....because I don't.
I've noticed something recently with my "masters" (read: making a mix louder).
I've noticed that my snare loses some definition and crack when pushed through a series of limiters. My pre-master mix seems fine. The snare is tight and cracky and everything seems to sit well....but the mix is way too quiet. When I go to "master" it, the snare's level seems unchanged, but the sound gets fatter. It's not terrible, but I'd like it to keep more of the clean crack it has in the pre-master mix. It seems that the process of mashing it through a series of limiters is bringing out more snare body at the expense of definition. Everything else seems unchanged. Or maybe the drum track reverb is getting enhanced too much? I don't know.
Is this common? I listen to commercial masters and the snare is tight and crisp while the mix is loud. I know I'm not using pro equipment, but surely there's something I'm doing wrong. Any ideas?
I've noticed something recently with my "masters" (read: making a mix louder).
I've noticed that my snare loses some definition and crack when pushed through a series of limiters. My pre-master mix seems fine. The snare is tight and cracky and everything seems to sit well....but the mix is way too quiet. When I go to "master" it, the snare's level seems unchanged, but the sound gets fatter. It's not terrible, but I'd like it to keep more of the clean crack it has in the pre-master mix. It seems that the process of mashing it through a series of limiters is bringing out more snare body at the expense of definition. Everything else seems unchanged. Or maybe the drum track reverb is getting enhanced too much? I don't know.
Is this common? I listen to commercial masters and the snare is tight and crisp while the mix is loud. I know I'm not using pro equipment, but surely there's something I'm doing wrong. Any ideas?