F9 Using K Metering for better mixing and DAW Workflow ( includes tips and tricks )

I've used K metering for many years now and it pretty much changed everything about my ( often questionable ) mixing methods. I Truly believe a simple change in your DAW metering can make your production life 100% easier and less Stressful.
Here's we're doing so with a totally free plugin available here: bit.ly/2LDTv1T
And I'll show you all the tricks and tips you'll need to successfully add it to your DAW workflow ...
Please note this takes some discipline and effort to alter your behavior if you like to mix too hot (or too quietly) but it's ultimately worth it ..
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You can now use TRAX instruments to make sample packs
It's with great pride we announce that effective from June 1, 2023, all F9 playable instruments and kits have been granted license for usage in the development of audio loops. These loops can be included in commercial sample packs designed for your personal use, your individual sampler store, or for third-party platforms such as Loopcloud, Splice, Arcade, NI sounds and more. There's only one restriction to bear in mind: the midi. When creating for these releases, you must compose original musical or rhythmic parts and avoid using any midi or musical motifs from this or any other F9 release.
This updated licensing term now encompasses stem creation and "track-outs," which are frequently seen in beat marketplaces. It also applies to ghost production and collaborative projects. Our goal is to provide you with even greater flexibility and creative potential in your music production endeavours.
To read more about this exciting development, follow this link: www.f9-audio.com/pages/license.

[@audionerdlilcuz]

I've been doing this unconsciously for years and didn't realize it. I just always knew that if I gain staged to a VU meter and then level with a console emulation fader instead of the DAW fader I’d always have a consistent level for plugins and automation. Since I've seen this video I now know I can do this without extra sub-mix channels and get even more consistent results!

[@muzafarahmed9101]

James we need a Mixing tutorial from you. I'm sure we all have a lot to learn there from your experience. Perhaps mix a simple project explaining how to level Kick and Bass along with other elements.

[@rico1979]

Totally agree! Everytime james puts a video online i learn something new.

[@lk0707]

if you want to properly balance kick and bass, invest some money in room acoustic and buy subwoofer (min 10inch).

[@BR_READDY225]

@@lk0707 or just mix low if you’re in a empty room..ppl mixed in SUV’s and their mixes will shit all over yours hands down

[@lk0707]

@@BR_READDY225 show me the mix and we’ll compare them

[@olerefsnes128]

Now that was 17 minutes and 20 seconds well spent. Fantastic! Thank you.

[@decksterity551]

F9 tutorials are literally the best ones online...hands down. Concise, informative and delivered in a clear and interesting way. Thank you so much James for your continued effort to share your knowledge. Consequently I have bought several F9 products to try and support your fantastic work, and they're cut above too. Please keep them coming!

[@christopherdorsch8623]

Your Remix of Love Sensation to me is the Greatest Dance Mix I have ever heard, so dynamic and to me it's all Ear Candy. That mix should be its own class in audio schools around the world.

[@miladbarikani3591]

I found out about this video on your site I had to come to youtube to like it

[@F9Audio]

Thank you so much ! .... That means any awful lot to us

[@spencersboy844]

james, i keep coming back to your tutorials which provide a wealth of knowledge for us budding mixes. Thanks!

[@tonescapes9673]

Cheers for this squire,very helpful and clear to understand.I've been producing for 20years &have started using some of this k14 &didn't realise,but now I can understand it easier

[@theinfamousches1258]

This is by far the best explanation of the K system on KZbin. I love this. Thank you!

[@yanperchuk7533]

Thank you so much for this video! With samples used in production squashed to insanity, this is the most useful mixing video I can possibly think of.

[@JimCPettigrew]

Thanks for posting James; a clear and concise video containing some great tips, (Subscribed & looking foward to watching your past and future videos) 👍

[@kennethkwong1278]

James, You have really enlightened a lot! Thank you indeed!

[@iqi616]

Excellent. I've added this to my public mixing playlist. I did the full K-system thing and it changed the way I hear things.

[@nickydempsey2552]

Bravo man. Your tutorials are hands down the most informative and straight-forward applicable to be found. Keep up the good work.

[@elmarqrecordsllc1636]

This is probably the most informative video regarding mixing and metering that I've seen. Thanks for sharing!!

[@ClaudeYoung]

I've seen a lot of other K-Metering tutorials, but as always James you break it down just right! This has already changed my mixing workflow. Brilliant! Cheers!!! Respect!

[@danielc4361]

These mix tips are such good professional workflow habits! Cheers.

[@stevecallaghanmusic]

As soon as this popped up in my feed and saw it was James I knew we were in safe hands! Thanks for putting this together for us! 🙏

[@TonyLeva]

Man, I used this technique on my last mix and it was a life changer! Thank you so much for this! I’ve been mixing for years and I never thought about such a simple thing! God bless you!

[@JoeLeonardo]

This is a fantastic video! Simply and articulately explains K metering and how its best use.

[@beatweezl]

Some REALLY good principles here! I've learned a couple of great tips! Thank you!!!

[@johnghadimi]

We live in such a glorious time to be able to have access to such GREAT information at our fingertips. Can't wait to put this to use in my productions. Thank you James. :)

[@DjClimamusic]

This is Gold information, thanks a lot F9 Audio, thumbs up! :)

[@OfficialStevenCravis]

One of the best audio production tutorials I've ever seen, *James | F9 Audio* !

[@chrisc9339]

Another great video, thanks. I'm going to start using the K-Meter and zero fader tricks. It definitely simplifies it having a solid place to start 👍

[@Allan-et5ig]

@io Possibly most useful audio video I've seen and I'm no rookie. Still things I wasn't doing correctly.

[@Sujimon1]

The point where I had confusion got cleared now. Thanks a lot dear Sir.

[@markjhorsley]

More great learning! Thanks James

[@revmulvey]

James - this is Gold. Why Gain Staging is essential in mixing. You explain it in a clear concise way. Once a person starts this method they will find massive improvements in the mixing process. Thank you.

[@darkarps]

really brilliant and inspiring explanation, James... I did not know what Crest Factor meant, very useful!

[@Dettol68]

James, you are an absolute Master and I love all of your tutorials! Please keep them coming! I own almost all F9 products

[@F9Audio]

That's very kind Stephen - Thank you for all the support- The f9 releases wouldn't happen without our customers

[@alexfont]

Super good and well explained James ✅ Thanks a lot!

[@blueslsd]

Just done this!! sounds better and I can get it so much louder!!! Thank you, I'm on Harrison Mixbus which has K metering on the busses.

[@GoodVibeTribe]

Thank you Sir! This is an excellent presentation!

[@noname85808]

Thanks for sharing, James!

[@bitflux2]

Damn what a channel, please more!

[@remarQabl]

Great tips! Thanks James 🙌🏽

[@F9Audio]

My pleasure - more coming !!

[@a-job7276]

This video is GOLD.

[@riktascale4]

Excellent and intuitive. Thanks!

[@Ushaym]

Always look forward to your tutorials. I wish i could be an intern with you. I'd survive on water and noodles if i had to.

[@madzoo4399]

Perfect spot! Thank your so much!

[@deesee2008]

This is like being given new ears. Thanks.

[@TeeNineJulius]

Brilliant. Thank You. Subscribed.

[@DarraghRedmond]

🤘🏽bang on James 👌🏽💥

[@songwritertill8726]

Fantastic info - thx for sharing.

[@OfficialMoattox]

should do a complete mixing tutorial, love this stuff!👍

[@GregStare]

Music to my ears. Thanks!

[@carmastudio1864]

Great one James!

[@hudu]

I am so guilty of this. I started out mixing on analog gear, where hitting a little above 0 just made everything sound better. I'm definitely picking up that plugin. Thanks!

[@copenhagenhiphop958]

This was really helpful! thank you!

[@stevelast5719]

Best video ever!

[@vidark.6301]

Great bassline! And tips as well. I use to just look at the master and turn it down but K-14 and rms is beter apparently..!

[@F9Audio]

Yes please don't just pull master / buss / faders down - This can overload plugins that emulate analog gear and get you into a terrible mess - deal with the levels serving these busses and your mixes will start to shine

[@Notmehimorthem]

Just what I needed!

[@LoveMeBack]

Very useful. When I used Logic I also used pre fader metering. Logic samples are or were mostly hot.

[@yourgen1891]

Thanks!! So simple and evident.

[@F9Audio]

Very glad it works for you - mixing is a very personal process so its vital ideas do click and work for you

[@yourgen1891]

Thanks for the response. In fact I charged span voxego for a week only and I don't knew k system and lufs Metter with range where inside and I was interested by this tools but for free. Alain from Paris autodidact composer mixer singer.

[@doumsingeson4577]

Thank you very very very instructive et well explained. thank you so much!!! Suscribed!

[@slacknote]

This is a great video, thanks.

[@midclock]

Thanks, I was looking for this explanation

[@slowlearner7778]

Very helpful. Thank you!

[@Harrysound]

Excellent video. Going to give it a go now

[@F9Audio]

Please lte me know how you get on - I absolutely swear by mixes with decent headroom - there are extreme forms of music that can benefit with outlier methods, but this is a great rule of thumb - especially if your work ever has to interface with Hardware equipment - Almost none of which can take very loud inputs

[@ThePickledOnions]

great info thanks

[@mikebozik]

Of all the videos on this topic that I've seen, yours is the best. It's just a sliding scale. To keep people from mixing too hot. Amazing how a simple concept can be lost in translation. I wish more manual writers thought like you.

[@F9Audio]

Thank you Michael - This is ever so nice to read this morning ... Really hope this helps you in your workflow - it was revelatory for me

[@mikebozik]

@@F9Audio Most definitely will. I can scan levels much quicker just looking for yellow led's.

[@jaydenz8467]

Thanks for the information :)

[@shackjonz]

Game changer. Thank you.

[@F9Audio]

I've heard this so much from people this week and its Fab news - I always knew it had made such a difference to me but now I'm hearing it's really helping others too I'm really happy and excited fro everyone - Lets tray and get this workflow out there !

[@mthw-blackambientvault4109]

also if you mix with calibrated spl (80db for example) against headroom, lifting the rms k-metering higher makes much more sense keeping up with how much the crest factor affects your dynamics. what I mean is a you can get much more easier the wanted loudness but still keep the mix clear.

[@braincoral9866]

Great tip, cheers..d'you ever use PFL metering in LPX? I use it all the time now..leave my faders at unity until I'm ready to get the hands dirty

[@sammyretro3902]

Hi James, great video and thank you. Just wondered if you had any opinions on other levelling VST’s? Was looking at purchasing one thanks.

[@GaryCorben]

So useful thank you!

[@F9Audio]

You're welcome! Gary - we'll try to get more tips out soon

[@OshadhaChandikaChamp]

Thank you so much

[@djchemie]

Hi James! I am experimenting with mixing and mastering in my MPC Software. All my channel faders (tracks) (except master of course) started with -6dB as some suggested. Would it change anything you do in this video? Or should I go to 0dB as my starting point?

[@sugarpuppies]

James, this is so useful - it's a game-changer for me. Are you posting or streaming educational videos on any other platform these days? It's really nice to hear from someone with a lot of experience and knowledge, so thank you for sharing!

[@F9Audio]

I'm only just getting back into it all after the pandemic - A lot changed last 18 months on various platforms but I will try to post all content here and FB / IG ... not sure about twitch as prefer to edit to avoid all the fluff

[@sugarpuppies]

@@F9AudioHey James , it’s great to know you will be posting again from now on. I understand your thoughts on Twitch, even though for us it’d be awesome to watch you live in the studio anyway. Also a tutorial on melody/chord progression would be so cool. 😎 - Marcos

[@amayacollantes5009]

What a fantastic video, congratulations! i have a question for you: do you have aswell another video (or do you know any good tutorial on this) on the part of setting up the monitor levels to complement the k-metering method? you mentioned it very briefly in your video. thank you in advance.

[@F9Audio]

Thank you Amaya, I think here the best thing to do is see Bob Katz' videos on the subject as he's really the inventor of the system and Very disciplined with his monitoring levels - I must admit I'm not .. To be honest, though- it's really only crucial if you work on a large variety of material .. Here we are kind of borrowing the process as a visual metering system as opposed to an all-encompassing technique ... Let me know how you get on

[@sleepisoptional]

11:20 GOTTA WATCH IT CHANGING CLIP LEVELS as they will change your insert gain staging. kinda wanna do this post insert. i agree with using utility plugins for fader automation also have to watch it with synth plugins and hot levels. i generally use a utility plugin for this as some vst synths will sound different with volume lowered internally… cherry audio moog comes to mind

[@F9Audio]

That's really the point though - bring down loud parts and bring up quiet parts or de-ess vocals before they even hit a chain - as long as you don;t over do it - you'll make the down-chain processing much easier to manage

[@Notmehimorthem]

This video has it right in my opinion. Just a couple of tips re Cubase 11. In the control room on the Mastering Tab you can set your output metering to the K-20 scale on the top left. Also you don't need a gain plugin because Cubase has the gain value built into the Pre row in the mixer (if its not showing head over to Racks in the mix consol) I think its important to also calibrate your monitors first - this is easy. If you don't do this the correct volume might sound too loud or too soft and you could avoid it. You can use your phone and download an SPL meter and use the pink noise TestGenerator in Cubase's Tools Plugin Folder. Here is more info on this kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5Wqp42kiNODntU

[@dofuxie2135]

One of the reasons that i like Harrison Mixbus is because it has the K-14 meters built in

[@stephenfell4338]

Thank you very informative, learnt so much. I have through​gh gain stageing got all my tracks peaking at neg 12 and thee same for my master fader, so at what stage do you introduce a limiter, why and how?

[@F9Audio]

Stephen - do as much of your mix as you can with it in the state you describe above then use limiters right at the end of the process to get the output level you wish - remember if it's for streaming services you don't have to go crazy anymore as they will just turn very loud tracks down internally to create a uniform playback level ... always use the limiter as the very last part of the master chain and leave a little bit of headroom ( between -0.4 and -0.7 ) to stop intersample clipping ( basically make sure cheaper playback systems don't clip the audio when it's turned back to the analog domain - google the term to find out more ) ... Good luck

[@stephenfell4338]

@@F9Audio Thank you for your advice i will try it today last on the post master fader happy new year!

[@SoundSignals]

Awesome video! Thank you! Now, i use plugins by Acustica Audio which require input of -18dbfs/0vu, i usually use a VU meter to set my input gain. So how would this K-Metering approach work with that method? Do i set input to -18dbfs/0vu and then adjust the output signal to K -14 afterwards? Or could i just shoot for -18 instead of K14, would that be just as acceptable? I would love to hear your thoughts on this James. Absolutely love your perspective and approach to music, very accessible and helpful, thank you so much!

[@F9Audio]

-18 On most DAW meters is a horrible level to work at - I'd suggest trying Acustica at -14 and see how they sound - I've used them since Nebula 2 ( before they made their posh range ) and driving into Nebula a touch more always sounded fantastic as you get the effective warmth of the hardware being pushed when the Pre-amp emulations are on ( the beauty of their sampling system) .. On the other hand if you have decent meters and feel comfortable already at -18 then there's only positives for working with even more headroom - I do wish someone would just create a standard that everything follows - If the AES / EBU had gotten more involved with software at the front of all this it would have been easy ... - Still it's never dull ... TC electronic have some ace Stereo hardware meters coming that will run from a plug-in - They are coming straight in here soon as rleased

[@SoundSignals]

@@F9Audio Great! Thanks James! Just to be clear I'm talking about sending stuff in at 0vu using the klanghelm vu meter calibrated to -18db. Ok, so I'll give -14 a try, see how i get on. Have you tried Acustica's stuff recently? They have made heaps of progress, Viridian, Cream, N4 Player, all worth checking out.

[@ZodiacMusicPro]

@@F9Audio K-14 metering system is equal to around -18 RMS so why is it a horrible level to work at? And because of that he's not really working with more headroom. Knowing that hardware operates to its optimum level at around -18 RMS (around 0VU) I'm also using this as a target for every track separately in my project (not just the master). My "rule" is -18 RMS and -7dBFS Peak. Depending on the signal and what it's going to reach first. The problem with all these metering systems if you use the on individual channel strips too, is that they do not work well at all on percussive sounds. There are the Percussive sounds and Sustained (with energy) sounds. Percussive sounds very ofter are short, therefore impossible to reach -18 RMS or K-14 without sometimes clipping. This is why I do not go beyond -7dBFS Peak on any of my channel strips. By the way, this guaranties a very healthy master levels with a more or less -7dBFS Peak headroom.

[@synriser6742]

I use pre fader metering. Is there a difference between pre fader and K Metering? Can the 2 work together? My aim is to always go for a -12 on every track. With an audio file I adjust the gain level in the region parameter(like your example).

[@F9Audio]

Yes - Pre fader just means that the level on the meters is representing the input to the channel , not the output after the fader - the Scale is still ( normally ) - So you can actually ( in some DAWS) select pre fader meters and K metering - I would say the combination is very powerful as you can always then make sure you're not overloading plugin chains

[@hugopudim5399]

Hey James, thanks for this very informative and relevant tutorial. I'm used to working with my kick at around -10 dB and then add my elements around it... by the time i'm finished, my track is generally around the -6dB. Using this method, do i just start with the kick at 0 dB and bring it down as i progress, keeping an eye on span and keeping the mix around 0dB?

[@F9Audio]

Hey Hugo - It actually sounds like you may have a great system that works for you already .. Do give this a go though as the 'target' of 0Db just seems to really work for so many people - and yes - Just like analog you just try and keep the mix around zero at all times - Its a simple thing but as you probably know already makes such a difference - You will hopefully find the extra headroom really useful in your mixes/ productions - But like all of this stuff - it's not Gospel - If you find it's not working for you just flip back to where you are comfortable

[@ZodiacMusicPro]

When you say around -10dBFS you mean PEAK or RMS?

[@beatweezl]

K12 is good for voiceover work and K20 is good for film scoring as well as orchestral.

[@lukather1]

Brilliant James would this process be suitable for other genres of music ? Thanks

[@F9Audio]

Yes this will work with absolutely everything as it's just about levels so not genre depenedant

[@salvador_sarmiento]

Do u shoot for your rms to be around -20 on voxengo on the stereo out, or as long as its below -12 is that ideal? You said to aim around 0 in k14, was that for the True Peak (im assuming)? And if so do you have a general +- 2 range you are thinking of when you say "around 0"?

[@F9Audio]

Always RMS or average forms of metering - true peak is so momentary it’s a difficult method to use for nearly anything other than watching overs with digital - Also do relax into all this and don’t get too bogged down with absolute values - remember it should always be ears first .. Use RMS metering and use K14 0 as your target and you should have plenty of headroom

[@SoundSignals]

One piece of the puzzle missing from this video is understanding pre-fader monitoring. As is seen in the Massive synth part, many plugins run really hot signals pre-fader, Logic's Drummer is another example, you think your levels are ok, but they really aren't.

[@F9Audio]

I totally agree - the reason it's not in here is many DAWS don't actually have that function ( Ableton for example ) .. but yes - never ever understood why a plugin preset out should actually be over 0Dbfs

[@SoundSignals]

@@F9Audio cool, understood. I really don't understand this either, especially logics drummer. Anyway, thanks for replying James. Did you see my other comment below about -18db?

[@F9Audio]

Its what happens when Audio tools are built by computer people , not audio engineers - pro Tools was the only one for years with a correct toolset and meters - It is changing though and Cubase , Studio one etc are leading the way! .. Checking below right now

[@soltan_sound]

@7:35 what's the song name

[@MDOTDASUPA]

I see other DAW’s have included the K-Metering options already. I wonder if Logic Pro X will ever alter their stock mixer metering and add them as well?

[@F9Audio]

I do hope so - they are sometimes next to useless in their current state - I'm sure when pressure mounts from outsied they will

[@MDOTDASUPA]

F9 Audio IKR!!! They have so many updates to make that could ultimately make Logic one of, if not the best DAW. If only they would listen to their consumer’s input.

[@SlayerDarkRaver]

Thanks for the video. Thankfully I never have hot channels (except the master after I've raped the track with limiting). I tend to set each channel to -12 dbfs with the fader untouched. This and having a mono button on the master has increased the quality of my mixes, but not to the point I want. I'll try to implement this technique, perhaps that is my missing link :)

[@KitKalvert]

Thanks James! I understand that this is the mixing stage, and the levels suggested. But, may I ask? Pre-mixing stage gain staging for plugins what you set the levels going into plugins at? For instance would it be Peak OR RMS -18dbfs, Its always so confusing with different channels saying different things... And sometimes hi hats as you know cannot reach 0DbVU as they would be clipping terribly... Please help me clarify this once and for all?

[@F9Audio]

This is not just for mixing - if you start a track working at these levels, your entire workflow will have headroom built in from the start - also then you know you wont overload any plugins at all - try not to worry about exact numbers - audio inside DAWS is so dynamic this will just do your head in - try working like this and see how it all feels/ sounds ... I've now gone one stage further and purchased a TC Electronic Clarity Meter that I feed from a plugin via USB on the very front of my master channel ( 1st plug instance ) and it means I set an operating level and constantly be looking at a device without having to re-open plugin windows, etc - such a godsend as I have to work quickly and consistently - But just find a place that works for you and ignore the noise - everything is an opinion online and you are as individual as your fingerprint - cherry pick what works for you and simply ditch the rest

[@KitKalvert]

@@F9Audio Thanks for the detailed response sir; much appreciated!

[@hydrogxn]

Bitwig does k mastering I just never understand. This helps a lot but I’m wondering what I should have my loudest sound to be at on the k-meter. I’m quite used to rms/peak and set my kick to -10db peak.

[@F9Audio]

get your mix working in RMS as shown here and you'll have plenty of room - don't concentrate on absolute values, just use K-14 as a target for your mix to bounce around at ( not just your kick as every track is unqiue, so you need it all in ) and you'll build in plenty of headroom ... Just don't get bogged down on exact numbers and remember to enjoy yourself !

[@hydrogxn]

@@F9Audio I appreciate the response very much. Logic and intuitive. Cant wait for your next compressor video!

[@FujiBR420]

I have a question. This was 4 years ago. Now Voxengo Span have LUFS metering. Do you still use k-14? Whats the difference between these two? I Hear a lot about LUFS! Shout from Brazil!

[@F9Audio]

I've never gotten on with LUFS for day-to-day work as it takes a second or so to decode your Average ( and well-meaning ) LUFS meter into actionable information in the brain - I love things that have a distinct target so the brain's autopilot can look and feedback almost instantly without having to come out of creative mode and into technical - this changeover actually requires changes in blood flow to the brain and anything you can do to avoid it whilst working on the art side of your production is to be carefully considered - Its a bit different when mixing as you are often in a technical mode - especially towards the end Having said all this though - My TC Electronic clarity offers a circular level meter and I've set it up so I can have 17 LUFS exactly at the top and carefully targetted on the physical display - this is the only meter I've seen like this though that's doesn't bother with all the different types of LUF reading so it's just like the system I show here - a very clear target .. Whatever works for you is right though - try everything and discard what you don't like ( no matter how many people say they cant live without it ) and cherry pick what suits you - we are all individuals - If we all have coffee/Beer/wine / Burgers differently it makes no sense to try and force DAW workflows onto each other - this will be a running theme with me in the coming months

[@zander047]

Hey James, do you adjust the group track faders also or just individual elements? Cheers!

[@F9Audio]

It depends - if you have level dependant processing on the groups ( compression etc ) then adjust the groups ( or even better use a utility plugin to adjust the output level of the group - This Keeps the group fader at zero ) but personally, I have found that these days working with as fewer groups as possible obtains the best results ( makes you concentrate on the actual elements instead of leaning on processing ) .. whatever works though -

[@zander047]

@@F9Audio Great! Thanks for clearing that up, and your quick reply! Appreciate it. 😊

[@noname85808]

Please track ID !!

[@arjanpetersen]

just wondering how you go from mixing with K-14 to mastering a track. And wanting to make the track loud.

[@F9Audio]

just add your EQ and peak limiter as normal Stefan - level is all relative in digital - you can get it back in seconds with mastering processors

[@arjanpetersen]

@@F9Audio right… I did it like that indeed. I just bumped up the volume. It got a little bit less dynamic, but over sound is great indeed.

[@Marcshaww]

so should we always use k-14 then for the rest of our lives??

[@F9Audio]

Of course not - Mixing with good headroom for the rest of your life - now that's a great idea !

[@amd5471]

Hi James. Thanks for such an informative video, but I'm confused about why you pull all your faders down to centre around 0dB and then whack your master fader up by nearly 8db. Isn't that sending your levels back in the direction you just pulled them down from?

[@F9Audio]

OK so lets be clear here - the most useful part of a fader is 0Db as I show here _ it gives the largest physical/pixel resolution when balancing ( or automating during mixing ) - this is why it's ever so useful to control the channel levels in the way I show ... I'm not pulling faders down, I'm centring them around their most useful point and using devices in the chain to control the level feeding out of the fader - as we have no noise floor coming in through digital DAW mixers it's a very good trick to use and master ( In the old days of analog desk, this process could cause additional noise ) . It allows you to work in the way shown with excellent headroom built-in ... There's another great outcome here too Way too often I see people group channel faders together that are way too hot and then bring that group fader down to compensate ... Now this is possible technically thanks to the 32bit floating point nature of DAW mixers, but the moment you apply processing to the group, you will often be inputting levels way too hot for that plug'ins design - the most dangerous processors to use are those that emulate analog equipment - A classic example was some of the early Waves plugins ( API 2500 compressor springs to mind ) - these would be expecting levels centred around -16dbfs ( DBfs mean decibel full-scale and is the format of nearly all DAW metering without you hanging preferences - I.E. Odb right at the top ) and the reason for this is that they were designed first for Pro Tools systems where the pros were interfacing with Pro level balanced studio gear ... if you then feed a submix into these with RMS Peak at -4Db you would overload the plugin and it would sound dreadful - this has actually been fixed a little as we've gone through time ( and the reasons for the 'Headroom' controls on plugins like the UAD SSL compressor V2 and the recent PA plugins ) ... It's still very much a thing though and the above process means it can never happen so again - great way of working to get into. So let's just correct the language here too - I'm not whacking up the master fader - I'm leaving that at zero, I'm adding level to the master channel as sometimes this is needed - You don't have to - you can leave the mix exactly where it stands ( for example if you are using external mastering ) but in my workflow I need files that are rough mastered or self mastered and this is where you apply that level - right at the end of the process, not in the channels or sub groups Master this and you'll wonder how you ever worked before - especially with vocals where you always need a little more internal headroom to push the lead up at times

[@amd5471]

@@F9Audio Hello James and many thanks for your reply. I think I get everything you're saying there, but I'm still confused about what I'm seeing the video. At 3:50 you pull all your faders down to centre the mix around 0dB on the K12 meter. All good so far, but then you bring your matser fader up from its current setting of -7.8dB to 0dB. If the goal was to centre the mix around 0dB on the K12 meter, surely raising the master fader from -7.8dB to 0dB is going to push your levels up way past 0dB on the K12 meter? 🤔

[@F9Audio]

@@amd5471 ahhhhh - The meter is pre Fader - as all plugins would are .. it doesn’t effect the balance created at all

[@amd5471]

@@F9Audio Hi James. Just wated to say that I understand it now. I set up a simple mix in Logic and set the individual fader levels artifically high. I then replicated what you did in the video and it all made sense. Thanks again for sharing the information. I need to spend some time getting my head around pre fade metering 😊

[@F9Audio]

@@amd5471 think of any channel or buss ( including the master ) as a pipe with water flowing through it and a tap at the bottom ( this tap is the fader ) … any meter placed in the plug-in chain will show the amount of water coming into the pipe where ( normally ) the meter next to the fader will show the amount of water leaving from the tap - this is how you can visualise the idea that meters within the chain are not effected at all by the fader ( tap ) This is always vital to understand as it underscores the importance of gain staging - Its possible to totally overload plugins that are part of a chain of effects , but you may think that it’s not happening as you’ve pulled fader down and the meter is showing decent levels If you can make this paradigm shift in the way you think about the mixers - you’ll dramatically improve your mixing efficiency

[@phoenixmediaforge]

More than anything else, this issue highlights how dumb Logic is if it doesn't give you metering options.

[@josephjebarajs3550]

Hi guys I'm a newbie to this stuff and I have a doubt. Is a 0 reading in vu meter equal to the 0 db measurement in my daw peak and RMS meter ? Coz I heard in this video that around 0 vu noises are introduced and I thought that's similar to clipping. Can anyone please help me out ?

[@F9Audio]

No - 0dbfs ( your daw meter) is absolute peak and to be avoided as in a digital system’s final output there is nowhere to go over it. A Vu meter uses a system from the old analogue days an you can select the point in a VU plugin that will be it’s relative zero -normally -16db or -18db on your DAW’s meters is used as 0DbVu

[@F9Audio]

There are a whole range of Db scales - your Daw meters are normally Dbfs meters - the Fs stands for Full Scale and these meters have 0 at the top and negative values beneath - Vu will have positive as well as negative values hence the reason they must have a negative point on FS meters

[@josephjebarajs3550]

@@F9Audio Thank you so much for the clarification brother. But does it mean that calibrating my vu meters to -16db provide me a headroom of 16 db above the 0 vu reading ?

[@F9Audio]

@@josephjebarajs3550 yes - if you work to -16 or -( 14 on K system meters ) you will have 16 db (14db ) headroom before there’s any clipping

[@josephjebarajs3550]

@@F9Audio Thank you so much for the knowledge you've shared brother. Love ur content and hope to learn more from you ❤

[@knivesout33]

How is this different than to simply put a plugin with -14db of gain in every channel?

[@F9Audio]

Let's look at this from workflow point of view. Modern digital meters do not clearly give you a target to work towards and it's resulted in people mixing way too hot, using a (totally free) metering system like this brings a balance target into your workflow that will build in headroom that allows plugins to work better and more suited to many sweet spots ( in the case of analog emulation ), You could just drop all signal levels, but you may not need to do it to all and it still won't solve the core problem - the in ability of the standard DAW meters to provide workable and really useful feedback. Too frequently, modern up-and-coming mixers concentrate on the individual parts and not balances. The art of getting a great working balance is getting lost in the see of tricks, tips, plugins etc. We can all agree that getting the optimum balance between elements is the very best way to mix, but often the modern DAW environments and in particular, the meters really don;t help us. Using this simple metering system can help you anchor your mix towards one point - Just try it - the technique is totally free thanks to the plugins that have K-14 on their meters - you may already have one ( Fabfilter suite for example )

[@Tunemood]

“Technical OCD” 😵 ouch that hurt 🤫 🤡

[@technofications3686]

I have OVINYL

[@technofications3686]

Use the K-System - Don't touch the faders use them solely for automation - balance your channels with gain knobs and monitor as loud as the wife allow you to. And live happy forever after.

[@DaddaPsy]

12:54 There's a special place in hell for people clipping the presets within plugins. I really really hate that. LEVEL YOUR PRESET PACKS PLEASE!