basic mastering help please

[DAS19]

I didnt read the other posts but I would suggest getting the CLASSIC VST effects and use their master limiter, eq, and compressor on the mixdown and it will drasticly higher the volume and make it sound better depending on how you eq and compress.

 

[Greg_L]

okay, just playing around i messed with some compression and all it did was make everything quieter? what the hell is going on here?

 

[noisewreck]

Yup, that's the way compressors work They make whatever is above threshold quieter. Then you use makeup gain to raise the level of everything, the end result being the quiet parts get louder.

 

[Greg_L]

Yup, that's the way compressors work They make whatever is above threshold quieter. Then you use makeup gain to raise the level of everything, the end result being the quiet parts get louder.

hmm, i see. back to the ol drawing board.

 

[hueseph]

Just to clarify: compression causes a gain reduction beyond a set threshold. The amount of gain reduction is usually denoted by a ratio like 4:1 or 2:1. By reducing the gain beyond that threshold, it allows you to raise the overall level of the track or mix. Be carefull though. Too much compression or improper setting can cause "breathing". You may not notice it right away but at some point you will hear the gain reduction kick in and then release. In extreme cases it will sound like the track is breathing. Inhale/ exhale. At any rate it sounds bad and you should use compression sparingly to prevent this.

 

[Greg_L]

Just to clarify: compression causes a gain reduction beyond a set threshold. The amount of gain reduction is usually denoted by a ratio like 4:1 or 2:1. By reducing the gain beyond that threshold, it allows you to raise the overall level of the track or mix. Be carefull though. Too much compression or improper setting can cause "breathing". You may not notice it right away but at some point you will hear the gain reduction kick in and then release. In extreme cases it will sound like the track is breathing. Inhale/ exhale. At any rate it sounds bad and you should use compression sparingly to prevent this.

haha. funny you mention 'breathing'. i was just playing with some older tracks and i experienced that very thing. it sounded like it was panting or breathing. ive been jacking around with it and i think im just starting to understand compression, and so far, i dont think i like it much. seems like my stuff is sounding better uncompressed than it does with varying degrees of compression. im sure im just screwing everything up.

 

[noisewreck]

Yeah... been there myself Keep at it. The more you use it, the more you get a feel for it, and the more you start picking up on the nuances of different compressors. Then you start knowing whether something needs compression and why.

Some will say don't touch it until you know what you're doing... which is kinda backasswards... how are you gonna know what you're doing, unless you do it?

 

[seismetr0n]

as for the e.q. its not as simple as "the bass gets the low freq"
because the kick drum is also down there..
someppl recommend that you do a low cut (<60hz) to all now bass instruments (all except bass and kick, somtimes guitar)
sometimes i lower 250hz for the bass and bring that up on guitar (for meaty guitar)
sometimes this doesnt work for songs..
a lot of it is trial and error..
gl

 

[drumsab]

check this out:

http://www.tweakheadz.com/mastering_your_audio.htm

 

[ecktronic]

If all the instruments dont pop out to you before mastering then you need to work on the mix more.

Mastering can bring a mix together as one and add the finishing touches to the song.
Compression is something I NEVER use at mastering stage althogh smoe mastering engineers do.

Eck

 

[hueseph]

Again, I think there is a large confusion as to what "Mastering" is. Mastering is not just about polishing a mix. A mix should be polished already before it ever gets to mastering. Granted, mastering may bring out the subtleties that the mixing engineer missed or was too inside the project to hear. What mastering is about is unifying a project. That is an LP CD/MP3/DVD or whatever. Not usually just a single song but a group of songs which make up an "album". (Yes I remember vinyl and still refer to projects as such.) So the intention is usually to match levels, overall "feel" for lack of a better word as well as prepping for burning to a master CD/File/DVD or whatever the final product intended is to become. Mastering is not a mysterious magical step to making a project sound good although the end result may be so.

 

[guy0012]

try to use as few of tracks at first. once you've mixed everything export as a mixdown everything but the vocals. open a new project eq the mixdown. now import the vocal tracks.