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Audio Level meters - why Bus is always lower in level?
Posted:
Sun May 25, 2025 5:11 pmby Asher123
Hi,
If I put a video clip in a new project and on a new timeline in the EDIT tab and then play the clip, the audio levels will bounce around for A1 but the BUS level (the final level of the timeline) is always at a lower level.
Why is this the case? Shouldn't the BUS level be exactly at the same level as A1?
Re: Audio Level meters - why Bus is always lower in level?
Posted:
Sun May 25, 2025 5:52 pmby Reynaud Venter
Is the source Track mono and the destination Bus stereo?
The summation of two identical signals of equal amplitude and phase increases the level of the resulting signal, hence the attenuation on the stereo Bus 1 to produce equal power output and equal perceived loudness. This is the result of Pan Law, in this case “-3dB compensation” being applied.
Re: Audio Level meters - why Bus is always lower in level?
Posted:
Sun May 25, 2025 5:56 pmby Asher123
Hi Reynaud, no they are both stereo. The video file I place on the timeline has a stereo audio track and the track is set to Stereo. The Bus is also a stereo output.
May I ask for you to try it on you computer and let me know if the levels are identical? If they are, then I may have a configuration wrongly set deep into my Davinci settings.
Re: Audio Level meters - why Bus is always lower in level?
Posted:
Sun May 25, 2025 6:26 pmby Reynaud Venter
Stereo source feeding a stereo end point have identical levels.
Are you running 19.1.4 or 20 beta 4?
Re: Audio Level meters - why Bus is always lower in level?
Posted:
Sun May 25, 2025 7:21 pmby Asher123
I am running 19.1.4
You?
Re: Audio Level meters - why Bus is always lower in level?
Posted:
Sun May 25, 2025 7:27 pmby Andy Mees
Asher123 wrote:I may have a configuration wrongly set
Seems most likely, David. Might be worth sharing your project file... maybe someone can spot the issue.
Re: Audio Level meters - why Bus is always lower in level?
Posted:
Mon May 26, 2025 4:34 amby Reynaud Venter
Have tested with both 19.1.4 and v20 and not reproducing.
Is this issue Project specific or across all Timelines? If specific, include a link to the Project file (.drp without media).
Re: Audio Level meters - why Bus is always lower in level?
Posted:
Mon May 26, 2025 9:22 amby Charles Bennett
David, is this the sort of thing you are seeing? In this case the metering is set to pre-fader and there is a compressor on the track. With the meters in pre-fader mode (selectable in Project Settings/Fairlight) you will only see any Dynamics or EQ level changes in the Output Bus meters.
- Meter Levels.jpg (156.81 KiB) Viewed 280 times
This is what I see with post fader metering and no FX on the track.
- Track and Bus Meters.jpg (38.11 KiB) Viewed 280 times
Re: Audio Level meters - why Bus is always lower in level?
Posted:
Mon May 26, 2025 1:31 pmby Vit Reiter
Uncheck Pre fader metering on tracks?
Re: Audio Level meters - why Bus is always lower in level?
Posted:
Mon May 26, 2025 4:59 pmby Asher123
Thanks everyone.
I will do extensive testing this weekend. The Pre-Fader option is off (not selected). And interestingly I noticed this evening that the Bus scaled was positioned lower than the A1 and A2 scales on the right side of the EDIT page.
I restarted Davinci and they were all on the same position vertically. I have not been able to replicate it yet... thus all the work I have planned this weekend.
