Final master question

[B36arin]

I just got my band's album back from pro mastering, and am making the DDP image to send away to the printing plant. I have one small concern though, hopefully some of you guys can help me.

The master makes my CD player and my computer's internal soundcard clip when the volume is turned up to maximum. If I back off the volume on my CD player/mac and raise the level of my stereo the clipping disappears. Is this something that happens to all CDs?

The ME put the limiter's roof to 0 dB, not -0.1 or -0.3. This may or may not be the reason, but when I lowered the gain on my master by 0.3dB I still get the same error... Quick help would be appreciated, I want to be able to send the master away as soon as possible.

 

[Proggm]

What sampling rate is your computer working on? (the one with the internal soundcard)

 

[Taurean]

Very simply this just sounds like you are breeching the operating level of the source player. Keeping in mind, those are more or less common preamps/consumer converters that are not made to be cranked. Just like adjusting volume on an ipod in the "safe" range so that the output doesn't distort. Adjust volume at the stereo destination where it's a poweramp, made for adjusting [increasing] volume. Which explains why lowering the track still produces the same results. In fact lower it by 10 dB and crank the source player and you'll still hear this distortion.

 

[B36arin]

That's what I thought too, but I've never noticed this on other CDs, maybe because I haven't listened very closely to it. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't doing anything wrong before sending off the master, but it seems as if I can't do anything in the mastering stage to prevent this from happening.