Track too quiet and squashed?

[Sk1nZ]

Ive mixed down my track and have been told to bring the master level down to -6db and then use a mastering plugin to bring the levels back up. I was under the impression that you leave the master level at 0db and bring the channel volumes down to where the highest point reaches -6db on the master...

Can someone clear up which way is correct to do it

Ive just tried the first way and after ozone 5 its come out looking like the first image, which to me doesn't look right, it looks too quiet and maybe too squashed, im not sure?

The second way i mentioned has made the waveform look like the second image which i think looks better

Nothing changed in ozone 5 so the same settings were applied to both ways

Confused as to which way is correct after being told to do it the first way!

**After listening to them both it seems the first one sounds better and there seems to be no difference in volume between the two

3rd image is Deadmau5 - The Veldt

 

[grongk]

Well the 'correct' way to do it is the second one you mentioned. Bounce your mix with the master fader at 0dB leaving it peaking at -6db ish will give ozone more headroom to make the track louder without clipping transients so harshly (as it looks like its done in the first waveform). If you do it the first way, to get the track to the same perceived level of loudness youre going to have to sacrifice dynamics and punch etc. Having said that, if it gets you the sound you want that works for the music, do it.

 

[Wallengard]

There's no difference between bouncing the mix with the master fader at 0 and the peaks at -6dbfs and bouncing the mix with the peaks at 0dbfs and turning the master fader down. Bouncing the mix either of these ways is going to leave your wav file with equally much headroom.

It doesn't work the same way if you don't bounce the mix before you start mastering (something you probably want to be doing anyway). If you've got peaks at 0dbfs and turn down the master so they peak at - 6dbfs, and you put Ozone in a prefader slot the input is being determined by the output sent from the channels. If you put Ozone as a post fader insert however, the master fader will determine the input level in Ozone.

 

[krushing]

Also, stop trying to make waveforms look like something. It's as useful as driving a car by listening to the engine.

 

[Wapiti]

All those waveforms looks like shit, but as krushing said remember you hear music, not look at it's waveform. Don't try and get your levels loud that is for your master engineer, it doesn't have to be at -6db that's too logical and annoying, the master engineer will set your levels where they need them, try and get dynamic range and not squash the shit out of everything

 

[bandcoach]

as dvyce and sleepy and deranged4phukdup (three other mods) have said elsewhere here at fp, you can have your mix level at -0.1dbfs and still be able to have the mastering engineer do their thing to make your music ready for distribution

i.e. it is not about picking a limit and sticking to it but mixing to be effective whilst maintaining dynamic range and separation

 

[Sk1nZ]

thanks for clearing this up, i wasn't really trying to get the waveform to look like anything, was more wondering which is the right way to go about it. Will be leaving this to the engineers