reference songs

greg54

New member
I read a lot about reference tracks, but no where does it explain how to make them. I know the song I want to use as a reference track, but how do I make it into one to put on my computer for comparison?

Greg
 
I just rip it off the CD in a non-lossy format. If you have a 320kbps MP3, that is, IMO, probably good enough for most uses, though.

The thing to recognize is that the reference track's already at a mastered [loudness] level for CD, which should be considerably higher than your mix bus, so you should use clip gain, or a gain plugin, to equalize the loudness as much as possible (i.e., by lowering the reference). There are still going to be differences because of the compression and limiting that may have been applied in the reference's mastering, but with the volume/equalized "normalized" to the mix, getting a sense of whether you're in the ballpark for the style should be doable.
 
Make sure that your master(ing) track is on its own buss. No plugs on the main buss. Route that buss to the main buss.

Put your reference source on its own track and mute it. Route that track to the main buss.

When you want to go to your reference source, just solo that track. Or put it down the line from your working source.
 
Thanks for the reply. As dumb as this may sound, I don't know how to get a reference track from a CD. How exactly do you do that?

Greg
 
Just "rip" the CD using whatever you've got, like Windows Media Player, iTunes, VLC, et al. Set the rip properties/settings to a non-lossy format, WAV is most common on Windows but works on OS X, as well. Then go to the location where the files are put in the file system, usually under a Music folder (directory).
 
Alan Parsons is probably the best producer/engineer in the World for other than pop songs. Pink Floyd days onwards at Abbey Rd. He produced two CDs. One is full of test recordings - sweeps from 20-20K, individual tones, then band passed noise. Even simple stuff like a track that goes left-right-left with noise bursts so you can check your kit iw wired up correctly. Then there are some sample tracks that test your frequency response and dynamics, or perhaps the response of the listening room - all kinds of very handy stuff. The quality of the audio tracks is the best the man could put together. There are also a series of solo instrument recordings including vocals so again, you can compare. The two CDs are identical, but one comes with a simple led based meter that lets you see things too!


His youtube videos are kind of set pieces. If you can record like him (I can't) - then you kind of made it. Lives in California now. The best singers and musicians have all worked for him. If you try his suggestions they all work - and the test CD is brilliant for live sound folk - shows up all kinds of problems in strange rooms - and the tone sweep with a bunch of different age people, who put their hands down when they cannot hear it is sobering. Its frightening to see meters sitting at 0dB and hearing nothing!
 
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