I don't think using the UM is really a good idea for mastering. Try using the UM on the individual kick sample. That should make the kick fuller and louder. Then wack it in the sampler and get your loop going. The same with other sounds.

Some tracks sound louder becasue they have thicker samples in them. Another way is to use a compressor rather than the ultrimaximer for mastering. The C1 does a really good job. That should enable you to bring all the sounds in line and level. Compressing the sounds is important too to make each sound fuller, although this is really what the UM does.

sorry if that doesn't make sense, I've been drinking a bit.

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The thing with digital music is that you can't go beyond the 0dB level. So when a sound has a high peak at say -0,1, the rest of the sound can't go much louder.

But the human ear picks up sound differently. It listens to the average volume and not the loud peaks. This is why compressors are so important. The reduce the peaks in sound and make the average louder. The human ear will than perceive the sound to be louder.

I hope this makes sense, or else you should read some guides about compression. There are lots of them here in the forum. Just use a search...

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Use more highs on the instruments and mix your lead sounds out in front. That's how they got mixes to sound so loud and focussed in the 1950s-60s. Also listen at a low volume to see if anything is "buried". Make sure none of the instruments sound weak and/or mumbly.

I understand what you're saying guys. But still, I do not get the same results as some other people that posted here.
Here is what I do:
-compress individual tracks during mixdown, especially the basskick
-equalize the mixed track
-compress the mixed track
-treat it with Ultramaximizer

The material sounds tight and punchy, but not loud enough compared to other tracks.
I also understand that digital cannot go above 0db because it will distort in a bad way, so I guess that doesn't leave me with too many options because my studio is digitally based.

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entranced

Programs like Izotope Ozone and T-Racks have settings that really let you boost your output without going into distortion. I personally prefer Ozone because it tends to colour the sound slightly less, but I know alot of producers here on TA use T-Racks.

I recently started using t-racks and have been getting incredible results with it. The Ultramaximizer is good, but it's not enough on it's own to do a complete master. You should be using it in conjunction with at least a comprehensive eq and a multiband compressor.

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Hey XLS,
why do you say 'AT LEAST a comprehensive equalizer and a multiband compressor beside ultramaximizer'. That's what exactly I use for mastering.
Is there anything else you use?

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entranced

some people will use stuff like exciters, even a very slight reverb at times can add a finishing touch to a track (depending on the song).

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I see people here recommending compression on the overall mix and it makes me cringe.

The truth is, multiband compression works much better on the overall mix than single band.

The human ear can hear sudden increases or drops in high frequency information better than low frequency. So, if you you use a compressor on an entire track, when the compressor is working on the bottom end of the mix it will sound find, but a pumping noise will be audible on the top end. Solution: multiband compressing. You can tighten up the bottom end, make middle more prominent and the top more present. Waves C4 is great.

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quote:

Originally posted by Design ... 'AT LEAST a comprehensive equalizer and a multiband compressor beside ultramaximizer'. That's what exactly I use for mastering. Is there anything else you use?

I'm not trying to offend, but do you really know what you're doing with these tools? Make sure you've got your mix right, then master carefully. If you've got the tools, you should be able to get the results. And if you're not, maybe you're not using them right.

Check out the CM guide to mastering for some good advice.

when it comes to mastering the waves tools are superior to both T-racks and Ozone once you learn them...

but as I've probably have said like 20 times now on this forum...mastering is an art, it's not something you can learn by reading a tutorial, okay you can learn the basic theory but to be able to master your tracks good you need to practice, practice and practice even more....if you are new to mastering the tools doesn't matter, you have to do it right in order to be able to make any difference between for example T-racks or waves or ozone...

when it comes to masteringtechnique you can't just put on a L2 ultramaximizer and think your'e done...

this is where the masteringchain comes into the picture, the masteringchain is basicly which tools you use and in wich order you use them...

for example my general chain looks like this...

EQ
C1 Compressor
EQ (not always needed)
Imager (for stereospreading or narrowing)
C1 Compressor
L2 Ultramaximizer

that's a very very general chain and depending on the track I master I might have to put in another EQ or compressor somewhere in the chain but one thing that's always shure is that I finish it of with the L2

that's a little about mastering, read more about it in the "exploration of mastering" thread that's sticky

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