mastering level

[adolfkumbaboy]

I have a problem , after recording projects in my home studio and latter go for mastering the volume is not always like other Cds so I don't know if it's the recording , mixing or mastering the problem , I have mixed in several studios and mastered in several studios but the result is still the same

 

[Massive Master]

Volume is an afterthought. Work on getting the best sound and the volume won't be much of an issue.

Now in the whole "real world" thing -- Even the best mastering engineer, with the most experience, the greatest selection of gear imaginable (etc., etc., etc.) will be limited by the 'volume potential' of any given mix.

The vast, VAST majority of mixes out there don't have that potential without an accompanying amount of obvious audible damage.

Don't get me wrong here -- I've been bringing recordings far beyond where they actually "want" to be for years (decades, actually). And (I hate to say) the investment has been pretty substantial for gear that runs that clean at ridiculevels.

All this while the volume war (which has always been a pissing contest with bands and labels - The end listener doesn't care) goes on...

 

[Rod Norman]

Mastering

My advice on mastering is to get familiar with it through tutorials, magazines, forums, and working with and listening to mastering engineers.
At one time mastering was done to protect the needles from jumping out of the track. Volume maximizing was only to get the strongest signal without popping the needle. EQ was used occasionally as well as compression, but the goal remained the same. Get the best sounding LP without popping the needle.
Later mastering was a process of listening to the mix and making sure the music was presented in the best possible way. The rooms were much better than the recording control room (it was much more critical as a listening environment)
Somehow the labels and bands got ahold of the idea that a louder master meant more attention. (It doesn't, because people just turn things down or ignore the volume. And radio stations run everything through limiters anyway.) Now getting a louder master has become the goal.
The problem is in the way we go about getting that "loudness". Selected frequencies is the method I use, looking for the ones in the instrumentation that create a sense of presence which translates to "loudness" or perceived loudness. Two masters can look the same on the meters but one can sound louder. (To understand presence and its affect on loudness, cup your hands palm heel to palm heel and then start talking while bringing that part of your hands up to your mouth. (this puts your fingertips around to your ears) That sense of loudness change is what I am talking about. Good luck,
Rod Norman
Engineer

I have a problem , after recording projects in my home studio and latter go for mastering the volume is not always like other Cds so I don't know if it's the recording , mixing or mastering the problem , I have mixed in several studios and mastered in several studios but the result is still the same

 

[ashcat_lt]

My opinion is that you as recording and/or mix engineer should leave nothing for the mastering engineer to do, which means that the problem is always either the arrangement, the recording, the mix, or some combination thereof.

 

[Farview]

Go back to the mix and figure out what is keeping the mix from getting as loud as you want it. Fix that and then try to master it.

Keep in mind, when mastering yourself, you may not have the appropriate tools available to get the job done. If you are mastering in the same environment that you mixed in, anything that gets missed in the mixes due to the monitoring , will also be missed during mastering. That sort of thing can jump up and screw you pretty easily.