Sooner or Later - quick limiting question

[K-dub]

I'm posthumously revisiting collaborations w/ Stu and I am attempting to keep clarity at the forefront and "the shouting" of limiters down. This is a delicate balance. There is a "shout" to compression - even at low volume - like shouting in a whisper.

I'd liked the clarity of the previous mix, but I didn't like the "pressed glass" sound to it. If you can hear the limiter at work, then you've applied too much limiting.

Can you hear the limiter at work here? Detail demands some. Depth of sound demands you not hear it. That's the fine line.

 

[Manslick]

I don’t hear anything I’d point to and say that is limited. If the waveform is accurate then there’s not much of what I’d call limiting.

 

[K-dub]

I don’t hear anything I’d point to and say that is limited. If the waveform is accurate then there’s not much of what I’d call limiting.

I'm no fan of the brick.

I like things to sound clear and glued together well, but not like everything is plastered up against the loudness limit.

 

[Manslick]

Are you trying to hit the YouTube max?

 

[packrobottom]

I can't hear any overall entire mix offensive limiting. However drums/snare sounds too compressed and I like over compression. Also vocals are a bit too far back and not present enough

 

[rob aylestone]

I thought the same as manslick - the waveform looks unlimited to me - I certainly cannot hear limiting.

 

[K-dub]

I thought the same as manslick - the waveform looks unlimited to me - I certainly cannot hear limiting.

There's actually a fair amount of limiting going on in sequence, but I employ a lighter touch - tending to "trim the tops". Each individual track is between -20 to -30 db ... so I'm giving myself a ton of headroom. I used to mix as close to 0db as I could get. I've just recently changed my approach to allowing a ton of wiggle room. That way, when I hit the limited to increase loudness, I've got plenty of play.

 

[K-dub]

I can't hear any overall entire mix offensive limiting. However drums/snare sounds too compressed and I like over compression. Also vocals are a bit too far back and not present enough

The drums arrived compressed, so medium compression is baked into the tracking. I consequently tend to apply a rather light touch to further processing - although I believe I may have hit these slightly harder due to them getting "active" at various parts of the arrangement and wanting to pop them through clearly. I'll revisit.

I'm slightly taken aback on the vocal comment - as I'm more often accused of having everything too forward. Accordingly, I'm quite happy to make that adjustment.

 

[K-dub]

Are you trying to hit the YouTube max?

That's a consideration. I recently discovered that online sites have hard stops w/ loudness. Facebook, for example, doesn't let anything get over -14 LUFS. So going above that will automatically be adjusted downwards. Spotify has one too - and I think it's the same as FB.

 

[bouldersoundguy]

That's a consideration. I recently discovered that online sites have hard stops w/ loudness. Facebook, for example, doesn't let anything get over -14 LUFS. So going above that will automatically be adjusted downwards. Spotify has one too - and I think it's the same as FB.

If they process the audio for loudness, loud things just get reduced in volume. In order to bring things with more dynamics up to spec, they would have to apply limiting.

 

[dobro]

I have no idea if I'm hearing limiting or not. I'm hearing a great tune that makes my body move. Done.

 

[Papanate]

Can you hear the limiter at work here? Detail demands some. Depth of sound demands you not hear it. That's the fine line.

I hear limiting - across the whole piece - the drums are super compressed - the bass has something going on - the keyboards are top limited - the gutiar has compression - and it almost sounds like you have a spatial plugin or something - but non of it sound wrong at all - interesting piece — Whose on Vocals?

 

[K-dub]

I have no idea if I'm hearing limiting or not. I'm hearing a great tune that makes my body move. Done.

@Trojka KILLS the ending w/ his guitar groove. It's amazing what "twiddly guitars" can yield for results.

 

[K-dub]

I hear limiting - across the whole piece - the drums are super compressed - the bass has something going on - the keyboards are top limited - the gutiar has compression - and it almost sounds like you have a spatial plugin or something - but non of it sound wrong at all - interesting piece — Whose on Vocals?

It's definitely baked into the mix for purpose of clarity. Drums were sent compressed - bass is SLIGHTLY tightened. I have no limiting on the guitar (other than the two buss) but electric guitars are naturally compressed sounding anyways.

Great ears on the spatial plug in. I have a Izotope widener on the whole mix. It enhances the width of the soundstage.

This is me on vox.

 

[K-dub]

If they process the audio for loudness, loud things just get reduced in volume. In order to bring things with more dynamics up to spec, they would have to apply limiting.

I think they just "abnormalize" to -14LUFS

I'm sure all the sites have their standards. I used to notice on FB that I'd upload and have to turn the volume up to get to where the mix was originally. Izotope says most rock mixes are mastered to roughly -8LUFS - so that's a bit of a drop.