Why do my mixes sound like crap on the radio?

[Alexis Machine]

OK, so I *finally* finished mastering my band's CD. God, what a pain.

It sounds good in everything we play it in, so I'm not worried about that. I'm worried about how it's going to sound on the radio.

I've got T-Racks, and I've been running my mixes through it using the FM preset as sort of a test, since of course I don't have access to a radio station.

They have this nasty crackle sound in them in certain parts, usually on clean rhythm guitar or in vocals, and occasionally cymbals.

I can't figure out what to do to fix it, or really if it even *needs* fixing and that's just the nature of the beast.

Any suggestions?

 

[sonusman]

Any suggestions?

Yes. Send it to a competent mastering engineer. Since it is being played on the radio right?

Ed

 

[toadies]

Radio quality is uselly recompressed after mastering, from what i heard. All they care about is loud and loud. no quality in radio anyway. I don't listen to the radio.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

OK, so I *finally* finished mastering my band's CD.

That's your first problem... self-mastering doesn't work - period. Even without all the high-end gear an ME has, at the very least you need an objective set of ears to listen and analyze to your project's sound quality. Something you CAN'T do yourself, no matter how much of a DIY'er you are.........

The second benefit is the audio experience, proper monitoring environment, and tweaking a professional mastering engineer can bring to the table. Again, this is something you can't get with s/w monitoring in a living room (figuratively- speaking, since I don't know your actual setup!)

 

[Alexis Machine]

Yes, I understand all that. BELIEVE me, I would have MUCH preferred to have it sent off somewhere, but it's not in our budget. Possibly we can get it *re*mastered in the near future, but we can't afford to do anything now. So we're stuck with DIY.

Is there anything I can *try*, at least?

 

[TexRoadkill]

From your description it sounds like it is distorting. I'm not all that familliar with TRacks but I wouldn't put too much stock in a software 'Radio emulator'.

If the mix and mastering is done right then it should translate decently to radio. If you're worried then just beat them to the punch and compress the hell out of it.

My guess is that if you get into the situation where it will receive a lot of radio play then you won't have a problem finding somebody to finance a professional mastering job.

 

[Alexis Machine]

From your description it sounds like it is distorting. I'm not all that familliar with TRacks but I wouldn't put too much stock in a software 'Radio emulator'.

If the mix and mastering is done right then it should translate decently to radio. If you're worried then just beat them to the punch and compress the hell out of it.

My guess is that if you get into the situation where it will receive a lot of radio play then you won't have a problem finding somebody to finance a professional mastering job.

That's what we're hoping for.

Define "the hell". Should I do overall or multiband?

 

[malcolm123]

That's what we're hoping for.

Define "the hell". Should I do overall or multiband?

I would get it played on the radio and see how it acutally sounds. While its's getting played,, If you are actually in the radio station control room,, I would listen to it there.. While all of that is going on,, I would have several people record it as well as the next 3 or 4 sounds and compare them to your.

Then make a radio version for the local stations and a ride around in the car version for you and your buds.

Just get a nice clean mix.

Good Luck
Malcolm

 

[Alexis Machine]

I would get it played on the radio and see how it acutally sounds. While its's getting played,, If you are actually in the radio station control room,, I would listen to it there.. While all of that is going on,, I would have several people record it as well as the next 3 or 4 sounds and compare them to your.

Then make a radio version for the local stations and a ride around in the car version for you and your buds.

Just get a nice clean mix.

Good Luck
Malcolm

I've been playing around with that off and on all day, actually. I'm just not sure what to *do*.

Being in the control room while it's playing shouldn't be a problem. The two radio stations here that do local music shows pretty much have an open-door policy concerning the local acts; just drop by.

I've got what we consider to be a good mix now. It sounds like it's supposed to on a variety of equipment, from big stereo systems to tiny portable boomboxes to Discmans - even sounds good in MP3 on my tiny Labtec desktop speakers (no, I didn't use those for mixing ).

So really - should I not worry about it? On the one hand, it seems to me like (as a lot of you are saying) if the mix really *is* good, I shouldn't *have* to worry about radio quality (which sucks anyway - Wish You Were Here by Incubus is on now and it sounds like crap). But on the other hand, I don't want the public to think we have a second-rate, inferior product that's going to sound in their car like it does on the radio.

God, I hate radio.

 

[Son of Mixerman]

Why would one want to simulate a radio mix before it goes on radio. One thing I might say is that radio processors are very complex and I doubt that any software could reproduce it effectively. Best thing to do is have it Mastered by a reputable Mastering Engineer, he will do what is required to make your CD "radio ready" as well as make usre you CD is tolerable for more than 3 minutes at a time. Mix it to the best of your ability and leave it alone. Hack Mastering will work against you after the radio processors get done with it. Hypercompressed static discharged farty phats are not what I want to hear on my radio. Cleaner the better.

my two drachmas.

SoMm

 

[homeuser]

Yep, just get a good mix, get a good master and forget about it. No 2 radio stations have the exact compressor settings anyway (well maybe clearwater does!!). Seriously, as long as your mix/mastered version sounds good don't worry about it.

Why did you name the subject line like you did? It sounds like you haven't even had it played on radio yet???