The Lab #15 with Robert Scovill: Where Did 0db Go?

Award-winning live sound engineer and Avid Senior Product Specialist Robert Scovill discusses best practices for preamp settings along with a deep discussion of meters and their critical role in proper gain structure assessment. Robert also covers using external pre-amps in both digital and analog consoles.
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[@marcusgeisuo]

Thank you @Robert Scovill.

[@davelongenecker649]

Some bookmarks for me: Setting the levels for a snare while watching a peak meter 33:17 Input channel metering point 40:15 Trim 43:01 Processing metering 47:27 Optimizing Input Gain 54:51 Using external Preamps 1:16:28 Benefits of good Gain Structure and submasters 1:37:58

[@stuartmcdoniel6226]

Literally 3 min after I posted on VCA you started talking about it. I posted to soon. I run Soundcraft. I will try Sub groups next show. Thank you Robert

[@anthonyanzalone]

This is a fantastic video. Thank you.

[@RobertScovill]

Thanks for tuning in!

[@anthonyanzalone]

@@RobertScovill You got it. I explained this video to a colleague as the "Holy Grail of Gain Staging"

[@stuartmcdoniel6226]

Great stuff Robert. First thing I thought of was a VCA or DCA as some digital console people call it. Why submaster over VCA? I do exactly as you do but use VCA.

[@ValentinZopp]

Digital trim is handy if you split one physical input to seperate channels. For example a sax player playing several diferent sax models and the levels between them differ a lot. I like to use a single mic and split that to seperate channels to eq them seperately. To get them all to line level digital trim is great, as the analog trim will be the same for all split channels.

[@mrfurst]

priceless. thank you!

[@simccaffrey]

@34:06 never used Venue...but isn't that faint line left over on the meter showing peak information in both peak and rms ballistics? If so, in this timestamp your peaks are about +18...if so, that seems way too hot for snare; bound to get overs when he wacks it...

[@simccaffrey]

...my rule of thumb is to just try stay away from the top two bits at all times when doing AD, i.e. aim for peaks at -12dBFS...if u need more gain, just add it after when you're in floating point...I don't see a problem with the example at @31:00, your RMS is about 14bit, which is fine...I mean when you listen to classical music at cd quality, large sections of music are down at about 12bit...