Mastering tips?

[natelikesoreos]

I'm just curious what are some of the types of plugins or techniques people are using to pump up their mix a little bit?

I'm not really sure how to get my recordings to a somewhat commerical volume without killing it.

Any advice?

 

[ahjteam]

I'm not really sure how to get my recordings to a somewhat commerical volume without killing it.

Wrong approach. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loudness_War

edit: Listen to Metallicas Black album for example... Its heavy as hell, still has dynamics but its not quiet either. It has RMS average of -15dBFS or something like that, while the current commercial heavy metal records have been pushed to like -8dBFS

 

[natelikesoreos]

Which was why I said somewhat. I'm not looking to squash my music, but I don't enjoy it sounding completely weak compared to other music. It may be my mixing techniques, which is probably part of the reason why I'm asking for advice...

 

[Unavailable]

Here you go: http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/equipment/359124-master-bus-plugins-saturation-compression.html

 

[punkrockacademyfightsong]

It sure has a LOT to do with mixing techniques! I've noticed a huge difference in what I need to do mastering wise with for instance my own mixes (but also some other peoples' mixes luckily) and some other peoples' mixes I have mastered.
Some sound nice and powerfull and hit -12 db average, while others need to be totally squashed to almost -8 db average before sounding somewhat powerful.
I believe a lot has to do with parallel compression, bus compression and (the right) masterbus saturation.

 

[-Noodles-]

Mastering will make a 10% difference on a mix.

If the mix is great, the master can only really make it worse by distorting it.

If a mix is bad, a master can do a little save it - but not make it good.

Mastering and giving it a little level before burning off to clients at the end of the day are two VERY different things.

Don't try and over cook your mixes - leave them sounding great on the output... Don't limit, and if you HAVE to compress on the master bus - DO NOT DO more than 2dB reduction. [I guess this applies if you want a professional master,.. not if you're doing it yourself, although people can do it themselves to great affect.]

 

[mintcheerios]

Look for the getting your loudness thread here. It has gobs of great info.

 

[::XeS::]

Uhm...This is an hard argument because lot of times I have my mix that doesn't sound powerfull...or better, it doesn't sound powerfull as the mastered version. Punk mentioned the parallel and bus compressions but...I mean, when you compress the bass, the voice, the single drums parts, parallel compression on the drum buss, a little compression and saturation on the master bus...what do you have to compress? I try for days and days different compression on different bus but it doesn't sound powerfull like a great master maximizer. I'm not saying that this is the right way to follow, but it's my case/problem.
Anyway I don't think it's this big problem....I hear albums mixed and mastered by super famous producer that are totally squashed and iper compressed but no one seems worry about this.

 

[colonel kurtz]

in my opinion, the best way to getting a mix that can be mastered loud is to keep your levels down while tracking!! stay far below 0dbfs when tracking...then when your tracks are summed, you'll actually have some headroom to play with and eat up before every distorts to shit.

 

[natelikesoreos]

thanks for all the advice, really helped. i checked out the loudness thread, i think i spent most of the day reading through that stuff and trying their suggestions. helped out a lot.

 

[JBroll]

Very silly thread, that Loudness mess.

Jeff

 

[-Noodles-]

in my opinion, the best way to getting a mix that can be mastered loud is to keep your levels down while tracking!! stay far below 0dbfs when tracking...then when your tracks are summed, you'll actually have some headroom to play with and eat up before every distorts to shit.

I try to have it around -18dBFS when I bounce out...for that exact reason!

 

[Fragle]

but then again, i recall fredrik nordström saying in an interview that he tends to run his mixes quite hot, in order to give the mastering engineer less room to fuck up so to say.

that's something i'm often wondering about anyways...how is it possible that many professional CDs that are mastered by real professionals are clipping all over the place, whereas e.g. stuff around here often tends to sound clean and punchy, while still being as loud as commercial releases - just without all the clipping??

 

[JBroll]

I'd guess that less big-label pressure and fewer detached bands might help...

Jeff

 

[if6was9]

ALOT of guys here are using clippers like Gclip instead of heavy limiting, Slate recommended using 2 in series each doing a bit of work.

 

[Metaltastic]

Using two GClips rules, but CHRIST do you have to be careful with it - get a decent pair of headphones in as quiet a room as possible and listen back to make sure you don't hear any clipping (especially check parts where only one guitar is playing, and when you get big hits like floor toms) - I always use two, and then Voxengo Elephant after with the Master's Punch +3 db preset (and a few tweaks to it after that, such as upping the stereo linkage, enabling the DC filter + dithering, and dropping the output gain to -0.5 dB

 

[-Noodles-]

Also, the mixes are more punchy and great sounding because they're not as hot.

They're not being as hard pushed to squeeze out that extra 1dB RMS, or requiring to be done in 3 days [full CD].

There are a lot of pressure (as someone's already said) so mistakes can happen easily. The GClip thing is pretty interesting, I use Logic's Compressors in a similar way, but it's still easy enough to clip something even with all the best gear and knowledge.

People tend to forget that it's Audio Engineering, utilizing ears and not gears.

 

[baffo]

Hello, Im a new user!I take the opportunity to present,
Im Daniele from Italy, i like alot this forum and yours pro tips!( and excuse me for my english)

Listen to Metallicas Black album for example... Its heavy as hell, still has dynamics but its not quiet either. It has RMS average of -15dBFS or something like that, while the current commercial heavy metal records have been pushed to like -8dBFS

I mixing mostly brutal death and grind, and I have listen many type of a different mixing and mastering techniques
just appoint the last one of origin (thats break ass at -12/13dbrms and the cut over 16k it's brilliant as christ) and the Ills of despised icon (-7dbrms) thats have a fucking sick reverb on the punchy snare and i love it.
But to return in topic, I like to use saturation on the bus, stillwel plugin works perfectly IMHO, i use the rocket hpf and parallel compression works amazingly and as last touch i use a little bit of bad buss mojo(or inflator), saturate as hell!
And I push the mix at -16/15 to a -8dbrms, the mojo will save the world.

 

[Recgek]

Hey Daniele, how about posting a screen grab of your BBMojo settings? Would be interesting. Thanks...