Mp3 that I make is too quiet

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Moon_Raven

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Hey there! I'm new to these forums and recording in general, this is my first question :)

I use Cubase to record some guitar tracks, but when I export them to mp3, they sound quieter compared to normal mp3, and if I drag up the volume sliders in Cubase Mixer panel, I get some clipping.
What is the correct way to fix this?

Thanks in advance :)
 
You're comparing your "un-finished" tracks to "finished" tracks, which have been mastered. One of the things done to a mastered track is to put it through a limiter to get the volume up. You'll never get up to commercial levels with just the volume knob.

I hope this doesn't turn into a "loudness wars" debate. If it does, I won't be taking part in it. I'm just trying to answer his question.
 
Yeah, Rami's gotcha.
The whole loudness desire thing can be a pain in the ass but, whether you're on board or not, it's something you aim for at the last stage of the process.

When you're mixing and making critical decisions your levels should be a lot lower than a finished commercial product.
If you're finished mixing and want your music to be louder, you wanna look into compression/limiting.

Be aware that compression/limiting aren't gonna magically make your mix the same perceived volume as X,Y or Z.
You still have to have a good solid mix first. ;)
 
If you want it to have more potential for loudness you need to mix it accordingly. That means addressing peaks in the mix rather than doing it on the 2-track file. It also means arrangement and tones need to be sorted early in the process.
 
Steenamaroo said:
You still have to have a good solid mix first. ;)
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bouldersoundguy said:
arrangement and tones need to be sorted early in the process.
Click to expand...
Right. I would submit that those things are important regardless of whether you want a loud mix or not. I would put those things under the heading of "getting a good mix".

After you've done all that, you need to put it through a limiter to get your good mix up to commercial levels.
 
.... and if you're just recording "some guitar tracks" that aren't really intended to be a final product, I wouldn't worry too much about it just now. Deal with it when you have something you're trying to finish. By then you'll have a much better idea of how to drive a limiter, anyway.... ;)
 
RAMI said:
Right. I would submit that those things are important regardless of whether you want a loud mix or not. I would put those things under the heading of "getting a good mix".
Click to expand...

Oh, yeah. Absolutely.
 
Hey, thanks a lot for the replies!

I am not yet sure what in the process is actually called 'mixing' and what is called 'mastering'. And I am not trying to get something super-loud, just the mp3 I exported sounds a LOT quieter than the regular mp3 files, I really need to turn up the speakers to hear it.

So, I shouldn't worry about it until I finish the song? It's normal for it to be quiet while recording and adjusting relative loudness?
 
Moon_Raven said:
the mp3 I exported sounds a LOT quieter than the regular mp3 files, I really need to turn up the speakers to hear it.

So, I shouldn't worry about it until I finish the song? It's normal for it to be quiet while recording and adjusting relative loudness?
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Totally normal. We all need to crank our monitors while we're recording, mixing,etc....If anything, it shows that you're most probably recording at the proper levels, rather than making the all too common mistake of recording too hot. You're on the right track. :cool:
 
I've got my monitors cranked all the way to eleven when I'm tracking. Turned down a bit while mixing. Back to about 12 o'clock when listening to the final product...
 
Moon_Raven said:
I am not yet sure what in the process is actually called 'mixing' and what is called 'mastering'.
Click to expand...

In your case, if you're working with multitracks you're mixing. If you're working with a bounced stereo track you're mastering.
They should be treated as separate tasks.
 
So I combine all tracks to one stereo and then I do mastering? And what can I do to a single stereo track then?
 
Moon_Raven said:
So I combine all tracks to one stereo and then I do mastering? And what can I do to a single stereo track then?
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There's a lot (or almost nothing) that a Mastering Engineer does with a 2 track of the song. He/she will sometimes apply an EQ to the mix, compressor, limiter, or a number of other effects to "polish Up" the final product. You can use one, some, all, or none of these effects. That's the mastering stage, and it's performed on the final "mix' of the song.

So, to simplify, you have a final mix, and then you have a final master, which is what you'd call the final product because it's the last part of the whole process. After this, you put your CD in the case and wrap it. :)
 
Hey there! I did some recordings again, and tracks are quiet while recording as you said they should be. Now I'm satisfied with how something sounds, and I want to convert it to the final product now. What should I do to make it loud enough?
 
Moon_Raven said:
What should I do to make it loud enough?
Click to expand...

RAMI's listed it all for you. There's no magic secret. ;)

Compression/limiting is going to be the main tool, but you can't just stick a limiter on any old crap and expect it to sound good.
I'd recommend getting involved in the mp3 mixing clinic, if you're not already.
 
Moon_Raven said:
Hey there! I did some recordings again, and tracks are quiet while recording as you said they should be. Now I'm satisfied with how something sounds, and I want to convert it to the final product now. What should I do to make it loud enough?
Click to expand...

ahh... and there's the rub. :)

A lot of the loudness that you can achieve depends on your mix.

Some of my early recordings had some wild assed kick drum that would peak a lot. If I went in and copy/pasted some kicks with better levels, my final mix could be lifted/compressed up to a better volume. If I didn't, the overall volume was less.
This is because when you throw a compressor or limiter across the mix, you've already got some peaks that are way high. so the comp works with that. When I fixed the kicks, I had more headroom to work with so I could lift it.

This make sense?

Basically, get your mix good and even. Not talking dynamics here. I'm talking wild assed peaks. From there, there's multiple plug ins, EQ comp, limiter etc that can get you there.
Don't try to cram a compressor on the mix at max. It'll suck the life outta it. Take it in steps. My mixes (after I get the final mix) takes 4 to 5 steps.
I'll alternate between EQ and comp, keeping in mind that the compressor will act differently whether it's EQ'd before the comp or after.
Poke around with it. trial n error baby. :)
you'll get it.
 
either you guys are really fast at typing or I really suck.
:D
 
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