Levels

[PheroshuzBeatz]

What level of Db should my beats finished be because ive been recording and its clipping like crazy please help

 

[sYgMa]

simple answer... as loud as possible without clipping (so around -1 or even 0)

 

[PheroshuzBeatz]

but when your going to add vocals its gonna clip

 

[sYgMa]

Thing is, when I want to add vocals to my beat, what I do is:

1- I make my beat and i track it (make a different sound file for every instrument in my beat (kick, snare, drum, bass, hihat, clap, piano, etc...)

2- Dump those in another program to make the recording (like Adobe Audition, or Pro Tools)

3- Since all the instruments are seperated, you can adjust the volume of every instruments seperatly.

Now, if you want to have a intrumental of your beat, well, in that case, you dont need to take the vocals into account, IMO... if you want people to just listen to the beat... If I sell a beat, I always sell it as a whole in a file (for listening) and tracked (for recording) ...all in one CD... that is, if I SELL the beat, not when I lease it...

 

[5th Sequence]

Yeah sygma's got a good idea about things. What you need to do (if you are adding vocals) is to track the beat out track by track. Then lower the master fader about 5 db's or whatever you need to lower it by so nothing is clipping. Turn up your monitors now so you dont notice the different in volume, you'll make it up later. Record the vocals like you would normally an then once everything is said and done, you would go about mixing the beat as a whole. You could start with the vocals first, then bring in the drums in usually so that everything sounds good in relation to the vocal (vocal is the main focal point so you want it sounding good). So you'd raise all of the faders of the other tracks until you have your complete song. There is obviously more to it than that, so if you want a quality sound then research into mixing by buying some books or check out www.tweakheadz.com.

Hope this helps

 

[DrOscillator]

yeah, tweakheadz is awesome, i learned so much stuff from that site

 

[veon]

think of a general guide to start the mix with the drums,vocals, bass line and after that everything else. keep an eye not to execed 0 dB.

 

[open mind]

What level of Db should my beats finished be because ive been recording and its clipping like crazy please help

between 0db & -1db

 

[BeatAssassin]

My order is
Drums
Bass
Vocals
Main Instruments
Percusssion and added effect are last to fill those empty spots in the mix.

I'm just very careful not to add too many effect and pans. It f^&* with the listeners ears.