DVD/Web audio level

[Bruce Watson]

There’s far better people on this forum to answer this one. But since no one else is giving an answer…

[Bryce Douglass] “does the -6db mean every single word in a piece of audio is -6db or is that just an average peak and the rest should be more at sound -10 with occasional clippings to -6db?”

You could find out pretty easily by trying it. What do you hear when you compress the dialog so that “every single word in a piece of audio is -6dB”? It’s actually a pretty neat effect. But no, you’re not going to want anything like that level of dialog compression in anything you intend for anyone else to hear.

Typically what “-6dB” means is that you want the peaks in the dialog to be no higher than -6dBFS. The rest should fall where it may underneath that. If the dynamic range (max sound level to min sound level) is too great for easy intelligibility then some compression is in order to bring the minimum sound level up closer to the max. Just not too much. How much then? Use your ears, listen to it.

As to clipping, you should have zero clipping. Don’t go there unless you have a reason to. There are some effects that use clipping, but for dialog it decreases intelligibility and induces headaches. Not pleasant. So, not even occasional “clippings” for dialog please.

[Bryce Douglass] “Also what should the music be at when there is a break in a dialogue interview? Should i blast right up to -3db like the original music I bought from pond5 or should I keep it around the same level as the dialogue was?”

Again, you can find out pretty easily by trying it. But you’ll likely decide pretty quickly that “pumping” the music during breaks in dialog is not something that most listeners like. You’ll also likely decide that the music level should be considerably less than the dialog level. Unless you’re filming a club scene. Or a music video. But again, use your ears. If the music is too loud, dialog will be less intelligible. If that’s what you want, go for it. If that’s not what you want, turn down the background music track until it’s a loudness level that works with the dialog level in a way you like. You’ll know it when you hear it. Probably. Most people do anyway.

Perhaps the best way to learn what’s “acceptable” is to listen to lots of examples in your area of interest. Then listen to what you’ve done and compare. Adjust your work as needed. Then listen some more. And adjust some more. You’ll begin to figure out what works for you and what doesn’t work for your pretty quickly I’m bettin’.