ideal dBs of room between the noise floor & clipping, when tracking vocals or somethn

Roberto Lanczos · 21st October 2006, 03:56 PM

My english sucks.... is that what i want to know ?

Let's say that i'm going to mix.... i don't know.... 48tracks? ,
each one of them with the same noise floor.

what would be the ideal headroom (is that the word?) between "the noise floor & clipping" when tracking ?

i don't want my PC fans to be heard, if some nuts put my tracks in a venue.

gainreduction · 21st October 2006, 04:08 PM

Are you talking about the noisefloor of your equipment or noise in your room beeing picked up by the microphones ?

Roberto Lanczos · 21st October 2006, 04:20 PM

there is a space between the noise floor & clipping. that space is expressed in dB ?

how many dBs is enough, when tracking vocals por example ?

gainreduction · 21st October 2006, 05:38 PM

I'm not sure I understand your question..

The actual dynamic range in your recording chain depends on many things.

As an example a good quality AD converter has a dynamic range close to 120dB.

Roberto Lanczos · 21st October 2006, 07:44 PM

what distance is considered enough, ok, appropriate ?

let's say vocals for example:

when you're tracking... what is your distance between the noise and clipping ?

glitch · 22nd October 2006, 07:43 PM

Well, I've recorded some excellent vocal tracks where the noise is audible. In my case it was a combination of preamp and room noise. I'd say that the goal should simply be to have the noise at an inaudible level, if possible, and the vocal peaking at somewhere between -6 and -3dB (where 0dB is clipping). I'm not sure where noise is really audible, but it seems like my noise was reading somewhere around -70dB before the compression and such from mixing raised it to an even more audible level.

I guess, you'd want something like 90dB or more, ideally.

max cooper · 22nd October 2006, 08:12 PM

As much as you can get is a good answer.

I, too, have recordings with some noise, but the sounds and the performance are good, so it works.

Roberto Lanczos · 22nd October 2006, 08:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by max cooper

As much as you can get is a good answer.

, that's obvious max

But i was just curious you know... i mean..., sometimes i can't get it below 45/50db...

and i wondered if i was going cool....

Quote:

Originally Posted by glitch

I guess, you'd want something like 90dB or more, ideally.

But it seems that i'm veeery far...

max cooper · 22nd October 2006, 08:52 PM

Right, but what are you going to do if you don't have enough? Stop recording? Move?

That's why I say "as much as you can get" and when you can't get any more, don't worry about it.

I'm not aware of some "golden standard" by which this value is judged.

I can hear click track in that one big Cristina Aguilera hit, so it's apparently a moving target.

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21st October 2006, 03:56 PM	#1
Roberto Lanczos Gear maniac Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 153	ideal dBs of room between the noise floor & clipping, when tracking vocals or somethn My english sucks.... is that what i want to know ? Let's say that i'm going to mix.... i don't know.... 48tracks? , each one of them with the same noise floor. what would be the ideal headroom (is that the word?) between "the noise floor & clipping" when tracking ? i don't want my PC fans to be heard, if some nuts put my tracks in a venue.

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21st October 2006, 04:08 PM	#2
gainreduction Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,648	Are you talking about the noisefloor of your equipment or noise in your room beeing picked up by the microphones ?

21st October 2006, 04:20 PM	#3
Roberto Lanczos Gear maniac Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 153	there is a space between the noise floor & clipping. that space is expressed in dB ? how many dBs is enough, when tracking vocals por example ?

21st October 2006, 05:38 PM	#4
gainreduction Lives for gear Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 1,648	I'm not sure I understand your question.. The actual dynamic range in your recording chain depends on many things. As an example a good quality AD converter has a dynamic range close to 120dB.

21st October 2006, 07:44 PM	#5
Roberto Lanczos Gear maniac Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 153	what distance is considered enough, ok, appropriate ? let's say vocals for example: when you're tracking... what is your distance between the noise and clipping ?

22nd October 2006, 07:43 PM	#6
glitch Lives for gear Join Date: May 2003 Location: USA Posts: 1,270	Well, I've recorded some excellent vocal tracks where the noise is audible. In my case it was a combination of preamp and room noise. I'd say that the goal should simply be to have the noise at an inaudible level, if possible, and the vocal peaking at somewhere between -6 and -3dB (where 0dB is clipping). I'm not sure where noise is really audible, but it seems like my noise was reading somewhere around -70dB before the compression and such from mixing raised it to an even more audible level. I guess, you'd want something like 90dB or more, ideally.

22nd October 2006, 08:12 PM	#7
max cooper Lives for gear Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: tx Posts: 8,819	As much as you can get is a good answer. I, too, have recordings with some noise, but the sounds and the performance are good, so it works.

22nd October 2006, 08:52 PM	#9
max cooper Lives for gear Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: tx Posts: 8,819	Right, but what are you going to do if you don't have enough? Stop recording? Move? That's why I say "as much as you can get" and when you can't get any more, don't worry about it. I'm not aware of some "golden standard" by which this value is judged. I can hear click track in that one big Cristina Aguilera hit, so it's apparently a moving target.