Redline At 72?

[MyKart]

Version 9.05 - When I play a recorded (with v.9.05) file in the Filter Settings window, the meter begins to redline when the levels read only 71 or 72. That does not seem right. Unfortunately, I can not get a screenshot due to the Filter Settings window disappearing whenever I attempt to and the transitory nature of metering is too quick for my reflexes to capture it at the right moment.

[MyKart]

Forgot to mention that this is the Mac version.

[Paul Sanders (AlpineSoft)]

I don't need a screenshot, I know why this is.  We changed this slightly in this release and I see that you have noticed.

The red area on conventional (analog) VU meters typically starts at 0dB, but with (usually) around 3dB of headroom.  With a digital signal however, 0dB is an absolute limit.  Go over that and you clip.  So, logically, we felt that we should start the red area at -3dB (digital) and that corresponds to about 72%.

Previous versions of VinylStudio started the red area at -2dB, which is about 80%.  That goes back a long way, when I knew next to nothing about audio, and so we reviewed it.  I believe we mention it in the readme file.  Nobody else that I know of does it the way we used to, and it's better to record slightly on the low side rather than clip, especially at 24 bit where you have plenty of dynamic range and can normalise later.

[MyKart]

Thanks Paul. I wonder how or if that relates back to clipping issues I had while using the Rumble filter a few weeks ago... If you recall.
My workaround was to bring my target peak level down to 70 from 80 and you suggested using Normalise in addition.

[Paul Sanders (AlpineSoft)]

Just goes to show that 70 is a better guideline than 80, I guess.  Those old guys knew a thing or two.