Help needed....Im an extreme beginner with a simple problem, i think....

T

turnerkj

New member
I just bought a H4n and have been successfully recording tracks (In MTR Mode)...mixing in Acid Music 2.0 program and burning them to cd....quality is good......the issue is one that im sure gets asked here alot from amatuers....when i put the cd in my car...u have to crank the volume up load to get to a comfortable listening level....When im recording i have the input levels up as high as i can without clipping and when i mix it in Acid music i pull up the line and master levels up in the same fashion...Is this just something i must deal with or is there a trick some of you real recording artists know that i dont....???

Thank s
 
Yep. One of the most frequently asked questions.

The reason commercial CD's are louder is because the tracks have been mastered.

You want to put a limiter on the Mastering track.
 
OK....so im guessing with this little acid music program i have ...i might be limited as to what i can do with this issue....I may look into playing around with it in the cubebase software that came with it...( I gave up quick on it....complicated...) I guess i can put a limiter on the master track in cubebase.....
 
Dude..... Cubase is a very powerful DAW. You could do so much with it. I would try learning it man. Start with simple stuff like arming tracks and recording. It would only take one 10 minute watch of a video on Youtube.
 
1.) Its not the program 2.) you DO NOT just slap on a limiter on the master track. 3.) You do not need to learn Cubase to master a track or to have a better Mastered track, cubase isnt even a mastering software (not saying you cant master with cubase Im saying you dont need it) Turnerkj, No program or DAW is bad its just some are more intuitive than others. My producer who does alot of work for high profile artist uses Acid Pro. If you WANT more options or WANT more tools to enhance your mix then you can look at another DAW.

Now your masters are proly not as loud as a professional CD because of lack of or no proper use of an audio limiter but please just dont go slap on a limiter and smash your audio just to make it louder. Matter of fact if you have no proper knowledge of mastering its best to leave it alone any mastering eng will tell you that. Mastering is a completely different art work than mixing. To get a proper master you need proper tools, you need proper software, hardware, monitors, most importantly knowledge and experience. My best advice get with a mastering engineer a professional in your area or online. There are great ones right on this forum Massive Mastering. But before you go sending your mix's off to mastering eng's who might painfully end up becoming the Mixing & Mastering Eng. try and learn a little bit on how to properly mix even just some basics will help. For example you stated, "you raise all your track faders high just below clipping"... This is not correct mixing technique, you need to gain stage above all you need flow/balance/feel/life in your mix just raising everything loud isnt mixing at all. Again get with a local mixing eng in your area and try to learn some basics on how to mix FIRST. Everything, everything, everything starts with the mix when going to mastering stage. Its simple Crappy Mix=Crappy Master period.

Additional advice... Read, research and learn as much as you can on your own on how to mix research concepts/techniques and when your done reading and researching, read and research SOME MORE! . My #1 advice before you go spending money on useless things that you dont even know how to use buy a book. You my find that by reading some of the things you thought you needed to buy you wont need. Recording Equipment, $1 - $100,000,000,000,000. A Book $1-$30.

Book-The Mixing Engineers Handbook.

Video, On Gain Staging
 
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And here we go...

I think this is exactly what Wheelma was talking about when he said give a terse response.


This guy wasn't looking to master his mixes. He probably didn't even know what mastering is. He just wants his songs to be louder, and of course it's beneficial to learn that it's good NOT to squash the mix with a limiter, but all he wants is a louder mix. He doesn't need a book. And if he wants to learn more about mastering, that's great! Recommend him the book then...
 
CrowsofFritz said:
And here we go...

I think this is exactly what Wheelma was talking about when he said give a terse response.


This guy wasn't looking to master his mixes. He probably didn't even know what mastering is. He just wants his songs to be louder, and of course it's beneficial to learn that it's good NOT to squash the mix with a limiter, but all he wants is a louder mix. He doesn't need a book. And if he wants to learn more about mastering, that's great! Recommend him the book then...
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Ummm... I gave him the answer to his question and additional info as I stated, he can choose to ignore it. Based on his statement and "guessing" his knowledge level I gave "additional" info. If I would have "just" gave him your advice not knowing A.) Style of music B.) Type of recording/mixing C.) Not even listening to the source, by telling him to just go put a limiter on it and make it louder (which is totally wrong on all counts) Im most likely sure he would have came back to the post and said Jaynm I did exactly what you said and it sounded WORSE! (Which Im pretty sure thats what would happen anyway). Then I would have had to regurgitate even more of what I just stated the 1ST!! time and in more grave detail but I dont think he would be taking my advice so well the 2nd time, would you?

Sometimes simple questions DO NOT have simple answers there are 1,000's of intangibles and scenarios that all tie into one of another. If engineering music was so simple there wouldnt be a whole forum dedicated to it.
 
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jaynm26 said:
Im most likely sure he would have came back to the post and said Jaynm I did exactly what you said and it sounded WORSE! (Which Im pretty sure thats what would happen anyway)
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Typical jay talk.


Yes, it would sound worse...... if he squashed the songs.

You're telling me that because he wants his mixes louder, not mastered, that he has to read a book, get better software, and learn how to use them? That's absolutely ridiculous. Address that when he wants to learn about mastering. If wanted to learn about it, I would have referred him to the Mastering forum.
 
Go HERE, and get your post count up to 10. Then come back here and post an MP3 of the tune you say is quiet.

We can advise better, once we hear what your issue is.
 
CrowsofFritz said:
Typical jay talk.


Yes, it would sound worse...... if he squashed the songs.

You're telling me that because he wants his mixes louder, not mastered, that he has to read a book, get better software, and learn how to use them? That's absolutely ridiculous. Address that when he wants to learn about mastering. If wanted to learn about it, I would have referred him to the Mastering forum.
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If you read his post, he WANTS his music louder like a mastered CD, (aside from the Advice that you so greatly gave him to do). I never ONCE told him to go get ANY SOFTWARE lol. If you "READ" my post I said DO NOT go buy useless software. In my last post did I say go SQAUSH it or did i say DO NOT sqaush it lol. People are idiots in there own right I promise...lol Look to sum up my 1st post I told him what NOT to do I answered his question I told him inquire the help of a professional, and educate yourself thats the advice I gave him Crow.

1.) Answered his question
2.) Told him what NOT to do
3.) Inquire the help of a pro
4.) Educate yourself
Please tell me where I went wrong Crow PLEASE!! Crow im starting to feel that this is getting personal your in your feelings cause you gave wrong advice or should I say "vague" advice is a better way to describe your post. I find thru experience I can not be "vague" with beginners you must be thorough and detailed.

The only person that can tell me I'm wrong on this one is RAMI...(speaking of which where is he lmao)
 
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Matter of fact if you have no proper knowledge of mastering its best to leave it alone any mastering eng will tell you that.
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You started with Mastering right off the bat.

Matter of fact if you have no proper knowledge of mastering its best to leave it alone any mastering eng will tell you that.
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You keep on going... :facepalm:


For example you stated, "you raise all your track faders high just below clipping"... This is not correct mixing technique, you need to gain stage above all you need flow/balance/feel/life in your mix just raising everything loud isnt mixing at all.
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That's a good, on-topic sentence right there. And I'm being serious.

Again get with a local mixing eng in your area and try to learn some basics on how to mix FIRST.
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WHAT?!

You my find that by reading some of the things you thought you needed to buy you wont need. Recording Equipment, $1 - $100,000,000,000,000. A Book $1-$30.

Book-The Mixing Engineers Handbook.
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:facepalm:

Not even listening to the source, by telling him to just go put a limiter on it and make it louder (which is totally wrong on all counts)
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On all counts?

Im most likely sure he would have came back to the post and said Jaynm I did exactly what you said and it sounded WORSE! (Which Im pretty sure thats what would happen anyway).
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Pretentious.

Sometimes simple questions DO NOT have simple answers there are 1,000's of intangibles and scenarios that all tie into one of another.
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Yes... like mastering. But he didn't ask about mastering, he wanted a louder mix. It would have been great to simply tell him "This is mastering related, and if you want to know more about mastering, head over to that forum." But, you told him right away that he should be investing himself in mastering.

Young Eng, "My Mix sucks"
Advice from the greatest engineer since Jimi Hendrix, "Just put a limiter on it"
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:facepalm:

In my last post did I say go SQAUSH it or did i say DO NOT sqaush it lol.
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You said he should not squash it. Why are you even asking this?
 
You realize what I'm arguing over right?

I'm not saying you are at all wrong in regards to mastering.


The OP just wanted louder mixes. Telling him to read a book, research, and after he is done researching, to "research AGAIN" is absolutely ridiculous.
 
CrowsofFritz said:
Dude..... Cubase is a very powerful DAW. You could do so much with it. I would try learning it man. Start with simple stuff like arming tracks and recording. It would only take one 10 minute watch of a video on Youtube.
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Umm I think it was YOU who told him to go buy "additional software" that I deemed as useless efforts to master a track, not me..unless you were upset because I gave him advice to refute your advice? You dont need Cubase to make a track louder, nor do yo need a 10 min youtube vidoe on Cubase (thats proly put together by some other self proclaimed eng genius) to make a mix have professional level and quality as a standard CD. Its not even a mastering software!!! You just waisted $600 and 10 min of the man's time. I saved him $600 adviced him on spending $50-100 to have a Pro master the track and $25 on a book to educate himself. Look crow this is the time where after you gave advice as the teacher and someone else gave "BETTER" advice, you yourself should have become the student as well instead of fighting for the role of teacher. Im no genius I had to listen and learn it from someone who was smarter than me.

Learning is a Gem that seems to always be covered with sands of pride.
 
jaynm26 said:
Umm I think it was YOU who told him to go buy "additional software" that I deemed as useless efforts to master a track, not me..unless you were upset because I gave him advice to refute your advice? You dont need Cubase to make a track louder, nor do yo need a 10 min youtube vidoe on Cubase (thats proly put together by some other self proclaimed eng genius) to make a mix have a professional level and quality as a standard CD. Its not even a mastering software!!! You just waited $600 and 10 min of the man's time. I saved him $600 advice him on spending $50-100 to have a Pro do it and $25 on a book to educate himself. Look crow this is the time where after you gave advice as the teacher and someone else gave "BETTER" advice, you yourself should have become the student as well instead of fighting for the role of teacher. Im no genius I had to listen and learn it from someone who was smarter than me.

Learning is a Gem that seems to always be covered with sands of pride.
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I didn't tell him to buy Cubase, he already had it! :facepalm:

I said a 10 minute clip to get started

You just waited $600 and 10 min of the man's time. I saved him $600 advice him on spending $50-100 to have a Pro do it and $25 on a book to educate himself.
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You didn't save him any money because he already had Cubase................................................................. :facepalm:

Look crow this is the time where after you gave advice as the teacher and someone else gave "BETTER" advice, you yourself should have become the student as well instead of fighting for the role of teacher.
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LOL! You're so arrogant and pretentious, you don't even realize!

What would I learn? I knew everything you said. I didn't say it because that's not what he was asking! Why aren't you realizing that?!?!

Oh man, there is obviously no getting through to you.
 
jaynm26 said:
I saved him $600 adviced him on spending $50-100 to have a Pro master the track and $25 on a book to educate himself.
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I don't know if you have realized, but this is a HOME RECORDING forum. What's the point in buying the book to research if you're just going to have a professional do it all for you?
 
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