Recording levels when making a mix tape are a bit perplexing…what gives?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by PB Point, Jan 25, 2023.

  1. PB Point

    PB Point Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    San Diego
    I haven’t made a “mix tape” since the mid 1990’s before this year. Thought it would be no problemo.

    On the tape I like to hit the plus 2’s, of course tape type dependent…but what I remember from the past, most recordings were pretty close to optimal.

    With new material, and from different sources, oh my, it’s all over the board.

    Making a mix tape with close to consistent levels is on a track to track basis, is difficult. I don’t want to have hit the volume dial during playback…

    so my question…how do radio stations do it? Do they get the track and then they tweak it to their levels to make it sound seamless so we can leave the volume alone in our car?

    sorry engineers, this is something I never thought about until recently.
     
  2. vinylontubes

    vinylontubes Forum Resident

    Location:
    Katy, TX
    Autogain, I would think. Easy enough with digital files. You prescan the files to add metadata to create a gain setting for each file.
     
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  3. seastman

    seastman Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    Dump your tracks into a DAW and normalize them all to the same RMS/LUFS (low enough to avoid clipping any of the tracks, -16–18 RMS usually works for me) then dub to cassette. Very easy to do in REAPER
     
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  4. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
    Radio stations do it with multiband compressors.



    On the 5500 at top, you can see the indicators for how much squashing is done. Automatic gain control cut. The cut of five individual frequency bands. The composite modulation compression sitting at 100% (FM modulation when using pre-emphasis and FM programming). They flash because of the video framerate.

    The sound is very much radio, in your face. Not just leveling, but keeping the bass and treble maxed.


    [​IMG]

    What's your source for the "mix tape" (which was an actual DJ set recording before the phrase became pop-culture)? Turntables, various digital? From a computer workstation? If you're dropping them into a Winamp playlist, here's a plugin for you.
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2023
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  5. Lowrider75

    Lowrider75 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    If you're asking about the playlist or tracks a live DJ is playing, they're not pre-processing music tracks. They're playing them live through compressors and limiters as shown above. Then all audio runs through a compressor (a fixed setting decided by an engineer) before it travels to the transmitter. AOR or classic rock stations are now playing vinyl in addition to songs stored on their server.

    Music stations which are automated and have network affiliates in different markets have playlists which are programmed to play from their server. Processing was done when loading songs onto the server. And then the required amount of compression before it heads to the transmitter and/or the network of stations.
    This is how it relates to broadcast stations.
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2023
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  6. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    They have compressor/limiters called Optimods and Omnias. No, not available for home use.
     
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  7. harby

    harby Forum Resident

    Location:
    Portland, OR, USA
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  8. PB Point

    PB Point Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    San Diego
    Wow, appreciate all the info and responses.

    I’ve been making mix tapes from my records, CD’s, and other stuff on my computer to a 10 1/2 open reel deck. It’s been a blast making mixes again. 4 track and 2 track at 7 1/2 ips. (I have two decks).

    Being able to record 90 minutes per side is so nice. Tape is too expensive for me to go 15 ips for this side adventures. The family likes hearing it to.

    I grew up in the cassette era so this feels natural.
     
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  9. Pete Norman

    Pete Norman Forum Resident

    go for the apparent level between tracks, so you don't have to get up and turn stuff up and down..
     
  10. McLover

    McLover Senior Member

    The analog Optimods are still audibly superior however, the 8100 and 9100 (the latter for FM Stereo use) being excellent if not set too aggressively. The most musical of the competitive loudness boxes. For a vintage sound, a CBS Recording Volumax would be nice, or a UREI compressor/limiter (but also very expensive and scarce).
     
  11. Lowrider75

    Lowrider75 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Philadelphia, PA
    Must be fun going to R-R. What decks do you own?

    Do you use Click Removal or similar? And do you EQ the digitized vinyl?
     
  12. vwestlife

    vwestlife Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    Use ReplayGain or Apple's Sound Check to normalize music playback levels between older, more dynamic recordings and newer "Loudness War"-afflicted recordings.

    If you want a hardware solution, you just need an AGC like an Aphex Compellor or Ariane Sequel, not an entire audio processor used by radio stations -- unless you simply like the way they sound.

     
  13. Ilusndweller

    Ilusndweller S.H.M.F.=>Reely kewl.

    Location:
    Columbus, Ohio
    Soundboard>Sony SBM-1>Sony TCD-D8 (includes Cut Chemist "pre show" mix tape:edthumbs:)

    [​IMG]
     
  14. bangkok19

    bangkok19 I drank to your health, but ruined mine!

    Location:
    SYDNEY
    At the radio station I work at, the commercials and music files played have levels all over the place.
    We have a switch which enables us to hear either the FEED (which is what comes out of the desk, and what I hear live in my headphones when I'm talking and playing ads/music)
    OR...
    the ON AIR signal which is what has already gone through the processors and comes out at an even volume level and about 2 seconds later.

    If I ever want to make a recording of an Air Check of one of my programs (for historical purposes) I record the sound from the desk.... (with all the different levels)
    Then take that recording home and play it through my Analog Audio Compressor to a CD recorder with a blank CDR in it.
    All the 80 minute files can be joined together to make a 3 hour shift.
    The result is everything at the same volume level. I actually bring the GAIN right up on my mixer, with the REC. level on the CD recorder adjusted to around
    -6Db... The levels showing on my playback Level Leds hardly move.
    Definitely not Audiophile SQ but clear and constant.
     
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