Does the Compressor plug in work?

[The Flame]

Hey guys, i am using cubase le. I can't seem to stop those peaks! i use the compression under "dynamics" in the program, but really no mattewr which i turn the knobs, nothing too drastic happens. I have it as an insert effect, its on, but i dont know what to do. I started working with a metal band, (new wave of british heavy metal, and i am really pushing the kick and snare. Luckily, I just recorded drums to have have them dump it into logic later on.

I want to get this down right becuase peaks are always a problem for me. I can never get anything loud enough without being over. I might have to get some other compressors, but for the eman time, does anyone know what the hell i should do?

Thanks in advance! Flame

[scrubs]

The Cubase dynamics plug just doesn't sound very good, imo.

Here are a couple of freebies to try:
Blockfish
Classic Compressor and Classic Master Limiter
W1 Limiter

If you are just wanting to get things "louder," the limiters will help you more than the compressors. Read more about compression, here.

[Massive Master]

You really shouldn't be concerned with "sheer volume" at the mixing stage anyway... If you're peaking, you're probably mixing too hot. That's pretty much all there is to it. Certainly if you're trying to mix to "acceptable commercial levels" (then you're probably mixing WAY too hot).

But the dynamics in Cubase should still work - Are they providing *any* gain reduction?

[studiomaster]

I have a question...whenever I'm mixing vocal tracks with instruments in Cubase, the clipping indicator appears. Even though the sound is not distorted while playback, will this affect the overall export quality of the song when I render it to a mp3 file? Cause I find the song quite rough when I hear it in Winamp.

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by studiomaster

I have a question...whenever I'm mixing vocal tracks with instruments in Cubase, the clipping indicator appears. Even though the sound is not distorted while playback, will this affect the overall export quality of the song when I render it to a mp3 file? Cause I find the song quite rough when I hear it in Winamp.

Most likely, yes. I'm not sure when the clip light comes on in Cubase, but it's probably within a dB or two of 0dBFS. When summing tracks together, the overall volume increases and can clip the master bus. You are probably tracking too hot, so back off a little on your channel faders to bring down the master bus.

[NL5]

Originally Posted by The Flame

Hey guys, i am using cubase le. I can't seem to stop those peaks! i use the compression under "dynamics" in the program, but really no mattewr which i turn the knobs, nothing too drastic happens. I have it as an insert effect, its on, but i dont know what to do. I started working with a metal band, (new wave of british heavy metal, and i am really pushing the kick and snare. Luckily, I just recorded drums to have have them dump it into logic later on.

I want to get this down right becuase peaks are always a problem for me. I can never get anything loud enough without being over. I might have to get some other compressors, but for the eman time, does anyone know what the hell i should do?

Thanks in advance! Flame

If you are using the compressor supplied in cubase, not only do you need to have the insert turned on, each part of the dynamics insert has to be turned on. See in the attached photo the "auto Gate", "Compressor","soft clip" , and "limiter" buttons they need to be lit up yellow if they are on. The supplied comprressor works fine, it just doen't sound the greatest.

[treymonfauntre]

Originally Posted by studiomaster

I have a question...whenever I'm mixing vocal tracks with instruments in Cubase, the clipping indicator appears. Even though the sound is not distorted while playback, will this affect the overall export quality of the song when I render it to a mp3 file? Cause I find the song quite rough when I hear it in Winamp.

you shouldn't be mixing that loud. if i'm not mistaken steinberg has a bit of a limiter built into the buss so if you actually clip it will be softer than full on distortion.

[TelePaul]

Originally Posted by treymonfauntre

you shouldn't be mixing that loud. if i'm not mistaken steinberg has a bit of a limiter built into the buss so if you actually clip it will be softer than full on distortion.

I find its still noticeble and definetely undesirable.

[The Flame]

Thanks guys. I guess i am mixing way too hot. I pump up the level during mastering? And i actually had a good thread about how loud a person should record using a digital system, any ideas? i remeber hearing max it at 18dbs, but that seemed very low on the VU. Any suggestions
?

[treymonfauntre]

yea thats about right for tracking. by the time i'm done mixing it ends up sounding quite a bit louder than that. make the rest up when you're done mixing. hell you can even slap a limiter as an insert on the stereo out if you want to do quick "loud" mixdowns for friends....

[The Flame]

Also, to avoid to getting the masters to clip, would it be useful to put instruments to different buses? For example, i have all of my drums going into a "group" track titled "drums". Now this is going into Bus 1. Should i put to bus 2, and record all my guitars on Bus 1, and vocals on Bus 3? Would it work in the final mixdown or is this not necessary for what i am doing? I record metal bands, and they want it all loud! Would the buses help me?

[scrubs]

Originally Posted by The Flame

Also, to avoid to getting the masters to clip, would it be useful to put instruments to different buses? For example, i have all of my drums going into a "group" track titled "drums". Now this is going into Bus 1. Should i put to bus 2, and record all my guitars on Bus 1, and vocals on Bus 3? Would it work in the final mixdown or is this not necessary for what i am doing? I record metal bands, and they want it all loud! Would the buses help me?

If they want it "louder," turn up the speakers, not the mix. Bussing should have little effect, other than you'll have more control over that group of instruments. However, they all still have to end up summed to the master bus. "Louder" is something that should be left to the mastering engineer. If your bands aren't sending their tracks out for mastering and want you to do it, just strap a limiter across the master bus and crank it until it sounds shitty, then back off a bit until it sounds less shitty.

[The Flame]

Cool, that works. I tried recording and mixing lower, drums and bass. It came out ok. I wound up throwing it into t-racks to pump up the level a bit. Finally, Clipping is not the main problem and ceiling to my mixes! THANKS GUYS! AS far as mixing go, i use the faders i recorded on, then dump the guitars in "guitars" group, so on, this way i have total control.