Master bus and grouping question. HELP!

[xmortumx]

Hey what sup.

So yeah i was wondering what do you guys usually do with your master bus when mixing.
A) Do you guys add some sort of plug in to prevent it from clipping? maybe light compression?
B) Leave it at unity and just mix at a lower level?
C) Lower the master bus volume?

Also i had a question about grouping.... Do you guys group instruments for example like all drum tracks (e.i Kick snare, toms, and Over heads) to go to a stereo group track and if so... Do you guys then add any plug-ins... compress it, limit, eq? By grouping can i add more punch to drums without affecting the rest of my tracks.. in particular bass. Usually my bass and kick collide

Im asking this because im just wondering how others go about mixing... having trouble with a my mixes they sound to ummm... NOT IN YOUR FACE. And i though that by grouping maybe i cant add more punch to my tracks without seeing the clipping. If you have any suggestions please let me know.

 

[paladin shredder]

my master fader is at unity gain, individual tracks are all over the place from -20db to +6db generally. it's really a matter of finding the right compressor for the mix bus, preferably something that is modeled after a sought after vintage compressor. you definitely don't want one that sounds like a "plugin," think brands like ssl, neve or universal audio.

for example i love the massey L2007 on the master bus (while it's technically a limiter). in fact i actually use two, the first in the chain has slow settings and the second has faster settings, with no more than 3db for the threshold. and while they are limiters, my settings are slow enough so they don't clip the transients really badly.

i also do group drums and guitars and such, but not to overall boost all of something at once (like all the drum tracks), just for muting one group of instruments if i want to listen to another for mixing purposes. i like to adjust individual drum tracks in the mix, not all of the drums at once. i do parallel compression with the drums and bass sent to one compressor together, and then all of the guitars to another compressor, and then blend the compressed signal with the original tracks. this helps even out transients and fatten the sound a bit. this will also allows for very little compression on the master fader.

 

[xmortumx]

Thanks for replying, i think i better learn more about parallel compression. Is there some link here someone explaining parallel compression?

So for example im using cubase. Would i send the kick and bass tracks to another track and use a compressor plug to compress both tracks?

Kinda confuse how i would have to set it p in my daw.

 

[paladin shredder]

basically set up a compressor in one of your send effects, and whatever you send to it, make sure you send %100 of the signal. i'd recommend kick, snare, toms, and bass. get some heavy compressor settings going where it really squashes the signal, with no faster than a medium attack. use the output level of the compressor to adjust how much of the compressed signal you want in your mix. start with the compressor volume all the way off and slowly bring it up to where you like it.

 

[xmortumx]

o okay. Ill try it tomorrow, and if i have any more concerns ill let you know.

Btw.... when i use the send's for each tracks should they be pre, or post?

 

[xmortumx]

Whats the difference between side chaining and parallel compression?

Dumb question but i was reading other sticky thread and im curious whats the difference, or pretty much same thing?

 

[paladin shredder]

i would say post fader for parallel compression. this should help explain pre and post fader.

basically if you send something out pre fader, the volume of the original audio source effects the amount of signal that is send out. so you turn the fader down and your audio is going nowhere else. post fader means the volume of the original audio source does not effect the amount of signal that is send out. meaning you turn the fader all the way down, but that audio is still being fed to where ever it is being sent.

side chaining is basically sending one audio source out to something else, like sending your vocal to a reverb effect, and then blending the amount of effect with the totally dry (unaffected) signal. parallel compression is a technique that uses side chaining.

it might be in my best interest to start charging you for answering these questions.

 

[smy1]

it might be in my best interest to start charging you for answering these questions.

Especially cause the answers are ALL OVER the friggin' internet and this site already ... :zombie:

 

[JonWormwood]

Especially cause the answers are ALL OVER the friggin' internet and this site already ... :zombie:

I thought it was pretty helpful.