Loudness in Logic

[terra01]

Hi guys. Im new to the forum here, so i just wanted to introduce myself. I do have a particular issue thats been an ongoing frustration for years. But recently it's become something i really need to address.

Let me start by saying that while i,m not a necessarily a noob, i don't have any formal training as an engineer... which i guess is the same as saying i'm a noob. lol. But im a noob with several years pretending to be someone who can mix. I've recorded a few CDs and mixed them myself, but i would not go so far as to say i'm in anyway great at mixing and engineering.

My problem specifically is overall presence and volume in my mixes. I do a lot of ambient / soundtrack work. So i'm challenged right off with music that is more subtile and washy than you typical kit, bass, guitar mixing scenario. I am, and have been, a die hard LOGIC user since it was owned by e-magic. I love the flexibility of the software. But i seem to have a hard time getting my end results to have any kind of real presence and comparative volume to other mixes ive heard by pros in this genre.

Im mixing with things bouncing around 0dB (+ or - depending on the mix of course) and my master channel is registering between +1 and -9dB. I try to keep my master channel free of effects save for some very subtile EQing or some subtile compression, but the compression doesnt usually add anything (usually around 1.6 to 1.8 and a very high threashold.)

Im running my montors through a Presonus Central Station and everything is loud on that front, but when i bounce (with type 1 dither) and play my mixes on an external source, they always sound very quiet.

Am i mixing to low? Where should my master channel be hovering in terms of overall volume? Im not a fan of adding a lot of inflation and stuff to boost the master track, but maybe i need to? Or is my monitoring system not calibrated correctly?

Any insight or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[ez_willis]

I am, and have been, a die hard LOGIC user since it was owned by e-magic. I love the flexibility of the software.

I just switched from Logic to Reaper and was blown away by the transition. The learning curve was almost non-existent. I don't think Logic is the reason you are unhappy with your results, but because so many home recorders have made the switch from other programs to reaper, and the overall Reaper community is SO WILLING TO HELP OUT NOOBS, you'll find it easier to get specific details about how you could improve your results using it.

i seem to have a hard time getting my end results to have any kind of real presence and comparative volume to other mixes ive heard by pros in this genre.

you're not a pro.

 

[miroslav]

My problem specifically is overall presence and volume in my mixes.

Just turn up the volume on your monitors/stereo...you can make it as loud as you like.


The LOUD mixes are the current mastering trend...requiring a lot of compression/limiting to raise the levels up as high as what you hear in many commercial CDs.
It's really not that hard to do...but it's not the best route to take.
There are many “finalize/maximize” type of applications/plug-ins on the market.

 

[terra01]

I agree. Im no fan of crushed mixes. There is a really good video interview with Bob Katz about loudness in mixes. Just to be clear, im not talking about like, Metallica loudness, im just talking about getting the mixes balanced out at an industry standard level, so that your getting good volume and presence of information without having to crank up your volume on your listening device, and without have to jack everything up with large amounts of artificial inflation.

Just turn up the volume on your monitors/stereo...you can make it as loud as you like.


The LOUD mixes are the current mastering trend...requiring a lot of compression/limiting to raise the levels up as high as what you hear in many commercial CDs.
It's really not that hard to do...but it's not the best route to take.
There are many “finalize/maximize” type of applications/plug-ins on the market.

 

[terra01]

I just switched from Logic to Reaper and was blown away by the transition. The learning curve was almost non-existent. I don't think Logic is the reason you are unhappy with your results, but because so many home recorders have made the switch from other programs to reaper, and the overall Reaper community is SO WILLING TO HELP OUT NOOBS, you'll find it easier to get specific details about how you could improve your results using it.


you're not a pro.

yeah thanks. i knew that. that doesnt mean i can't strive for better sounding mixes, though. Checked out Reaper. Looks very nice. Has a simple interface not unlike Pro Tools. Seems very robust and the integration system makes it really friendly with a lot of plug ins. Ill check this out further. Thanks for the tip.