levelling songs loudness
- Thread starter webstop
- Start date
Blue Bear Sound
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A mastering house is my first choice......webstop said:
Also, there are artistic considerations as to why you DON'T want them equally loud.... if you've got a ballad in-between the fast-rockers, you hardly want the ballad to be at the same apparent level as the rocker tunes..........
Blue Bear Sound
New member
What does that have to do with anything????webstop said:
Last edited:
webstop said:
CD Architect is a KILLER program that, among many other tasks, allows you to adjust the levels using volume envelopes while laying out the tracklist. (a good non-destructive way to adjust the volume for the cd only, not your original master - in case you screw it up). it is the easiest way i have ever encountered. i generally work off the loudest track and adjust everything in relation to that. but you may have to use compression.
hope that helps.
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webstop said:
Accurate [as possible] Environment:
Good/Great Mix -> D/A conversion -> Monitoring Speakers -> Balanced Room Acoustics (bass & reflections) -> Ears -> SPL Meter -> Listening Levels (approx 75-85 dBSPLC low to loud, take it to 60dBSPLC [lower] then 90dBSPLC [louder] just for kicks)
Tools:
Mastering Application -> sequence 24bit tracks -> Parametric EQ -> Compressor -> Limiter -> fadein/fadeout -> Dither-> write to CD
If you're doing this at home on your own dime 'Magix Audio Cleaning Lab 2005' has all the tools you need to make a good sounding demo. You can balance relative levels of different tracks depending on their sequence and adjust individual eq and dynamics to make them all fit together better. Sony CD Architect does the same thing but is way more expensive and has less 'home' features dealing with effects...it has more pro features though dealing with PQ and other codes generally irrelevant for me.
If you're doing this for a commercial enterprise and there is money budgeted for mastering then I can't say what they use. Somebody with those services available will stumble in here shortly
Is it worth it ya think ?hehe, Magix CD authoring=$40 they have another DVD authoring package for $79 I think as does Roxio...It's hard to loose at those prices (unless you're trying to fix ill mixes during mastering).
I'm afraid the authoring packages and ac3-encoders and video transitions we spent $$$ on a few years ago is becoming commonplace in the 'consumer' packages like these.
I'm afraid the authoring packages and ac3-encoders and video transitions we spent $$$ on a few years ago is becoming commonplace in the 'consumer' packages like these.
Blue Bear Sound said:What does that have to do with anything????
Since you asked, I'll try to explain.
I asked a specific practical question, which you, as a pro are fully capable to answer. Instead, all you say is that mastering house would be your first choice. I wouldn't mind such an answer, if you suggested a second choice, or a third. I wouldn't mind if you said, that it could be done this way, or that way, and then suggest a mastering house.
I asked about a way to perform a very simple task and you are sending me to the mastering house for that. Since you are running a recording/mastering business I consider such an answer as self-advertisement. Of course, you did not specifically offer your Blue Bear Sound, but your answer is obviously aimed at us amateurs by pushing an idea of using mastering houses for all our needs.
This is not why people are posting questions at this BBS.
Blue Bear Sound
New member
My answer was aimed at getting you the best (ie, highest-quality) solution to your question.webstop said:
And the MOST IMPORTANT point of all -- Blue Bear Sound is a recording studio NOT A MASTERING HOUSE..... I farm my mixes out to mastering houses just like I suggest to everyone who cares about sound quality do as well......
Thanks for your misinterpretation of my position at this forum -- I assure you that after over 10000 posts - the majority of which contain free and solid advice, I hardly need to push my services here...........
Blue Bear Sound said:
Yes, its like I ask: "Is this particular income taxable or not?"
You answer: "Hire a CPA".
Blue Bear Sound said:
Your mixes or your clients' mixes?
According to your website you advertise Blue Bear Sound to prospective clients as a single point of contact for all needs from inception to completion, including mastering. Like I said, you don't offer services of Blue Bear Sound directly, but you obviously push the industry, and I think that in this respect you overdo.
I care about the sound quality of my mixes, but as a hobbyist I prefer to do whatever I can myself. There are quite a few people like me at this board.
Blue Bear Sound said:Thanks for your misinterpretation of my position at this forum -- I assure you that after over 10000 posts - the majority of which contain free and solid advice, I hardly need to push my services here...........
Too bad I haven't received any solid practical advise from you in my thread. I am pretty sure that pros like you have something to say on the subject matter. Ironically I just noticed your banner flashing on top of this page
, but that’s OK, pay advertisement helps to keep this board alive.Peace.
Blue Bear Sound
New member
I don't understand the distinction...... any mixes I do ARE for my clients, so what's the point?webstop said:
Then apparently you don't read too well.........webstop said:
giles117
New member
Now there was this cute little posting joke in another forum which said when you ask a question give as much detail as possible you asked a VERY SIMPLE question.
How Do I level them. the answer is mastering.
Now a better question after that 1st answer is how do I go about mastering. But alas if you search around you will find out all different ideas and ifo on how to master.
Even if all you wanna do is even up the levels.
How Do I level them. the answer is mastering.
Now a better question after that 1st answer is how do I go about mastering. But alas if you search around you will find out all different ideas and ifo on how to master.
Even if all you wanna do is even up the levels.
Its my opinion that this forum is for "HOME" recording enthusiasts. I am such a person and I have NO delusions about producing professionally mastered recordings on my VF160 in my home. Therefore, I believe some questions posted here aren't within the context of what this forum is supposed to be all about.
I realize Blue Bear can be very outspoken but his input here is invaluable and I appreciate his expert, professional advice. Its also my opinion that if things are recorded properly with talented musicians and singers, mixed tastefully rather than destroyed by over producing, and the levels are watched closely during the entire process, we can have a very good, even close to professional sounding recording. I have recorded in professional studios and produced in such studios for other artists and I am totally aware that what I do in my home can't compare to a REAL studio.
Blue Bear is right, if you want a professional recording, do it right in a real studio and send it to a quality mastering house.
Just my opinion.....AMEN
I realize Blue Bear can be very outspoken but his input here is invaluable and I appreciate his expert, professional advice. Its also my opinion that if things are recorded properly with talented musicians and singers, mixed tastefully rather than destroyed by over producing, and the levels are watched closely during the entire process, we can have a very good, even close to professional sounding recording. I have recorded in professional studios and produced in such studios for other artists and I am totally aware that what I do in my home can't compare to a REAL studio.
Blue Bear is right, if you want a professional recording, do it right in a real studio and send it to a quality mastering house.
Just my opinion.....AMEN
Fair Enough !Farview said:
giles - I disagree that recommending a mastering house is an audio technique - it's a business decision. Also like Farview points out, as well as the mastering guys in other threads have, for a production run you need PQ and all the other codes set up. The initial post from webstop didn't make it clear what level of discussion he was trying to have but from the question I assumed 'home mastering' so I gave my 2cents along those lines.
Sometimes you get the pros in these threads or other folks who have discussed stuff like this many many times and actually have some good advice elsewhere but for one reason or another don't feel like repeating themselves every post. Sometimes ya gotta search older posts and print stuff out and pop it in the old engineering notebook.
I just did that the other day at the Cakewalk forum was a real interesting post concerning setting up compressors to get the bass/kick to pump and pop - explained in a way that made me feel more musical about the whole thing instead of 'attack=13ms' 'release=150ms', I put that in my notebook !The other thing is a lot of us hang out at other forums and are in varying degrees of ' engineering perfection' so after listening to George Massenburg discuss drum micing sometimes it's a little tuff for some folks to remember to switch over to the 'homerecording' hat where most everyone starts at some point...
What were we talking about...
I just grabbed a cactus out in the front yard so I an't a happy camper right now !@#$!