Levels, Calibration, Aurora 16

[Noise Commander]

Hi all...

I want to calibrate my setup.
I have Great River and Api Pres,
an Aurora 16 Converter with AES16e card,
Logic 8.02,
Summing with an SPL Mixdream,
and Klein & Hummel O300 Monitors.

At first it is important to know, what reference level my LYNX stuff is calibrated to...?
I couldn't find it on their site.
+4 dBU = -20 dBfs?
+4 dBU = -18 dBfs?

Hope someone can tell me.

Besides, do you know of a quality external peak and rms meter, voltage meter or something (19") that I could integrate in my setup, to have a good overview of the levels?


Other then that, Aurora 16 users out there...what average levels do you aim at while recording? And how do you measure which average level you actually have while recording???

Thanks,
Noise.

[Noise Commander]

bump

[Noise Commander]

Anyone?

[Evil cat]

I think that, in general,+4 dBu = -18 dB FS whatever gear you have.
In my case, I own a large format console (DDA DMR-12, 44 chl), so I only work with the Vu-meters of the console. It let me plenty of headroom on ProTools and I don't saturate my mix-buss.

Ben

[author]

Ask Lynx, they have very good support.

[Noise Commander]

I mailed them. Hope to get an answer soon.

So would it make sense to buy something like a Coleman Audio MB 4 VU Meter?I could use it after my preamps or right before the AD converter. Is there any other external metering device on the market, that shows not only vu, but also rms, peak etc?

What do I need to calibrate my system to K-12 or 14 ?
Do I have to playback pink noise?
Which SPL meter do you recommend to measure it ?
How is it done?

Is all of this explained in Bob Katz book?

[judah]

My Aurora is calibrated to +4=-16dBFS (at least on Logic's meter, and DP's too). I think is a safe calibration and you have plenty of headroom to play with.

If I mix ITB I usually put up a VintageWarmer on the master buss, also calibrated to show me 0VU=-16dBFS, so I try and mix in the ballpark of 0VU like you do on an analog console.
I would have liked to have the variable calibration level Aurora (is it the VT or something like that?) but it is very very pricey compared to what I paid for mine (used).
I think that having the possibility to calibrate it to -18dBFS (the so-called "standard") would let all your analog equipment work right in the range where it is supposed to be.
When I had Motu's converters (2x1224 and 1x2408mkII) they were calibrated (from the factory) to +4=-14dBFS (or was it maybe -12) and I always had to be very conservative with mic preamps.

It also created much problems when dumping 2" to digital because I was always overloading the inputs with kick and snare (and other tracks too).

I digress.

[Keith Moore]

I hope I don't make myself look like an ass here. But does anyone know how to Calibrate the Aurora 16 with the LT-HD on Pro Tools? Only preference I remember there being is to select from +4 or -10. Is this even possible or is it fixed?

Thanks,

Keith Moore

[lildrummerboy70]

The non VT version of the Lynx Aurora converters are fixed at 0 VU= -16 dBFS and 0 VU = 0.775 volts. So you can't recalibrate them. I would like to have the option for -18 dBFS but I can deal with -16 dBFS just fine.

[Keith Moore]

Originally Posted by lildrummerboy70

The non VT version of the Lynx Aurora converters are fixed at 0 VU= -16 dBFS and 0 VU = 0.775 volts. So you can't recalibrate them. I would like to have the option for -18 dBFS but I can deal with -16 dBFS just fine.

What differences would I see in my set up with -18 vs -16?

[stuntbutt]

You would see 2dbfs less level and would hear no difference.

[Noise Commander]

Thanks...

So when it's set to 4 dBU = -18 dbfs...a given recorded track sounds exactly the same as the same track recorded with my Aurora 16 with a reference level of -16 dBfs?
And it has the same loudness?
BUT it shows less level on the meters??

Wouldn't that make it easier to mix louder mixes on a system with -18?

[Mgr]

It means that you have 16 or 18 or 20 dB of headroom.

[Noise Commander]

Ok. And headroom is a GOOD thing.

one sinus tone with 0.775 Volts. (0 VU). recorded wit a converter calibrated to -18dBfs.

Track metering in the daw says: - 18 dBfs.

Then: sinus tone with 0 VU recorded with a converter calibrated to - 16 dBfs.

Track metering says: - 16 dBfs.

???

But this means, I could push the first tone up about 18 dBfs to 0 dBfs before clipping.
Whereas I can push up the second tone only about 16 dBfs to 0 before clipping.

So if I bounce those, the first one will be louder! Although the volts of the two sinus tones were the same, before AD.

I'll try that this weekend, to see if this is right.
If not...why?

So folks recording with a converter trimmed to 0 VU = -20 dBfs, will get louder mixes??

[Mgr]

Yes it will say -16dbfs but that is simply
a safe zone for your gear to function. No need
to go above.

[djanogil]

I too have an Aurora and usually aim for around -18dbfs when recording, but , I only check the recording level using Cubase's input channel vu, but I'm not sure if it matches the Aurora levels.
ie; is -18dbfs on the AUrora the same on the cubase input channel?