Master Clipping While EQing

  • Thread starter Thread starter Matheon
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Matheon

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this might seem trivial but its bugging me a ton. i'm not very good at mastering but i think i've done a decent job with my latest. then i realized i needed to EQ it a bit so i go to do that and as soon as i take say, 10k down even .1db my stuff starts peaking over 0.0.. not a lot it will just pop up to like .1 or .2db above 0.

i guess its just bothering me as it doesn't make sense to me.. why is taking a .5db gain from the top frequencies giving me additional peaks?

i went and tried it on a madonna track and i noticed the same thing. so i'm not thinking its my bad job but maybe something with the physics of waves i'm not understanding :)

anyone explain this?
 
Mine does the same thing using nuendo, and i had somewhat the same question, I was wondering if its ok to just bring the master down to get the -6 to -12 or if i need to adjust the actual tracks.
 
It's the physics. Just turn it down a little.
 
Turn the cliping track down? or turn the Master down? also, it would be cool if you could give me a little 101 on the dif. between Clip and Peak. Also, for Alternative, pro master tracks what db should i be looking for on these tracks, and if they are to high with a good drop in the fader what is a good way of downing them. I was thinking just reducing the gain. to say -2 or so.

I dont think its that i dont know some of this stuff, I think it is that I am somewhat new and I dont quite trust my own knowlegde yet.
 
I'd start with the clipping track...

PEAK = The highest sample in any given track.

CLIP = When the PEAK exceeds full-scale (0dBfs). You don't want these.

On the levels, that'll vary from track to track. I've heard some horrific sounding recordings recently at -9dBRMS or slightly higher. BIG budget stuff, ruined by smashing.

If you can help it, don't bring the mixes beyond where they want to be.
 
Man you have given me so much help here lately I dont what to say. Thank you.
(tears)

Seriously tho, thank you for all your recent help, Newbs like me need someone patient and willing to teach, much like yourself.
 
In grossly oversimplified nutshell - digital EQ algorithms are different than analog EQ in that boosting or cutting affects the amplitude of the waveform equally - so you can clip the signal by cutting frequencies as easily as you can clip by boosting frequencies..
 
Blue Bear Sound said:
In grossly oversimplified nutshell - digital EQ algorithms are different than analog EQ in that boosting or cutting affects the amplitude of the waveform equally - so you can clip the signal by cutting frequencies as easily as you can clip by boosting frequencies..
Click to expand...


In other words....

Just EQ it to what sounds right to your ears. If you hear clipping (not see), then you've gone too far. Sounds like you might be eye balling that master fader more than you need to.
 
When mastering you want to get the eq right before boosting the levels anyway. I get the eq and that right with a limiter at 0dB just incase the kik or snare clip. If you have boosted the level and then realised that you want to change the eq a little then you should go back to the stage before boosting and change the eq there. That is why its agood idea to keep copies of certain stages of your mastering process.
Always watch out for clipping in the plugins themselves as you might have to turn down the output on the eq if you are working with a boosted wave.
 
LRosario said:
In other words....

Just EQ it to what sounds right to your ears. If you hear clipping (not see), then you've gone too far. Sounds like you might be eye balling that master fader more than you need to.
Click to expand...
True, but that's not the point of what I said....

With analog EQ, if you apply a lo-shelf cut (-6dB @ 85Hz), it's very likely that your meters would show an overall drop in level. In digital, you may very well pop your meters (depending on close to the edge you are), because the resultant amplitude change would be the same as if you applied a 6dB boost.
 
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