Quote:
Originally Posted by
Max headroom
It might be a stupid question , but how do I reach - 12 RMS ( like most modern recordings ) if I don't use compression ????
Um, you don't. Your peaks alone are going to cover more than 12 db. Your RMS is going to be more like -18 dBFS.
The livelier the music, the FARTHER you will be from 0 dBFS.
The vinyl record version of "Beat It" is never much more than -18 dBFS. Meanwhile, peaks are constantly hitting right up to the top 6 db. "Billie Jean" spends most of its time at -21 dBFS or more. "Wanna Be Startin' Something", even the percussive attacks almost never go beyond -18 dbFS and the rest is more like -21 or -24... peak energy goes right up to -3 dBFS, constantly.
Don't confuse compression with limiting- the first Boston record has loads of compression all over everything, but the attack isn't zero and rather than RMS being high, it's freakishly low. You're hearing all peaks there. Percussive stuff hits -15 dBFS, the body of the music sticks at -18 dBFS, and peaks in the loud parts stay over -9 dBFS (different from stuff like Bruce's work with MJ in which the peaks hit all levels in a much more natural way). You can clamp RMS to virtually nil with compression if the performances are spirited enough and the attacks stick way out.
Um... hi Bruce :D don't mind me. I've just studied this a lot, and your work was pretty central to the study, partly because of the extremely high contrast between peak and RMS loudness. I hope I can help explain things.
Guys, the answer IS 'you don't'. You don't make everything -12 dBFS RMS. Hell, you don't even make the hottest freakin' drum hits -12 RMS. Peaks are how you hear musical emphasis, overtones, vibe, groove.