Ableton Forum

Guys is there a recommended volume/loudness for my studio monitors for computer music production? I mainly work on Trance and was wondering if I had my monitors loud enough. I’ve just joined sound gym and I’ve found doing some of the training I need my monitors that bit louder in order to be able to pick up on the subtle differences on some of the tests. Where things are only 0.5db - 1db difference I found increasing the volume helped. Ive have a sound meter where my head is and Im recording around 60db.

60db is actually pretty nice, a bit low for the 'industry standard' but damn comfortable and loud enough to get everything done..

You can try this, https://abluesky.com/support/blue-sky-c ... est-files/ although, depending on your setup, 85db is LOUD and probably meant for commercial size mixing rooms. Im setup in a 15 x 20 bedroom and 85db at mix position blows my head off, so I kinda fudged it and went down to 75db for each monitor (hits about 78-79db when both are on) and its plenty loud for anything in here. I use one of the passive Mackie Big Knobs to flip between my MOTU 828x and the main outs of my SoundCraft console and most of the time the volume knob on the Big Knob is below 12 o'clock. Even that is plenty loud unless you really like to party when you mix. Just for reference, I'm running a pair of 10 year old Tannoy Reveal 501d's and a Presonus Temblor 8" sub and my setup ROCKS when I throw on jungle and drum and bass tunes.. If I really need to show off, I can turn that thing all the way up and show people 80db of volume but seriously, everyone in the house would be pissed and the neighbors would hear it at that point too. Way too loud for smaller home setups.

I think it depends on what you're trying to accomplish. On traditional studio recordings such as a normal published song I tend to work at around 75 db, but it's a bit louder around 85 db or so when I'm constructing any kind of soundtrack so I can better pick up on the nuances of the instruments. For live performances of tracks through PA systems I'm generally going to be in the 95 db range.

I tend to vary the volume between "normal" (i.e. comfortably sustainable for an hour if I want), quiet and loud. The variety gives my ears a change and allows me to hear how it will sound to other people where they'll decide the volume. Normal is my standard mixing volume; quiet tends to highlight the basic mix, loud shows if compression and eq are right; if it sounds good at all three levels then I'm happy.

Perfect thanks for the infor guys, I think I may need to up the volume slightly and also vary it so I don't blast my ears

beyond 80db is exhausting for more than a couple of minutes. I'm more comfortable at 65-70 while working on my pieces
best of luck

Deland01 wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 17, 2022 3:06 pm

Guys is there a recommended volume/loudness for my studio monitors for computer music production? I mainly work on Trance and was wondering if I had my monitors loud enough. I’ve just joined sound gym and I’ve found doing some of the training I need my monitors that bit louder in order to be able to pick up on the subtle differences on some of the tests. Where things are only 0.5db - 1db difference I found increasing the volume helped. Ive have a sound meter where my head is and Im recording around 60db.

Anywhere from 75-85 db.

85 is right at the threshold for loud, so too long of exposure there can be damaging.

Alot will be dependent too on your environment noise.

Quieter environments allow you to hear more detail when listening low.

I wouldnt get too obsessed with it but you dont want to get too loud where you can be making bad decisions and hurting your ears. That said it is usually fine to listen loudly (NOT too loud) for like a minute or so to see how it will sound as harsh frequencies will be more apparent and obvious and might be hidden at normal levels.

Also it is good to go quiet to see if key elements are still "popping out" and remaining in focus.

Basically, people will be listening to your stuff at all levels.

You will most likely need to use a variety of levels.