Dynamic range & crest
Updated August 2026 · Punch vs loudness
Loudness (LUFS) answers “how loud does this feel over the whole song?” Crest-based dynamic range answers “how much headroom is left between RMS and peak?” You can hit −14 LUFS with either a punchy mix or a squashed one. The DR number tells you which you have.
What CoProducer reports
On a single-file report you will see Dynamic range (dB) and Crest factor. A crest around 3× with DR under ~5 dB is the restricted-dynamics warning: the limiter is doing too much of the arrangement. That is a mix problem, not something loudnorm is meant to “fix.”
| You see | Usually means |
|---|---|
| DR > 10 dB, LUFS near −14 | Streaming-safe with room to breathe |
| LUFS hot, DR still healthy | Turn it down. Do not add another limiter first |
| DR collapsed, true peak still over | Brickwalled and still clipping codecs — worst of both |
On the A/B demo, Drippin starts at 7.98 dB DR and +1.06 dBTP. After repair, clips are gone and LUFS sits near −14. The crest comes back a little because the overs are no longer glued to 0 dBFS. Listen to transients, not just the score.