Sound Design- Dynamic Range and metering

 What is Dynamic Range?

Dynamic range is the range between the softest and loudest sounds a device can handle and the difference between the softest and loudest part of an audio signal.

How does it affect sound recording?

Changing the Dynamic range by compressing or expanding parts of the audio will change the way your audio is received this is specifically important with music. A lower compressed dynamic range will lead to a more similar volume level with all parts in a recording 

Why is metering important?

 VU meters are very good at representing the average of what is being produced and therefore they sacrifice exact accuracy to represent what the human ear will receive in a recording. It is very important to be able to control the volume for human ears and using a VU meter is the best way to accurately do this.

How can it help us with our sound recording?

Using Measurements from a Vu meter can be a good way to figure out which instruments to compress and how to manage the background instruments or noise overall. It helps you find the sweet spot 0DbVu for any recording.

What happens when the meter runs over level?

When the VU meter runs over level audio can become louder and eventually severely saturated.