When do iStop mixing vocals to readymade instrumental and proceed to mastering stage?

[kronique]

Hi all, having troubles resisting the urge to make my music as loud as possible in the mixing phase so as to escape mastering alltogether. I need to know what tricks are out there to help one know when to stop and move on or if mastering can be done on the fly by adding plugins to the master bus.

By the way I have a really wack gear IMO USB mic, Samson CO1U a Mac Mini with 4GB worth ram, REAPER daw and its stock plugins and below is the link of my latest mixing a cover of AVICII inst. Please have a listen would love to hear any advice. Thanks in advance.


please listen

https://www.reverbnation.com/Genera...me-more-christmas-avicii-cover?pwc[branded]=1

 

[mixsit]

You.. 'presume' I guess? that you think you need 'mastering.. at all, and that it needs to be louder?
How about / why not- just make / mix the track to where and how you want it to sound like?

Making it louder' by default changes the tone', density, 'vibe of the mix. And it's your mix.

I need to know what tricks are out there to help one know when to stop and move on ...

That ..is a good question.
When ('by the time' usually..) you get to where you think a mix is as good as you can get it.. you are up to you neck in it.
Answer; Step away for a while. Maybe a day, many hours, a few days.
Now listen again ..as far as you can get to "as if the first time. And/or, string it together with some other tracks/music. If you're like me, you might hear all sorts of sh*t.. 'things to improve'.
This is one of the core reasons traditionally (and still in pro circles).. someone else does it.

or if mastering can be done on the fly by adding plugins to the master bus.

Yes you are allowed to put things on your mix bus.

 

[Bobbsy]

I don't know if this will help you but a trick I use...

When I think my mix is close, I walk away from. I go make a coffee...check for email that sort of thing. Overnight is even better but not always possible.

Then I come back to the mix, sit back in my chair and listen to the whole thing with my eyes closed so there are no distractions from waveform displays or whatever. I find this really helps me to be analytical and decide what's working and what isn't. If I'm lucky, it all sounds good and I'm finished, usually I decide to go back and make a few changes.

I'm going to take issue with one thing: making it louder doesn't change the tone of the mix so long as you stick to simple level changes. Obviously the differences come in if you start using compression and limiting though...which is why I try to get the dynamic range as close as possible to what I want during the mix stage and tinker with it as little as possible in mastering.

Note that I'm not usually working on the style of rock music most people on this forum do...so YMMV.

 

[mixsit]

Yeah I shouldn't have said 'tone that wasn't right. I was thinking 'tone in other ways than freq. balance but, better to have just skipped it.