Hey guys,

I know this is a recording forum but I`d love this question answered. I plug in all the mics into the desk and starting with the kick I press PFL, then I turn up the gain until it is a hot signal. The master fader is at about -5 to allow headroom if the corwd gets louder. Now, when all the signals are hot, how do i mix when I cant see the AFL level on the meter? How do I match the bass level to the kick level and things like that when they are all summed together on one meter?

Thanks guys!

I feel like I have to be missing something, but shouldn't you just use your ears? Mix it so it sounds right?

Well you could just use your ears but its very hard to get a proper mix with just your ears! Is this how its done? Seriously? Is there no other way other than getting a meter board?

Tuite wrote:Well you could just use your ears but its very hard to get a proper mix with just your ears! Is this how its done? Seriously? Is there no other way other than getting a meter board?

Well, meters will help you know if you're clipping and how much. but no, you mix with the ears, not with the eyes. and you can hear when it clips.

I hope people won't go down on this topic with fury, but seriously: Mixers mix with their ears first and foremost. If you had a meter for every mic, and you matched them up to the same level, you have 99% chances of ending up with really bad, excessively loud sounding drums. Meters are there for several reasons, one of them being to allow you to know when the sound is distorting or not (some people intentionally decide to put the sound levels above 0db just because the distorted sound is what they're after, others avoid the 0db like the plague), but they are not the ultimate guide tool for making any mix.

... that is, unless someone has invented a brilliant device that replaces the role of "hearing" during the mixing process?

I dont mean match every mic to the same level, I match the kick to the bass and the snare fairly similar. If there are two guitars they should both be a little below the rest, the vox should be about 7db above the mix! Back vox go a few db lower or around the guitar level if there are two singers at once! That is how you mix recordings anyway......well its a rough guide!

In arena sizevenues, do the pros use AFL meters on every channel while mixing?

all those rules you have about what instrument should be the same level as some other instrument, and how many dB louder or softer something must be... these are really crazy, to me. ears, not rules. if you are not mixing with your ears, you should not be mixing, someone else should. with their ears.

channel strips generally have a peak light. you should also be able to *hear* if clipping is occurring. there is no need for even one single meter.

if you're not using your ears, I'm sorry to say your mixes almost definitely sound bad.

USE YOUR EARS

Your getting me wrong guys! I DO use my ears. I`m not worried about clipping at all, I turn up the gain until the signal is as hot as possible on the meter (close to 0), if its a vocal or kick or bass etc. it will be compressed too so its not goin to clip! Then I use the faders to mix. these are not "rules", more like guidelines. I like to raise the bass to the kick and then use my ears to see if it sounds right and for EQ etc. Of course I use my ears but is it not WAY easier when you have meters too?

Tuite wrote: is it not WAY easier when you have meters too?

no.

i've done lot's of live sound and really never look at the meters other than to see if i'm clipping. a lot of clubs have boards that don't have them.

i have no idea why you would want to match the levels on meters like you are saying. think about it. if the bass player has a massive amp with 4x15"s or something why would you want that level anywhere near the level of the kick drum. or if the drummer has a lead foot but light hands why would you want the snare at the same level as the kick. if one guitar player has a really loud amp etc, etc......

-e

If the kick is the same level as the snare, it doesnt matter if he hits the kick louder than the snare, I have matched them so on average, they will be the same volume. If the amp is loud thats ok, I will turn it down at the desk to be below the kick and snare or the same if there is only one guitar.