Mastering Tip...

[katmandoo]

Hi all as usual use this info as you like...or don't :P
For mastering songs all I do is run the final mixdown through the 30 band graphic eq on AA1.5 which; is set totally flat across the board and if my mix is a little high on the db side of things, i will bring the overall eq gain down to say -4. What this does is give the whole mix what it lacks...EG: if your mix is missing some mids they'll be added by the eq, and if your mix is treble-y it will bring it down some with the gain reduction. I find this way I get the punchiest recordings that aren't compressed to hell. if you mix with your master volume (alt+2) down at say -4 you don't need to compress the final mix or limit it and it keeps its punchiness. try it, you'll like it Mikey

A writer writes...always
Katmandoo

Running a song through an EQ that's set to flat, and decreasing the master gain on the EQ is the same as just lowering the main volume. Unless, of course, the EQ is doing some sort of processing on it anyway (like Ozone's Analog filter).

I just don't see the point of doing that when you can just lower the volume.

[RAMI]

I know enough to know that I don't know anything.

But I like jello.

[Massive Master]

Originally Posted by RAMI

I like jello.

And I understood that.

[Farview]

Most people would use a parametric EQ when a mix needed EQ.

Most people would use a volume control to adjust the volume.


I'm just sayin'...

[TexRoadkill]

Stick to writing, preferably about things other then audio engineering.

[katmandoo]

Hey Texroadkill...there's no need to be rude and ignorant..if you don't like reading how I do things then just move on...This is a forum for all not JUST for you and your smart ass comments.

[elly-d]

can i just jump i here and try and save this thread before someone shouts 'FIGHT', i was actually looking for some mastering advice. i have just recorded a friend of mine onto 1/2 tape, he makes very delicate folk music. it sounds great on tape and even when i transfered it to cubase to master it. anyway i stuck it on cd and listened in the car and it became apparent that it needs some compression but as its so gentile i didn't want to ruin the feel. any ideas chaps?

[RAMI]

Originally Posted by elly-d

i was actually looking for some mastering advice.?

Then I suggest you leave this thread immediately and don't ever mention a word of this to anyone.

[Massive Master]

All you can do is to do what the mix tells you to do. If compression is ruining the feel, there you go. If parallel compression is making it to dense, there you go.

What is it lacking? Do that.

[Jouni]

Since we're into tips here;

I recently started, "for the last step" ..running the mix through graphic EQ followed by the "loud brickwall" of Ozone. On the same bus on Reaper.

that way, I can EQ, and listen the result after EQ and brickwall while doing this. ...adjust vthe sound while keeping it to max db. at the same time..

Anyone know any pros/cons or what can I mess up with that??
IMO, it's a nice way to add the final boost.

[LemonTree]

Originally Posted by katmandoo

This is a forum for all not JUST for you and your smart ass comments.

It's also at the best of times a good place for people to learn. Feeding people wrong ideas doesn't lead to better mixing, it leads to more new people being missinformed and passing that down to the next generation.

Maybe if this cycle keeps going there'll be enough missinformed people out there mixing badly enough to keep the pro studios in business.

Swings n round-a-bouts


.....now where did I put my pultec plug again.... sounds great in bypass mode when I pull the volume down on the 2 buss

[Farview]

Originally Posted by Jouni

Since we're into tips here;

I recently started, "for the last step" ..running the mix through graphic EQ followed by the "loud brickwall" of Ozone. On the same bus on Reaper.

that way, I can EQ, and listen the result after EQ and brickwall while doing this. ...adjust vthe sound while keeping it to max db. at the same time..

Anyone know any pros/cons or what can I mess up with that??
IMO, it's a nice way to add the final boost.

There is nothing terribly wrong with putting the limiter on the main buss, but I wouldn't bother with the EQ.

How do you decide how much EQ you need to what frequency until you are done mixing? If you're still mixing and you need more high end, why don't you just add the high end to the tracks that need it, instead of adding it to the entire song?

And again, a graphic EQ is not really the correct tool for this job. I don't know of any mastering engineers (that actually know what they are doing) that use a graphic EQ for this purpose. A parametric EQ would be the right tool for this job.

[Farview]

Originally Posted by LemonTree

It's also at the best of times a good place for people to learn. Feeding people wrong ideas doesn't lead to better mixing, it leads to more new people being missinformed and passing that down to the next generation.

I do spend a good portion of my online time cleaning up after misinformed people. It gets tiring becasue the truth is generally less sexy than the superstitous garbage that people come up with. It becomes harder and harder to get noobs to believe the real posts.

Originally Posted by LemonTree

Maybe if this cycle keeps going there'll be enough missinformed people out there mixing badly enough to keep the pro studios in business.

Being that I own a pro studio, maybe I should stop trying so hard to help everyone out.