Opinions-KMetering

Ben I find that while you are tracking and mixing yes you can work with the standard K metering reference levels eg K -20, K-14 and K-12 for example.

Mastering is whole different ballgame however. A typical loud Hip hop CD for example might be averaging around K-7 or K-6 as you say. When I am in mastering mode I use a special preset in my digital mixer that alters all the calibration so that the music needs to be say up around K -7 to make the meter read 0 dB VU.

This means that an unmastered mix now will fall short and only read to some lower value. eg If I have worked at K -14 for example during mixing and then I switch over to my K-7 mastering setup the meters will only make it to say -7 dB on the scale hence I have to pull things up using the usual mastering techniques like EQ, compression and limiting to get the music back up to 0 dB VU. But then I know when it does get there I am reaching K-7.

I usually get the client to give me their fave ref CD as I am mastering. Then I load it onto a track while the system is set for K-14 say. It will slam the meter of course but then I pull the track down by the required amount to get the meter to read nicely at 0dB VU. The amount I have to pull the track down is what you have to strive for in mastering. So I if I have to pull a track down by -7db to make that ref CD read nice while the system is at K-14 then I know I have to add that much to K -14 for the client to be happy.

Dave is a bit incorrect there. With well mixed and mastered music there will be an average level that is present for most of the time (or the loudest parts) and this should just reach 0 dB VU on the meter, everything else falls below that but if its nicely mastered it won't fall that much below at all. The music should rarely go above 0 dB VU and if it does it is only very briefly and it might reach +2 to +3 dB at the most.

And this applies whether the ref level is K-14, K-12 or a higher mastered ref level such as K-7. Mastering is going to tame the dynamics down a bit and prevent the meter dropping too low anyway.

I am also referring to either real VU meters or VU meter plugins. I am not a fan of the type of meter Ben has pointed to in his first post. I am not sure they exhibit the same ballistics as a real VU meter or VU meter plugin. The reason why real VU's or good VU plugins are good is that they are inherently slower (300ms to reach 0 dB VU) and that is a very important quality. Because of this they tend not to swing around so wildly.

If a real VU does swing around wildly it means there is something wrong and one needs to investigate it as to why. There is usually a good reason.