I know that mastering brings up the overall volume of a song quite a bit, but does this mean that a final mix is supposed to be quieter? I've recorded a bit, and every single song, even after a rough mix, is never loud enough, even when I make sure that levels peak at around correct points. Are compressors okay to use during mixing? Or are they more of something you'd use during the mastering process?
How loud are final mixes supposed to be?
- Thread starter BBlack
- Start date
I really don't think there is a rule, although people will tell you there are. If you were sending it off to be mastered, I would personally make sure NOTHING is clipping, and nothing is above unity gain (the 0db mark on the fader)((nothing is at +1.1db i.e)
the more headroom you leave the mastering engineer, the more he/she can do with your music, and the louder he/she can push it.
T
the more headroom you leave the mastering engineer, the more he/she can do with your music, and the louder he/she can push it.
T
PDP
There once was a note
Just doing this myself. I put a light peak limiter on the output just to hear how it gels/raises the mix, but I've found that a light clean mix with no limiter or boosting is best, because like Terra is saying you can boost it, when you master. You can get pretty loud and full, but a big commercial CD production starts and ends with very expensive gear, home stuff is never quite as loud/full/defined.
R
RAMI
Guest
Your mixes before mastering shouldn't peak ANYWHERE NEAR 0db. Mixing isn't the part of the process where you should worry about volume. You can peak your mix at -12 if you're recording and mixing in 24bit digital.
It's totally normal that your mixes are way lower than the finished CD's you're comparing them with.
It's totally normal that your mixes are way lower than the finished CD's you're comparing them with.
Dogbreath
Im an ex-spurt
+1
If you plan on sending your stuff to an ME, leave the mix compression off. More than likely, they've got a better room, gear and seasoned ears. Let them take care of it.
If you're just doin your own, no reason why ya can't go ahead and strap a limiter across the 2 buss and push it. I think you'll find tho, that even tho you're getting it at, or at least close, to commercial levels, you end up losing a LOT of the dynamics...the ebb n flow...that made it good in the first place.
my thoughts anyway...
Washburn100
New member
Nothing wrong with compression on individual tracks, but don't do it just to make it louder. Do it because compression is needed to make that track better.
Like mentioned already, if it's your own stuff with no plans of getting it mastered, go ahead and put a limiter on the output bus, and play with it to see what you find acceptable.
Even if you plan on sending it to be mastered, save your mix without the limiter and send that away. You can use a copy back into your DAW and limit/compress however you want to make a poor man's master until the pro sends you your "I'm gonna retire on this song" master back. Well that's what I do!
Like mentioned already, if it's your own stuff with no plans of getting it mastered, go ahead and put a limiter on the output bus, and play with it to see what you find acceptable.
Even if you plan on sending it to be mastered, save your mix without the limiter and send that away. You can use a copy back into your DAW and limit/compress however you want to make a poor man's master until the pro sends you your "I'm gonna retire on this song" master back. Well that's what I do!
Nothing wrong with compression on individual tracks, but don't do it just to make it louder. Do it because compression is needed to make that track better.
Like mentioned already, if it's your own stuff with no plans of getting it mastered, go ahead and put a limiter on the output bus, and play with it to see what you find acceptable.
Even if you plan on sending it to be mastered, save your mix without the limiter and send that away. You can use a copy back into your DAW and limit/compress however you want to make a poor man's master until the pro sends you your "I'm gonna retire on this song" master back. Well that's what I do!
Right, right, right.
Thank you guys for all the help. It's good knowing that I'm not doing something wrong. So it's normal to have to turn everything up a little to mix?
And does anyone know of some kind of chart that shows all the recommended peak levels for different instruments? Or is there a general rule for everything?
Audio Mastering
Master Of Mastering
You might want to look at complimentary EQ techniques, along with compressing the tracks a bit (not the master bus)
Complementary EQ techniques
SonicAlbert
Super-Sonic "Herb" Albert
Sometimes master buss compression is part of how you get the sound you want for the track. And that's before mastering.
You would certainly leave headroom for the mastering engineer to work with. -12 to -6 on the highest peaks would be plenty for an ME to work with.
You would certainly leave headroom for the mastering engineer to work with. -12 to -6 on the highest peaks would be plenty for an ME to work with.
SouthSIDE Glen
independentrecording.net
I's practically impossible for any reasonable pre-mastering mix to be too quiet.
OTOH, it's really easy for a pre-mastering mix to be too loud.
Meaning: don't worry about whether your mix is loud enough, worry about whether it's quiet enough.
G.
OTOH, it's really easy for a pre-mastering mix to be too loud.
Meaning: don't worry about whether your mix is loud enough, worry about whether it's quiet enough.
G.
Chibi Nappa
New member
You know mastering makes songs louder. Think real hard and figure out if they are quieter before something makes them louder.
Yes, yes, yes, and yes. On individual tracks, on aux busses, on the 2-buss. Yes. You can put them everywhere, you can not use them at all. Whatever needs to be done.
In a nutshell, your unmastered mix is loud enough if you can put it in a decent car stereo and have it blow your hair back. Don't worry about how far you have to turn the volume knob to get that done. Just: does it get there or not? If your car stereo knob is buried and the sound is still weak, you've got more mixing work to do.
To add to what Glen said above: Yeah, ending up with a level too low will not be a problem. What will be a problem is arrangement, EQ, mix balance, performance, etc. All of that will influence the final post-master loudness. That is why I check in a car. If I turn it up real loud, does it fell loud? If yes, then all of those elements are working and the master can be loud.
As a final note: Don't make the master loud. We all have volume knobs.