Providing stems for mastering while mixing with a 2buss comp

[Audiosprite]

I've been experimenting with mixing using a 2buss compressor lately, just some very light gr from ozone pending on what I'm doing. But, if I were to send stems to a mastering engineer, the compressor would treat each stem very differently than when every section is playing, which would dismantle the mix at mixdown. Is there a way around this?

 

[Tommy Evans]

I just came across this problem myself but it was while I was exporting vocal tracks from a 'vocal project' into the 'song project'. I ended up just reapplying the 2bus comp on the vox tracks when necessary.

 

[hkollner]

Interesting..... I would also like to know a solution for this.

Maybe mix without the compressor and compress the vocal, drum, guitar buss separately.

As for gluing the mix then....I don't know

 

[Gonzo666]

If you have a 2 buss comp and you would like to export the stems for stem mastering, just try this:
-export the mix WITHOUT the master comp
-reimport the mix
-now activate the 2 buss comp
-send the reimported mix to 2 buss com via sidechain
-export each stem
this way the 2 buss comp is working like it gets the whole mix but you can export your stems separately

 

[MetalMiller]

Mmhh, save Ozone Preset and insert it on your groups. You have to group your stems of course.

 

[Severu]

Or, tell the ME to add the buscomp first in his mastering chain.

 

[luismars]

If you have a 2 buss comp and you would like to export the stems for stem mastering, just try this:
-export the mix WITHOUT the master comp
-reimport the mix
-now activate the 2 buss comp
-send the reimported mix to 2 buss com via sidechain
-export each stem
this way the 2 buss comp is working like it gets the whole mix but you can export your stems separately

This or just export them and send them with a note with the settings just in case.

 

[LeSedna]

What he said you need the mix export as a ghost track to trigger the comp on every stem group

 

[jENK]

Just send both. A stereo buss mix with the compressor on and stems without it. Inform the mastering engineer of this and let him decide. He might prefer the mix and not use the stems, or use the stems and hit them with a compressor first in the chain. I stopped using compressors and EQ's on the mix buss. If it's not sounding right, I go back to my individual tracks and tweak. I know some guys like a compressor at the end to glue the mix together, but if you're running compressors on your busses and your mix is balanced right, you don't need it.

 

[Audiosprite]

If you have a 2 buss comp and you would like to export the stems for stem mastering, just try this:
-export the mix WITHOUT the master comp
-reimport the mix
-now activate the 2 buss comp
-send the reimported mix to 2 buss com via sidechain
-export each stem
this way the 2 buss comp is working like it gets the whole mix but you can export your stems separately

That'll do it, thanks.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

You'd better send the stems uncompressed, and make a note that you mixed with "whatever compressor you had" with "whatever ratio, attack, release, GR, etc". Leave the master buss compression to the big boys

 

[BLUElightCory]

If you have a 2 buss comp and you would like to export the stems for stem mastering, just try this:
-export the mix WITHOUT the master comp
-reimport the mix
-now activate the 2 buss comp
-send the reimported mix to 2 buss com via sidechain
-export each stem
this way the 2 buss comp is working like it gets the whole mix but you can export your stems separately

This will work, but you don't have to export the mix. Just send the tracks to a stereo bus, and use the stereo bus as a key input for the bus compressor on each stem.

 

[jackbraglia]

You'd better send the stems uncompressed, and make a note that you mixed with "whatever compressor you had" with "whatever ratio, attack, release, GR, etc". Leave the master buss compression to the big boys

exactly, sending compressed tracks to a ME is a great way to get them to hate you. lol. but like brett said, if you really like the feel that your particular master compression gives your mix, just send those details over to the ME...in which case he will promptly ignore them

 

[pikachu69]

You'd better send the stems uncompressed, and make a note that you mixed with "whatever compressor you had" with "whatever ratio, attack, release, GR, etc". Leave the master buss compression to the big boys

+1

 

[Uros]

If you mix into 2b comp, that is not applicable tho. In fact, stem mastering for a mixed-into-2busscomp song is quite impossibru.

 

[MaorAppelbaumMastering]

I recommend not to print the stems with the 2buss compression for a number of reasons.

1- the 2 buss compression was set to work on the entire program and not on the stems which means that it will sound different when only processing the stems in comparison to when it was processing the whole signal and being triggered by the different elements of the mix.

2- If the person who is using the stems to create a " New Mix " in order to Master it will have stems that are all processed and will be adding all the processes on to each other ( adding more processing to the processing ) which mean more and more compression will be applied in the end result ( if this is what you are looking for then do use it ) and the sound will change even more do to the passing of the each stem signal in the 2 buss chain - so coloring will be added much more.

3- The process will reduce the signal to noise ratio (in case its a 2 buss analog chain) and bring up the noise ( Hum / Hiss / Mains / Static / DC )
so it will be harder to clean it up.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

Hey Maor good to see you here dude

 

[fsgdjv]

You'd better send the stems uncompressed, and make a note that you mixed with "whatever compressor you had" with "whatever ratio, attack, release, GR, etc". Leave the master buss compression to the big boys

I agree with everything you said except the last sentence. If your way of mixing is by mixing into a master bus compressor (ie not putting it there AFTER you're finished with the mix) it's important for your mixing and it's a part of the mix and nothing else. (proper) Mastering engineers can live with this, and it's a part of the MIX and nothing else.

 

[Brett - K A L I S I A]

Sure, but if you have to send stems, you just have to remove it. And if you're sending your stereo mix to a mastering engineer, in my opinion you're better off sending an uncompressed version (as well as a compressed version, why not) with the note I spoke about.

 

[Donovan S.]

I agree with everything you said except the last sentence. If your way of mixing is by mixing into a master bus compressor (ie not putting it there AFTER you're finished with the mix) it's important for your mixing and it's a part of the mix and nothing else. (proper) Mastering engineers can live with this, and it's a part of the MIX and nothing else.

+1. This is especially true when mixing with lots of gain reduction on the bus comp. I typically use anywhere from 5 to 8 db of gain reduction on most of my mixes. Without the bus comp the mix literally falls apart.