Setting the master volume to -1DB

[ernstinen]

And Ern, if you're saturating the tape, that's pretty much audible, if you know what to listen for.

Yea, tape saturation IS audible, in a good way, unless you get into distortion. Analog tape was ALWAYS recorded way into the red by the best engineers. (Analog and digital are completely different, as I'm sure you know). That's why my best analog recordings, peaking at +3 to +5, were and still are pretty much the best sounding, depending on the quality of the machine and the tape you use. That's how you get almost a zero noise floor, even without noise reduction circuitry.

Someone asked Roy Thomas Baker how he got such a punchy and clean drum sound on Queen and Cars recordings. He said "Saturate the tape almost to the point of distortion, maybe as high as +6 db."

That said, "Rhythmeen" is probably the best loud rock recording I've ever heard.

Question for Billy Gibbons:

"The whole 'Rhythmeen' album has a very fat analog sound, almost like it was recorded on tape, using a lot of saturation. Was it recorded analog?"

Billy: "Indeed. There's a peculiar world that lives, quite possibly in both domains, analog and digital, and it's that wonderfully warm super saturated distorto something and I guess the message is, it doesn't matter how you get there, if you do get there, grab a hold of it and ride it."


Ern

[mewman]

Hi Orest,

I'm a bit late to this conversation and have learned a lot from reading the now seven pages of response. The one thing that I have not seen mentioned, and something that may help you, is the Adaptive Limiter in Logic. As Mazz and others explained, mix to a reasonable level well enough below zero dB that there is no chance of clipping, then open the AdLimiter as an insert in your stereo output channel (typically output 1-2). Make a pass at the tune and let the limiter register the peak level. After, lower the "input scale" to eliminate any clipping then adjust the "Out Ceiling" to -1 Db and play with the "Gain" to boost the level to close to zero. If done properly, the level should then be limited to -1 dB and the limiter should only kick in at the hottest points..... preferably hardly at all.

I only normalize in Waveburner when I am burning tracks to a CD.

Have fun!

Mewman