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Exploration of mastering (pg. 4)
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| SgtFoo |
I found some stuff from a file of notes i wrote a while ago...
Please excuse the oddly placed weird characters... this was all copied from a Word doc.
...edited for trance production mostly...
Mastering Notes ¡V Techniques, Tips, Ideas, etc.
-a master copy is the final cut mix of the track
-mastering allows the track to sound great on most all mediums (radio, CD, car stereo, home stereo, earphones, etc)
-make sure the 2 stereo channels don¡¦t cancel each other out, when summed into a mono channel
-FM radio cannot send over 12kHz
-AM radio has no such restriction
-AM radio has no bass, no highs above 3kHz and little noise floor
-less dynamic range in an AM signal is better
-cars have a noise floor of 70 to 80 dB
-these can¡¦t be fixed by mastering:
-narration is too quiet, instrument is out of tune, vocalist is flat sounding
-these can be fixed by mastering:
-the bridge of the song doesn¡¦t fit, speech is too slow, bass is not prominent enough
-don¡¦t overdo the compression or peak-limiting „³ results in a flabby mix
-too much EQ on the high or low end will also be bad
-small changes applied skilfully is the best approach
Equalization¡K
-there is rarely any useful content at 30Hz or lower
-40Hz and lower is often unintentional sound
-always run a highpass EQ filter on works
-for CD quality and similar MP3 quality „³ filter freq of 20 to 40Hz
-for streaming less than 100Kbps „³ filter freq of 30 to 80Hz
-for streamed at 56Kbps or less or voice-only „³ filter freq of 80 to 160 Hz
-optionally ¡V consider adding smaller EQ lower than expected „³ maybe add a 3dB bump somewhere between 1000 and 4000 Hz
Compression¡K
-start with 2:1 compression for everything 10dB of the top of the scale (10dB full scale)
-attack may be 10 ms, release around 100 ms
-low muddy mixed are caused by too much low-mid content (150-500Hz)
-mixing should remove this by cutting unneeded and unheard freq¡¦s
-use a bandpass compression „³ center freq around 250Hz
-give everything within 2 octaves a 4:1 compression
-balance what¡¦s been compressed with the rest of the spectrum
-manipulate the volume of the band just compressed (maybe as much as 10dB)
-then you may discover all peaks in the resulting file to be quieter¡K so turn up the volume!
Look-ahead Peak Limiting¡K
-very useful tool for mastering
-well recorded material for CD can easily get a 6dB boost without audibly changing the music
-never hit 0dBfs to lessen device reading confusion
(-successful playback should occur within 1/10th of a dB)
-on the Ultramixer, try setting the release time (on heavy-mixed material ¡V spectrum-fillers) to 3 to 12 ms „³ making the low-mids tighter and punchier.
Mastering for CDs¡K
-run a highpass filter at 30 Hz to make sure that lower freq¡¦s aren¡¦t tearing at sound processing and output.
Read up on SgtFoo¡¦s mastering thread at www.tranceaddict.com/forums/ in the production section.
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Know that mastering is a media-dependent skill. Master for CD to be safe, IMO, since it's the highest quality lately, and the most marketable.
Hope this helps.
others i just thought of....
The ideas about removing frequencies not resident to the sound (no lows in hats, no highs in basses.. makes sense... believe it.
Removing frequencies in the high range from basslines that are crunchy or that have lots of resonance will kill the sound they're meant to make, so you're killing your own creativity and original creations.
TATA TAs... <-- how cheesy |
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| Vizay |
let's bring this old thread back to life a little :)
first of all, always master at high volume, the pro's almost always master at 80 decibel or more
why you might ask, well simply because the higher volume you have the more you will hear from the really high and low frequencies
and about masteringtools, check out the Waves native gold bundle
this package is used by many proproducers around the world and I must say that it's really usefull when you master :)
[edit]
and another thing that can't be said enough...remember to check that the mix is okay before taking it to mastering, check the levels on the master mixer in your musicprogram, check the EQ's and so on |
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| Trancevision |
before you master:
when producing trance the bassline and bassdrum is most important.
Cut low frequencies of all sounds which are not bassline / bassdrum before mastering and make sure that your bassline does not occupy the same frequencies as your bassdrum.
Otherwise you can get the pressure in the bass, which proproductions have. Although mastering can't help you very much then.
If you have a proper mix with an optimal worked bassline, mastering will get the most out of your tune.
Trancevision |
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| unclejunior |
okay, learned a few things here. but applying them is always a little different. i have a track that im working on in reason, the main melody is comprised of two instruments, and now that im trying to fix the sound, i feel like they are both telling me "hey, o, this mix isnt big enough for the both of us". i tried boosting different freq's on both, which didnt work well, so then i tried cutting the freq's on the one that the other had boosted, that didnt work well either. so heres the deal, this track will not work for me with out both so what else can i do, do i have to use different sounds altogether that dont interfere?
also, about compression, those of you that are familiar with reason, the mixers only have 4 aux sends, and i'm already using reverb, two delays, and a chourus effect, should i route the kick and the bass stuff to a seperate mixer, with a comp in the aux? or should i compress each of them seperately?
also, about compression, how the hell do you use it? i know the basic fundamentals of it, why it works and , but how should i be adjusting those knobs, can someone give me a one or two paragraph "compression for dummies" here? maybe someone that uses reason and is familiar with its compressor. if not they all work the same i guess right?
i just started using reason, the creative part i've got down, but this part of it drives me up the wall!:crazy: |
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| Vizay |
In my opinion putting a compressor in the mixer AUX seems like a bad idea since everything that you compress will probably need different parameters on the compressor, compress them separatley (phew my english is really bad tonight, hope you understand what I mean anyway)
although creating a mixer alone for drums and FX might be good just for the structure of the whole project but since you should compress the stuff separatley that extra mixer is just for some extra structure...
anyway about the synth, if you can't get the sounds to work good together the try to think what parts of the two sounds that it is you wan't to put together...if you can figure that out you might equalize away the freq´s you don't need and if your'e lucky the sounds might fit after that...
if that doesn't work then just put other sounds in, can't really think of anything else right now...
anyway this wasn't much mastering involved but nevermind :) |
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| Etherium |
This is a great, comprehensive article I found:
How do I mix so it sounds good? Practice is the short answer, but not one that'll help you I reckon. It's really been a combination of a few things for me:
1. Get decent studio monitors and learn how they sound. Take your favorite CDs and listen to them over and over again on the monitors. Pay attention to the low end especially, as I find it's the hardest part to get right. Many times it's too bassy or too light, getting a proper balance is not easy until you know how what you hear on the monitors will translate to other listening environments. For instance, I do 95% of my listening in the car going to and from work. So when I first started mixing, I would be running down to my car all the time to check my mixes, as that was my main listening environment. It wasn't uncommon for me to burn 10-15 CDR while perfecting a mix. Luckily for my wallet (CDR's get expensive at that rate), I've learned through that practice what the differences are between my studio monitors and my car speakers, so I can compensate appropriately without having to burn tons of CD! R'! s. BTW, the monitors I use (Alesis M1 Actives, MKII's) are now selling for $399, I can't recommen
d them enough, especially at that price. If you can spend more, look into Mackie HR824's, as those would be my ultimate choice if money wasn't an object (well, maybe some Quested's :) ).
2. More is not better! Any time you think that you need more EQ, more efx, more volume, take a pause and reconsider. It's easy to over do something and really kill your sound without realizing it. Many times you want to add so much effect that it becomes too obvious. Same with EQ, instead of boosting the frequencies you want to emphasize, try cutting the frequencies you don't.
3. If it's not bass drums or basslines, kill the low end! Got guitar, synth, pianos or strings in your arrangement? Cut the low end, as many times samples of these instruments (or the real thing) contain a lot of low frequency content that isn't important to the sound of those instruments in the mix. Keeping the low end in can add clutter, not to mention it all adds up and you lose headroom too. Of course this isn't always true, you just learn when to do it and when not to through practice.
4. Tracking right lets you mix right. If you're recording a new song, right from the get go there are things you need to be doing to make your life easier later:
- Always record your signals as hot as possible, just shy of clipping. This helps to lower the noise floor and brings the actual signal into the upper end of your bit depth, where the detail is recorded more accurately. This includes bouncing audio files too on the computer, always maximize (not normalize) your levels before you bounce!
- Use the highest bit depth you can comfortably on your PC/Mac. I swear by 24bit, it's made worlds of difference to the clarity of my mixes. But, that's not to say you can't get good results with 16bit, so don't worry if your PC is struggling with higher bit depths. The downside of using a high bit depth, is that you must use GOOD dithering and noiseshaping. I use the Apogee's UV22 plug in, it's awesome.
5. Give each track in the song it's own place in the frequency spectrum and sound field. By using EQ and panning to isolate your tracks, you give them all more room to breath, and they don't conflict with each other. Panning properly helps to open up the stereo imaging, and keeps everything from sounding like it's in mono. BTW, I never mix with mono in mind anymore, even though many people say you should check that. It's the 21st century, if people don't have a stereo set up by now, too bad! The flipside, is that you still don't want bass sounds panned wildly to any side of the field, especially if you're mixing with vinyl in mind as this will cause the needle to jump out of the groove on the record.
6. Don't ever say to yourself, "I'm not happy with this, but I can fix it in the mix". Crap in = crap out. The final mix should be about applying subtle effects, gentle EQing, and panning appropriately. You shouldn't be doctoring your tracks at this point, stuff that isn't right should be fixed back in the tracking phase.
7. Read and learn, then read some more. Everything I've learned about mixing has come from two places, online articles, and interviews with mixers I respect. By far the best place to go, is (surprise, surprise) Mix online. (http://www.industryclick.com/magazi...d=141&SiteID=15). There you can find all sorts of interviews and tips. Don't be put off if you read articles where they talk about gear you don't have and could never dream of affording. You don't need a rack of Pultec's, Distressors, or 1176's to get a good mix. The general principles are what you should focus on, not the specifics.
8. Listen carefully to CDs that are mixed by people who are well respected in this aspect of the industry. MY favorite mixer is Bob Clearmountain, and his work on Dada's "Puzzle" still leaves me floored. Every instrument is warm and punchy, and the whole thing speaks of quality mixing and clarity (damn good CD too). Chris Lord Algae is another mixer I respect....
9. Never mix or master right after finishing the writing phase. Give your ears a break, and give yourself some time to gain your objectivity back. Mixing right after writing tends to make people emphasize parts that may not nead it.
10. Mastering. This is the last step, and like everything else in the process, don't wait til this stage to "fix things". Mastering should ideally only be some subtle use of compression and EQ to finalize your tune. I completely disagree with magazines like Computer Music and Remix when it comes to their mastering tips, as by and large they make it sound like you have to squash the out of your track with compression to make it sound good. Anyway, here's some quick rEalm mastering tips:
-Export your final mix as 24 bits, dither down to 16 bits and add noiseshaping as a VERY LAST STEP. Never dither more than once, the Waves Mastering plug ins being the exception (if you don't know what I'm talking about with the new Waves stuff, don't worry about it). :)
- Use a good spectrum analyzer to see what your song is doing sonically. If you see lots of low end hitting the meters but you can hear it, chances are you've got subsonics eating into your head room. I use a good EQ to kill just about everything below 20Hz, and roll it off less and less up til about 50Hz. Typically I use Steinberg's Freefilter, although lately I've been using the Waves Linear Mastering Eq (the LinLowBand is perfect) for this, it's way more transparent. Of course, balance this out with how it actually SOUNDS. No use doing this step if you don't need to.
- Sometimes you can pump up parts of your mix slightly with a multi-band compressor. This is best used when you need to tighten up just the low end for instance, and want to leave the rest of the track unaffected.
- Next up is the one part I hate to recommend, but it's necessary. Limiting. Everyone knows that you can use a Waves L1, L2 or Loudness Maximizer (or T-Racks) to beef up a track, but it's also one of the most over-abused plug ins out today IMO. Used subtly, it can really make you hard work shine, while still keeping the dynamic range at sensible (ie musical) level. In the wrong hands it's nothing more than square wave generator :) Seriously though, you should be using this to limit no more than a few dB's, any more than that and you've got issues that should be fixed in your mixing phase I wager. If you use these tools, just remember not to take part in the "louder is better" mentality. And keep in mind that all radios, CD players, and DJ mixers have volume or gain controls, so there's no need to make your tune hot as hell and squashed to death just for the sake of volume. Otherwise ! al! l that hard work you spent getting a nice open mix will be ruined quicker than you can click on Render.
- As you master, listen to a CD of the same genre as your tune that you really to make sure your EQing correctly, and that they sound similiar |
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| Etherium |
| Sorry, that's a long article, I'll take it off if the moderators wish. I just thought it was very good and that many people might not click on the link if I put one there. |
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| Trancevision |
really good article, learned much of it :gsmile: !
Trancevision |
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| Vizay |
wow that's lot's of really nice practical info, really good :D
I'll come up with some comments on it tomorrow..have to sleep right now :) |
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| Clinical |
I know this is asking alot, but i thought i'd try my luck :tongue3
Im sure there are quite a few ppl reading this that have got mastering pretty much sorted (or close to it anyways:)). I was just wondering, if i ask really nicely, if anyone could post 2 (or 3) samples of a small loop (containing synth, bass, kick and hats).
Obviously one of them being completely raw (possibly a second with some mastering done in the sequencer) and another completely mastered.
This would help someone like me, and i'd imagine loads of other people like you wouldn't believe. I think it's really hard to know what to expect from mastering programs like T-racks, Ozone and the like because most of us never get to hear a track before it gets mastered that ends up sounding professional. This would help enormously to show me really what to expect from the final master, and in turn, if my tune is good enough to even bother mastering.
So anyone here that has a good understanding of these programs (and going by the helpfull posts here, thats alot), a little demo in this topic would really make this the definitive mastering guide. For me atleast :D
P.S. Im not expecting something totally unrealistic like a producing God to post, just someone who knows pretty much what is expected of a final master. |
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| Etherium |
| quote: | | Im sure there are quite a few ppl reading this that have got mastering pretty much sorted (or close to it anyways) |
Hahahaahahah..................................................................................ahahahahah..............................................hahahahah..............LMAO..............hehe.
Sorry.:stongue: |
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| Clinical |
| quote: | | Hahahaahahah..................................................................................ahahahahah..............................................hahahahah..............LMAO.............. |
I guess not then :) |
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