Another thought on CD volume

[robjh22]

As I prepared to master a 5-track song tonight on th vf80, I messed around with some of the compressor settings and noticed that there are huge differences in volume that can be obtained with minor changes in compression settings, espcially comp. ratio, whatever that is. A move from 5:1 to 3.5:1 can be just enormous, more than you can believe. I wonder if the folks who complain here about volume of their product can find part of their answer in the compressor settings(?)

On the same subject, I find the choice of pre-settings on mastering (from L1 - L9) to be simply overwhelming. I just use the flat setting and adjust everything from there until it sounds right to me. No doubt the wrong way to go about it, but I don't have time to take up recording engineering as a second career. Aren't most of us like this?

 

[dave in toledo]

compression

you have a great thought going on here...

while i mix on the computer, especially the mastering process,, i load a comercial cd on my computer, and adjust the final compression and limitor settings to get my volume as close to a commercial cd as i can....
i use a nickleback cd just because the thing sounds so lound and punchy.....

i dont know your machine, but compression AND limitors are a vital part of the mastering process

 

[robjh22]

Dave?

Dave, please elaborate: first, what is a nickel CD? And do you mean you load the CD and save it onto the Fostex and then you can see the actual compression settings on the CD you just loaded and then try to copy or emulate them somehow in yopur own original stuff?? Talk slow and use low level vocabulary. I am 52 but duuuuuumb.

Your advice and input are very valuable.

p.s. check out "Russian Snails" on another link here and you'll get a laugh and see what I mean about trickiness of compression settings for novices.