pls help urgent -over compressed?

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Six Strings

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hi frnds

i work in profesional recording studio.

ihave clients with help needed in song. i compress the mix but there is distortion of some sorts?

i dont know what a problem could be? i read tutorial on loud mixes but maybe the advice is not correct?

pls see attached images of work. i do not want to lose job :( :( :( :(
 

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masteringhouse said:
Where did the black in the picture go?
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i do not understand :confused: :confused:

i use compression on mixdown track and have distortion problems. i do not know what i might bedoing rong?

i read compression tutorial and use correct settings and my wave is distorted

pls help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
K.P. said:
troll... :eek:
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i am new to forum but i know what a troll is!!!!! :mad: :( :mad: :(

that is not nice!!

i dont want to troll your forum i want help so i dont lose job :( :(

can experts pls help!!!!!!!!

tutorial says compress using ears but can expert give me an estimate of settings they possibly use on my wave by looking at pictures?

i attached them for this purpose!!

thnks frnds!!!!
 
Professional, and you're coming to a home recording site for advice. Nice.
 
I'm probably setting myself up for some abuse but why don't you just use the before version of the song?
 
bigwillz24 said:
I'm probably setting myself up for some abuse but why don't you just use the before version of the song?
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Band wants compression for loud mix competitive to other music

I try compression to achieve this but i dont know why mix is distorted

band is getting impatient

i read tutorial on compression and input correct values but my wave becomes distorted

pls help bigwillz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

u too jonnyc!!!!!!!!!! dont be mean :( :( :(
 
can someone pls look at before wave and give estimate of starting value for compression for max loudness????????

band left for now but they return soon and they want mix to be done!! :eek: i did not charge them for time so far but i never use compression in recording i do not know what im doing!!!!!!!?????

i think i might lose job :( :(

pls help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Tell them compression will ruin their song.
If they want it louder, tell them to turn up their speakers.

What tutorial did you read that you are talking about? There is no standard stetings for using a compressor. Using the numbers the tutorial used will most likely not work with your mix because you have a different mix.

You might want to go through this tutorial instead. It will help you understand that presets for compressors don't work. The attack, release, threshold, ratio, etc...all depend on what the song itself is doing. Don't try and follow someone else's settings, use what is right for your mix.

Really, there isn't anything we can do for you. I'm not even going to throw out settings you should try because I'm not there to hear the mix. Learn what the controls of a compressor does and it will better help you use compression correctly.
If your clients want loudness, tell them to turn it up...or take it to a mastering engineer (generally where compression is done to the mix anyway).

But I'm not gonna help you half-ass it with some incorrect compression settings just to make your clients happy at the moment. Get it done right by learning from this experience and realizing you need to practice your craft a little bit more. See if they can get the mix from you in a few days while you do so.

--edit---

by the way, read in the tutorial specifically the section labeled "MORE ON VOLUME AND RMS." Glen nailed it on the head there.
 
bennychico11 said:
Tell them compression will ruin their song.
If they want it louder, tell them to turn up their speakers.

What tutorial did you read that you are talking about? There is no standard stetings for using a compressor. Using the numbers the tutorial used will most likely not work with your mix because you have a different mix.

You might want to go through this tutorial instead. It will help you understand that presets for compressors don't work. The attack, release, threshold, ratio, etc...all depend on what the song itself is doing. Don't try and follow someone else's settings, use what is right for your mix.

Really, there isn't anything we can do for you. I'm not even going to throw out settings you should try because I'm not there to hear the mix. Learn what the controls of a compressor does and it will better help you use compression correctly.
If your clients want loudness, tell them to turn it up...or take it to a mastering engineer (generally where compression is done to the mix anyway).

But I'm not gonna help you half-ass it with some incorrect compression settings just to make your clients happy at the moment. Get it done right by learning from this experience and realizing you need to practice your craft a little bit more. See if they can get the mix from you in a few days while you do so.
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thank you benny!!!!

i record band and everything successful until last step with loudness. band says i can use compression for loudness but i never use it for that before!@!

they say they will not pay unless i do this :( :(

i spend more than 6 hours recording and mixing band today myself, and now they say they wont pay unless i get loudness like other songs

it is not professional studio really i do this to raise money for things. :(

thank you benny i wish i will have to experient with settings on compressor because i do not have time to read that tutorial :(
 
i record band and everything successful until last step with loudness. band says i can use compression for loudness but i never use it for that before!@!
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mistake #1; don't listen to the band about how you should record or mix. If they know so much about recording, why did they come to you? Why not just do it themselves.

they say they will not pay unless i do this :( :(
i spend more than 6 hours recording and mixing band today myself, and now they say they wont pay unless i get loudness like other songs
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this is even more ridiculous. I know they are clients, but to say they won't pay because you won't make it as loud as professionally mixed albums (make sure you remind them that professionally mixed albums cost probably 100 times more than what they are paying you....), is just ludicrous. Tell them that you have recorded and mixed their album and they are paying for THAT. If they want loudness...take it to a mastering engineer after they have paid you for what you have done. They should go to a mastering engineer anyway if they are going to try and release it commercially or for the radio.

They need to stop comparing themselves to other bands. I really don't know why musicians do this. It's a low self esteem problem it seems. Musicians want to have an individual sound, but they don't want to be too individual. Give me a break. "How do we play our own music but still make it sound like the #1 hit that's on the radio right now?"
I wrote this in a post last night, and I'll say it again....
Amazing albums are played by amazing musicians, recorded by amazing engineers with amazing equipment, and then mixed and mastered by more amazing engineers using even more amazing equipment.

Tell them if they have a problem with the loudness and want to throw out terms they don't even understand like "compressor"....then they should join up with this forum. I know several people around here that wouldn't mind explaining to them it's not just a simple button that you push on the mixer to make it magically sound better and louder. It's like telling them to push a button on their instrument to make them play the perfect song.

/End rant
 
Your after picture shows a waveform that is commonly called "toothpaste", or "crew cut". Way, way, way too much compression and makeup gain. Adjust the threshold so that less of the signal is getting compressed, and then don't turn the makeup gain past the point where it starts to distort.

You are like the guy who hits himself in the head with a hammer and then asks the doctor why his head hurts. "Stop hitting yourself in the head with a hammer" is the answer.
 
Why don't you take there recording and delete it. Then tell them if they want the sound to be louder like the professionals then they should go find a professional that will do that for them.

Technically they don't own the recording until they pay for it. Don't giv3 them recordings if they refuse to pay. I say cut all ties with them now since they sound like they are nothing but trouble to begin with.

If you already gave copies to them and they get it distribute then you have cause to sue since they do not own the copywrite to the recordings.

I know this is worst then it sounds, but you really don't want to be working for or with trouble makers. They are simply not worth the time. Cut all ties with them now!!
 
Are you guys telling me you never put a limiter or compressor on the master output? Guess what?... No band wants a quiet mix. They don't care about the loss in the quality. I agree that it should be done in by a mastering engineer, but lets be real... most bands just want the recording engineer to do it, and if it makes them happy I'll do it the best I can.
 
jho1986 said:
Are you guys telling me you never put a limiter or compressor on the master output? Guess what?... No band wants a quiet mix. They don't care about the loss in the quality. I agree that it should be done in by a mastering engineer, but lets be real... most bands just want the recording engineer to do it, and if it makes them happy I'll do it the best I can.
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Well if you are i don't suggest squshing like the picture shows.

As a last resort if you can't make the client happy or they don't have funds for a real mastering engineer.

Run a stat on the waveform found out what the RMS level is then calculate the differance of that number and (this is not an exact number guys/gals but I use -12dbfs most of the time) then raise the volume using a compressor or limiter or normalizer by that number.

Yes this is the wrong way to do it but the volume will be louder and the waveform hopefully will be a lot less squashed. If they want more than that make them send it to a mastering engineer.

*puts on his flame suit cause he knows this type of advice starts wars around these parts*
 
i say you mess around with the compressor settings for yourself. The only way is to figure out for yourself. I'm no expert by an form but just by looking at the waveform you can tell something is wrong here. I'm currently trying to master some mixes i did and I'm experimenting with different things. Tell the band you can get it as good as you can without them spending big bucks to send it out to a mastering studio.
 
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