According to Bob Horn, “Pro Tools meters affect the sound of your mix” – or do they?A podcast clip in which mix engineer and producer Bob Horn claims that Pro Tools meters affect the sound of your mix has left music makers divided.
The clip, taken from the My StudioNerds Podcast (hosted by Devvon Terrell, L. Jean, and Courtney Taylor), shows Horn – who has worked with the likes of BTS, Michael Jackson, and Timbaland – suggesting that the meters in Pro Tools each have “a sound”, and that Pro Tools Classic meter is “the worst” metering type to use.

READ MORE: Billy Corgan thinks Pro Tools made music worse: “It brought a lot of people into the music business that really have no business being in the music business”

In the video, Horn says, “Some people think I’m crazy but the ones that have heard it just freak out – the Pro Tools meters have a sound, and depending on which ones you choose, sound different. So what meters do you use? Is it Pro Tools Classic? That’s the worst one.
“The code written for the meters must be in like a series to where they affect the audio, and if you’re summing it gets recorded. So if you’re in the box it’s just how you’re monitoring, but I always say your best monitoring will help you make the best decisions. If you’re summing it matters, and Pro Tools Classic sounds horrible. So the masters have a setting and then tracks and auxes have a setting, two different settings, so my ultimate combo… It’s linear (extended) on the masters and K-14 on the tracks. The look of it takes a minute to get used to, but when you AB that sound, it’s different.”

Horn’s opinion has got people talking with some people agreeing, and others believing Horn’s conclusion isn’t accurate. One person writes, “I knew I wasn’t tripping”, while another states, “Tried it! There’s definitely a difference in sound! A noticeable one at that. Unbelievable.”
On the other hand, another user says, “Just null-tested this in-the-box with offline rendering: perfect null. Meters make no difference, sorry guys and gals.” Another also states, “The meters don’t have a sound, but the way you mix with different meters results in a different sound. K14 meters zero out at -6db.”

You can check out the full podcast below:

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