When to boost levels?

[electricabanana]

Hi.

i have recently realized i was recording too hot, and now record at what seems to be the generally accepted level (around -21 or -18). obviously, this is quieter than i am going to want for the finished product (i think final mixzes should peak close to 0db, n'est-ce pas?).....by the way all the level numbers i am refering to are the scale that is used on the computer side of things, as opposed to the mixers and preamps i'm using.

my question is, at what stage in editing do i make it louder. should i mix the (quiet) tracks in cubase-->then mixdown-->then normalize the mixdown. or alternately, normalize each individual track before mixing so that the mixdown is at a reasonable level. does it make a difference?

also, i dont think i fully understand what mastering is (as seperate from mixing). i have a loose sense that it involves doubling tracks to increase volume or something...i think i've also heard of using tube preamps for mastering...????....can anyone point a newbie to a good mastering basics resource (i tried searching, but it yielded too many specific results, nothing general...).

thanks in advance for sharing your wisdom!

 

[Jamz0r]

Don't worry about boosting the level. If you master the tracks, you can boost them at that time.
It's better to master quiet tracks, than tracks that are hot and have no headroom.

You should read up on mastering. The things you mentioned are recording/mixing techniques.

 

[Massive Master]

You need to lose the distinction here - Recording tracks at around 0dBVU (which would generally translate to levels dancing around -18dBFS) isn't "quiet" - It's "NORMAL." It is NOT normal to record "hot levels near -0dBFS" - That's overdriving your input chain. Not the way they do it "downtown."

Now that's out of the way -

The *LAST* thing you should be concerned with is the overal level of the mix. Again, not something that should occupy your concentration during mixdown. You should be concentrating on making a well-balanced and good sounding mix.

And if you have a bunch of tracks flirting around -18dBFS, you're going to have peaks up in the area of -6, maybe -3dBFS anyway. Again, not quiet - Normal.

And generally, doubling the tracks and tube preamps aren't what most would call "normal" mastering tools & techniques - But there's a lot of information out there...

 

[electricabanana]

Thanks for the help.

I know (as of recently) how to set it up so i dont overdrive my input chain (and totally notice an improvement in sound quality), when i say its quiet, i mean in relation to other (mastered?) tracks.

for example, if i mixdown from cubase, and was to then burn the mixdown onto a cd side-by-side with a song from a commercially produced cd, mine would obviously be much quieter. is there a standard/best way to get my mixdowns up to the right level?

should i normalize the mixdown?

feed it through a preamp and re-record the amplified signal?

put multiple copies of the mixdown into seperate tracks in a multi-track setting and then mixdown again?

i know these are basic questions, and i would be happy to do research on my own, i just dont even have the vocabulary to properly search for what i need to know.

is this process what mastering refers to?

any suggestions/links/advice appreciated

 

[Massive Master]

The "quick and dirty" way would be to just ram it into a limiter.

Keeping in mind that it's the "quick and dirty" way...

A monkey with a limiter can make a mix as loud as any commercial recording. Getting it loud *and good* is a completely different story.

 

[electricabanana]

and to get it loud *and good* one would...

 

[TexRoadkill]

and to get it loud *and good* one would...

Spend a few years working with compressors, limiters and EQ until you realize you still can't get your mixes to compete so you send it out to somebody with decades of experience and really nice equipment and have them master it for you.

Study up on compressors and limiters to get you started.