My digitial mastering nightmare...please help!

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dannyh

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I'm currently working on a solo project of slow, ambient guitar instrumentals. My resources are very limited - the guitars go direct-in with all the effects applied in Cubase VST using plug-ins. Without any decent monitors I use headphones to mix and master, oftening using a 'comparision' method (i.e. playing a wav file of a pro mastered CD track alongside my own mixdown to check overall tonal/eq sound is similar). The only other instruments except guitar are drums, for which I sequence samples of 'real' drums.

Listening to the mixdowns in Wavelab, everything sounds fine...but when I write to CD-R and play it on a CD player it sounds horrible! Here are the main symptoms:

1. Lots of bass, but not nice warm sub-bass. A nasty, resonant and ringy low/mid sound

2. The high frequencies are very ringy and sharp, certain notes on the guitar just sound painful to the ear!

A lot of these problems could be attributed to the mixing rather than mastering stage, but the sound straight from the computer into the headphones sounds absolutely fine.

I suspect the large amount of Reverb being used could be a big factor, but it's essential for the type of music I'm recording.

Any advice / mastering tips / software recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Dan
 
Say it with me "I must NEVER, EVER mix with headphones as my only reference!"... say it 3 more times to yourself...

Search this forum for keywords "headphones" and "mix", and you'll get all the info you need on why this isn't a good idea....

You really DO need monitors, and NO - there's no way around that! ;)

Bruce Valeriani
Blue Bear Sound
 
Hmmm, I use headphones as well, but I usually mix everything down using the computer speakers. I'm recording for fun so I'm not about to spend loads of cash on speakers and other stuff, but is there anything terrible about using the computer speakers (two satelites and a subwoofer)?
 
Steve... not if you learn the shortcomings of the sound quality and can accurately compensate for it...

Bruce
 
Bruce is totally correct - now say after me - Bruce is totally correct, and again. now you've got it...

try dipping around 250HZ say -4 - 6db and roll off a bit at around 80 - 100hz, dip it at around 5-7Khz which will take the brites out of the gtrs - got to be really careful with bottom end when you are using headphones ;)

cheers
John
 
get one of those old analog tape based echo machines. sounds like you've got a #1 hit on your hands!

Go for it
 
Thanks for the replies. I tried John's suggestion (using the Waves 10 band EQ plug-in). It does slightly improve things, but I think something more drastic is needed. I also tried remixing a few tracks, taking a lot of mid EQ right out of the guitars as I suspected that was a big factor. Again, it was a bit better but still that unpleasant sharpness at the low/mid range.

I'd like to get some monitors, or least some decent hi-fi separates to run the sound through, but can't afford to buy at the moment.

Perhaps if I post or e-mail an mp3 sample someone could have a listen and suggest some EQ settings for mastering.

Anyone willing to do this? Please?

Thanks

Dan
 
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