| Author
|
Pre mastering/Final Mix level??
|
Brain Hacked
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
111
Posts :
442
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 07:14:52
|
Wich is the recommended pre mastering level??
I ask this because a label will release some of my tracks, they will do mastering and they ask that my tracks must be -6db, rms value i aasked and they sayed yes. Most of my tracks are -2db, too high i guess. Anyway is this -6db an average value? wich is the recommended value in the final mix?
|
|
|
Brain Hacked
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
111
Posts :
442
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 07:18
|
|
Wich is the best plug in to get the most accurate value? i use ableton live, should i trust the master value? |
|
|
|
Elad
Tsabeat/Sattel Battle
Started Topics :
158
Posts :
5306
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 08:19
|
|
~d2~
Inactive User
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
751
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 11:55
|
+1 for -6dBfs
Though if you need to turn master fader down then there is a chance you could be clipping a plug-in. Better to NOT push individual tracks that much and just keep it nice and clean all the way through.
As for accurate meters, for the actual mix this is not to important if you follow the -6ddBfs rule.
Otherwise you want an inter-sample peak meter, like this free one :
http://www.solid-state-logic.com/music/X-ISM/index.asp |
|
|
|
Medea
Aedem/Medea
Started Topics :
127
Posts :
1132
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 12:48
|
|
Colin OOOD
Moderator
Started Topics :
95
Posts :
5380
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 14:41
|
Quote:
|
On 2009-02-16 07:14:52, Brain Hacked wrote:
Wich is the recommended pre mastering level??
I ask this because a label will release some of my tracks, they will do mastering and they ask that my tracks must be -6db, rms value i aasked and they sayed yes.
|
|
They misunderstood you, I think. RMS level is pretty irrelevant for a pre-master; the only really important thing is that the track must not clip. Peaking at -6dBFS (FS=Full Scale, so 6dB of absolute headroom) is what you should be aiming for. Most mastering engineers prefer to have about that much white space at the top of the waveform to cater for increases in level from EQ and compression etc. (and to make their mastering sound all the more impressive!), but it's not strictly necessary, especially if most of the mastering processes are 32-bit digital, as in these cases you can decrease a plugin's output level with no loss of detail.
The peak meters on the output buss of your DAW are exactly the tool you need to be looking at when checking your track's peak level. Make sure - as ever - that you don't have ANY processing on the master outputs! I've just had to master a track for a VA that was limited at -6dBFS by the artist, and it's a fucking pain in the arse.
 Mastering - http://mastering.OOOD.net :: www.is.gd/mastering
OOOD 5th album 'You Think You Are' - www.is.gd/tobuyoood :: www.OOOD.net
www.facebook.com/OOOD.music :: www.soundcloud.com/oood
Contact for bookings/mastering - colin@oood.net |
|
|
|
~d2~
Inactive User
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
751
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 14:46
|
Quote:
|
On 2009-02-16 14:41, Colin OOOD wrote:
Make sure - as ever - that you don't have ANY processing on the master outputs! I've just had to master a track for a VA that was limited at -6dBFS by the artist, and it's a fucking pain in the arse.
|
|
What about bus compression for those that like to use it for a bit of 'gel'? |
|
|
|
Nectarios
Martian Arts
Started Topics :
187
Posts :
5292
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 14:46
|
One more question. Say someone is recording the final mix into the sequencer from a mixing desk. I heard in the past when I was in Uni by this guy from Digidesign (I think) that was doing a seminar on Pro Tools that apparently the highest resolution of a ADC is at the -20dB range.
Is that true or was he taking the piss?
http://soundcloud.com/martianarts |
|
|
|
~d2~
Inactive User
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
751
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 15:00
|
|
Did he give an explanation to why? |
|
|
|
Nectarios
Martian Arts
Started Topics :
187
Posts :
5292
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 15:10
|
He went into some extremely geeky stuff about converters and digital electronics, I don't remember what he said to be honest + it was in my 2nd year in Uni...2001 and college years (lager and weed) have depleted my memory cells somewhat.
http://soundcloud.com/martianarts |
|
|
|
~d2~
Inactive User
Started Topics :
7
Posts :
751
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 15:16
|
Well I have not read anything that comes anything close to his claim. I can understand saying something like there only really being a dynamic range of 120dB even on 24 bit due to the noise floor of the electronics etc. And that on more budget/consumer equipment this will be less, sub 100dB.
Did he stipulate RMS or dBfs? |
|
|
|
Colin OOOD
Moderator
Started Topics :
95
Posts :
5380
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 15:28
|
Quote:
|
On 2009-02-16 14:46, ~d2~ wrote:
Quote:
|
On 2009-02-16 14:41, Colin OOOD wrote:
Make sure - as ever - that you don't have ANY processing on the master outputs! I've just had to master a track for a VA that was limited at -6dBFS by the artist, and it's a fucking pain in the arse.
|
|
What about bus compression for those that like to use it for a bit of 'gel'?
|
|
My POV would be by all means write with it so you know what to aim for with your mix for the eventual result you want, but send the mastering engineer versions both with and without your buss compression, so they know what you want but have an uncompressed version to work on.
Putting anything on the master buss in mixdown is second-guessing the decisions the mastering engineer might make to get the effect you want. Personally speaking, when mastering I prefer to get the spectrum balanced/corrected/whatever with EQ before I compress (working on the theory that the perfect mixdown needs no EQ, only compression and limiting), and if the track has already been compressed on mixdown this is obviously impossible.
Mastering - http://mastering.OOOD.net :: www.is.gd/mastering
OOOD 5th album 'You Think You Are' - www.is.gd/tobuyoood :: www.OOOD.net
www.facebook.com/OOOD.music :: www.soundcloud.com/oood
Contact for bookings/mastering - colin@oood.net |
|
|
|
Nectarios
Martian Arts
Started Topics :
187
Posts :
5292
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 15:41
|
Quote:
|
On 2009-02-16 15:16, ~d2~ wrote:
Well I have not read anything that comes anything close to his claim. I can understand saying something like there only really being a dynamic range of 120dB even on 24 bit due to the noise floor of the electronics etc. And that on more budget/consumer equipment this will be less, sub 100dB.
Did he stipulate RMS or dBfs?
|
|
Don't remember.
http://soundcloud.com/martianarts |
|
|
|
Brain Hacked
IsraTrance Full Member
Started Topics :
111
Posts :
442
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 16:19
|
|
Thank for ur replies they helpmed me out so much....I realized my finalm ix was a bit too loud (-2db) at least was my impression, now i lowered to -4 db and i think it sounds ok i wont go to the -6db rule righ now. |
|
|
|
Colin OOOD
Moderator
Started Topics :
95
Posts :
5380
Posted : Feb 16, 2009 16:34
|
|
