Pyjama Day

Day 1 working on a global commission for Disney with the latest update of Logic 10.2.1.  I don’t usually update software when working on or are about to start on a new commission but with every update Logic has released I’ve been able to install and run it straight away without any issues.  So on this occasion I decided I’d roll the dice as I new there was some new features I couldn’t wait to check out!

As a lot of the work I produce has to be delivered at EBU R128 I was keen to check out how accurate the new LUFS meter added to Multimeter was compared to my other dedicated meters.

First Impressions

I have to say that all DAWs have one big drawback when gain staging a mix, what I mean by that is it’s very easy to record or drop in loops and samples and the mix soon gets out of control and starts to clip.  Maybe I’m going mad but with Logic’s new update and the with the newly designed meters the gain staging seems to be better?  I found that as I was writing I was able to push the mix levels more without the mix clipping quite as soon as normal?  Like I said it might just be me fooling myself into thinking that just because there’s a new update the audio engine is working better?  Who knows but at this point to me a mix seems to come together much faster and without the usual issues of the peaks going wild.

This could have something to with the addition of the level meter target line that naturally allows the you to target the level set by the you rather than aiming for 0dBFS.  In other words you focus on the line rather than 0dBFS as was the case in the past.

This in itself is a great addition and enables better mix levels; as humans we love to target something and 0dBFS has always been the target and it’s human nature to keeping pushing the mix to that target of 0dBFS.

I like the fact that both Peak and RMS now has separate meter bars, which means you can easily judge the dynamic range of the mix and with the addition of the bars turning yellow when the mix exceeds the target level it means you can really see what’s going on between the peak, RMS and dynamic range of the mix.  This addition, although not new to other metering plugins, is a great new and invaluable feature to the Level Meter.

I have a number of dedicated third party meters but have always loved this plugin and use it all the time.  This update shows Logic’s commitment to advocating sensible mix levels and I recommend you learn how to properly use and understand what the plugin can do; miL is launching soon and you can get the full low down on this plugin by joining the early bird mailing list, grab your >FREE MASTERING GUIDE HERE!< and be the first to find out when the mastering in Logic course is live!

The Truth And Nothing But The Truth

Another feature is the fact that Logic have changed the wording from Inter Sample Peak to True Peak detection from the drop down menu.  This is actually very important because True Peak detection has become the standard when delivering files, especially for TV, Film and advertising.  Before EBU R128 became standard I had a dub fail QC (quality control) when delivering a mastered mix.  It failed because it was too loud and Inter Samples peaked over 0dBFS.  In other words the TRUE PEAKS passed over the limiter causing the files to fail QC.  If I’d have had Logic’s new Level Meter with True Peak detection at the time maybe I wouldn’t have failed QC … who knows!  With Logic’s new True Peak option that issue is a thing of the past because you can now see if your peaks really are below 0dBFS and not peaking over 0, which is a god send as dedicated True Peak meters can be expensive and Logic has given us one for FREE!

What about Mastering?

Mastering is what miL is all about and so it’s important to consider if these updates to the Logic’s meters are worth the time upgrading.  Well I think you know what the answer is!  Being able to target your mix level have True Peak options along with the LU features for long term and short term loudness brings these humble tools right up to date and ready for the modern world of mastering and the audio standards that are the demands of todays fast paced world of digital audio.

Amongst all the other updates I know you will find the new additions to the meters and the new look gfx both a joy to use and an invaluable asset to your music productions.  What ever music you write these newly updated tools will be and should be part of your ever day use.

Unlike me they might just save you from failing a QC test!