompressed but its not bad thing to have them a little louder :D )

***recentry i found here, the best option to do mix is to mix to -6db/-7db...so even with that method my beats are quiet again :/

You got a bit confused my friend, especially the -6db/7db part was the most confusing.

Loudness has nothing to do with the faders of your console in your daw.
Mastering is the most responsible for loudness (compressing the separate tracks during mixing plays a huge role too).

Mixing is about getting the instruments/vocals work together frequency wise, dynamic wise and depth wise.
The master channel fader should remain intact and if it peaks then reduce the volume of your group/tracks.

Sample loudness does not play a role at all, especially if the sample (kick drum for example) was generated by a digital synth which has zero noise.

If the sample was created using external gear which may have noise, then if you import it to your daw and it's that silent that you need to use some make-up gain to make it work,
then you will bring the noise floor louder too. Either choose a different sample or fix the noise with processors, if noise is a concern.

EQ -> Compression is the most used chain, but sometimes if the sample is great you may not need to use compression or even EQ at all.
It depends on where you want to go and then you choose the appropriate processor.

Hope this helps and feel free to quote me (so I can get an email notification) if you need anything else.
 
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You got a bit confused my friend, especially the -6db/7db part was the most confusing.

Loudness has nothing to do with the faders of your console in your daw.
Mastering is the most responsible for loudness (compressing the separate tracks during mixing plays a huge role too).

Mixing is about getting the instruments/vocals work together frequency wise, dynamic wise and depth wise.
The master channel fader should remain intact and if it peaks then reduce the volume of your group/tracks.

Sample loudness does not play a role at all, especially if the sample (kick drum for example) was generated by a digital synth which has zero noise.

If the sample was created using external gear which may have noise, then if you import it to your daw and it's that silent that you need to use some make-up gain to make it work,
then you will bring the noise floor louder too. Either choose a different sample or fix the noise with processors, if noise is a concern.

EQ -> Compression is the most used chain, but sometimes if the sample is great you may not need to use compression or even EQ at all.
It depends on where you want to go and then you choose the appropriate processor.

Hope this helps and feel free to quote me (so I can get an email notification) if you need anything else.

well thanks for this long answer :)

id like to thank also @hackenslash for his link, but honestly not for that his long post, some time ago, but the post just above(before) him...with 'particular' way of help...with his ' 1-2-1-2-5-8-5-4-3-2-1 ' which were displayed like peaks/soundform or however is that called, i dont know the exact word...but it doesnt matter it helped me a lot, becouse of that and just one clip on youtube i improved my 'compressor skills' haha so it is a little better now..thanks everyone really :) also yea i was right with quiet drum samples...there are some and they are really annoying...@pashchalis I. yep i figure out that compression isnt always necessary on kicks/hats/snares/toms/blabla (but on sample like melody, chops which arent a part of drum i dont use compression there, just eq and maybe reverb, i hope thats not bad/wrong hah) ... but im using EQ all the time, i mean on every channel becouse i think that will cut unwanted frequencies..my opinion :)
 
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