Mixing/Mastering question

[natasinfected]

Cheers guys...

I am working with some recorded tracks just messing around looking for tones, micing positions, etc. When I export the mix and save it as a mp3, wav or whaterver, the volume is so low that I need to raise it a lot in any audio device.

If I try to rise knobs (channel or master) in Cubase the, it clipps... Is there something else that I can try in the mixing stage?

I know that mastering your stuff will help you increase the final output (as well as many many other things). I have never mastered a thing, so I was wondering: is there a mastering plugin (like the ones posted by Daunt here) that will help me increase the output to a "standard" volume? Am I missing something in the mixing stage?

Thanks in advance guys,

 

[fistula]

you need to use compressors and limiters.

for limiting use G-Clip (free vst plugin) w/ or without waves L2 - jut remember L2 kills drums especialy snare drums - so use maximum -2 thrashold

for mix bus comp you can use any compressr (this is needed to almost kill dynamics))) hahah just kiddin) i prefer waves V-Comp or R-Comp... the sonalksys is great too...

so the chain would be comp->limiter (limiter is the latest if you use L2 with builtin dithering)

limiting is needed to increase the powerof your music (RMS) use some meters or your ears to find compromise between loudness and listenability

 

[Ihsahn1981]

Check what channels are used when Cubase is exporting.
Im a Nuendo user so it might not be exactly like in Cubase, but when I do export I can choose what channels to use
when exporting. I always select "Stereo Out".

If that doesnt help then a limiter on the master fader should help.

 

[wishtheend]

Also, check out the Timeworks Compressor - similar to the L2 but I notice it doesn't kill the drums as much.

 

[natasinfected]

Kick ass guys! Let me try your ideas.

 

[fistula]

Timeworks Compressor - is almost the same thing as gclip but it's not free - its an clipper limiter - that catches clips

L2 catches peaks - so its peak limiter....

 

[ahjteam]

If I try to rise knobs (channel or master) in Cubase the, it clipps... Is there something else that I can try in the mixing stage?

Turn your monitors louder, not the tracks. Just make the mix sound good at low/medium volume and leave atleast 6dB's of headroom for the mastering process.

 

[natasinfected]

Turn your monitors louder, not the tracks. Just make the mix sound good at low/medium volume and leave atleast 6dB's of headroom for the mastering process.

That's exactly what I wanted to read... That means that there is no problem if the output is low in the mixing stage, so the idea is to get a kick ass sound and no clipping regardless the low volume as it can be rised to a standard volume later!

 

[scorpio01169]

That's exactly what I wanted to read... That means that there is no problem if the output is low in the mixing stage, so the idea is to get a kick ass sound and no clipping regardless the low volume as it can be rised to a standard volume later!

i'm not understanding what you mean low in the mixing stage. are you keeping your master fader at unity and adjusting the channel faders to do your mixes? or are you turning all your channel fader way up and bringing your master fader down to control clipping? (which is the wrong thing to do)

 

[natasinfected]

i'm not understanding what you mean low in the mixing stage. are you keeping your master fader at unity and adjusting the channel faders to do your mixes? or are you turning all your channel fader way up and bringing your master fader down to control clipping? (which is the wrong thing to do)

I do not use the master fader to control clipping, I use the channel ones. With the "low in the mixing stage" stuff I mean that when I export the song to a mp3, wav or any audio file and then open it with WMP or Winamp or burnt it to a cd, it is far low compared to any album's volume. Even the tracks people use to upload around here sound louder than mines. I hope this helps to clarify.

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

Yeah, the loudifying process is part of mastering. Although you mix does have an effect on how loud you can master it, but it's mostly a matter of how loud your drums are, if you have too much low/high end that isn't really audible, and that sort of thing.

If you aren't sending somewhere to get mastered though, you do need to do that. The reason peoples mixes on hear sound loud, is because most of them do a "faux master" (just putting L2 or Gclip or whatever on the Master bus) or actually master it themselves.

 

[Deadstar]

Turn your monitors louder, not the tracks. Just make the mix sound good at low/medium volume and leave atleast 6dB's of headroom for the mastering process.

don't get this part.. u mean that you have to keep mix at -6dB?

 

[whitedamp]

don't get this part.. u mean that you have to keep mix at -6dB?

You don´t HAVE, but it´s a good thing to do. If you don´t leave headroom for mastering, everytime you raise a dB on an eq the sound is going to clip. Of course, if you need to boost something more than 3dB on the mastering stage probably there´s something wrong on the mixing stage, but anyway, there´s no reason to do not leave a good headroom on the final mix.

 

[Deadstar]

got it

 

[beyond dead]

anyone know of a clip limiter in au format????

 

[ahjteam]

anyone know of a clip limiter in au format????

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