Thanks for this info! I understand that you turn down the gain knob on the monitor, but when using an interface, what should the monitor knob on the interface be set to?
Just a few words of caution, especially for Logic Pro 9 users. Make sure the audio track generating pink noise is STEREO. Also makre sure the SPL reads 85db (& not 79db) if u have -3db compensated pan law selected in project audio preferences. Otherwise hard pan L & R should read 82db.
And one thing more -- especially to the person who has asked that why the channel fader was set at -20dbfs. You can calibrate at -20, -18 or -14 or -12dbfs. I use -14dbfs fader setting for calibration. You can google why & when each calibration reference is useful. See Bob Katz metering as well.
I turned up the main output dial on my interface half way (as it doesn't show unity) before turning up the speakers, just gives me some leeway and greatly lowers the panic of an "oh shit that's too loud" moment.
I tried this calibration but it gets so freakin loud when im at 73dB. I have pink noise at -20dB. Master daw output at unity and interface all the way up ( guessed that it would be unity). Any ideas? Speakers HS7 yamaha, interface steinberg UR28M. And other thing is that when i turn the speakers almost all the way up there is too much hiss also (natural of course). So I backed up where I started speakers set at 12 clock. No hiss, enough juice from speakers. Whole thing left me just unanswered questions.
Hi, When you mean set the interface volume knob to unity, how do I know that my interface's monitor knob is 0? My unit is the focusrite scarlett 2i2. Thanks
Yes Rick.that's what I'm doing as of now.but if I've got it correctly,once you have calibrated the monitors,mixing should always be done at the claibrated level so as to ensure Consistency across mixes.hope I got this right¡
Thank you so much for such a simple guide to set-up your monitors at the right levels to get the correct stereo imaging in your control room / music space it took me less than 15mins and the image is now spot on. All I need now are some Presonus Sceptre 8 Monitors :-)
Wow great tutorial, thank you! This is basic stuff which I've always wondered about. So short and well explained. Why did you put the daw on -20dB? (I always want to know WHY to really understand something;D)
I dig the new packaging on the scepters. although one came in the white box (old packaging) and the other came in the newly packaged brown box. All in All both monitors are fine from physical damage as far as I could see. I plan on setting things up when I am complete with purchasing gear and fixing up the room, hopefully all is well. Thanks PreSonus team and shout outs to American Musical Supply.
Great to hear! Once you have a little time with them, why don't you film and post your impressions on the Sceptres. We're really proud of those speakers and are looking to get the word out.
One suggestion that I do have is to try and partner with more young urban producers such as DJ mustard, hit boy, Mike will made it etc, the reason being is that this genre/culture of music has a big influence to young and upcoming producers. I would suggest have your marketing department reach out to these type of individuals to really get the word out. Honestly you guys have a great product but you aren't marketing it in such a way that people would really give them a shot. I will do my best to get the word out. I am a former A&R intern at Atlantic records and Warner Brothers records (Sire Records) I am good friends with Seymour Stein of Sire. I also Have a cousin who is brand manager at Epic Records. Thanks!! find me on fb via my email once your in fb storey.christopher@facebook.com
i'm using a alesis io2 audio interface. How do i set my main level to 0 or unity like you say? i have no sign that tells me where 0 or unity is. thank you
Thanks for this very helpful tutorial. I have a slight hearing deficit in my left ear which effects my perception of both volume and frequency (as it affects some frequencies more than others). This means that in order for me to perceive the stereo image absolutely correctly, I think I need to calibrate my speakers with a slight bias towards the left speaker to compensate for my hearing loss. Can you give any advice on how to proceed. Is it possible to make small adjustments based on an audiologist's report? As it stands, if I were to follow your instructions and calibrate my speakers perfectly centered using measured SPL levels, then when I mixed, I would hear the stereo field (and higher frequencies in particular) slightly to the right of center. This would result in my mixes having a stereo image slightly to the left of center (if I was to mix based purely on what I hear).
I listened to both set of monitors and I have to say The scepters were overall the better on the two sets. the Eris seemed to be colored in the bass/low end perhaps this is because GC didn't calibrate them but I hope I really can get the best out of these monitors. I do hip hop and R&B production mostly
With high back chairs, would that make a difference to the audio you are hearing from the monitors? Would this make it better for no refection from the rear, or make it worse for reflection off the chair just behind your ears?
Thanks once Again Presonus for the speedy processing of my monitor station rebate, This is a well built piece of gear. I can not wait to get things rolling in my studio. For anyone who is looking for quality products at feasible prices without compromising quality, I highly recommend Presonus. The scepter's are a certified GO in my book and the monitor station exudes high quality along with the studio monitors. Only thing I need now is for Presonus to send me studio one professional.
Thank you so much for the tutorial! I find if I have it so the pink noise reaches 80 on each monitor the volume is just way too loud. I would start getting headaches mixing at the this volume. my studio is small and I have the ADAM F5 monitor, must the monitors be playing at 79-80 for me to hear my mix clearly?
Hi Europa's Ocean, I might be totally mistaken, but...you are probably correct on too loud for your conditions as this process would actually be 100 dB. ( -20dB + 80 dB = 100 dB ) Most meters only go as low as 60 dB, and the phone Apps are not able to represent the Sound Pressure Level (SPL) with phones varying Mics in them. Which causes incorrect readings, usually lower than they actually are. Best to get a Radio Shack SPL Meter for 30 bucks. I paid more than that for mine 20 years ago, and still works great. There are reasons for using the above method, sort of my opinion below... I believe the reason for using -20 dB pink noise is to avoid clipping in the DAW. If it was set to zero (Unity) the clipping would generate digital distortion tossing calculations incorrectly. Then reaching 80 dB at the sweet spot allows for an average dB above and below the set volume, ( which is actually 100 dB in this process, allowing you to turn down 20 dB to reach 80 dB a good mixing volume or up 20 dB to reach 120 dB which is a average concert level, not meant to be listened to for more than the duration of a concert. ( which brings up too much to post here, lol ) . The set volume using this process would actually be 100 dB when you consider that removing the pink noise of -20 dB, will increase the SPL by +20 dB... So, as most know or learn, when mixing in a DAW you can not reach above Zero or Clipping/digital distortion will occur, which is painful to listen to. So, one needs to leave headroom ( volume space below Zero ) to avoid the digital distortion on systems generally used for playback, so when Mastered one can have the head room need to make the final tweaks for Final Mastering. Most suggest mixing up to at least -12 dB and no higher than -5 dB for the Mix, to give for Mastering... So, if you put on a mix at -5 dB in the DAW leaving your speakers at this above process, you would be at 95 dB... Meaning you can drop 15 dB off the speakers to Mix at 80 dB. You'll find listening to the Mix to hear it load or softer for reference helps. What is nice about the 100 dB mark is, not much should change when adjusting 20 dB below or above 100 dB. Frequencies change to the ear when considering the room ambient tonal color, when volume is increased or decreased. - 20 dB and setting to 80 db allows one to maintain the Mix quality with a better average of sound. With this process you can listen at 80 dB for mixing, and turn your speakers up to concert level of 120 dB, adjustment depending on the clients taste.
Ok I need some help; My L/R eris 5s are connected to Studio 2i6's main out and I did everything Rick did, what should be the main knob level while calibrating? Initially I calibrated that setting all the way up to 0db. Was that right?
I want to match my Eris 4.5's to my Temblor T10. What do I need to use and do? Is there a video that explains how to do this? I already have ideas as to what to do but I want to know what your instructions/suggestions are. I originally put the Eris 5's in my cart but Sweetwater changed my order and sent the Eris 4.5's instead. The Eris 4.5's do not have a setting for unity gain. I might want Sweetwater to exchange the speakers but I want to see if I can find a way to make the Eris 4.5's work first. I am hoping to avoid the hassle of having to exchange the speakers if possible. They also originally sent the wrong cables. They did correct the cables part.
I followed your method above to the tee with a different app called deciBelPro. I'm using Presonus Eris E44 monitors with an Audiobox 22VSL interface. Unfortunately I couldn't get the reading to 80db so I worked at 73db and even then I had to to turn the monitor gain full to get there. I've ended up turning the monitor gains back down evenly to 0db, it's a much more comfortable level for my ears. I'm suspecting the phone reading isn't accurate but I think I've calibrated the speakers ok. I guess the next mix I produce will soon let me know if I got it right!
While there's not a monitor calibration section in our interface manuals, you are welcome and encouraged to return to this video at any time for reference!
I'm not sure if I am fully understanding this. When I set the tone generator to -20 it causes me to have to turn my volume WAY up in order to hit 80db. Is this just the best volume to balance the left and the right or is this the actually volume we want to be listening to our tracks while we mix? Maybe my SPL meter is whack but I can't push it over 60db with out it sounding super loud and if I turn my volume to max it still can't hit 80db. Any thoughts?
First, verify the sweet spot you're using. Your monitors and your sweet spot should be an equilateral triangle with your monitors pointed at your ears. You don't want to mix at this level, but at this level, the imperfections of your room and flaws in your monitors will shine more.
I have to agree with TheDanyAdventures here. This is the 2nd time I see a video recommending to use a pink noise at -20dB (-20dBLUFS technically), and it makes no sense at all. It's way too loud for anything. I've used a pink noise at -.1dBFS, and the sound level I obtained was pretty close to what I heard during several mastering sessions with professionnal sound engineers.
So once I have calibrated my monitors, how do I control the overall volume of the mix from the daw? Should I be adjusting the master fader in the daw or u simply mix at a flat 75-80 db spl all the time? Please help Rick.
davindEr KAUR Hey there! Adjusting the master fader will affect the volume of your final mixes, as it is factored into the mixdown process. I would recommend a monitor controller like the Central Station or the Monitor Station. www.presonus.com/products/Central-Station-PLUS www.presonus.com/products/Monitor-Station-V2
Currently I have my ur824 interface outputting at 0db into the tc electronic level pilot which I use as a monitor controller as my dynaudio dbm50 have no volume knobs on them.how should I go about?
davindEr KAUR Hmm, I might be I'm a little confused about your setup, as the Level Pilot is a volume controller, and there's also output level control on the UR824. I suggest leaving the master fader in the DAW alone and using the Level Pilot and/or the master volume control on the UR824 to control the volume of the monitors.
Run the pink noise at -20 and bring up the volume on monitors so the spl meter goes to 85-90. then i do it again with my vocal track as close to -12db as possible hitting the spl meter at 85-90 I usually go with the vocal track measurement.
Hi, thanks for sharing. I have a few questions. I'm using Sonar X3 Producer and I don't see a tone generator. I downloaded a mono pink noise file from the internet. If I bring the channel fader down to -20db, would that be the same as using a tone generator. Also, my room is 10.5 x 11 feet. Where should my db level be for that size room... Thanks for your help...
Hello! Can you clarify one moment? Before I thought that Input Gain in PreSonus is just Volume control in other words. Probably no? And what is the difference between Input and Output gain in other monitors? So, if Input Gain is not the same as volume control, it means that PreSonus Eris doesn't have volume control?!
Do you personally recommend the SPL app? It doesn't have any ratings yet at the App Store and it's $8. I can't tell the difference between the less expensive and free ones.
I know the scepters use Dsp processing what would have been cool is if it were an interface on the monitors that would allow you to connect a cable so the monitors which then could be updated in terms of bit processing pretty much refining the processor.
Can't wait to get my free monitor station. waiting for my monitors to come, then I am sending out my rebate form. Hopefully it doesn't take forever to come.
Guess what just arrived My new Scepter s6 Monitors. I am so stocked about it!!!! time to send off my rebate form for my Monitor station.PRESONUS ROCKS!!!!!!
I now have the monitor station, my question is will I still use the calibration method in this video or use the calibration method in accordance to the monitor station guide? it would also be cool if you guys can make a video manual to show how to set the monitor station up!
I`m a big Presonus fan thanks for the video. I have 1 question, what is that furniture desk with mixer embeded on it? I am looking for something similar for my StudioLive 24.4.2, can you advice? Thanks and keep up the good work
Why would I set it at -20db. When I do, my master output is showing a level of -18, so does this mean I generally should mix around -18db? If I mix like I usually do (usually my master output is around -8 to -3) won't I be listening at a much louder level than 85db? Have I been doing something wrong mixing in that range? Pretty new to this.
Bought the Presonus Eris 5 a few weeks ago. Definitely happy with my first studio monitors. One question though ('cause I'm still saving up for some acoustic treatment), at what (low level) dB would you recommend mixing in? I've read mixing in lower volumes is better than mixing at high volume levels.
+Ish Santos That's pretty subjective, though low dB is certainly less fatiguing. I think what's more important than high or low volume is consistent volume. Find what comfortable and stick with it throughout your mix sessions.
Hi. How is it with a Subwoofer? If I calibrate my studio monitors Eris E5 to 79db, do I need to calibrate the sub @79db as well? Or do I need to calibrate it -3db less @76db?
Hi there nice video! but I have a dynaudios bm compact which hasn't got any volume knob behind, only +4db, -10db, options. How do I raise the vol until 80db. Do I need to pay for a remote external control for each one??
hi , should i set my sound card [ apogee duet to '0' ] when I'm doing this ? i use logic for the pink noise ,fader is set to 0 and master fader set to '0' and the test osc is set to -20 when i do this its very loud when i take it up to 80 db ,,,jam i doing some thing wrong thanks love the video
Hi, I have a small room turned in to a home studio. I've try this but 80db is too loud... at what db shoud I be calibrating the monitors in this case? Also I have a Saffire Pro 24 Dsp, so what volueme should it be when calibrating? Another question: Does this method really translates in to 80db mixing output? cus after calibrating it at 80 db I played back a mix and the SPL measured close to 90 db. Cheers!
I just found out that input impedance of Eris E4.5 is 10 Kohm so is that mean that i cant connect these directly to my motherboard output? I have Realtec ALC 1150 on my mobo. What presonus audio interface/dac i need to buy in order to get maximum of my Eris 4.5 in terms of definition resolution and soundstage improvement. I am not in producing mixing editing. I am just in listening music. I need inexpencive solution which will work best for my setup. Additionally maybe one XLR mic input. Can you please answer myquestion? Cheers
How do you calibrate the Eris E4.5? I have them connected to my AudioBox iTwo and during playback, the active (left) speaker is super quiet while the passive (right) speaker is just fine. I don't know what to do.
hi ive managed to record 3 demos which I was happy with on my studio monitors, but on normal phone earphones it sounds terrible, tinny and out of place. the effects aren't really there either, is it because its just a cheap system and it wont sound great on everything?/ really confused.. thanks
** bump ** Repeating my question from 4 months ago. Any thoughts or advice on this issue. ( I'm certain I'm not the only muso with hearing loss!! ) I have a slight hearing deficit in my left ear which effects my perception of both volume and frequency (as it affects some frequencies more than others). This means that in order for me to perceive the stereo image absolutely correctly, I think I need to calibrate my speakers with a slight bias towards the left speaker to compensate for my hearing loss. Can you give any advice on how to proceed. Is it possible to make small adjustments based on an audiologist's report? As it stands, if I were to follow your instructions and calibrate my speakers perfectly centered using measured SPL levels, then when I mixed, I would hear the stereo field (and higher frequencies in particular) slightly to the right of center. This would result in my mixes having a stereo image slightly to the left of center (if I was to mix based purely on what I hear).
Do you think it's accurate enough to just have both volume pots on the back of the speakers turned all the way down? My speakers (Sceptre S8) get loud enough for me at this setting, just want to know if that's detrimental in any way. Or is 80dB recommended? Thanks.
No, it's not detrimental at all. :) Just make sure you calibrate each side to make sure they are set to the same volume, even when completely turned down.
Have you considered the EQ response, in my opinion the most important thing to get right for the best audio reference? Maybe speaker volume is close to step 1, but the relative volume of every band is what's UP. I'm sticking to ringing out my speakers until I find a better way.
the issue with this tut, he says pink noise at-20db... is that RMS... or dBFS? All over the web people are saying RMS then dBFS... which one is it?? and if I wanted to calibrate to the K-14 system, rather than K-20 that this video shows, do I set the pink noise gen to -14dbfs or RMS? Thanks for anyones input.
I'm not sure about the very accurate part of the Smartphone app, but still I guess the point is to calibrate them well each others, so thanks for a very usefull video ! Presonus rock
hi my friend, would u have any tips on setting my speakers left and right and how I would do it the correct way for my songs properly,, the songs have already been layed down but I got them all goin through 1 speaker as I have just been learning the presonus interface at the moment, not speaker sound!! is there a particular way I have to set each instrument through presonus and into speaker???? ta
daniel brittle Hey Daniel, while there are certain standards for panning in popular music, there is also room to get creative. Typically the vocals, kick drum, snare drum, and bass are panned in the middle. If you have two guitars pan them left and right. Pan the remaining drums as the kit is set up: hi-hat a little bit to one side and floor tom to the other. Hope that helps! :)
