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    The DB Scale

    Uploaded by

    ussene
    The document discusses decibels (dB) and how they relate to audio levels. It explains that dB is a logarithmic scale used to measure sound pressure levels, where each increase of 6 dB represents a doubling of sound volume. It provides examples of common dB increases and decreases and their effects on volume. It also describes how peak meters in FL Studio software display audio levels in dB and how mixing is aimed to get peaks close to 0 dB without clipping or distortion.

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    The DB Scale

    Uploaded by

    ussene
    51 views2 pages
    The document discusses decibels (dB) and how they relate to audio levels. It explains that dB is a logarithmic scale used to measure sound pressure levels, where each increase of 6 dB represents a doubling of sound volume. It provides examples of common dB increases and decreases and their effects on volume. It also describes how peak meters in FL Studio software display audio levels in dB and how mixing is aimed to get peaks close to 0 dB without clipping or distortion.

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    joobs

    Original Title

    The dB Scale

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    The document discusses decibels (dB) and how they relate to audio levels. It explains that dB is a logarithmic scale used to measure sound pressure levels, where each increase of 6 dB represents a doubling of sound volume. It provides examples of common dB increases and decreases and their effects on volume. It also describes how peak meters in FL Studio software display audio levels in dB and how mixing is aimed to get peaks close to 0 dB without clipping or distortion.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    51 views2 pages

    The DB Scale

    Uploaded by

    ussene
    The document discusses decibels (dB) and how they relate to audio levels. It explains that dB is a logarithmic scale used to measure sound pressure levels, where each increase of 6 dB represents a doubling of sound volume. It provides examples of common dB increases and decreases and their effects on volume. It also describes how peak meters in FL Studio software display audio levels in dB and how mixing is aimed to get peaks close to 0 dB without clipping or distortion.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 2

    1

    The dB Scale
    Before we dive deeper into compression, conversely mixing and mastering, it’s imperative that
    we understand how the dB scale works.

    What is dB?
    dB stands for deci (or tenth) of a Bel (unit of sound or electrical pressure named after Mr A.G.
    Bell). If you read around the dB, you will find out that it is used for many different physical
    measurements. But we are focusing on it’s use in audio, particularly in FL Studio. The peak
    meters in FL Studio are displayed in and against a dB scale. The dB scale used on audio
    equipment is a relative scale. That is, the values displayed are relative to the 100% volume
    limit imposed by the audio output device or audio file (wav, mp3 etc). It is impossible to have
    more than 100% since that, by definition, is as loud as the equipment or digital audio file can
    go.
    Put simply, dB is a physical scale where adding 6dB, to any value, roughly multiplies the
    volume by 2. Subtracting 6 dB divides the volume by 2.

    Some 'dB change' values to remember


    o + 12 dB = 400% volume increase.
    o + 6dB = 200% volume increase (twice the original level).
    o + 1 dB = ~10% volume increase.
    o 0 dB - No change. Note this is not 0 dB on the scale, but the difference between two
    dB levels.
    o - 1 dB = ~10% volume decrease.
    o - 6 dB = 50% volume decrease (half the original level).
    o - 12 dB = 75% volume decrease (to 25% of the original level).

    Using FL Studio Peak Meters


    Often when mixing, your goal is to get the peaks of the loudest sections of the mix close to the
    maximum possible level, 0 dB, without clipping, going over 0 dB. Clipping happens when a
    sound wave carried inside audio equipment (analog or digital) becomes louder than the
    maximum volume that can be reproduced. When audio is clipped its waveform looks like the
    tips of the peaks have been 'clipped' off (hence the name clipping).

    While occasional transient clipping incidents are not usually a problem, if clipping is pushed
    too far your audio will distort and crackle. Once a saved (rendered) audio file is badly clipped,
    there is no way to fix the problem (although the Edison Noise Removal Tool does have a
    Declipper Function that can rectify mild clipping issues).

    The 0 dB reference level marks the loudest sound a digital audio file rendered from FL Studio
    can record or the audio interface D/A converter can make, before clipping occurs. Peak meters
    in FL Studio turn orange (or in some cases red) to attract your attention when the signal exceeds
    0 dB (see above). However, not all orange peak meters (signals over 0 dB) are bad.

    Valentine Nyamajiwa | FL GANG


    2

    As a rule, never let your master track go beyond 0dB. Insert tracks can breach this value, and
    your mix will come out just fine.

    END

    Valentine Nyamajiwa | FL GANG

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