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Master Output STILL clipping. WHY????
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| AirPole |
| So, after a hard day of work in Logic Pro today, I noticed that I had inserted a limiter on the master output. So it's not clipping. However, when I 'bypass' the limiter, my master output clips about 5/6 DBFS, although the loudest thing in my mix is -6DBFS, and everything around is mixed to the kick, so the other channels are even LOWER than -6DBFS. What the hell? Do I have to mix all over again? Even quiter? I won't be able to hear it that way. Or can I just lower my master fader by 6DBFS? Thanks for the help! |
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| Senator Clay Davis |
its because you have more than ONE CHANNEL @ -6. if there are info on the same frequencies on the different channels the dB will add up, causing distortion. lets say you have a baseline and a kick at the same time and freq, both at -6dB. this will usually add up to -3dB. imagine what would happen in higher areas (vocals, synths, drums) all adding up. ofcourse it clips. lower everything and start eqing away stuff that clash. and believe it or not; sidechain.
short answer: lower the master. |
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| kevin shawn |
When this happens to me I lower eveything including the kick again and re-mix it until levels are proper. My kick is usually around -10 to -13 when it comes time to bounce I raise it by a few db to add that extra thump. My master is always empty.
If it's too quiet just turn up your volume louder. Or turn down your master volume I guess but I've never done that. |
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| AirPole |
So, if I lower my master to abnout -5DB, that's not a problem. It just seems weird. The previous track I did was mixed at even higher levels, and it didn' clip so much. It's so frustrating. I understand that the master output is the sum off al tracks together, but that would mean that I have to lower my master to about 5/6 DB every time I start on producing a track? That is just annoying :(
And besides that, this would mean that when I finish a track, and bounce it down, and let someone listen to it, it would sound very soft in volume, maybe too soft if you get my point.
Edit: about EQ'ing. I have EQ's on every individual track in my Logic project, and sidechaining too on some tracks, so that shouldn't be the problem. I am so effing confused right now. |
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| Senator Clay Davis |
as i said, try to avoid the individual channels hit each other on the same time or frequency. AKA EQing and sidechaining. you could have DC offset going too though. run through a spectrum analizer just to make sure. or put on a DC remover.
edit: you cant just eq whatever. the point is to remove things that other channels are playing, do not boost. some of your elements might be taking up too much space in the mix. but -6dB is a pretty loud single element i tell you. lower everything. |
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| AirPole |
| Ok, so I will put the volume of my monitors up way higher now, so I hope I clip less when I'm mixing down the track. Thanks for the help all of you :) |
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| Senator Clay Davis |
| watch you ears. mixing at lower volumes usually gives better results. |
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| AirPole |
| Okay. So it's better to just lower the fader of my master output then? The only problem is that the track comes out way less loud when I bounce it from Logic :( |
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| Senator Clay Davis |
no its your mixdown which is the problem if it sounds low. eq away stuff. does that snare need all that lowend? does your kick need all that energy around 500Hz? could the baseline be lowered abit. and make sure baseline isnt kicking the same time. this is a mixing problem. please dont thing anything else. high pass stuff. sidechain stuff. make all the elements thinner. and do the DC check.
Ive had the same problem with a few tracks of mine, and i just had to delete everything and start over with the mixing. the worst track of mine have over 90 takes and it still sounds like ass, i found out it was better to move on. sometimes it just wont work. |
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| Seandroid |
You need to fix your mix down. Your volumes are so high because you have too much stuff in the same frequency range.
Think about it, if you have a bunch of sampled percussion sounds, a lead synth, a mid bass... etc, and all of these are adding energy in the 200-500hz range, it's going to add up and sound like nasty mud.
You need to cut the unnecessary frequencies. High pass your lead synths and percussion to get rid of any unnecessary low mud that isn't adding anything to your mix, make sure that your sub bass doesn't have too much in the mid frequencies, that's where your mid bass should be...
Think about it like a puzzle. Each synth and sound has a place in the frequency spectrum and you don't want too much in any one range. |
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| CReddick |
| All these replies are great. Set your kick so it hits at -10dbfs or lower and mix off that. Yes, you'll need to turn your speakers up... worth it. |
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| AirPole |
Like I said: I have EQ's on every instrument channel in my project, cutting away almost everything until 200 Hz, so EQ'ing is not the problem!!! I cut the low end from synths, pads, white noise swooshes, drums (except kicks) and sometimes even highpass from 500 Hz or 1000 Hz on, so the EQ'ing is not the problem. I sidechain a lot of stuff, so that's not the problem either.
Anyway, I fixed my problem. I have put a Gain plugin from Logic on my master stereo output. It's set to -6 DB. I contacted a producer to see how he tackled this problem, and this is the way he does it. |
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