Life Was Fine - comparison demo - Noiz-Lab mastering

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So I saw this 'Beta Test' Noiz-Lab thing posted here today, thought I'd give it a shot.
I'm pretty happy with the mix on this song (but comments are always welcome).
Here's the version with just the Kjerhaus master limiter on it to bring it up to -0.3dB



Now here's the same mix, but with the Noiz-Lab mastering suite on it. Weird thing is that though I had the brickwall limiter set to -0.3db, it was nowhere near that, so I ended up just boosting the track volume. Wonder if this is a glitch in the Beta software. I used all the sections minimally.



So I've gone back to original track volume, reduced compression a bit and then added some more high end on the EQ plugin. On the limiter, I cranked up the threshold to -16dB, which gets the master track volume peaking at -0.3.

 
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The first one is brighter overall, but I think I prefer the second. Don't really know why. :laughings:
 
CrowsofFritz said:
The first one is brighter overall, but I think I prefer the second. Don't really know why. :laughings:
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Oh that's helpful! :facepalm: There's a ton of EQ/enhance possibilities with the Noiz-lab modules, and doing it at 9pm after a long day and with my tinitus ringing loud doesn't really lend itself to good judgement. I think if the limiter was working correctly it owuld hav helped, rather than boosting the input on the way in. I wonder if boosting it on the way out (on the master fader - I had everything on the stereo track FX) would be better?
 
not sure what the Noiz-lab thing is since this is the first I've heard of it, but the version with it sounds worse in every way to me. Any openness just closed right up and everything sounded smushed and smaller--I know the volume's lower, but I hear the same when volume matched. Instant blanket. Not sure if it's the software or the user, but if it's the software, it wouldn't get anywhere near anything I mix. Guess I better check it out to see exactly what it is and what it's supposed to do. As is, that's a terrible first impression.
 
sammydix said:
not sure what the Noiz-lab thing is since this is the first I've heard of it, but the version with it sounds worse in every way to me. Any openness just closed right up and everything sounded smushed and smaller--I know the volume's lower, but I hear the same when volume matched. Instant blanket. Not sure if it's the software or the user, but if it's the software, it wouldn't get anywhere near anything I mix. Guess I better check it out to see exactly what it is and what it's supposed to do. As is, that's a terrible first impression.
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Go to this thread to see where we found out about it.
I didnt' put much compression on it all, but the limiter might have done that anyway because I had to crank it up.
 
The second one is obviously being smashed by a compressor. I think you might have layered it on a bit thick.
 
I liked the first version a little better. The vocal is clearer to me and it has a stronger low end. The second mix is a little louder (RMS), but was quite a bit more squashed sounding.
 
sammydix said:
not sure what the Noiz-lab thing is since this is the first I've heard of it, but the version with it sounds worse in every way to me. Any openness just closed right up and everything sounded smushed and smaller--I know the volume's lower, but I hear the same when volume matched. Instant blanket. Not sure if it's the software or the user, but if it's the software, it wouldn't get anywhere near anything I mix. Guess I better check it out to see exactly what it is and what it's supposed to do. As is, that's a terrible first impression.
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^^^^ Exactly.....well put. The Noiz-lab version is muffled and dull. Of course........now I have to try out the software for myself. I'll report back.
 
I agree that your mix/master is quite a bit better. Has a lot more life to it. The second was squashed but you still had to apply a limiter to it? If I'm understanding that right something is not adding up!
 
Retrohazard said:
I agree that your mix/master is quite a bit better. Has a lot more life to it. The second was squashed but you still had to apply a limiter to it? If I'm understanding that right something is not adding up!
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Compressor then limiter is not unusual in the mastering stage, but I probably did overcompress it - the meter wasn't showing much reduction when I set it, but it looks like when I cranked up the track volume to get the master peaking at -0.3, it really started squashing it.

So I've gone back to original track volume, reduced compression a bit and then added some more high end on the EQ plugin. On the limiter, I cranked up the threashold to -16dB, which gets the master track volume peaking at -0.3.

 
soooooo much better.
I checked it out, but I'd never use 7 plugs on my "master." Too much processing for me personally.
Sure, I don't have the use them all, but individually, I don't hear anything better than what I'm already using.
But they may turn out pretty decent after the betas. It's early, so I won't knock em.
 
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