Recording Level Vs. Mastering Level
One of the most common questions I receive is about loudness. I often get asked, "Why do some recordings sound so loud?" or "how do I get my recording loud without distorting? The answer is Mastering.
Know The Difference
Achieving a greater loudness DOES NOT happen in the recording stage. Your recording level should average between -18db and -10db on the peak meter. It would be best if you never peaked over -6db (on your peak meter). Loudness happens in the mastering stage, which comes at the very end of your production process. Once a track is recorded at the above-mentioned proper recording level, compression is applied to reduce the audio content's dynamic (loudness) range. Then the audio production is taken to a separate Mastering stage where the volume is increased using a particular processor called a limiter. Only this technique allows you to increase the average volume without producing clipping the signal. The concept is further illustrated in this video. Recording and Mastering are two separate processes that, when combined, give you control and loudness while retaining the intended sound.
What Is A Custom Preset And Why Do I Need One?
A custom processing preset for your voice-over is a series of plugins explicitly tuned for your voice, in your room, and on your microphone. If you want to compete in today's voice-over world, you must ensure that your demos and auditions are extraordinary. Voice-over artists at every experience level from all over the world are fighting to win work. However, if you don't have a professional sound, you will lose out to someone who does.
Custom voice-over processing presets can take your audio presentation quality to the level necessary to compete with the pros. Instead of taking it upon yourself to tweak the parameters like EQ, compression, DeEssing, and saturation to name a few, you can hire a professional voice-over audio engineer to create it for you. Once you have the custom preset on your system, you have "The Sound" every time you press the record button. The investment pays for itself with the money and time saved. Here are the top reasons why they are so popular:
- A custom processing preset lets you focus on your strengths, leaving more time for pitching your voice-over and less time stumbling with engineering.
- A custom processing preset gives you the confidence necessary to help you perform your best.
- A custom processing preset allows you to outshine the competition, win more auditions, and get more work.
Demo Your Custom Voice-Over Preset Sound Free!
Once you submit your voice for processing, you will be notified if your audio recording quality needs improvement or if it's ready for prime time. If your production quality needs improvement, you will be offered suggestions to help identify and resolve any issues before being asked to resubmit audio. On the other hand, if your audio recording quality is up to par, you will receive a sample of your custom-tuned processed sound to review for free.
About The Author
Lenny B is a professional voice-over audio engineer. Thousands of voice-over artists worldwide trust Lenny to improve their voice-over production quality and presentation.
