There are plenty of myths, rumors and misperceptions flying about when it comes to mixing, mastering and specifically, loudness, some of these myths need debunking. Shane Berry provides the facts.  

Myth #1: Loudness is Measured Using a Standard Called LKFS, LUFS and R128.

Myth #2: LU, LKFS & LUFS Measure Different Things.

Myth #3: The new loudness standards are only for TV and post production. 

 

Myth #4 Loudness Normalization will add more processing to my track and change it.

Myth #5: dBFS peaks and RMS are more important to monitor than true peak or LUFS/LU readings. 

Conclusion

 

Shane is an SAE certified audio engineer, sound designer, composer, and audio consultant. Working with Tokyo based media agency Ultrasupernew and creative game agency Playbrain, he creates audio for TV, music and sound for product launch events, and web audio content for major multinational firms such as Red Bull, SuperCell, Heineke... Read More

Discussion

Andy
I'm stuck.. Help.. I've conducted research into loudness.. I use FL Studio and FabFilter plugins. I've read about the EBU R128 and would very much like to know if this is the target level to aim for whilst producing EDM..

These are my thoughts..

Gain staging..
Should I aim for -18 dbfs/lufs rms and not allow peaks to peak higher than -1 dbtp now that the -9 dbfs peak level safety celling is now gone?

Or.. Could I aim for -23 Lufs and go for a peak level no higher than -1 dbtp?

Master Track..
Aim for the EBU R128 recommended -23 Lufs and again not allow peaks over -1 dbtp?

I've looked at the loudness plugin videos and manuals and they seem to suggest a target level of -16 Lufs for mixing and -9 Lufs for mastering.

Is -23 Lufs for music production?

Please help...

Thank you

Andy
Shane Berry
Hi Andy,

Thanks for taking the time to read the article and to post this question.

For EDM going online, I advise aiming for -16 LUFS with peaks no higher than -1 dB TP and for the dance floor between -12 to -9 LUFS. Although, I would argue that - 9 LUFS defeats the point of caring about levels to some degree, and -12 LUFS is still too loud, but even then neither are quite as crushed and obnoxious as CD standards and should be competitive loudness wise.

Headroom wise even several tracks at -18 dB RMS will start to clip the master bus when summed, so use the -18 RMS per track as a guide rather than a rule.

Happy mixing.
Sam
Hello Shane, Thanks so much for an incredibly useful article. I have few questions in my web of confusion.

1. My HOFA metering plugin measures -18dBFS = -18 LUFS with a 1kHZ sine wave. So according to your recommendation mix peaking at -18 LUFS is same and equal as mix peaking at -18 dBFS. If that is, can i use my Pro Tools meter instead of LUFS meter, just to rule out this confusion ?
2. Many Audio Gurus are teaching about plugin sweet spot as -18 dBFS which is equal to 0VU. If i am aiming to mix at -23 LUFS for maximum dynamics, my individual tracks will average below -18dBFS/0VU i.e much below the plugin sweet spot which is counter productive.

I am completely stuck in this web of confusion. Please kindly help me.

Till now i am peaking my Mix at -6dBFS and averaging my individual tracks at 0VU (using Bomb factory VU meter plugin). Thanks for your help.

Blessings
Sam.
Shane Berry
Sam

Comment:

Hello Shane, Thanks so much for an incredibly useful article.

Reply:

No problem, glad to be shedding some light on this grey area of audio.

Comment:

I have few questions in my web of confusion.

Reply:

Let’s do it.

Question:

1. My HOFA metering plugin measures -18dBFS = -18 LUFS with a 1kHZ sine wave.

Answer:

It’s cool that you have taken the time to check your plug-ins and see for yourself.

A sine wave is great way to test and calibrate systems; however, a sine tone in no way mimics the behaviour of “real” sound, or how the human ear perceives loudness.

Rather, run -18 dB PINK NOISE into your Hofa Meter and see what happens.

It will read around -24 LUFS, and because it is a relatively steady signal it will measure around -24 dB RMS too. Now check your peak meter. It’s probably hovering around -16 dBFS. On a VU meter calibrated to -18 the reading will hover around -6 dB.

The key difference to understand about dBFS, RMS, and LUFS measurements is that LUFS measurements explicitly account for how the human ear perceives loudness.

Two sounds might measure the same RMS (or dBFS peaks) but they are not necessarily the same perceived loudness.

Question:

So according to your recommendation mix peaking at -18 LUFS is same and equal as mix peaking at -18 dBFS.

Answer:

NO, the concept of “peaking” at or near a given dBFS level is largely moot with loudness standards. You are aiming for an average integrated measurement of a desired target loudness level at the end of the mix.

How you get there is up to you. As mentioned in the article:

"For music producers and engineers there are two choices:

1. Mix as you always have, and have your music turned down later by loudness compliant playback systems
2. Mix to the new loudness standard of -23 LUFS/-1 dBTP and utilize the large headroom and dynamic range it affords."

For music not destined for broadcast -23/-24 LUFS is only a guideline during mixing.

The practice is that staying within these parameters will eliminate issues with headroom and peaks, and allow for you to work on the mix with a huge “safety margin”.

Question:

If that is, can i use my Pro Tools meter instead of LUFS meter, just to rule out this confusion ?

Answer:

Of course you can stick with the pro tools metering, but bear in mind that unless the meter applies the BS-1770 algorithm and meets the requirements of a loudness compliant meter, it is an old school peak/RMS meter and does not correlate to industry standards of loudness measurement.

But, as mentioned above a Peak/RMS measurement is not the same as a LUFS/True Peak measurement.

RMS does not account for perceived loudness and normal peak meters cannot measure intersample peaks.

Question:

2. Many Audio Gurus are teaching about plugin sweet spot as -18 dBFS which is equal to 0VU. If i am aiming to mix at -23 LUFS for maximum dynamics, my individual tracks will average below -18dBFS/0VU i.e much below the plugin sweet spot which is counter productive.

Answer:

The “sweet spot” of certain analog model plugins is certainly a factor to take into consideration when using them. Those kinds of plug-ins are expecting a certain gain level of input to do their job “properly”.

But, when using a -18 dB pink noise test signal, which is more closely aligned with how we hear than a sine wave, we can see that it correlates to -24 LUFS which actually measures around -16 dBFS.

Comment:

I am completely stuck in this web of confusion. Please kindly help me.

Reply:

A man with one watch knows what time it is, a man with two watches is never quite sure… ;)

I feel your pain, there are just too many metering plug-ins to get to the same goal.

Comment:

Till now i am peaking my Mix at -6dBFS and averaging my individual tracks at 0VU (using Bomb factory VU meter plugin).

Reply:

My first recommendation is to find a less confusing loudness compliant meter, especially if you are using the free Hofa 4U Meter Fader. That GUI is very confusing.

Try the free Youlean Loudness Meter, much easier to use and read, or try the Loudness Analyzer in the Melda Free Bundle.

Hands down the best VU meter is the Klanghelm VUMT. It is only 15 Euros and it’s a staple in many mixer’s toolbox. It’s far more flexible than the BF Essential Meter Bridge (I wouldn’t use the BF Essential Noise Meter).

If money is tight, then at the very least calibrate your BF Essential Meter Bridge to -18 Peak/RMS.

If you’re levelling individual tracks to 0VU and 0VU is calibrated to -18 dB RMS that is a fine place to start.

Just remember, meters are guides not handcuffs.

Your ears take precedence over all.

If it sounds good, but the meter values are not ”right”, ignore them and trust your ears.

The only technical barrier to consider is no intersample peaks over -1dbTP, don’t ignore those!

Comment:

Thanks for your help.

Reply:

No problem at all, I hope this answer clears up some info for you.

Blessings

And to you Sam, all the best.
Sam
Hello Shane, Thank you very much for taking time to answer all my questions very detailedly. You removed the layer of confusion that was creating a lot of frustration. I leave no time but will incorporate the LUFS measurement into my workflow immediately, very excited about that. Thank you once again for caring to recommend some great plugins and thereby pointing me in the right direction. Will definitely contact you if i have any more questions about metering. I am very thankful to you Sir.

God Bless.
Sam.
Sam
Hello Shane, i've got a feedback. As you have suggested, i used a Pro Tools Pink noise generator with -18dBFS set to Peak and the following are the readings on different plugins

-18dBFS Pink noise (set to Peak) in Pro Tools.

TB ProAudio dpMeter ii = -20.6 LUFS Integrated / Peak meters show -15.9 dBFS
HOFA 4U Meter = -20.6 LUFS Integrated
TB ProAudio dpMeter ii = -24.0 RMS / Peak meters show -18 dBFS
Bombfactory Meter Bridge VU meter hovering around -0.5 VU (when in Peak Mode)
Bombfactory Meter Bridge VU meter hovering around -6.5 to -7 (When in RMS Mode)
PSP VU 3 VU Meter hovering around -3.5VU
Pro Tools meters = -18dBFS

Sorry for troubling you. I am looking forward to clear off my confusions before even i press play on my next project. I am using my old Mac mini with OSX 6.8 and Pro Tools LE 8 and Digidesign 003 R.
Please kindly help.

Thanks a lot for all your efforts to help me.

Blessings
Sam.
Shane Berry
Hi Sam,

A few things.

Try setting the Pink Noise Generator to RMS and see what happens.

It may seem counterintuitive, but we are using the meters to check the pink noise, not the other way around.

Furthermore, not all signal generators are equal. For example the MNoiseGenerator by Melda has to be set at -13.8 dB to measure -23 LUFS on the dpMeter2. The mda noise generator has to be set at -22.5 to measure -23 LUFS. Logic's Test Osc measures -24 LUFS when pink noise is output at -18dB.

So, use the dpMeter2 as your main loudness meter for now.

Set the gain of the ProTools pink noise so it that reads -23 LUFS (Integrated) on the dpMeter2. (The signal generator will not necessarily end up at -18 dB on its GUI, as I said, it varies from plug-in to plug-in.)

Check this calibrated signal with your VU meter of choice. Make sure its “reference level” is set to -18 dBFS.

(Also, make sure to switch the PSP VU to true peak detection.)

Finally, don’t overthink a plate of beans!

The key concept here is that all these reference levels relate in some way.

If you meter with RMS keep average levels within -18dB to -24dB.

If you mix with VU (on a meter referenced/calibrated to -18dB) keep average levels within -6dB

If you meter with LUFS keep average levels within -23 LUFS.

The main difference between these measurements is that loudness compliant measurements are also accounting for perceived loudness.

But, these are not absolute figures! Some mix elements will have to be louder or softer than these recommended levels.

Meters are not there to dictate which levels “must be used”. They are there to warn us when we are going too close to the digital edge.

Another thing.

Metering on individual tracks can be quite distracting. I would recommend using meters strictly on the whole mix (master bus) and loosely on each track. This frees up space for creative levelling and processing. You can work freely as long as the whole mix doesn’t go over the target levels, and each track can do what it needs to do in the context of the entire song.
Alfredo
Hello Shane
I've been reading al your articles related to new standards In audio measurement.
Fact is that everything still sound (sorry but this is the word lol) a bit confusing.
Lately I mixed and mastered a song trying to make it sound competitive with other pop tracks and when finally it's In Spotify,

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