does this sound over compressed?

**pcstudios** · 1 Week Ago

My ears tell me I have a good master, and I don't think it's over compressed or over limited for popular bluegrass today. Maybe someone else would hear it completely differently. I can't post the link to the mp3 until I make a few more posts.

I'm having problems getting my integrated LUFS close to -14. This track is at about -10.5. So I understand I can't master to iTunes very well. They're going to lower the volume to make it fit their loudness, and I think it sounds great at this dynamic range. So I just wanted someone who's been doing mastering a while answer this - is this an acceptable loudness to send to the digital media (they can do whatever they want with it I suppose).

EDIT:

Here's the audio. After working on the bass, I got it to -14 LUFS with true peak of -0.9dB.

BTW this is our band, doing a song written by Bruce Robison.

Traveling Soldier master - Banjo Hangout Jukebox

**keith.rogers** · 1 Week Ago

It probably sounds great because it's loud, honestly. How does it sound after you normalize it down to -17dB or even -14dB LUFS?

Haven't heard your original, unmastered mix, of course, but (IMO/IME) there's usually plenty of dynamic range in pure acoustic music to be able to master to a LUFS of -14dB with peaks in that -1dB range. I'd go back to the original mix and pull back some of those compression settings for starters.

**pcstudios** · 1 Week Ago

Keith, thanks for responding to my post.

I checked the mix. Actually I made sure no instrument or vocal track was compressed over -2dB. And there's no compression or limiting on the mix buss. I checked the meter and the mix is at-24 LUFS integrated, with a PLR of 13. When I try mastering this mix, I feel like I need to apply some compression to the chain, about -2 dB max. I can achieve an integrated LUFS of -13 but my true peak maximum only hits -1.8dB.

I'm using (trying to learn how to use) the Waves L3 multiband limiter. I just don't know how to do this stuff on my own. Wouldn't you know, the hardest plugin to use is the last one on the chain!!

**pcstudios** · 1 Week Ago

I think I figured it out. My mixes were only peaking at -11dB, and had the electric bass mixed too heavy. I brought it down in the mix and I got a better result everywhere else. I always did mix bass a little heavy.

**keith.rogers** · 1 Week Ago

Bass/low-frequency content will always push up loudness and often inaudibly. As recently posted somewhere here (and I just saw therecordingrevolution guy do a video about), as a very general rule HPF *everything* except bass and kick - applying your own common sense, obviously.

**AceWorld** · 1 Week Ago

I like the sound is this your song that you are mixing ?

**JSROCKSU** · 6 Days Ago

Am I missing the link to hear it? I know Sound Cloud will mess with your mix sometimes. I found it's fine if I only go to -.05 db and not up to -.03/-.02.