True Peak mixing/mastering question

P

Peregrino69

New member
Hi guys

Starting with the application and gear, I'm using Reaper 5 on Win 10 Pro, audio HW Line 6 UX2 with ASIO. All versions / drivers are up to date.

I'm mixing a track, aiming for TP value of max -1dB or less. To measure this I'm just now running both Youlean Loudness Meter 2 and dpMeter3 at the end of my master track. I've noticed that the two don't really agree on the TP value, one might show max -2.6 while other shows -2.5. That I can live with as it's close enuff, free tools and all that.

The perplexing thing is that on different plays I may get entirely different max peak values. On one play I see -1.6, on the very next one -0.4. Every track including the master is fading in and out before/after the music plays, just to ensure there are no weird noises from the material. Between the plays I touch nothing, I only reset the meters and restart the track.

I don't understand. This is all digital, so surely the values should stay the same. Admittedly this is the first time I try mixing / mastering with a specific TP value as a goal. So what on earth can be causing this?

If you're seeing similar behavior, how do you deal with it and the TP? On the mastering stage or...?
 
Hey!

A difference of +/- 0.1 dbfs between the measurement of some vst’s can happen.
But a variation of +/- 1 dbfs is unusual.

Check if there is some unsynchronized LFO modulation going on (Filter, Phaser, Chorus, … )
This could lead to random frequency specific constructive interference. Therefore a variation of every different TP measurement.
But don’t concentrate too much on +/- 1 db.
Mixing is about the subjective experience of the relation between different signals.
Jugend by the ear and not by numbers.
Just prevent clipping on the Master while mixing.

I use metering mostly in the mastering process.
When i master my music, i try to make the mix sound as perfect as possible.
Then i aim for loudness.
First a little bit of processing (EQ, compressor, saturation, …)
but only minimalist changes while concentrating on TP and RMS measurement.
Next i use a dynamic eq at the loudest part of my track to control individual peaking frequencies at high volume (special focus on 1kh to 5kh to increase transparency).
Then, also at the loudest part of my track, i drive the signal into a limiter with -0.3 dbfs TP ceiling (to prevent inter sample peaks) and approximately 6 db RMS (+/- 3db) until its as loud as possible without distorting the signal.

Hope i could help.

All the best!

---

greetings from Music | Xenophilia
 
Last edited:
Thanks Xenophilia, that makes sense :-)

Turns out something very weird was going on with the track in question. I've sense zeroed everything and re-done the mix, and the it's stabilized. I also stopped with two meters... a man with a watch always knows the time while a man with two can never be sure :-D

Why I'm looking at the TPs is simply the idea of removing problems when and where they occur. The more I can remove at the mixing state, the easier it makes mastering. For me at least :-)
 
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