IMPORTANT (to me) - Is this master ok? Elephant meters say it's -7dB RMS!

[Erik Monsonis]

Hello folks!

I'm finishing mastering the album for the Spanish thrash metal band Aggression, as some of you may know it's going to be released internationally by XtreemMusic. I'm doing the mixing and mastering for this album.

Well, the thing is the band wants it loud, and the label wants it to be not only loud, but the loudest album in their roster.

I've never liked loud albums, I've always liked some punch and dynamics on music, but these guys have forced me to master it really really loud. I think it still sounds allright, I'll send this if you guys don't hear audible and distracting clipping .

http://files.getdropbox.com/u/425433/Aggression/final master test.mp3

v2 http://files.getdropbox.com/u/425433/Aggression/final master test v2.mp3

I've scanned it with several meters and no one shows clipping, I've played with sample sizes and oversampling on limiters so it doesn't clip above 0dB peak anywhere, although there may be clipping transients due to the Gclip plugins.

I compared A/B it to some commercial albums I like the sound of, and this one is louder, but flatter, as I guessed...

My question is, is this sounding any good even being so loud?

Cheers!
-Erik

 

[gcso238]

the snare sounds too synthed to me. just a thought brotha

 

[Fox Mulder]

The clipping is very mildly audible. I think you can go ahead with it.

Btw, just a thought- you need a bit more of higher mids. This sounds great, but way too 'shiny' for metal.

 

[Erik Monsonis]

Thanks guys!!

I don't like the snare too, usually like more natural and fat ones, but the band wanted it thin and bright, which leads to that kind of sound...

I see if it needs more high mids, although it sounded already too bright for me

 

[DaveBlack]

in the intro it sounds like there's something going on. Im listening through headphones and my music player is on like the lowest volume possible and I can still hear it. Not so much in the rest of the song but def in the intro.

 

[FIXXXER]

the kick sounds so fucking great, nice job man!
+1 on the snare, sounds like a 808 electro thing

i can hear some bad low end resonance on the guitars but i have
to admit that my actual monitoring situation is not the best.

nice job!

cheers
S.

 

[JoeJackson]

Holy fuck is this loud ... my ears just fell off

 

[qwe]

man it sounds great but... never heard such a loud mix before...
maybe am huge noob but it sounds like drums are not with the click all the time... or guitars are not... it sounds weird on some parts for me x)
i like the sound though... hey am just speaking my thoughts here so i hope thats ok didnt mean to be a dick or something x)

all best mate!

 

[Splat88]

Ahhhhh! Way too loud for me. I think you were able to get it that loud because there doesn't seem to be any weight or power in the low end at all. It sounds like all upper register to me. That being said, the guitars still sound amazing!

 

[Metaltastic]

Well, the thing is the band wants it loud, and the label wants it to be not only loud, but the loudest album in their rooster.

I believe the word you were looking for was "roster" Erik

Anyway, there's a really weird sorta "hiss" sound to the air of the snare's decay (after the initial attack); it's really distracting, and I'm thinking might be an artifact from the overall loudness maximizing. Taming that air before the mastering would probably help, but yeah, right now it's very bizarre (thank you Tannoys ). Do you have access to stems by any chance, or just the stereo wav? Otherwise, I suppose it's good, though there's a fuckload of overall crispness, I'd make a subtle cut around 4k (but don't quote me on that) which I think would help smooth things out a bit. I gotta say, I really like the bite of the guitar tone; any idea what they used?

 

[Erik Monsonis]

I googled for that word cuz i doubted, but didn't manage to write it correctly anyways

 

[Erik Monsonis]

The drummer and guitars are not tight in tempo, because they didn't record to a click, also guitars are quad tracked, so I have to say the guitarist did a pretty good job quadtracking to such a bad time reference.

Anyway, there's a really weird sorta "hiss" sound to the air of the snare's decay (after the initial attack); it's really distracting, and I'm thinking might be an artifact from the overall loudness maximizing. Taming that air before the mastering would probably help, but yeah, right now it's very bizarre (thank you Tannoys ). Do you have access to stems by any chance, or just the stereo wav? Otherwise, I suppose it's good, though there's a fuckload of overall crispness, I'd make a subtle cut around 4k (but don't quote me on that) which I think would help smooth things out a bit. I gotta say, I really like the bite of the guitar tone; any idea what they used?

I have all the files because I've mixed it
Yep, there's something fucked up with the snare, I'll fix it right now an post it later. I think it's some reverb reflection clipped and limited to fuck
Maamar says i should bring the upper mids up, you suggest me to cut them a bit... I'll trust my ears for this time

About the amps... They tracked it with an ENGL Powerball into ENGL v30 Standard into dual SM57 into API512c in the studio.
Thank goodness they also recorded DI tracks I could use to replace 100% the amped tracks and used SoloC clean > 8505 > Ryan's "2off-preshigh.wav" plus a fuckload EQ, 'cause that goddamned amp is the worst shit I've ever had to work with, Mudball should be the amp's name
Leads are the same SoloC clean > 7170 > Recabinet Ghandi 6L6 SM57 Center.

Bass is DI >> POD Farm >> brickwall (waveform is a square block )

So, things to do: Fix that snare, enhace lowend, get a damn english dictionary

Thanks and take care!!
-Erik

 

[Metaltastic]

Haha, so you're gonna trust your ears...and do what? Neither boost nor cut? And I was thinking it was something in the snare verb that was making that sound. And great job on the tone dude - though I hate to break it to ya, but Lasse has been calling it the mudball for years

 

[Erik Monsonis]

Lasse was right for years then

Now I get why all his hatred on the Powerball

 

[16S]

..and Lasse knows his amps, but in particular case it doesn't sound like a mud ball.

 

[Erik Monsonis]

..and Lasse knows his amps, but in particular case it doesn't sound like a mud ball.

Because I used the DI's instead, and "reamped" them thru 8505 and impulses

 

[Erik Monsonis]

http://files.getdropbox.com/u/425433/Aggression/final master test v2.mp3

I think I fixed it (or definitely fucked it up), but I've been working on this all the day, so I need a damn rest.

 

[Jevil]

Fucking unnatural, but doesn't sound bad, I like it, but I would prefer less RMS. Congrats anyway!

According to Soundforge...
The original sample is: -4,0 db RMS (equal loudness contour) and -8,1 RMS average.

Lars Ulrich must be annoyed, you win!

 

[Fox Mulder]

Maamar says i should bring the upper mids up, you suggest me to cut them a bit... I'll trust my ears for this time

You can try boosting the higher mids and going easy on the highs, IMHO. Keep everything subtle. All in all your mix sounds good enough, way better than some of the independent productions we hear out there.


Cheers!

 

[eternally_gutted]

hey, did you use your dandelium bass patch or new patch?