Dynamic Range and Headroom relatinship ready for Mastering / Question

[zak7]

Lets Say I have a mix with a good Dynamic Range but the Headroom is lets say 2db.

As many mastering Engineers prefer more headroom is not the same if I send the same Mix with lower Volume? I mean how this can affect my mix? is not the same as long as the Dynamic range is not beeing touch??

[MASSIVE Master]

Assuming that you're not 'unnaturally' affecting the dynamics (via excessive compression or limiting to 'nail' -2dBFS), then the dynamic range of the mix is going to be the same whether it peaks at -2dBFS or -10dBFS.

"More" headroom is - Well, personally, I don't care about "how much" as long as there is "some." 2dB is fine - as long as that's where the levels landed.

[Edward_Vinatea]

Originally Posted by zak7

Lets Say I have a mix with a good Dynamic Range but the Headroom is lets say 2db.

As many mastering Engineers prefer more headroom is not the same if I send the same Mix with lower Volume? I mean how this can affect my mix? is not the same as long as the Dynamic range is not beeing touch??

I have received many times mixes with -20dB of headroom on both 16 and 24 bit formats. Both with good dynamics as you represent yours to be and there is no question that in both cases the results were very good - certainly better than those peaking and clipping -0dbFS. In my experience 24 bit mixes can be 'optimum' {and it's debatable of course} at around -12 dBFS {peaks} while 16 bit can come up to -3dBFS {peak}. Of course if the the levels landed a few dB more or less - it's not big difference.

As Massive Master pointed out - it doesn't do any good to have -2dB headroom {or as high as -20dB for that matter} if the signal is excessively compressed or limited {dynamics hammered down}. Normalize it and you'll see why.

Best wishes,

[Bob Olhsson]

A factor that many people overlook is headroom in the monitoring D to A while you mix. Many D to As sound really ratty when you start peaking above -10. This is a problem because people will try to combat their D to A's problems using unnecessary eq. and compression that ultimately screws up their mix.

This may also be a big part of why so many people get better results from bringing everything out to an analog console.