final mix down
- Thread starter JLinardi
- Start date
Massive Master
www.massivemastering.com
Good question with no solid answer.
My recommendation: Only compress the master bus if the MIX actually NEEDS it. And then, only 2-3dB of gain reduction should do. If not, try revisiting the mix and find out where it's lacking. Save compression for the sake of volume to mastering. Even if you're only doing it yourself. The "rule of thumb" is to do nothing to the mix for the sake of sheer volume. If it needs something to "hold it together" a bit, do it. If it's just for volume, turn your monitors up.
The only type of file that will work on a standard audio CD is a 16-bit, 44.1kHz PCM file (.wav, .aiff, etc.). Again, through the mastering phase, you should be at a higher wordlength at the very least.
If you're in a DAW, you *probably* shouldn't go to that level until the very last minute. If you can work in 24-bit or 32-bit float, that's the place to be. If you're sending out for mastering, 24-bit 44.1kHz files are almost ideal.
My recommendation: Only compress the master bus if the MIX actually NEEDS it. And then, only 2-3dB of gain reduction should do. If not, try revisiting the mix and find out where it's lacking. Save compression for the sake of volume to mastering. Even if you're only doing it yourself. The "rule of thumb" is to do nothing to the mix for the sake of sheer volume. If it needs something to "hold it together" a bit, do it. If it's just for volume, turn your monitors up.
The only type of file that will work on a standard audio CD is a 16-bit, 44.1kHz PCM file (.wav, .aiff, etc.). Again, through the mastering phase, you should be at a higher wordlength at the very least.
If you're in a DAW, you *probably* shouldn't go to that level until the very last minute. If you can work in 24-bit or 32-bit float, that's the place to be. If you're sending out for mastering, 24-bit 44.1kHz files are almost ideal.
BrettB
New member
tunez said:
yes, normalizing is not the best thing to do at that stage! Normalizing takes the peak of your audio and adds the same amount of dB to the whole file so that peak will be at its loudest. Result: It raises your noise floor, and when mixing down you have to put everything quieter anyway so your main bus doesn't clip.
tunez said:
Normalization is bad.
crosstudio
New member
also, you should be using a multiband compressor on the main bus so that you can separate low, low-mid, mid, and high ranges and only compress the region that needs it, when it needs it.
having said that, i don't compress my mixes at all... i save all my main bus compression until i'm mastering mixed tracks. if something needs to be compressed, i compress that particular track (or group of tracks).
having said that, i don't compress my mixes at all... i save all my main bus compression until i'm mastering mixed tracks. if something needs to be compressed, i compress that particular track (or group of tracks).