The BEST tutorial to explain match loudness and what things mean. Like the way you teach so much, that I'm subscribing and watching other videos. Thank you
Chris Morgan, I'm not sure why it won't let me reply to your comment directly. Sorry for the delay. This could happen for a couple of reasons: 1. Did you use proper compression (if needed) PRIOR TO matching the loudness? If you need help with this, check out this video: ua-cam.com/video/oR2GGSh99aA/v-deo.html 2. Was the Max True Peak Level in the match loudness panel set too aggressively? Sometimes this can really over compress the audio. Let me know how it works out for you! Don't forget to like and subscribe! Thanx, David O.
Here’s a longish question relating to this one…in multitrack mode, can you set the master output to render a certain LUFS level?…my concern is that if a track is adjusted to the desired LUFS level, will it change if compression and limiting are added to the master output track? Thanks! as always for your tutorials and love the fast paced delivery!
Unfortunately you can't set an actual LUFS level on your master mix bus. And if you set the LUFS on a specific audio element in multitrack...then add a compressor or limiter to your master, then yes, it will likely change the LUFS level. What I always do is mix my project and then export it to a new file. Then set my LUFS to the exported mixed track. Thanx for watching and commenting!
Thanks! I love your video, it was very helpfull, I would like to know the presets for radio, I've been asked to match everything to -3db but I just can´t 😢
Presets for Radio? In what sense? Depending upon your radio stations...the Loudness required can vary. Infact, many radio stations still base their loudness around RMS. If your station is requesting -3 LUFS as a standard...well that is LOUD LOUD! Would ruin music in my opinion. If it's a talk station, then that is still mighty loud, but less painful to listen to than a music station. Many AM talk stations have very loud over compressed voices. But, if your stations are requiring -3db true peak...then this is easily attainable but doesn't offer the same true match loudness of LUFS. Check out my video on Hard Limiting for this measure. What exactly are you struggling with when you say, "but I just can't"
Thanks for your clear, simple and effective tutorials, man! 👍🏼 However a question: I don't like the sound of your voice compression in this tutorial: it's really pumping (compressing) very fast. How did you moderate it? Don't hear it in another video from you. Thanks!
So I use the same compression setting for my tutorial audio in all videos. I have my input settings picking up at -22 to -12. And from there I use a -18 threshold with a 3x1 ratio. Then I boost the volume. It's the same across most of my videos. Only different settings were be in some of my earliest videos. The Spicy Pie voice over in this tutorial has HEAVY compression on it. I don't know what those settings are...that commercial was produced by a different studio. Thanx for the comment and Thanx for watching! Don't forget to subscribe!
Hi Bittle Mcom, thanks for the video, nice to see a new video. I don't create podcasts but I make lots of audio (music) compilations on CDRs. Could you be kind enough to give me some pointers to make the playback volumes of the songs I'm burning to have similar volumes. I'm using Audtion CS6. Thanks!
Great question! I believe CS6 has the Loudness and Perceived Loudness functions that are now Legacy on Audition CC. Those functions work similarly to the examples in this video. You should be able to just pick your desired loudness for each track and set it that way. David O.
Hey thank you for the tutorial and it was easily explained... I'm editing my podcast and when I put my audio files in which both are on stereo which should be at -16 LUFS and run it is crunching up the audio together to where it looks like the audio is being cut off because it's clipping... I'm using audition by the way... Any idea of what this is or how to stop it from crunching the audio up like that??
This could happen for a couple of reasons: 1. Did you use proper compression (if needed) PRIOR TO matching the loudness? If you need help with this, check out this video: ua-cam.com/video/oR2GGSh99aA/v-deo.html 2. Was the Max True Peak Level in the match loudness panel set too aggressively? Sometimes this can really over compress the audio. Let me know how it works out for you! Don't forget to like and subscribe! Thanx, David O.
Hi, thanks for this video, it's a good one. I have a question: at what stage in the podcast editing workflow are you supposed to Match Loudness? Do you apply it to every clip (musical or VO or otherwise) that you intend to use in your final mixdown immediately after importing them before doing any compression and other editing, or do you do all your editing and mixing, export the final mixdown, and then import the mixdown WAV file into audition and do Match Loudness to -16 LUFS at that point? To me it makes sense to do it at the end once all other editing and stuff is complete, but maybe it's not the best place to do it. Let me know if this makes sense or not. Thanks!
This is a great question! I personally use it last. I do all my general mixing and editing. Then apply Match Loudness. But once you get familiar with it...it does help with the editing process as well. For example: multiple voices on a podcast from multiple sources (in studio vs on the phone). Matching the LUFS is a very simple way to instantly make the two sources have the same loudness.
Thanks for the reply. What LUFS level would be your choice for what I'm doing. I have heard rumours that you can lose dynamics if the levels are too high?
That's not a rumor. If your LUFS are set too high, you WILL lose dynamic range. Normalizing to a set LUFS also hard limits your audio...so this will cost you some dynamic range. That's why it's important to compress you and mix your audio properly PRIOR TO setting your LUFS. I don't make music...so I'm not certain what the ideal LUFS target should be for that application. But I do know that Spotify and UA-cam are around -14 LUFS as a standard. Apple Music is around -16. But historically, CD music was much louder than that. This is really a preference thing. I set my radio imaging really high around -11 or -10 in some cases. But I do that to add some more "bite" to the sound. In that case, I'm not concerned with dynamic range and am more concern with grabbing the listener's attendtion. It's really up to you.
How do you match loudness within the same track. I ran Loudness and then I had to add a new sentence and that sentence is super quite. Is there a way to highlight just that section and match to the rest of that same track? Not a separate file? Thanks!!!
Good question that comes up a lot! If you have to go back and add audio to a file that you've already run LUFS on, either run LUFS to the same level on the new clip and then add it to the existing file. Or add it to the file and then manually adjust the volume until it sounds correct. Then after the new file is merged with the old file and volume has been adjusted, you can run LUFS again and it will cut down any transient peaks you don't want. Hope this helps!
@@BITTLEMCOM That does help. I never thought of actually creating a new file with the sentence and adding it once adjuster to match etc. Thanks for the response and the ideas!
This is a great question! Basically if you're mixing them all together they will end up being whatever your master track is. so if you're using a Stereo Multitrack session, then they will be stereo files upon export (typically). And same if they are Mono. If you have separate tracks that will be exported or bounced individually, then -16 on Stereo and -19 on Mono will result in the same loudness. So in that case if you want them to sound about the same in volume...then I would individually make stereo -16 and mono -19. The Pan rule is just to help you match the volume of a mono file and stereo file. Thanx for watching! David O.
@@Li-yp3id Good question! f you've created a Multitrack session it initially gives you the option to make the session MONO or STEREO. Based on this choice...it created a Master Track that matches that selection. So if you select a Mono Multitrack Session, you then have a Mono Master track. That means anything that you mix in that ENTIRE MULTITRACK SESSION will be played back as a Mono File...even if it is stereo. It also makes the file default to that same file type upon export. If you scroll all the way down in your multitrack session...the very last track is your master track. You can, however, change the file type in your export menu if you'd like. So if you're worried about what level to set your LUFS...I'd usually stick around -16 for a Stereo Mastered Track and -19 for a Mono Mastered Track. But this is all entirely up to you and what you want out of your project. Thanx for watching and asking great questions!
After I export the file I wanted to double-check that it matched up but when I put the exported file back into the program to check the LUFS are not -19, is that normal?
That's an excellent question. So it should be the same LUFS when you export and then import. When you exported, did you export out of multitrack or waveform? Because if the multitrack is a different standard setting (mono vs stereo) this can affect the LUFS. This has to do with the Pan Rule that I briefly mentioned. Mono vs Stereo have a difference of -3 LUFS. So this could be the issue. But it really depends on the file type you exported. Hope this helps.
That should be giving you your true LUFS when exporting AFTER you adjust the LUFS. So, you mixdown-then in waveform you match loudness-then export from waveform-then when you've brought that newly exported file BACK into waveform...the LUFS have changed? Is that all correct? I'm not sure why yours is changing. My guess would be that it has to do with the pan rule (which can be tricky)...but if In waveform view, you're checking the LUFS in match loudness...that shouldn't change.
@@BITTLEMCOM That is all correct, my guess is that although I recorded in mono I may have had the multitrack set to a stereo mix and that has caused this issue.
That is absolutely the issue. Pan Rule or Pan Law is tricky. A stereo track at -16 LUFS is equal in loudness to a Mono Track at -19 LUFS. Difference of -3 LUFS
Suscribed! Awesome tutorial! Very grateful...
The BEST tutorial to explain match loudness and what things mean. Like the way you teach so much, that I'm subscribing and watching other videos. Thank you
Glad I can help! Loudness can be tricky.
Thanx for watching and subscribing!
Chris Morgan, I'm not sure why it won't let me reply to your comment directly. Sorry for the delay.
This could happen for a couple of reasons:
1. Did you use proper compression (if needed) PRIOR TO matching the loudness? If you need help with this, check out this video: ua-cam.com/video/oR2GGSh99aA/v-deo.html
2. Was the Max True Peak Level in the match loudness panel set too aggressively? Sometimes this can really over compress the audio.
Let me know how it works out for you! Don't forget to like and subscribe!
Thanx,
David O.
Thank you David 🙏🏽 God bless you brother ☝🏾✝️
Excellent class, simple and short, but juicy in content.
Thank you for the quick tutorial that helped me find the exact information I needed! Subscribed. 😊
Thanks a lot :)
Thanks a lot...simple and effective tutorial!!!!
I'm glad it helped!
Be sure to Like, Share, and Subscribe!
thank you so much...it helped
Thank you So Much 🙏
ahhh finally!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! thank you!
Thanx for watching!
Here’s a longish question relating to this one…in multitrack mode, can you set the master output to render a certain LUFS level?…my concern is that if a track is adjusted to the desired LUFS level, will it change if compression and limiting are added to the master output track? Thanks! as always for your tutorials and love the fast paced delivery!
Unfortunately you can't set an actual LUFS level on your master mix bus. And if you set the LUFS on a specific audio element in multitrack...then add a compressor or limiter to your master, then yes, it will likely change the LUFS level.
What I always do is mix my project and then export it to a new file. Then set my LUFS to the exported mixed track.
Thanx for watching and commenting!
Thanks! I love your video, it was very helpfull, I would like to know the presets for radio, I've been asked to match everything to -3db but I just can´t 😢
Presets for Radio? In what sense? Depending upon your radio stations...the Loudness required can vary. Infact, many radio stations still base their loudness around RMS.
If your station is requesting -3 LUFS as a standard...well that is LOUD LOUD! Would ruin music in my opinion. If it's a talk station, then that is still mighty loud, but less painful to listen to than a music station. Many AM talk stations have very loud over compressed voices.
But, if your stations are requiring -3db true peak...then this is easily attainable but doesn't offer the same true match loudness of LUFS. Check out my video on Hard Limiting for this measure.
What exactly are you struggling with when you say, "but I just can't"
Thanks for your clear, simple and effective tutorials, man! 👍🏼
However a question: I don't like the sound of your voice compression in this tutorial: it's really pumping (compressing) very fast. How did you moderate it? Don't hear it in another video from you. Thanks!
So I use the same compression setting for my tutorial audio in all videos. I have my input settings picking up at -22 to -12. And from there I use a -18 threshold with a 3x1 ratio. Then I boost the volume. It's the same across most of my videos. Only different settings were be in some of my earliest videos.
The Spicy Pie voice over in this tutorial has HEAVY compression on it. I don't know what those settings are...that commercial was produced by a different studio.
Thanx for the comment and Thanx for watching! Don't forget to subscribe!
Hi Bittle Mcom, thanks for the video, nice to see a new video. I don't create podcasts but I make lots of audio (music) compilations on CDRs. Could you be kind enough to give me some pointers to make the playback volumes of the songs I'm burning to have similar volumes. I'm using Audtion CS6. Thanks!
Great question! I believe CS6 has the Loudness and Perceived Loudness functions that are now Legacy on Audition CC. Those functions work similarly to the examples in this video. You should be able to just pick your desired loudness for each track and set it that way.
David O.
Hey thank you for the tutorial and it was easily explained... I'm editing my podcast and when I put my audio files in which both are on stereo which should be at -16 LUFS and run it is crunching up the audio together to where it looks like the audio is being cut off because it's clipping... I'm using audition by the way... Any idea of what this is or how to stop it from crunching the audio up like that??
This could happen for a couple of reasons:
1. Did you use proper compression (if needed) PRIOR TO matching the loudness? If you need help with this, check out this video: ua-cam.com/video/oR2GGSh99aA/v-deo.html
2. Was the Max True Peak Level in the match loudness panel set too aggressively? Sometimes this can really over compress the audio.
Let me know how it works out for you! Don't forget to like and subscribe!
Thanx,
David O.
Hi, thanks for this video, it's a good one. I have a question: at what stage in the podcast editing workflow are you supposed to Match Loudness? Do you apply it to every clip (musical or VO or otherwise) that you intend to use in your final mixdown immediately after importing them before doing any compression and other editing, or do you do all your editing and mixing, export the final mixdown, and then import the mixdown WAV file into audition and do Match Loudness to -16 LUFS at that point? To me it makes sense to do it at the end once all other editing and stuff is complete, but maybe it's not the best place to do it. Let me know if this makes sense or not. Thanks!
This is a great question! I personally use it last. I do all my general mixing and editing. Then apply Match Loudness.
But once you get familiar with it...it does help with the editing process as well. For example: multiple voices on a podcast from multiple sources (in studio vs on the phone). Matching the LUFS is a very simple way to instantly make the two sources have the same loudness.
Thanks a lot. Very helpful. My only question - do you run the match loudness before you add effects or after?
Great question!
Always run your LUFS last. That way you have an accurate setting.
@@BITTLEMCOM Makes sense. Thank you!
Thanks again for your reply. Would I be better off using 'Match Volume' with a setting of approx -3db or is there other options?
I'm not the best person to answer that. Sorry
Thanks for the reply. What LUFS level would be your choice for what I'm doing. I have heard rumours that you can lose dynamics if the levels are too high?
That's not a rumor. If your LUFS are set too high, you WILL lose dynamic range. Normalizing to a set LUFS also hard limits your audio...so this will cost you some dynamic range. That's why it's important to compress you and mix your audio properly PRIOR TO setting your LUFS.
I don't make music...so I'm not certain what the ideal LUFS target should be for that application. But I do know that Spotify and UA-cam are around -14 LUFS as a standard. Apple Music is around -16. But historically, CD music was much louder than that. This is really a preference thing.
I set my radio imaging really high around -11 or -10 in some cases. But I do that to add some more "bite" to the sound. In that case, I'm not concerned with dynamic range and am more concern with grabbing the listener's attendtion.
It's really up to you.
How do you match loudness within the same track. I ran Loudness and then I had to add a new sentence and that sentence is super quite. Is there a way to highlight just that section and match to the rest of that same track? Not a separate file? Thanks!!!
Good question that comes up a lot!
If you have to go back and add audio to a file that you've already run LUFS on, either run LUFS to the same level on the new clip and then add it to the existing file. Or add it to the file and then manually adjust the volume until it sounds correct. Then after the new file is merged with the old file and volume has been adjusted, you can run LUFS again and it will cut down any transient peaks you don't want.
Hope this helps!
@@BITTLEMCOM That does help. I never thought of actually creating a new file with the sentence and adding it once adjuster to match etc. Thanks for the response and the ideas!
In my project most of my audio tracks are mono, but I have 1 stereo. Should I use -19 or -16?
This is a great question!
Basically if you're mixing them all together they will end up being whatever your master track is. so if you're using a Stereo Multitrack session, then they will be stereo files upon export (typically). And same if they are Mono.
If you have separate tracks that will be exported or bounced individually, then -16 on Stereo and -19 on Mono will result in the same loudness. So in that case if you want them to sound about the same in volume...then I would individually make stereo -16 and mono -19.
The Pan rule is just to help you match the volume of a mono file and stereo file.
Thanx for watching!
David O.
@@BITTLEMCOM What's a master track session?
@@Li-yp3id Good question!
f you've created a Multitrack session it initially gives you the option to make the session MONO or STEREO. Based on this choice...it created a Master Track that matches that selection.
So if you select a Mono Multitrack Session, you then have a Mono Master track. That means anything that you mix in that ENTIRE MULTITRACK SESSION will be played back as a Mono File...even if it is stereo. It also makes the file default to that same file type upon export. If you scroll all the way down in your multitrack session...the very last track is your master track.
You can, however, change the file type in your export menu if you'd like.
So if you're worried about what level to set your LUFS...I'd usually stick around -16 for a Stereo Mastered Track and -19 for a Mono Mastered Track. But this is all entirely up to you and what you want out of your project.
Thanx for watching and asking great questions!
do i still normalize at the end before saving?
Excellent question!
Setting LUFS is normalization. So whatever you set it to...that is what it is normalizing to.
@@BITTLEMCOM omg thank you so much! finally can do this correctly. I was doing both lol ..again TY!
After I export the file I wanted to double-check that it matched up but when I put the exported file back into the program to check the LUFS are not -19, is that normal?
That's an excellent question. So it should be the same LUFS when you export and then import.
When you exported, did you export out of multitrack or waveform? Because if the multitrack is a different standard setting (mono vs stereo) this can affect the LUFS. This has to do with the Pan Rule that I briefly mentioned. Mono vs Stereo have a difference of -3 LUFS. So this could be the issue. But it really depends on the file type you exported.
Hope this helps.
@@BITTLEMCOM after I mixdown the file it takes me to a waveform display and from there I adjust the LUFS and then export..
That should be giving you your true LUFS when exporting AFTER you adjust the LUFS.
So, you mixdown-then in waveform you match loudness-then export from waveform-then when you've brought that newly exported file BACK into waveform...the LUFS have changed? Is that all correct?
I'm not sure why yours is changing. My guess would be that it has to do with the pan rule (which can be tricky)...but if In waveform view, you're checking the LUFS in match loudness...that shouldn't change.
@@BITTLEMCOM That is all correct, my guess is that although I recorded in mono I may have had the multitrack set to a stereo mix and that has caused this issue.
That is absolutely the issue. Pan Rule or Pan Law is tricky. A stereo track at -16 LUFS is equal in loudness to a Mono Track at -19 LUFS. Difference of -3 LUFS
Hello,
What is your linkedin profile?