How loud?

B

Ben.Last

Experienced
When you're dialing in your tones, be it for mixes or for live, how loud do you have your monitoring? Do you tweak at gig level? Do you do it at the level you'll be mixing at? Etc?
 
Recording tones: tweak through studio monitors at conversation volume, not loud. Live presets: tweak through the PA you use, or if you don't have your own, use whatever you have, and go loud as a rocket. (If you play loud rock that is. If you play in acoustic trio with accordion and violin, don't listen to me.)

The best tones I ever heard came from my Axe, I loaned it to a friend and we built his sounds through the venue PA from the ground up for a gig that I was mixing. I may be biased but holy shitballs it was awesome. It is possible I may have sounded even more awesome myself on some gigs but I just haven't heard it since I'm on the stage listening to vocals on the monitors and a thousand db snare drum next to me, rocking with my **** out. I trust the PA guy does his job and makes me awesome.
 
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I calibrated my monitors to 85dbA on the UA control panel monitor control, but it's not important really so long as it's not making you go deaf. I generally play much quieter than 85db!
The louder you monitor the more midrange you'll perceive, so at least you have a reference.fmcurve.png
 
It's the other way, louder is more bass and treble. The classic old home stereo button "loudness" adds bass and treble to get towards the feeling of "louder". That picture shows the hearing thresholds at various SPLs. Tones made for loud SPL are middy and boxy when listened quietly. Bright and bassy whisper level tone will decapitate people and fry ears at loud volumes. Can't hear 30hz at 40db SPL , whereas same level at 2000hz is nice and clear.
 
I got back and forth between speech level and extremely loud for tweaking in the studio (no live playing currently).

I do the same thing with singing, actually, for the same reasons.
 
@85dB for dialing in presets with studio monitors here. @80dB for jamming and practice. Need to be very careful with volumes on studio monitors. Decibel level and perceived volume can be very different depending upon environment and proximity to speakers.

I've tried @90dB on my monitors but it's too loud for me to play at that volume for an extended period of time. I can play all day in our auditorium with system (line arrays and subs) @95dB. The perceived volume of my monitors @85dB is a touch louder than @95dB in the auditorium.
 
JoKeR III said:
@85dB for dialing in presets with studio monitors here. @80dB for jamming and practice. Need to be very careful with volumes on studio monitors. Decibel level and perceived volume can be very different depending upon environment and proximity to speakers.

I've tried @90dB on my monitors but it's too loud for me to play at that volume for an extended period of time. I can play all day in our auditorium with system (line arrays and subs) @95dB. The perceived volume of my monitors @85dB is a touch louder than @95dB in the auditorium.
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Definitely need to be careful. I'm currently using a sound meter app on my phone (that seems to be pretty accurate)
 
How do you avoid tinnitus when dialing in tones at the level your using them live or with the band? That means a lot of tweaking at loud levels. I always did it like that, but need to find another way which protects my hearing.
 
I don’t find 90 that loud, but that may be proving your point! Usually I dial them in at comfortable level while building, then audition them all together at 90. Recently I have found IEMs to be a life saver, or at least an ear saver, because I can dial in at a comfortable level which is exactly the same as what I will hear at the gig. Honestly they are awesome. No more ringing ears for hours after a gig!
 
After building a few presets for live use, you'll eventually learn what translates well to pretty much any venue. There's really no need to risk your hearing to get a great tone.

As I said earlier, @85 is my threshold but It's not a level I sat down and figured out. I just took a reading of the dB level of the volume I typically use when wanting to reply to this thread. Using 90dB as a level just because others suggest it doesn't mean it's what's going to be okay for you.

Hearing is something that can't be repaired, once it's damaged it's gone. Trust what your ears are telling you. If your ears are ringing for any length of time after playing, it's probably too loud.
 
When you're taking the measurement for the live preset demoing, whether it's 85 or 90, are you taking the measurement where you're sitting or in front of the cabinet? My cabinet is across a room from me and the distance will play a role in the perceived DB.
 
RamboMadCow said:
When you're taking the measurement for the live preset demoing, whether it's 85 or 90, are you taking the measurement where you're sitting or in front of the cabinet? My cabinet is across a room from me and the distance will play a role in the perceived DB.
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I'm currently trying to figure out volume for recording and mixing, so I'm measuring from where I'll be sitting, since that's where I'll be mixing.

If I was setting live tones I'd either be doing it where a mic would be or approximating where the audience would be, depending on what sort of venues I was going to be in.
 
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