Am I overdoing it with this Mastering Chain?

[MetalMiller]

MetalMiller, do you mix into the bus comp from the start, or do you add it at the end of the mix, in the mastering session?

In any case, 8dB of GR with a plug-in is a lot, I've never been able to exceed 5-6dB of GR without the mix started to pump in an unpleasant way.

Secondly: how much gain do you add with each instance of GClip?

Giuseppe [giubis]

Yes, i mix into the ssl between -6 and -8db (-8 is the very maximum). when the mix starts to pump, than i know something has to much energy. Usually kick or bass are fuckers. As for Gclip, not that much on mastering stage. As said i clip the drums in the mix too. All in all 3 instances of Gclip.

Here´s a video wich shows my chain:

 

[lolzgreg]

I use a clipper on snare and kick on their individual busses some times, but never on the whole mix.

I would just use a compressor and limiter on your master, and call it a day.

 

[pikachu69]

If you need more than one comp and clipper/limiter to get your master loud and proud, then there IS something wrong with your mix somewhere. More than likely it will be unbalanced EQ.

 

[guitarguru777]

They have deicded to go elsewhere to master it. They understand I was new to it and there is no bad blood.

We gave it a shot. They are extremely happy

 

[brianhood]

dude i would drop the harmonic exciter. I used to use one and it adds a weird fizzy high end to the guitars that sounds terrible. I can definitely here it in the guitar tone on this mix.

 

[mephisto_loh]

Man the best Advise as dcb said. avoid to master your own mixes and if you can't, make it on another studio, room or environment different than your mix room. Sometimes for mastering I use commercial speakers(not near fields), headphones and even listen the mix into a audio car system. On purpose of the mastering is to make the mix sound good in a wide range of speaker systems.

 

[Backe]

I'd place GClip after the compressor, so that you're clipping the sweet compressed signal rather than giving the compressor a hard time figuring things out.

 

[JoergieN]

That mix sounded pretty fucking good to me

 

[LeSedna]

I'd place GClip after the compressor, so that you're clipping the sweet compressed signal rather than giving the compressor a hard time figuring things out.

The whole point of clipping is to happen before a compressor... so ?

 

[AEL89]

I'd place GClip after the compressor, so that you're clipping the sweet compressed signal rather than giving the compressor a hard time figuring things out.

You don't want the compressor to react so heavily to transients so its definitely better to clip first. Still a pretty hectic mastering chain. EQ, comp, limiter usually does it for me.