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Multiband compressors
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Mihkel
Started Topics :
4
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26
Posted : Jul 16, 2011 18:42:19
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What is your favourite software multiband compressor for mastering?
I have systematically tryed probably all free ones, but haven't find any what i actually like in master channel. Setting them up is always long and dirty work and most of times dry version sounds still better after ear resting pause.
Also I have tried Ozone and Maxsimus demos and don't like them so much to buy them.
How and then you use them?
  http://mihkel.bandcamp.com/indexpage
http://soundcloud.com/mihkel |
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Mihkel
Started Topics :
4
Posts :
26
Posted : Jul 19, 2011 20:28
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Norman|M
Started Topics :
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15
Posted : Jul 19, 2011 21:30
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Hi mihkel,
are you mixing projects or do you master projects of other people?
If you want to use a mb comp while mixing, i have to tell you:
Leave it!
If you need a (software) mb comp on the 2bus, your mix isn't well balanced & proper! Go back to the channels and busses and fix it there.
If you master projects of other people its a bit dificult to go back into the mixing stage. then you should use one.
I made good experience with the uad mb comp.
if you have problems setting them up, try a good analyzer to help you find the untamed frequencies. but don't use your eyes too much. Use it as a helper to calibrate your ears to find the frequencies without optical processors.
i am a mixing engineer. my experience in mastering is to low to really help you. ozone and co., all these mastering suites are good to make a quick (demo)master, but thats all in my opinion.
i am sure that an experienced mastering guy will always be much better.
all the best
Norman
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Mihkel
Started Topics :
4
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26
Posted : Jul 19, 2011 23:26
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Thanks for the replay.
Actually I am just messing around, trying different tools available and searching places for them in my music.
For me its really interesting to try out and compare different models.
Most of times I don't do pseudo mastering for my songs at all, but lately I needed to master one of my songs for one competition.
I tried to achieve "standard" loudness levels.
First I tried different freeware limiters but couldn't find any good compromises with them.
Then I tried most of freeware mbc´s out there to check out what they can do to achieve "standard" loudness. Found them totally useless for that purpose.
I think that to reduce peaks and to make things louder, fast attack and release times are needed, but all free mbc´s that I tried sounded horrible with these settings. (even with small amounts).
So I am thinking now that probably there are some shareware ones that sound better with fast attack and release.
Of course mixing well and tweaking sounds for optimal dynamics in the first place is the base, but I am interested to define what is that little extra, that mbc´s can give. http://mihkel.bandcamp.com/indexpage
http://soundcloud.com/mihkel |
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Norman|M
Started Topics :
8
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15
Posted : Jul 20, 2011 02:45
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Hi mihkel,
you mix itb, and you want to use free- and shareware. You don't wanna pay for tools and you won't use cracks.
Am i right?
Do you want a clean transparent mbc that just puts everything more side by side with a bit more punch or are you looking for a coloring decice with its very own sonic signature?
i am getting tired now, must sleep... but i would like to continue talking with you about mbcs on the master bus. i dont have experience with free- or shareware. i am interested.
btw there are many things to mention, cause we are talking about very very hot signals. perhaps its just digital (intersamplepeaks) or even analog clipping in the output stage of your DA converter for your monitors
good night man
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Jul 20, 2011 05:35
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like Norman|M said you should fix the balance in the mix if possible wihtout mb.
mb are not much used as mastering tool in traditional music cause imo it will degrade more the sound of a great mix insteed of making it better ,it s debatable but i can assure you top mastering engeinners that i admire never use mb , anyway it s not comparable to electronic music cause they get higher quality mix .
i was just saying all this cause it s really in the mix you should fix stuff if possible but sure for us mb can do wonders and save some mix that could be better .
i master some tunes since years but not that much,i m beeing more serious into it since not long but take all this with a grain of salt..all this is debatable offcourse and there is no rules whatever work .
at mastering imo if your mix is decent 70% of the work is in the equing ,if it don t work try mastering just with a eq and a limiter for a while to get better at equing , the problem is the hardest part of equing is having a good room and monitors.
about the mb i think it s not the one you use the problem but how you use it.
-the more you compress a band the more it can go in front in the mix.
-lowend for pa should not have much dynamic,
there is almost no transients info, try medium/fast attack and medium /long release , start long release and reduce until it sound good,usully i don t want the pumping to fuck the mix , just a little if it help(what ever works again ..)
it tighten the low end of the mix if needed.
- mid range you use slower attack to let transient pass ,release start long and reduce it until it s start to pump then make it a bit longuer.
it can add depth to the mix
- high frequencies a bit faster attack than middle range ,the transients beeing shorter , release do the same as middle ,start with long around 600/500ms reduce until pumping is audible then make it a bit longuer.
try to get more clarity.
-usually low to highs the less i compress.
if 4 band usally i use 1 for the low 2 for the mids and one for the highs.
- use the solo button to fine tune. frequency masking is one thing that make mixing way harder imo... even when mixing i can use a mb in solo for fine tweaking other stuff.
i try to avoid mb and give advice on the mix to get one better if possible or i don t master if it sound garbage cause it s too much assle even if some of these mix can get a incredible boost in quality it s hard to be satisfied by the end result
hope it helps.
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Mihkel
Started Topics :
4
Posts :
26
Posted : Jul 20, 2011 19:47
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Quote:
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Norman|M wrote:
Do you want a clean transparent mbc that just puts everything more side by side with a bit more punch or are you looking for a coloring device with its very own sonic signature?
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I am probably looking for coloring device to crush my peaks a little bit in beautiful way and and achieve a little loudness at same time.
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Norman|M wrote:
you mix itb, and you want to use free- and shareware. You don't wanna pay for tools and you won't use cracks.
Am i right?
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Yes, but seems that there is´nt any good free mbc´s out there for coloring purpose, so I am searching now for something cheap and good.
btw, what "itb" means? 
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PoM wrote:
mb are not much used as mastering tool in traditional music cause imo it will degrade more the sound of a great mix insteed of making it better ,it s debatable but i can assure you top mastering engeinners that i admire never use mb , anyway it s not comparable to electronic music cause they get higher quality mix .
i was just saying all this cause it s really in the mix you should fix stuff if possible but sure for us mb can do wonders and save some mix that could be better.
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Totally agree.
I started to thinking that best use for mbc´s is in really repetitive music there are´nt big changes in tonality and dynamics anyway.
biggest problem using effects in electronic music master is probably that they can make song generally better sounding, but they can easily destroy some small but important details, like fills, hits, breaks and breakdowns.
I am thinking that applying same settings for whole song didn´t work very good. different parts need different settings.
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PoM wrote:
use the solo button to fine tune. frequency masking is one thing that make mixing way harder imo... even when mixing i can use a mb in solo for fine tweaking other stuff.
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Sometimes i find tweaking bands in solo mode misleading. Its easy to tweak all bands to perfect in solo mode, but putting them all together again needs always additional tweaking.
Started to thinking about using mbc to glue kick and bass. need to try it out
Also sorry for my bad English, I am probably misleading with some sentence structures.
http://mihkel.bandcamp.com/indexpage
http://soundcloud.com/mihkel |
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
162
Posts :
8087
Posted : Jul 21, 2011 01:21
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in solo you can hear better the treshold/grain reduction attack and release.
if you want color you can use a clean one and something with color just behind it, something subblte that add harmonics.
haven t find one i m very happy with same as you ,i wonder if this thing exist maybe demo flux alechemy or the vengeance one |
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PoM
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
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Posted : Jul 21, 2011 02:34
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Nectarios
Martian Arts
Started Topics :
187
Posts :
5292
Posted : Jul 24, 2011 13:07
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I only use multiband compressors on resonant sweeping synths in order to have more control over the dynamics of the differrent bands in the spectrum as the cut off is sweeping the spectrum.
I don't use them on mastering our or other people's tracks.
Any inconsistenices that might be in other people's mixes I ask for stems in order to have more control over the mix and get the job done properly.
Peace out.
http://soundcloud.com/martianarts |
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makus
Overdream
Started Topics :
82
Posts :
3087
Posted : Jul 25, 2011 00:57
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Upavas
Upavas
Started Topics :
150
Posts :
3315
Posted : Jul 25, 2011 10:08
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Quote:
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On 2011-07-24 13:07, disco hooligans wrote:
I only use multiband compressors on resonant sweeping synths in order to have more control over the dynamics of the differrent bands in the spectrum as the cut off is sweeping the spectrum.
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Great idea, thank you, will give it a try .
Upavas - Here And Now (Sangoma Rec.) new EP out Oct.29th, get it here:
http://timecode.bandcamp.com
http://upavas.com
http://soundcloud.com/upavas-1/ |
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Upavas
Upavas
Started Topics :
150
Posts :
3315
Posted : Jul 26, 2011 05:06
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Vermeee
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
108
Posts :
1069
Posted : Jul 26, 2011 23:40
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do u guys know cq1 from sonalksik ( however it writtes lol )
a dude these days had taught me to use the multiband compresor cq1 to "equalize" the bass and the kick... i found it very cool...
i had no experience with multiband compresors before and always wondered for what it could be used...
but the tecnic would consist in usin one of the notches to give power to the low area where the bass fundamental s hitin ....
and usin another notch to cut the mid-high the region from 300 to 500
well basicly the same u d do with the equalizer... but it seems with the cq1 u get more power...
dont know if its right tho....
http://soundcloud.com/bgos |
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komanderkin
Started Topics :
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Posted : Aug 7, 2011 19:28
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