How Loud Should My Mix Be? Loudness In Pro Tools

Hi there, I was wondering if you could go a little deeper into LUFS for a theatrical short film mix? in description you said there are none but there are many that say -27 LUFS

Best channel EVER for film production mixing and so. Hats off !

Can u please explain how loud sound effects, ambience, music and dialogues should be in a mix

I've been mixing my own short film using your entire channel as my guide and I can't believe I've managed to produce something that actually sounds good enough to present and for that I thank you

I have a question - when you do the the LUFs metering for loudness, is that for the entire project (DX,FX,MX) or do you try and achieve a target LUF for each individual track?

I know the end game is to have the whole project average a target LUF, like -24, and I've tried doing Loudness control in RX (as an experiment) to level everything at -24 with a true peak of -2 and the entire project was louder than -24 by several dB.

Thank you for all of your information and tips! These videos are very useful and I look forward to more!

I use Nugen LM correct2 which I use as an Audio suite plugin.

Awesome

Love your videos! Congrats on your new space. Would love a video blurb on how you built your room and treated/calibrated it if you get the time. Hope the strikes end soon so we all can get back to work. Thanks again!

Hey Tom, was hoping to ask you a quick dialogue loudness question, and this video seems like an ok place to ask. Been unsure about this for a while.

Suppose you had a scene where the characters were having a normal conversation, and then suddenly one of them whispers, and the other ones response is to shout back angrily.

How would you mix that in film so it still sounds like a whisper, regular talking, and shouting? What sort of DB would you be trying to place each piece of dialogue in so it sounded correct on film?

And to piggy back off my own question, what if someone was shouting but from far away? Like a distant scream.

Thanks for all you do man. :)

Hey mate, 4 quick questions.

1. When you're mixing, do you work to a specific loudness spec and then change it for your various deliverables? Or do you mix for the "most important" deliverable you've been asked for and then adjust the others based off that one? Or something else?

2. Did I understand right that you're using compressors and limiters to do the work? Doesn't that chop off the loud bits or bring the loud and quiet parts closer together? (Does that not make the mix sound... "muddy"?). 

3. If that's right, Is there a reason you don;'t just turn the mix down a bit? Do you ever have to re-mix it so it sounds right, or does it just kinda naturally work?

4. Do your louder deliverables tend to have more noise since (presumably) the noise floor is higher? (So Netflix maybe sounds a bit "cleaner" than Amazon? Or does raising the volume on a device actually introduce more noise)?

appreciate your work...
love from INDIA 💐

Thomas hi! Glad to hear hear you! Can you make video about your work with kraken dialogue?

Would love to see a little series of you designing and building the new space!

Guess I'm gonna need a studio / gear tour with this new space

Super appreciate your insights man. Have learned a ton from you over the years and you’ve helped me create way more efficient, consistent mixes on everything I work on.

@ThomasBoykin Hey man, firstly just wanna say thank you for your videos, I started doing this professionally recently because of them. I grew up poor and school was never really an option. So sincerely, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Secondly, wanna ask how deep you go on a predub mix for a theatrical release?

I had an experience recently on my first theatrical release where the re-recording mixer wanted me to split out my premix into 3 different sessions (DX, MX, SFX ) but didn't want any of my bussing/VCA's/ Panning Automation (Used your 5.1 Mixing template btw :) ). Anyway it resulted in all my mixing work getting completely erased. (save for on the printed stems ).

Any advice on how to prevent something like this from happening in the future?

Ps The company I work for brought in a post-house last minute so I didn't realize anyone else would be touching my mix

Great Tom! Thank you! I did this not that long ago and it's a game changer. Delivering all those things out of a feature film mix became a satisfying process and I would also recommend it to everyone.

It's good to hear your voice! Missed you man!

you don't know how much you helped me in this industry. 
Thank you Thomas, and congratulations on the new studio :D

Every new video is like exploring rare professional knowledge. Even if topic was discussed babilion times, your explanation is the most skill giving I’ve ever experienced! Thank you for being here!

Great stuff

One of the best mixer in Sweden told me once: "I have never chek my levels when i'm mixing" curtain😀

seeing you is always putting a smile on my face

Welcome back Tom beautiful new studio.

Thomas, thanks for this. If you have dropped using insight for metering, what are you using for actual meters(not loudness measurement)?

Great video! Thanks 🙌🏻

Good to have you back!!!!