mix sounds crap after mixdown? :(

  • Thread starter Thread starter skiz
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skiz

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hey guys,

having a bit of trouble when mixing down my tracks..

ill have everything sounding really nice in cubase and im happy with the mix. Then i mix it down file>export blah blah and usually save it as mp3 with the highest bit rate and everything

then when i play the mp3 it just sounds terrible. the cymbals are far too bright and snare is duller and the dynamics of the mix seem to have been a bit screwed up too..

shouldnt it sound exactly the same as the multi track mix in cubase? need a lil help! am i doin something wrong?"
 
Hmm, firstly don't convert to MP3 as you are loosing quality straight away there.
Convert to wave.
Thing is if you are choosing 320kbps highest quality then that can't be the problem. You sure you are mixing down to stereo?

Also what are you using to listen back to the mix down on as you might have an EQ or some funny effects on it, say for example you forgot to turn Windows Media Players EQ off.

Eck
 
I agree, I always mix down to a wav file, then I convert it to MP3 in Wavelab.
 
NYMorningstar said:
How do you lose quality?
Click to expand...

Because MP3 converters compress the audio (not in so much a dynamic way but a file size way).
At 320kbps you are loosing a small amount of audio quality.

Heres 2 samples.

The 1st is the difference between a 16 bit wave file and the same file at 320kbps MP3 using Lame MP3 encoder.
http://www.serotoneband.co.uk/files/misc/Difference between 16bit and 320 MP3.wav

The 2nd is the original 16 bit wave file.
http://www.serotoneband.co.uk/files/misc/Original 16 bit file.wav

I was actually kind of shocked to hear how much 320kbps MP3 takes from the original 16 bit wave file!

Eck
 
ecktronic said:
Because MP3 converters compress the audio (not in so much a dynamic way but a file size way).
At 320kbps you are loosing a small amount of audio quality.

Heres 2 samples.

The 1st is the difference between a 16 bit wave file and the same file at 320kbps MP3 using Lame MP3 encoder.
http://www.serotoneband.co.uk/files/misc/Difference between 16bit and 320 MP3.wav

The 2nd is the original 16 bit wave file.
http://www.serotoneband.co.uk/files/misc/Original 16 bit file.wav

I was actually kind of shocked to hear how much 320kbps MP3 takes from the original 16 bit wave file!

Eck
Click to expand...
Like Jederino said, I thought you were saying if you don't export to wave before you make the mp3 then you lose quality, sorry. I understand the loss with using mp3's.
 
If you mixdown from cubase to MP3, you miss out the normalisation stage, which I would always perform in wavelab even if I was only burning a mix and not a master.

If you convert to MP3 before normalisation, is this a loss in quality? I mean, you're not using all the available bit depth of a 24bit mixdown.

No hijack intended...:D
 
puffin said:
If you convert to MP3 before normalisation, is this a loss in quality? I mean, you're not using all the available bit depth of a 24bit mixdown.

No hijack intended...:D
Click to expand...
Normalizing raises the volume, not the quality.
 
NYMorningstar said:
Like Jederino said, I thought you were saying if you don't export to wave before you make the mp3 then you lose quality, sorry. I understand the loss with using mp3's.
Click to expand...

My bad. I said the word "convert" rather than "export". :o

Eck
 
NYMorningstar said:
Normalizing raises the volume, not the quality.
Click to expand...

True, but if you are converting to a lower audio quality then making it louder using normalization then you should have less quality than if you normalized the wave then converted to lower quality. I think.
Wheres Glen when I need him? :P

Eck
 
ecktronic said:
True, but if you are converting to a lower audio quality then making it louder using normalization then you should have less quality than if you normalized the wave then converted to lower quality. I think.
Wheres Glen when I need him? :P

Eck
Click to expand...
How do you normalize an mp3?
 
ok so the whole taking off the eq on my player has done a lot of help.

but now i wonder, howcome the eq on my player makes other music i listen to sound better, but my track sounds tinny and crap :(

also even tho this has made it sound loads better (exporting to wave and not using eq) i still get frustrated cause it doesnt sound exactly the same as it does in cubase

it doesnt sound horrible as wav just not as good as the cubase mix. i thought it would sound identical.
 
ecktronic said:
This is a trick question is it? :o
Import MP3 into DAW - select the audio - hit normalize - hey presto! :D

Eck
Click to expand...
I don't have software that can do that to an mp3. Doesn't importing it to your DAW turn it back into a wav file?


Skiz, try exporting your cubase mix to a stereo wav file at about -6dbfs. Then import it to a new project, use your eq if it needs it, and then use compression or a limiter to raise the gain up to about -.1 and then make your mp3. That's not a solution but a place for you to start your final mastering to your mix.
 
NYMorningstar said:
I don't have software that can do that to an mp3. Doesn't importing it to your DAW turn it back into a wav file?
Click to expand...
Yeah I think it does convert to a temp wav file but you know what I mean. :D
You could always use Windows media player.
It burns MP3s and has an option to normalize the audio. But then again it might convert to wav then back to MP3 for this. :S

Eck
 
skiz said:
ok so the whole taking off the eq on my player has done a lot of help.

but now i wonder, howcome the eq on my player makes other music i listen to sound better, but my track sounds tinny and crap :(

also even tho this has made it sound loads better (exporting to wave and not using eq) i still get frustrated cause it doesnt sound exactly the same as it does in cubase

it doesnt sound horrible as wav just not as good as the cubase mix. i thought it would sound identical.
Click to expand...

Your monitoring set up should be as flat as possible (ie no EQ or other effects).
There must stiull be some setting or something that you are missing, as your exported Cubase mix should sound pretty much the same as long as you are listening to it on the same monitors.

What you could do is to export a Cubase mix (as same audio format as the mix files, wav/bit rate/sample rate) then import it back into the same Cubase session, making sure that the export file is exactly in line with the mix files.
Make use you don;t touch any of the faders at all or any other settings!

Also before you export make sure you have no effects on the master output.

Then invert the phase of your export file and press play.
You should hear nothing at all. If you do hear anything then it either means your export file is not exactly in line with the mix files or there is something up with your exporting.

Eck
 
more than likely it's none of the above....IMO it's the room your mixing in...my 2 watts worth:p
 
SoundAsleep said:
more than likely it's none of the above....IMO it's the room your mixing in...my 2 watts worth:p
Click to expand...

Hmm.
I think he is mixing and listening back in the same room.
Correct me if I'm wrong Skiz.

Eck
 
NYMorningstar said:
Normalizing raises the volume, not the quality.
Click to expand...

I know.:)

Skiz, try exporting your cubase mix to a stereo wav file at about -6dbfs. Then import it to a new project, use your eq if it needs it, and then use compression or a limiter to raise the gain up to about -.1 and then make your mp3.
Click to expand...

My point is if you're going to export your mix from cubase then open it in, say, Wavelab - then you limit the mix and or compress it with out normalising to -1dB, aren't you just limiting and compressing the noise of the mix. I realise volume and gain are not the same thing, of course.

The reason I ask is because I'm not actually sure why I normalise mixes. I was just taught that way.
 
Skiz, varying your volume while mixing. You'll get a better mix (just concern about Fletcher Munson effect) :D >O
 
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