Max Volume Levels for various playback devices

discburn wrote on 5/27/2014, 11:59 AM

Coming from an audio background where CD Volume Level is -.1dB and higher! (compressed down from +6dB), when I started getting distortion on the TVs that played back my DVDs, I found out, after some searching, that the safest Max Volume Level is -6dB. After I changed to that the TV sound of my DVDs played back beautifully.

Indeed, Hollywood Movies require the TV Volume Slider to be increased, sometimes to 37, to hear the soundtrack nicely. Also, Magix video NLEs reduce the volume of imported audio files by -6dB (I presume for the above 'standard' reason).

Now, my question is, what is the Max Volume Level when producing for...

Blu-ray Discs (I suspect same as DVDs: -6dB)

Youtube

Tablets

Netflix-type Streaming

Always looking for more information

Seamus

Comments

johnebaker wrote on 5/27/2014, 1:09 PM

A sound enginner friend recommends sound levels should never go above -3dB for any audio recording and an average level of -12dB to -6dB depending on the audio sources dynamic range.

I am surprised by your statement . . . . CD Volume Level is -.1dB and higher! (compressed down from +6dB) . . . . as this would lead to excessive clipping of the signal at +6dB.

John

discburn wrote on 5/27/2014, 1:27 PM

Hi John,

In the 'loudness war' of radio and 'maximising' modules, when the music level approaches 0dB (digital meters) it can be increased by +6dB, limited and compressed down to -.1dB to give more 'presence' and 'perceived loudness'. Yes it is distorted, but engineered not to sound that way. Even at that, it's hard to compete with mainstream rock/pop/etc music where the levels are amazingly 'loud'. I've read in 'Resolution' (audio engineers magazine) several articles where engineers loathe the practice, but record labels and, moreso, radio stations demand it!

This, of course, is not true of classical music where compression is kept more true. And also 'classical' popular recordings where it would be an engineering 'sin' to mess with the dynamic range.

Anyway, yes, 'less' is usually better. Thanks for the feedback.

Seamus

johnebaker wrote on 5/28/2014, 1:20 PM

Thank you for the explanation.

I do know that many live groups hit the distortion deliberately, especially for electric guitars to get that 'extra effect' that some fuzz/distortion pedals cannot do.

. . . . radio stations demand it! . . .

Probably they use it as an excuse for over-driving their transmitters to get that last little bit of transmission range

John