Normalization?

[masteringhouse]

masteringhouses's step #2 is what harbal does - I just do it first because the stuff I deal with I know the EQ is more out of balance than the dynamics. I'd rather adjust the 'density' last anyway but that's just me - and I'm a garage guy so who cares what I do

Actually my step #2 process may be a bit more involved. A spectrum analyser will give you a "ballpark" but you shouldn't take it literally. For example if 2 songs are in a different key, the fundamental frequencies will be different and as a result the "build-up" of the fundamental and related harmonics will need to be adjusted on a per song basis.

Just copying a spectral graph between 2 different songs is not optimal.

 

[kylen]

Actually my step #2 process may be a bit more involved. A spectrum analyser will give you a "ballpark" but you shouldn't take it literally. For example if 2 songs are in a different key, the fundamental frequencies will be different and as a result the "build-up" of the fundamental and related harmonics will need to be adjusted on a per song basis.

Just copying a spectral graph between 2 different songs is not optimal.

Agreed - I think it's just a convenient starting point - sort of like like a preset. You still have to listen and tweak it to get the balance correct.

 

[kylen]

Kylen - that's very interesting. My room and monitoring gear will bever be anything like good enough for more than basic mixing, but I can still learn from HarBal and will remember your comments.

Blue Bear - presumably limiting gives different results than using the faders to bring down peaks yourself??

The whole spectrum thing has been like a big catch-22 for me. It's nice to see what a 1/6 octave spectrum looks like on my DEQ2496, or in the DAW using 16K points of GlissEQ or SPAN, or watch the rms/peak headroom using Inspector.

But until I could hear what the stuff looked like all it was was confusing. I don't have Adams in here but at least now I can hear dynamics, depth, stereo image (still working on this one), and a pretty wide frequency response without the room hyping frequencies or ambience too much.

So the idea that Harbal was going to help me out in my former less than optimal monitoring situation just didn't work on me because I hadn't really heard reference material thru good monitoring before. Had I visited a few studios, took in some reference material, listened, watched RTAs then it would have made a lot more sense.

Now I think I'm getting to the point where I can prep some of my material in less optimal places or in my own spot late at night using low volume or in cans - then fine tune the project and dial it in later at 83dB SPL or wherever.