Why do I get different levels when maximizing?

bvd

New member
At least I THINK I'm maximizing. I'm using the 'Mastering Compressor 2' preset in Sonic Timeworks CompressorX. It appears to really max out the wave file, and so far it seems to give me what I want.

I notice however, that from one song to another some are obviously hotter than others. I'm careful to keep the individual tracks very uniform
from one song to another, before mixdown. I was hoping that would help eliminate final level differences. And I use the same process in the same order with every song.

So what's up? Could I be simply dealing with varying 'energies' from song to song? Isn't the maximizing step supposed to give a uniform loudness?
 
oh boy....... where do I start?!?! (rhetorical question) :eek:

To answer your last question - no, maximising does NOT give you uniform levels. Human hearing perceives loudness based on frequency distribution of a given signal. Plug-ins have no way of determining "loudness" as it relates to human ears. This is why Mastering is a skill and art-form and why there's no such thing as "maximizer presets"...........

To adjust for uniform levels from track to track, there's NO other options except actually using your ears........................
 
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