I need help mastering please!!! Can't get it loud enough!

[Thedeloshimself]

The title says it all. I'm not really a pro at all or even close when it comes to mastering. and no matter what I do I can't get my recordings as loud as "real/professional" recordings and it drives me nuts. Even if I slam the shit out of the compressor and have the entire song riding at right about 0db it's still quieter than other recordings.

Here's my theory that I've yet to test (because I might shoot myself if I do any more work on this track tonight); I think theres frequencies ( mostly low mid and bass) that are accounting for the "volume" that's making my track peak so I have to turn it down but when I turn it down and its compressed then the majority of the volume is still coming from these frequencies but I don't know where theyre coming from.


anyways regardless of what I think I know theres a million people on this forum who could smoke me at mastering/mixing so I'd really appreciate any help I can get.

Also, The recording seems to sound worse as you turn the volume up, things become more muddy/less clear etc. Does anyone else have this problem where at a relatively medium level it sounds "great" but when turned up it turns to shit?


the track is called Truth it's on my soundclick for download.

www.soundclick.com/delosgermaine


I'd also be more than willing to put up the un mastered version if someone would want to master it for practice

 

[bryan.batiste]

put it up raw i'll give it a go

 

[Thedeloshimself]

whats the best way to give you a wav file

 

[paladin shredder]

your theory is correct, the bass and low mids are eating up your headroom.

boosting certain frequencies, like 1k and 3 k, help give you a perceived loudness. here's an example of what boosting those frequencies (and 10k) about 4 db does to your mix.

http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/333261/truth eq.mp3

eqing the right instruments is key to getting your mix as clear and in your face as possible.

 

[bryan.batiste]

whats the best way to give you a wav file

getdropbox.com is the best way to go

 

[Thedeloshimself]

Ok here's the raw mix http://dl.getdropbox.com/u/1994423/Truth.wav

Yeah the more I listen to it the more I can tell the bass and low mids need to get cut because theyre just making everything muddy. I just didn't know where it was coming from because I cut alot of bass and low mids from the guitars so it might be coming from the kick drum idk. or all 4. I'll work more on the mix today and post an update later

Thanks