Mixing/Mastering Basics

[bighitbiker3]

Hey guys,

So how i've been mixing and mastering my tracks is basically "to do what sounds the best and loudest possible"

I know this isn't right, but i'm not sure how to go about it. My master has a multi band dynamics plugin and a glue compressor on it, effectively limiting the master so it doesn't go into the red.

My individual tracks are all pretty not though. Not like slamming the red, but most of them are in the yellow. What's the best way for me to go about getting something loud enough, while not ****ing with the dynamics of the sound?

 

[AtkinsonAudio]

Maybe turn your individual tracks down (pre fader) so you've got a more conservative level going to your master bus, proper gain staging is a must.

Your master bus compressors will have more room to do their job.

Do you mix into your glue compressor or to you add it afterwards?

Also if your not sure about multiband dynamics, I would leave them well alone, it's an easy way to destroy your mix if used incorrectly.

For volume, be very aware of unneeded low frequency information as this will eat up a lot of your headroom and will make your bus compressor work harder than it needs to. High pass filters are necessary most tracks.

What sort of gain reduction are you seeing on the master bus compressors?

 

[Waltz Mastering]

Hey guys,

So how i've been mixing and mastering my tracks is basically "to do what sounds the best and loudest possible"

I know this isn't right, but i'm not sure how to go about it. My master has a multi band dynamics plugin and a glue compressor on it, effectively limiting the master so it doesn't go into the red.

My individual tracks are all pretty not though. Not like slamming the red, but most of them are in the yellow. What's the best way for me to go about getting something loud enough, while not ****ing with the dynamics of the sound?

If you aren't already, I'd separate the 2 processes. Mix to make the song sound good, with not much attention paid to your final level, then master in a new session, even on a different day after giving it a rest.

I think a lot of people just coming up try to mix and master at the same time. ..like trying to put icing on a cake while it's still in the oven, ..and I can pretty much guarantee, that there were hardly any commercial records that are in rotation or charting that were done that way.

 

[bighitbiker3]

Maybe turn your individual tracks down (pre fader) so you've got a more conservative level going to your master bus, proper gain staging is a must.

Your master bus compressors will have more room to do their job.

Do you mix into your glue compressor or to you add it afterwards?

Also if your not sure about multiband dynamics, I would leave them well alone, it's an easy way to destroy your mix if used incorrectly.

For volume, be very aware of unneeded low frequency information as this will eat up a lot of your headroom and will make your bus compressor work harder than it needs to. High pass filters are necessary most tracks.

What sort of gain reduction are you seeing on the master bus compressors?

1. I just started doing that and it's keeping a lot of the dynamic range

2. I typically mix into my glue compressr

3. I will try and stay away from the multiband dynamics and see how I can get it

4. I use a high-pass on most every track (except kick and sub)

5. Between 5 and 6db

 

[bighitbiker3]

If you aren't already, I'd separate the 2 processes. Mix to make the song sound good, with not much attention paid to your final level, then master in a new session, even on a different day after giving it a rest.

I think a lot of people just coming up try to mix and master at the same time. ..like trying to put icing on a cake while it's still in the oven, ..and I can pretty much guarantee, that there were hardly any commercial records that are in rotation or charting that were done that way.

I keep reading about mixing with the master set at around -6...should I do this and master from there and adjust master levels after that, or mix with nothing on the master and the level at 0db

 

[bandcoach]

I keep reading about mixing with the master set at around -6...should I do this and master from there and adjust master levels after that, or mix with nothing on the master and the level at 0db

the reference to -6dBfs is not to the master fader position but to the peaks/average of the master buss meters: i.e. your master buss fader is set its nominal Unity gain (10[sup]0dB/20[/sup] or x 1) position and you are aiming to have your mix average to -6dBfs and peaks under 0dBfs (preferably -3dBfs according to some name mastering engineers)

 

[expressdrummer]

The first step is gain staging. Make you sure that you have a great balance without clipping any track and keeping the master around -6db.

Then.. you'd be surprised but a huge part of getting loud mixes, is actually the Balance between the instruments. Another part is the compression. You have to have your compression right. Some of the best mixes are actually pretty well controlled, the peaks and the dynamics are all working together towards a great mixing. EQ is also a big part of loudness.
Once you have a great mix. Mastering will, among other things, help you achieve a louder song.