Getting songs up to a commercial volume??

[grimtraveller]

Wait. Sorry. I think I put this in the wrong thread. I could have sworn I was reading a thread where a few people were trashing almost everything about recorded music. This isn't it. Sorry.

Man, in a way I guess I'm blessed that my ears aren't as good as some of you guys.

Do you guys actually ENJOY listening to music????

I think it's the "Analog vs Digital" thread. But I sometimes listen to audiophile friends of mine talking and I wonder the same thing.

 

[RAMI]

I think it's the "Analog vs Digital" thread.

Yeah, that's the one. I'd slit my wrists if I ever got to that point.

 

[Massive Master]

As long as we're on the subject, I hardly ever listen to music for pleasure anymore.

A) I'm pretty tired of it if I have the spare time...

B) So much of it is so wrecked that it's sort of painful to listen to.

 

[kcearl]

I havent read all the responses but I have a fair guess of what much of it says


Im lucky enough (or not) not to be recording rock music, for some reason dance/electronic based music seemed to have bypassed the loudness wars...but thats not to say I dont try to get my mixes to a decent volume before letting folks hear them


I will say that imho getting a balanced mix is the most important thing when increasing the tracks loudness...spikes in frequencies and/or poor levels of volume really cripple you when it comes to increasing overall loudness...

i also get rid of unwanted frequencies...which doesnt work in most genres as you'll screw up the instruments overall sound...doesnt work quite the same with synths and electronic drums, you have more or less free reign

so Id say number one is get the mix level...with as few surprises as possible and you'll have won half the battle...


I always like this gif, Im around 2000 lol

 

[Lt. Bob]

I'm an audiophile although I didn't check my brain in at the door.
I have friends that never listen to more than 45 seconds of anything .......... "Listen to these bells ..... aren't they amazing? .... changes song ....... hear how defined the bass is here ..... changes song ...... listen ...... the voices sound like they come from behind you."
I never got into that. I like good sound and I'm a vinyl guy with a good rig but I'll stop there. Having said that, some of their stereos sound ..... well, unbelievable actually, if I can only get them to let a song play all the way thru.


All that being said, I rarely listen for pleasure anymore and that's a bit sad 'cause I used to love it so much.
But gigging 4 or 5 nights a week and always having 'homework' to do for upcoming hired gun gigs pretty much uses up my interest in music. I have a HARD time even making myself record .........
I'm lucky to be that busy I know .................. but I miss wanting to sit down and imerse myself in a record.

 

[RAMI]

But gigging 4 or 5 nights a week and always having 'homework' to do for upcoming hired gun gigs pretty much uses up my interest in music.

Yeah, I gig pretty much every week end for the last 20 years now, so I know what you're saying. A lot of listening time is devoted to learning songs. A lot of other time is spent writing and recording.

But, when I do listen to music just for pleasure, I can enjoy a crappy recording on my crappy speakers as easily as I can enjoy a great recording on a great system, as long as I like the actual music. I'm not "bragging" about that, because I think it just proves that I don't really have refined ears. But, that's OK with me, because the day I stop enjoying music simply for the pleasure of enjoying music, is the day I'll hang it all up....which will probably be never.


Seems like I de-railed this thread with my mis-placed post.

Oops.

 

[Greg_L]

I think you missed the "; )"

Since you can't find any good albums to listen to, here are a few albums that I will recommend that just came out in the last couple months that you should check out.

Jeff Beck "Emotion Commotion"
Neil Young "Le Noise"
Tom Petty "Mojo"
Sarah Mclaughlin "Laws of Illusion"
Eric Clapton "Clapton"

When your done listening to these, let me know. I will gladly recommend some more. ; )

He said stuff that doesn't suck.

 

[Greg_L]

I make my stuff loud as hell just to go against the crybaby loudness snobs.

 

[Lt. Bob]

But, when I do listen to music just for pleasure, I can enjoy a crappy recording on my crappy speakers as easily as I can enjoy a great recording on a great system, as long as I like the actual music.

Actually I think I enjoy stuff more on my so-so system for some reason. In my shop I have a cheapo Teac 'table, a pawn shop amp and a pair of homemade speakers that are ........ meh.
But for some reason I really enjoying listening to that little system.

 

[Chibi Nappa]

so Id say number one is get the mix level...with as few surprises as possible and you'll have won half the battle...

Totally true... which is one more reason why "commercial volume" can go to hell. Level mixes without surprises SUCK something fierce.


Funny thing: Back to back listening of Tom Petty's "Mojo" and NiN "The Downward Spiral" (when I shift listening gears, I shift pretty far) reveals that "Mojo" is more draining and fills me with more uneasy tension than NiN. Somehow I don't think that's what Tom was shooting for. I'm ordering the vinyl now...

 

[Chibi Nappa]

... but I miss wanting to sit down and imerse myself in a record.

Man, I wouldn't have been able to sort out my own turntable situation without your input. You can listen vicariously through me.

The vinyl on tap tonight was black metal from ...Serbia I think? Might not have been the best night for vicarious listening.

 

[Chibi Nappa]

But, when I do listen to music just for pleasure, I can enjoy a crappy recording on my crappy speakers as easily as I can enjoy a great recording on a great system, as long as I like the actual music.

I'm so cursed it's not even funny. If the stereo system isn't at least modest my enjoyment will be diminished. The actual recording and mix...I'm very forgiving on almost everything under the sun in the direction of "didn't do enough/didn't do it right". Low budget production, inexperienced production, amateur production, mic in the crowd at a Phish show...I'm all good with that. But I really want perfection like "Siamese Dream" or "August and Everything After".

When you head in the direction of "did too much", then I get psycho picky again. I have no tolerance for Auto tune (Daft Punk gets a pass for a reason unknown to me). Sample replacement and time alignment will set me off quickly. Missing dynamics irk me. Missing microdynamics send me to the off button. Not to say I don't like "unnatural". I love The Chemical Brothers as much as I love Bela Fleck's unplugged stuff.

I guess things like Autotune, sample replacement, time alignment, and loudenation reek of fear and timidness and serve to remove a load of "unique" so Joe Guy won't be confused when he hears it. In reality I think Joe Guy is dying for all of the unique he can get.

 

[Villain S Deeds]

I have a HARD time even making myself record .........
I'm lucky to be that busy I know .................. but I miss wanting to sit down and imerse myself in a record.

I on the other hand, haven't recorded anything lately because I've been having a bitchin' time listening to records.

 

[kcearl]

Totally true... which is one more reason why "commercial volume" can go to hell. Level mixes without surprises SUCK something fierce.


Funny thing: Back to back listening of Tom Petty's "Mojo" and NiN "The Downward Spiral" (when I shift listening gears, I shift pretty far) reveals that "Mojo" is more draining and fills me with more uneasy tension than NiN. Somehow I don't think that's what Tom was shooting for. I'm ordering the vinyl now...

tbh i gave up decent audio equipment in my late twenties....its unlikely for most music to bother me on what i play it on...and it would never be Petty anyway

my favourite music is some of the worst mixed (compared to later standards) and "kitchen sink" production music there is...its called northern soul and sounds better on a mono dansette than NAD

 

[grimtraveller]

As long as I dig the songs.....

If the stereo system isn't at least modest my enjoyment will be diminished.

Standing at Notting Hill carnival in '82 in the rain next to this h-h-uge speaker blaring a dub bass part so damn loud and deep that I felt it rather than heard it put paid to any refinement my ears might have otherwise had ! Also, spending many years listening to music on transistors, mono cassettes, ghetto blasters with furry, uncleaned for years heads, Garrard & Lofthouse record players from Boosey and Hawkes and with those shitty singular ear pieces from the 70s or down low in the dead of night or while washing up and competing with running water has rendered me not fussy about what I listen on. I'm fortunate because in my job I'm on my own as I load up my van and as I drive about so I get loads of time to listen to music for pleasure. And whenever I cook, wash up or do bits of work around the house, I do it to music.
I've spent all my listening time over the last three days just rewinding and listening to sections of "Stolen by ghosts" and "The future me" by Salem Hill because they're fantastic and I can.

 

[Waltz Mastering]

Awesome. Looks like I'll be buying it...again. -_-'

I also have to check out the rest of the albums you recommended. I'm enjoying this one a lot.

Nice. The Beck album is amazing. There is one song on it "Hammer head" that is smooched but the rest is stellar. Features Josh Stone on a couple cuts, and a symphony orchestra on many cuts. Give it a try.

 

[Chibi Nappa]

Nice. The Beck album is amazing. There is one song on it "Hammer head" that is smooched but the rest is stellar. Features Josh Stone on a couple cuts, and a symphony orchestra on many cuts. Give it a try.

Earlier this year I saw Bela Fleck at the Wilmington Grand Opera House. He was playing with some guys who played what looked like dried out halves of gourds strung with 2 or 3 strings and this one dude who was a thumb piano virtuoso. I never thought I see a thumb piano virtuoso...

Anyway, I took one of everything at the merch table. Totally worth it.

 

[Crow_]

This is kind of in regards to getting my song up to commercial volume:

Do I ever want to use a limiter on individual tracks? Or is the standard thing to just use it on the final single-track mixdown? Also, repeat the same question for a compressor. I usually compress my vocals to keep them from fluctuating too much, and I usually compress my horns (two saxophones), but when I compress the final mixdown I hear it breathe too much, even with a release of 1000 MS or so (also only a GR of about 3dB) :/

 

[Massive Master]

Do what serves the mix. If you need to limit something to fit the mix, limit it (although you might find much better luck automating volume first, which should be your default option anyway).

 

[Crow_]

I think my mix is fine. But to get the finished product closer to commercial volume, am I supposed to limit/compress the master track or the individual ones?