What is the reference level for surround monitoring?
This varies depending upon the program material. On a film mix for instance, the level is set at 85dB SPL and rarely changes in order to maintain consistency between reels and because the film will play back in the theater at (hopefully) that same standardized level. It is a standard that never varies. A music mixer, however, will work at a variety of levels starting at a moderate level (of perhaps 85dB), boosting to 95 for a quick check of the low end, then getting the remaining balances at a quiet 72-75dB. There is no standardized reference level because the level that the mixer chooses is arbitrary and very variable, and it’s the same for the listener. Television, on the other hand, usually uses 79dB SPL as a reference since the quieter level translates better to the home. If TV sound is mixed at a higher level (like 85dB), then the dialog is frequently lost when it’s turned back down to a normal listening level.
