I have several orchestral mockups that I’m absolutely satisfied with.
But, I have noticed that they are MUCH too quiet compared to virtually everything else.
On my Audient iD4 (audio interface) I usually have the volume cranked up all the way to 0 when I’m working on the mockups in Cubase. If I switch to YouTube, I notice how literally every video is much, much louder than what I’m doing in Cubase and I just have to turn down YouTube’s volume to almost 0% in order to be able to take it without changing the volume wheel on my Audient.
Does anybody have an idea how to fix this?
It’s obviously a fundamental problem that I can’t easily fix with limiters/compressors/etc. alone. In fact, I tried simply making it louder with Steinberg’s limiter, but I had to increase the input by 24 db and it STILL was not quite loud enough (while the climaxes saw gain reduction of 18 db as well.)
In any case, I would be eternally grateful to anyone who could help me fix this since it’s affecting every work I want to publish and listen to on “normal” devices!
On Windows PC Cubase uses a different audio system than Windows does. Thus comparing the volume of these two is as effective as comparing the volume between the music in a night club and a kitchen radio.
More important are the dB readings on the Full Scale (dBFS) and the Loudness (integrated and short term).
Could you tell me more about what you mean by gain staging? In other words, what does that mean in basic terms?
With regard to my settings, please let me know what you need to know exactly. I have my project at 44.1 kHz and 24 bits.
My workflow is very simple. I load orchestral sample libraries (such as BBCSO or CSS) through Kontakt 7 or the BBC’s custom plug-in for their VSTs. I use reverb on almost everything (Reverence: New York City Church, for example).
Let me know if you need to know anything more specific!
In an analog signal flow this is absolutely vital to get right. In the digital realm we can be a lot more relaxed about it in general. There are exemptions, however, where we need to match specific absolute levels also within a DAW.
Just to give some reference points for integrated loudness: Broadcasters except levels around -23 LUFS, streaming platform around -14 LUFS. So, if you’re work is supposed to go to a TV station it is not quiet at all.
I sometimes forget to turn YouTube’s Stable Volume Off. I did a Google Search, and this is what it said.
Ai Overview:
YouTube’s Stable Volume can make quieter parts of a video seem louder by boosting them to a more consistent level with the louder sections, but it does this by compressing the audio’s dynamic range rather than simply increasing the overall volume. This feature reduces jarring volume variations between different parts of a video and across different videos, but it can also lead to a pulsing sound effect or make subtle background noises distractingly loud.
When to disable it
• If you’re an audio professional working with music or sound mixing, disabling Stable Volume is recommended, as it alters the intended dynamics of the audio.
I don’t know if this can be useful to you, but i ask…
Does Audient ID4 work for both the Windows system and its applications, as well as the audio system for Cubase, or do you have another audio interface for your Windows system?
This may seem like a strange question, but if it were, it could be a possible solution.
Personally, I use a Steinberg UR22 as my sole audio interface. The volume of my interface (the main volume of my audio channel) is set to 25% (a threshold I consider reasonable), whether I’m using Cubase or Windows. The Windows audio output is set to 45%, which is also reasonable for general purposes.
My sound systems also have their volume set to +4dB.
When mixing, I may increase the volume of my interface, but I never go to 50%. For Windows, I can increase it a little more depending on the files, platforms, or other situations, but rarely more than 80%.
What we call gain staging is not a fixed thing and it affects all the components of your audio chain, starting with appropriate settings for your audio interface.
Perhaps your problem lies somewhere in this audio chain.
I’m actually on a Mac Studio, so I don’t know if that applies to me.
But that’s still interesting! You’re saying you never put the volume of your interface up to 0 dB = 100%, right? I alway have mine at 0dB when I’m in Cubase, otherwise it’s too quiet.
Can we see a screenshot of an instrument? Spitfire’s own plugin would be ok.
And an additional shot of a Kontakt instrument…
And the mixer window. (F3)
I may have missed it, but what is the LUFS reading when your mix has finished playing in Cubase?
edit:
Never mind, I found it (-21). Doh!
On another note, just because YT “fixes” audio output to -12dB, doesn’t mean that all videos will have the same volume. I have another YT account for gaming, and some of the audio in those videos is L O U D ! Even I have to turn the volume of my monitors down.
I took the liberty to copy a screenshot of your audio statistic from your German post on the same topic (bringing everyone else up to speed). I hope you don’t mind.
The statistics show that your max true peak is at around -5dB. You could easily normalize your track to 0dB with one click (F7 Direct Offline Processing) so that it will peak at around 0dB and your LUFS readings will be around -16. That’s a step into the right direction.
If you want to get a louder track in general and look at it from the angle of compression:
It’s much better to add a tiny bit of compression on each step of the way. This way you have more control. The final compression should be very gentle as well. If you overdo compression on the stereo out it it can lead not only to unwanted pumping and distortion but also produce artefacts (intermodulation effects). So better to keep things at bay along the way. A little bit of compression on each track/bus goes a long way.
Another advice: Try to look at your arrangement: where do instruments occupy the same frequency range? How can you declutter these clashes via arrangement, panning, EQ etc? Compression is just one tool among many in your toolbox. You don’t have to do all at once - take your time
You are pointing at the initial level of a loaded VSTi instance, right? True, they differ vastly depending on the host application. So proper gain staging at the very start of the process would be the first thing to do. Basically, I’m with you @st10ss However, I would tend to believe that the OP already did this to a certain level since they seem to be okay with the internal balance of the mix.
However, I would tend to believe that the OP already did this to a certain level since they seem to be okay with the internal balance of the mix.