help me for maximizing in cubase

[caterpillar]

hi all...
i have a backing track and recorded a keyboard solo for it....
when i start maximizing everything works great until my keyboard solo start ( start to clipping )
as you can see in pictures backing track and keyboard solo has same volume in mixer but when the keyboard solo start the maximizer threshold increase and song start to clipping.....
is here have some experience about this ????
why i get clipping when keyboard solo start ???

 

[fatalman]

The clipping occur because probably the keyboard shares some low frequencies that are present in the backing track.

Try at first to compress the keyboard track (dynamic compressor... not ZIP ).
If that didn't help, leave the compressor on the track and try to completely remove all the low frequencies from your keyboard track (High pass filter above 2Khz), this will almost likely remove the clipping but it will also remove the lows from the keyboard track.

That is still preferable as a start. Now start to gradually add in the low frequencies until you find "the trouble" one, and then tweak that until you are satisfied with how it sounds.

Hope this helped you.

 

[mitchiemasha]

The pictures you've supplied show no clipping.

But remember, when another piece of audio begins to play over another piece of audio, they will sum. Some parts cancel but mainly the over all sound will get louder, unless there are serious phase issues in the audio.

When using the maximiser, you shouldn't get any clipping, it'll just keep squishing your sound.

 

[Mad Phonetics]

The waveform of the backing track looks like it's squashed to death... using an overcompressed/overlimited backing is never a good starting point.

I would suggest to

- use a limiter to tame fast and peaky transients
- use a compressor to increase the overall level
- use an EQ to shape the keyboard part so it sounds good in the mix and fit in
- if still needed use a maximizer to squeeze the keyboard part a lil' more
- level the backing and the keyboard part to each other

 

[caterpillar]

The waveform of the backing track looks like it's squashed to death... using an overcompressed/overlimited backing is never a good starting point.

I would suggest to

- use a limiter to tame fast and peaky transients
- use a compressor to increase the overall level
- use an EQ to shape the keyboard part so it sounds good in the mix and fit in
- if still needed use a maximizer to squeeze the keyboard part a lil' more
- level the backing and the keyboard part to each other

im a beginner ....
you say that i use compressor on master line in mixer ???
what is the different between compressor and maximizer ?? both doesnt do same job ???

 

[caterpillar]

The clipping occur because probably the keyboard shares some low frequencies that are present in the backing track.

Try at first to compress the keyboard track (dynamic compressor... not ZIP ).
If that didn't help, leave the compressor on the track and try to completely remove all the low frequencies from your keyboard track (High pass filter above 2Khz), this will almost likely remove the clipping but it will also remove the lows from the keyboard track.

That is still preferable as a start. Now start to gradually add in the low frequencies until you find "the trouble" one, and then tweak that until you are satisfied with how it sounds.

Hope this helped you.

why compress keyboard track ???
doesnt compressor increase output level of keyboard track ???

 

[fatalman]

why compress keyboard track ???
doesnt compressor increase output level of keyboard track ???

a compressor isn't supposed to raise the volume of a track, its supposed to "duck" (or lower) the volume when the track's volume is above XX threshold, and the amount of ducking is determind by the ratio you choose (1:1 is no ducking, 1:2 = anything above the threshold is half, 1:3 = third, etc.).

what you're talking about is a maximizer, where you set a threshold and it raises the volume. not a compressor.

 

[mitchiemasha]

Your both a lil on and a lil off...

A compressors main use is to control the dynamics. Technically... although the peaks of the keyboard would be lower, the overall sound, over time would be louder. The more you boost a signal into the compressor, the louder you are making the quieter parts with louder parts being controlled tamed. Due to audio having more energy over time quieter, than energy over time louder, it will be louder. Peak volume and loudness are 2 different things.

Obviously if you don't add anymore gain to the original recording it will be lower overall but a compressor only 'ducks' if you're side chaining. The compressor decreases the amount the volume increases after the threshold. So the volume that is getting louder will still be getting louder, just at a lesser rate.

I'm pretty sure you knew this, just words can be missleading and confusing, especially with compression.

 

[caterpillar]

a compressor isn't supposed to raise the volume of a track, its supposed to "duck" (or lower) the volume when the track's volume is above XX threshold, and the amount of ducking is determind by the ratio you choose (1:1 is no ducking, 1:2 = anything above the threshold is half, 1:3 = third, etc.).

what you're talking about is a maximizer, where you set a threshold and it raises the volume. not a compressor.

yes i understand,,
but can you tell me what i have to set for ratio threshold or etc ????

 

[fatalman]

yes i understand,,
but can you tell me what i have to set for ratio threshold or etc ????

The best way to find out how to set a compressor, is to first look at your mixer and look at the keyboard track without any effects added.
In most of the DAWs today there's a signal strength bar usually on the mixer that show you the dB of volume on the track.
Look at this behaviour on your keyboard track and observe what is the lowest dB on this track, and what is the highest dB on it.
lets say your lowest volume on the keyboard is -12dB , and your highest volume is -2dB.
This is not so great because if you'll mix this in, in the parts of the -2dB there will be a mess in your mix.
so set your compressor to somewhere around -10dB as a threshold, and give it a 1:4 - 1:8 compression rate. without any extra gain.
After doing this, you should observer again the signal strength on this track and observe that it got balanced to somewhere around the -12dB to -8dB.
That's what a compressor do.
This should be a first step towards being able to add your keyboard to the mix more properly.

 

[chris carter]

The "professional" answer is to turn down the volume of your tracks.

 

[caterpillar]

The best way to find out how to set a compressor, is to first look at your mixer and look at the keyboard track without any effects added.
In most of the DAWs today there's a signal strength bar usually on the mixer that show you the dB of volume on the track.
Look at this behaviour on your keyboard track and observe what is the lowest dB on this track, and what is the highest dB on it.
lets say your lowest volume on the keyboard is -12dB , and your highest volume is -2dB.
This is not so great because if you'll mix this in, in the parts of the -2dB there will be a mess in your mix.
so set your compressor to somewhere around -10dB as a threshold, and give it a 1:4 - 1:8 compression rate. without any extra gain.
After doing this, you should observer again the signal strength on this track and observe that it got balanced to somewhere around the -12dB to -8dB.
That's what a compressor do.
This should be a first step towards being able to add your keyboard to the mix more properly.

hi my friend....
i think that max volume = peak and min volume = RMS .....is this right ???
i put 2 pictures and one is for keyboard solo and other one is for my backingtrack.....
please tell me which one needs compression ???

 

[fatalman]

hi my friend....
i think that max volume = peak and min volume = RMS .....is this right ???
i put 2 pictures and one is for keyboard solo and other one is for my backingtrack.....
please tell me which one needs compression ???
View attachment 44606View attachment 44605

Ok, after looking at these pictures.. I assume your keyboard solo is the Audio_03 track right?
According to these details (and yes it is the RMS peak), you should set your compressor to around -8dB - -10dB threshold with about 1:2 - 1:5 compression, this should do the job.

Again its a bit difficult to tell you exactly without knowing the mix of the backing track.

From looking at the picture, the backing track seems to be very loud already (is it a mastered track / a final product already?), I don't know what is the frequency response of it. But if it is flat (like almost any mastered track is), then you generally have no room to add in your keyboard track without "ducking" the backing track itself on that part as well in order to make some "room" for the keyboard to fit in.

 

[caterpillar]

Ok, after looking at these pictures.. I assume your keyboard solo is the Audio_03 track right?
According to these details (and yes it is the RMS peak), you should set your compressor to around -8dB - -10dB threshold with about 1:2 - 1:5 compression, this should do the job.

Again its a bit difficult to tell you exactly without knowing the mix of the backing track.

From looking at the picture, the backing track seems to be very loud already (is it a mastered track / a final product already?), I don't know what is the frequency response of it. But if it is flat (like almost any mastered track is), then you generally have no room to add in your keyboard track without "ducking" the backing track itself on that part as well in order to make some "room" for the keyboard to fit in.

yes backing track is a mastered track....
and yes its very loud so what i have to do on backing track ???? what is the ducking ??? do you mean something like this :::: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9_McjX68Lc
and i wanna know how you find i have to use compressor for my keyboard track ??? which number is RMS ???

 

[Mad Phonetics]

you say that i use compressor on master line in mixer ???

No, I suggested to use a compressor on the piano part to increase its overall level.

what is the different between compressor and maximizer ?? both doesnt do same job ???

A compressor mostly have variable attack and release time, maximizers mostly do not have these and they often do some mojo additional to the compression part.

why compress keyboard track ???
doesnt compressor increase output level of keyboard track ???

With the right settings (fast attack time) it reduces peak levels, therefor you can boost the the level without clipping.

...by the ratio you choose (1:1 is no ducking, 1:2 = anything above the threshold is half, 1:3 = third, etc.).

No, no, no. What you describe are settings you would find on an expander, 2:1, 4:1 etc. would be right for compressing.

but can you tell me what i have to set for ratio threshold or etc ????

No, no one could really tell ya, 'cause its all program dependent.

so set your compressor to somewhere around -10dB as a threshold, and give it a 1:4 - 1:8 compression rate. without any extra gain.
After doing this, you should observer again the signal strength on this track and observe that it got balanced to somewhere around the -12dB to -8dB.

Without giving appropriate attack and release times this is a senseless advice.

i think that max volume = peak and min volume = RMS .....is this right ???

No, its "average".

please tell me which one needs compression ???

Do you read the posts and think about it or will you carry on asking until someone might post a step-by-step description what to do best?

so what i have to do on backing track ????

Nothing, except turning down its volume with the fader and maybe some slight cuts wih an EQ in the presence range of the piano.

 

[caterpillar]

No, I suggested to use a compressor on the piano part to increase its overall level.





A compressor mostly have variable attack and release time, maximizers mostly do not have these and they often do some mojo additional to the compression part.





With the right settings (fast attack time) it reduces peak levels, therefor you can boost the the level without clipping.





No, no, no. What you describe are settings you would find on an expander, 2:1, 4:1 etc. would be right for compressing.





No, no one could really tell ya, 'cause its all program dependent.





Without giving appropriate attack and release times this is a senseless advice.





No, its "average".





Do you read the posts and think about it or will you carry on asking until someone might post a step-by-step description what to do best?





Nothing, except turning down its volume with the fader and maybe some slight cuts wih an EQ in the presence range of the piano.

please tell me which number is refering min volume and max volume in those pictures ???
and how do i know if it needs compressing ???
and how to setup threshold ratio release attack for compressor ???