WelchRecording
New member
This is the way I've been mastering my audio, exporting it, etc. It's a method I've created based on everything I've read about standard db levels for radio stations and how audio should be before burned to a CD. I'm trying to get some feedback on whether this method is suitable since I've recently been recording tracks that are going straight to Texas Country radio stations and I don't have as much time as I'd like to master the tracks since I'm in college at the moment.
Step 1: Record and mix everything together in a Live Set in Ableton, then lower all the instruments volume levels about 10-12 db to have room to work with before exporting the track. I export the tracks with no dithering as 32 bit .wav files.
Step 2: With a new Live Set, import the audio and start applying my mastering chain: Compressor w/ a very high attack/release level and a low Ratio, Then apply slight EQ settings (taking away the high and low mid tones with a few slight boosts here and there), Remove everything below 30Hz using a Multiband Dynamics compressor, Boost all the high/mid/low levels until they're all about -0.1 db using another Multiband Dynamics compressor with a different bass Hz setting, Apply Ableton's utility device and highlight the "Phz-L" and "Phz-R" settings for some stereo enhancement, and Finally Apply the Limiter with a Ceilng of -0.5 db and apply gain until before I get some buzz from the overall sound (Lookahead of 6ms). I may change some of the settings here and there until the overall sounds what I want it to be.
Step 3: Export the audio as a 16-bit .wav file with Triangle dithering or Pow-r 3 dithering with a sample rate of 44100. This is the final copy before I burn it, e-mail it, or .mp3 it.
I want to make sure I'm doing things as professional as possible without having to fork out thousands of dollars on mastering equipment. This has worked very solid for me as of lately but I want to make sure I'm doing things the right way before I get in over my head on this project. If there's any kind of research or reading material or any other kind of advice anyone has that I haven't found with my Google searches and experimenting, it would be much appreciated.
Thanks for reading,
Steven Welch
Step 1: Record and mix everything together in a Live Set in Ableton, then lower all the instruments volume levels about 10-12 db to have room to work with before exporting the track. I export the tracks with no dithering as 32 bit .wav files.
Step 2: With a new Live Set, import the audio and start applying my mastering chain: Compressor w/ a very high attack/release level and a low Ratio, Then apply slight EQ settings (taking away the high and low mid tones with a few slight boosts here and there), Remove everything below 30Hz using a Multiband Dynamics compressor, Boost all the high/mid/low levels until they're all about -0.1 db using another Multiband Dynamics compressor with a different bass Hz setting, Apply Ableton's utility device and highlight the "Phz-L" and "Phz-R" settings for some stereo enhancement, and Finally Apply the Limiter with a Ceilng of -0.5 db and apply gain until before I get some buzz from the overall sound (Lookahead of 6ms). I may change some of the settings here and there until the overall sounds what I want it to be.
Step 3: Export the audio as a 16-bit .wav file with Triangle dithering or Pow-r 3 dithering with a sample rate of 44100. This is the final copy before I burn it, e-mail it, or .mp3 it.
I want to make sure I'm doing things as professional as possible without having to fork out thousands of dollars on mastering equipment. This has worked very solid for me as of lately but I want to make sure I'm doing things the right way before I get in over my head on this project. If there's any kind of research or reading material or any other kind of advice anyone has that I haven't found with my Google searches and experimenting, it would be much appreciated.
Thanks for reading,
Steven Welch
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