How do you do it?

[KingstonRock]

Right now I am using the bounce to tracks command in sonar to get a final stereo mix, than "mastering" that with Izotope ozone. I export from Sonar at 16 bits, and put the file on a cd. I have learned by reading around here that my methods are somewhat crude and hoped to improve them by hearing what other people do. So I'm asking for a basic outline of the major mastering steps that the users at the bbs employ.

Eric

P.S. Can any other ozone users tell me what the margin control in the loudness maximizer does, is it like a compressors ratio control? And how do I decide between brickwall/soft limiting? The loudness maximizer is the only component that remains a mystery to me.

[Teacher]

the way ur doing it sounds good to me...i think the only way someone else would do it different is if they had different/more software

like me for instance..i'll send my final mix to wavelab and add efx but other then that relatively the same

[TexRoadkill]

Unless you have any external mixers or processors there really isn't much else you can do.

When you bounce in Sonar does it do it realtime or is it just processed?

[shackrock]

hmmm, can you tell me what the "bounce to tracks" command actually does?

sounds interesting...ha

right now i'm trying to find out (i use ntrack), how to be able to hear what the final CD would soudn like continuessly, after i have each song mixed down in .wav. (you know, to decide how the loudness is, and time between tracks)...right now i waste a lot of CD's that way, because i constantly re-burn new ones once i fix stuff that i hear...lol

[KingstonRock]

The bounce to tracks command is a processing one, no audio plays, just a status bar appears and the new audio clip is created. I understand what mastering is and what has to be done, I just dont know how, dither is the best example, does dither come in the form of an effect or is it an entirely different program, I know what it is and its benefits I just dont know how you would use it.

shackrock - when you mix down, is the audio mixed down to outside of the program? If so maybe you can import it to a new work file and listen to it that way, and make one work file of all your masters. I say work file because thats what its called in sonar, but I guess it could be called a project file also.

[Teacher]

Originally posted by KingstonRock
The bounce to tracks command is a processing one, no audio plays, just a status bar appears and the new audio clip is created. I understand what mastering is and what has to be done, I just dont know how, dither is the best example, does dither come in the form of an effect or is it an entirely different program, I know what it is and its benefits I just dont know how you would use it.

shackrock - when you mix down, is the audio mixed down to outside of the program? If so maybe you can import it to a new work file and listen to it that way, and make one work file of all your masters. I say work file because thats what its called in sonar, but I guess it could be called a project file also.

u need to update ur sonar cuz their now called cakewalk projeck files (cwp) no more (wrk)

[djc]

I use a sound blaster live card and use the creative recorder to record "what you hear". That way I can leave all the midi tracks as midi without having to convert them to audio. Then use Wave Lab or Sound Forge with Izotope as a plug-in to master.

Izotope has a manual you can download in .pdf format on their web site www.izotope.com. It goes over each module. You have to look around a bit to find it, but it's there.

[TexRoadkill]

Originally posted by KingstonRock
The bounce to tracks command is a processing one, no audio plays, just a status bar appears and the new audio clip is created. I understand what mastering is and what has to be done, I just dont know how, dither is the best example, does dither come in the form of an effect or is it an entirely different program, I know what it is and its benefits I just dont know how you would use it.

Dithering is applied when you convert the sample rate down from 24bit to 16bit. If you record in 16bit then AFAIK there is no need to dither. This would usually be the last step in the mastering process and is usually done in 2 track editing programs like Wave Lab or Sound Forge. There are plugins to do it for most multitrack programs.

Mastering can be as simple as fading the intro/outro and converting the sample rate. Some songs may need some additional compression, limiting or EQ. Usually if you have to do a lot of work in the mastering to get the song to sound right it means you didn't mix it very well. In those cases your better off remixing.

[MISTERQCUE]

Originally posted by TexRoadkill


Mastering can be as simple as fading the intro/outro and converting the sample rate. Some songs may need some additional compression, limiting or EQ. Usually if you have to do a lot of work in the mastering to get the song to sound right it means you didn't mix it very well. In those cases your better off remixing.

Exactly!
Normalization, Peak levelling/limiting, Eq adjustment and the like comprise the mastering process. However, the most important
function is for the individual to capture the most cleanest,clearest and balanced signal during original track recording as to allow the mastering process to be performed as smooth and as efficient as possible.

[Seanmorse79]

If Eric is recording at 24 bit and exporting to 16, wouldn't it be better for him to export a 24 bit audio file from Sonar, do the mastering in Ozone at 24 bit, and dither down to 16 at the end?

I'm asking because I don't have Ozone (whine), but am saving up for it, and I'd expect that it handles 24 bit files (if not, I'm looking elsewhere).

[knightfly]

Been a while since I looked at Ozone, but it seems like it went up to maybe even 64 bit internal processing. Reportedly a CPU hog, but killer for two tracks... Steve

And yeah, if you're exporting to a mastering prog at all, do it at the highest bit depth you have available. Even a simple level change leaves math remainders in DSP. The more things you do to a digital audio file, the more difference higher bit depths make when you finally dither it down (only once, please) and put it on a CD.

[Son of Mixerman]

Dithering and bit down conversions are always the last functions prior to burn. Export 24 bit 2 track into Ozone or whatever and then do the "mastering". After is sounds like what ya want, dither and bit it down to 16/44.1


SoMm