At the production level - mindful of headroom?

[eox]

I have been having trouble getting a straight forward understanding as to when you should be mindful of your levels for headroom. Anytime I google for headroom tips I am always greeted with mixing/mastering tutorials/tips. What about at the production level?! What is the golden rule whenever you are just trying to write a song? Do you really need to worry about your levels across the board peaking at -10 to -6 then? Or theoretically could you just write out your song/produce peaking around -1 to 0 and then once that completes you enter the mixing stage and then you worry about your head room?

I ask because for the last year I have been recording/producing to where I peak around -10 across the board and compensate how low it sounds by turning up the volume on my headphones (which isn't boosting the levels inside Reason). But the drawback is when it comes to mixing I then have to turn my volume down on my headphones and my point of audible point of reference is then messed up and I begin to doubt what I have done. Does anyone have the right way to go about this?

[aeox]

wish i could help, but i just wing it.

[Edouardo]

Hi there, while recording, as you say yourself, you are not mixing.

If it is audio (guitar, vocals etc), just get the highest signal to noise ratio. For that record at maximum level without clipping.
1/ Set the output of your instrument at max,
2/ Adjust the input recording level so that it peaks between -3dB or even -6dB. Then play and check that you are not clipping. If what you are recording is not too dynamic, you can try pushing a few more dBs, but make sure you don't clip.

If it is computer generated (beat, synths), you don't really care, set it as you want. You'll handle this at the mix (unless you bounce to audio. In that case, same as audio recording, get the max signal/noise ratio)

When you are happy with your composition and recordings, you can adjust levels according to the mix you are looking for (I can post a link to a video I made on mixing theory if you wish).

Musical greetz

[Djstarski]

If you have all your instruments , vocals , sound effects etc recorded at around -12db (peak) . Then find a place for each track in the mix . Remember 2 sounds with levels of -12db (peak) when playing at the same time will add 3db to the main output . Not everything in your track has to be loud and playing at the same time . Start with your loudest sound soucre at -12db and then build everything around that . headroom should not be a problem.If you have to turn up your headphones to get some loudness thats ok . You will not be effecting the balance of your track . Hope this helps

[QVprod]

What you're doing sounds fine. Headroom is more of a mixing phase thing when it comes to digital audio. As long as your actual recordings aren't clipping you're fine. Volume of individual channels can be turned up or down with the gain knobs at the top of the mixer.

[eox]

Thank you all for the responses. I needed that affirmation! I have come to realize I have been over thinking the recording/production phase. Obviously I do not want my tracks to clip, but being overly critical of -10 dbfs because it's sitting at -6dbfs has caused me too much extra work when it wasn't needed yet (evidently). Thanks again!

[MDTerps2015]

The first thing we need to get in Reason is group faders. Gain staging would be made so much easier. Watched a ton of videos on gain staging and each and every one used the group fader technique. Please please please.

[Gorgon]

I have been having trouble getting a straight forward understanding as to when you should be mindful of your levels for headroom. Anytime I google for headroom tips I am always greeted with mixing/mastering tutorials/tips. What about at the production level?! What is the golden rule whenever you are just trying to write a song? Do you really need to worry about your levels across the board peaking at -10 to -6 then? Or theoretically could you just write out your song/produce peaking around -1 to 0 and then once that completes you enter the mixing stage and then you worry about your head room?

I ask because for the last year I have been recording/producing to where I peak around -10 across the board and compensate how low it sounds by turning up the volume on my headphones (which isn't boosting the levels inside Reason). But the drawback is when it comes to mixing I then have to turn my volume down on my headphones and my point of audible point of reference is then messed up and I begin to doubt what I have done. Does anyone have the right way to go about this?

Watch this video: