| Author
|
Master channel mixing
|
psyraal
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
77
Posts :
768
Posted : Mar 4, 2011 23:27:03
|
Well, hello again, this is a question i've been wanted to ask you for a while, and this will probably be helpful to a lot of people 'out there' and 'inside'.
Do you apply, or better yet, what do you apply to your master channel on your track? Ok, let me explain this question a bit more..
Do you apply some kind of compressing, limiting or equing on your master channel so your sounds can't reach your db's peak meter roof (top, right up there)..? Oh and i mean in the mixing stage, not the mastering stage..
And if you do so, how do you do it? And for what specific purpose?
Peace and thanks 
https://soundcloud.com/neervos |
|
|
|
willsanquil
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
93
Posts :
2822
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 00:00
|
In the mix stage the only time I have anything on the master channel is when I'm playing around with stuff that might make my levels go all crazy so I just put a brick wall limiter on the master. Besides that, never anything on the master, all the compression/EQ is done on the individual channels or a group channel.
If you want to make an apple pie from scratch...you must first invent the universe
www.soundcloud.com/tasp
www.soundcloud.com/kinematic-records |
|
|
|
psyraal
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
77
Posts :
768
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 00:03
|
Quote:
|
On 2011-03-05 00:00, willsanquil wrote:
Besides that, never anything on the master, all the compression/EQ is done on the individual channels or a group channel.
|
|
Yes i know that we should eq individual channels, but that's not the thing, in the mixing stage, do you let your overall sounds hit the red upper db's?
https://soundcloud.com/neervos |
|
|
|
willsanquil
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
93
Posts :
2822
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 00:22
|
hit the red on individual channels? or the master?
The answer to both is no. I try to aim for my master fader being between -6 and -3db, and I never intentionally let anything hit red ever if I can avoid it.
If you want to make an apple pie from scratch...you must first invent the universe
www.soundcloud.com/tasp
www.soundcloud.com/kinematic-records |
|
|
|
supergroover
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
39
Posts :
1505
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 00:47
|
this has been discussed many many times. Best to search the forum for more info.
I don't put much on the master channel except cutting the really low stuff <20. Would not recommend to use anything. if you are mastering your own track it is best to do that on the final bounce/ export imho.
soundcloud.com/supergroover |
|
|
|
psyraal
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
77
Posts :
768
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 01:24
|
Quote:
|
I don't put much on the master channel except cutting the really low stuff <20. Would not recommend to use anything. if you are mastering your own track it is best to do that on the final bounce/ export imho.
|
|
Right, so you're saying that i/we should leave the master channel hit the red upper db's and in the mastering stage that can be fixed.. Is that it ?
https://soundcloud.com/neervos |
|
|
|
monno
Grapes Of Wrath
Started Topics :
9
Posts :
454
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 02:17
|
|
psyraal
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
77
Posts :
768
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 02:48
|
Quote:
|
On 2011-03-05 02:17, monno wrote:
Actually quite the opposite unless you would like overs  If the level is to low for you while making the track turn up the volume somewhere else, say your speakers. Nothing in mastering can "fix" a track that is too hot for itīs own good, so itīs best just to back the fader up a bit instead. Red is a signal color you know, it means stop  Keep the fader at a comfortable level while still leaving some headroom to avoid clipping.
|
|
So, the solution is to turn the main fader a bit lower .. Right?
Quote:
|
And yes master bus effects (or not) has been exhaustively debated already
|
|
Sorry about that dude
https://soundcloud.com/neervos |
|
|
|
orange
Fat Data
Started Topics :
154
Posts :
3918
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 04:29
|
|
PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 05:38
|
|
yep there was lot of discussion about the peaks and headroom but just grouping all the volume faders and lowering them is not that time consumming ,when you see the red light, lower volume,loudness is not a problem at mastering if the mix is ok . |
|
|
|
monno
Grapes Of Wrath
Started Topics :
9
Posts :
454
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 13:46
|
|
orange
Fat Data
Started Topics :
154
Posts :
3918
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 14:00
|
|
psyraal
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
77
Posts :
768
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 15:05
|
Ok i'm a bit lost now, some say leave it hot but not that hot, others say leave it cool so the mastering dude can work with it, so do you advise leaving the master channel fader at it's default position and change the other individual faders.. or do you advise instead to get the main fader a bit lower so it won't hit the red light.. ?
And thank you all
https://soundcloud.com/neervos |
|
|
|
sideFXed
IsraTrance Junior Member
Started Topics :
22
Posts :
430
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 15:22
|
if you lower the master fader you decrease the qualitiy you are able to export. so it's best to avoid that.
as the others said, leave the master exactly at default and fix it in the mix. leave some overall headroom so you never clip the master bus. think about what should be the main elements of your mix. be sure that your mix isn't overcompressed so you get some movement on the master bus. finish your track  and export it.
from there you can apply all them fancy dynamics processing like eq, compression, multiband compression, limiter. these allow you to get the rms up and control overall volume.
say you left headroom of -5 -6 dbfs, compress that with 2:1 with a bit of treshold so the compressor starts to work. Now use the gain of the compressor to get the sound louder. try to approach again a headroom of around -3 db. apply a limiter with about -2 to -5 db treshold. Now your sound get's much hotter. take a look at your rms levels now and you should already see and hear quite a substantial volume increase. a/b comparison should reveal that you now need to adjust the volume of your soundcard or you blow your ears
the limiter should be set so the loudest peaks are at -0.3 db so you never clip your resulting audio file.
that's just a basic mastering chain and in no means very sophisticated. but it maybe gives you a look into gain staging, post mixing processing and lets you have a look into what you can do to adjust the overall loudness.
soundcloud.com/epsylohm |
|
|
|
psyraal
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
77
Posts :
768
Posted : Mar 5, 2011 16:11
|
ok let me explain my current problem, my track doens't pick except for the booms parts, but that's is being taken care of, but apart from that my track is fine, but when i play it, the drums solo (kick, bass, hi hats, snare/claps) doesn't hit the red light, but if i play with the rest of the song leads, fx etc it starts to go up to the roof, now, i can reduce those red light hittings to be a lot more smooth in those busy parts, but i can't do that to every single bar on the track, so that's why i need a overall solution that can give me some guidance in turning my track smoother, so when it gets to the mastering stage, the track can be hot but not that up volumed hot..
(sideFxed, thank very much for your anwser dude)
https://soundcloud.com/neervos |
|
|
|
