Volume - or a lack of it and MIDI...

[Ket]

Hi thanks for reading, and hope you can help.

 

Still a newbie at this Logic game...

So, here's the problem.

 

Using Logic 7.2 Pro on a Macbook Pro - via an Alesis io 10

SITUATION:

 

• I've recorded a Double Bass / Acoustic Bass via the ESX24 sample library, obviously all Midi (using built in sounds)

 

• The Volume on the channel strip is at 0db (and occasionally clips into the Red

 

• BUT with all this, the volume is still very quiet in comparison to the rest of the tracks (vocals, staccato violins sounds-midi, and random midi noise..."stuff" - esx24 pads

 

• I've checked the velocities of the Midi data (and have got the dynamics that I want)...

 

• I've have had to use a Compressor on the channel to the get the gain/volume up... and at this rate i'll be using compressors on ALL the channels????

 

QUESTION:

 

Is this the only OR best way to get Volume from the midi Double Bass sound, Up...?

I thought that i could just simply Increase the Volume of midi, and since it's digital i wouldn't have issues doing this?

 

Lastly, I get this same issue with a Bass/kick drum VIA the Ultrabeat,

• The volume in the overall mix is LOW/quiet -

• Even though The "volume" of that voice in Ultrabeat is high

• The strip volume is high, and even pulled back, BUT indicates it's clipping

• YET the sounds is very quiet (compared to the vocals and other midi stuff??)

 

 

Thanks in advance, any help and advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Ket

[David Nahmani]

What are you monitoring through? Maybe your monitors don't have much bass frequency response.

 

Kick drums and certain bass sounds need a LOT of energy to sound anywhere close to the level of a vocal or, say, a distorted guitar. That's not unusual. I would simply back down on the level of all your tracks, so that you can hear the kick and bass without clipping them.

[Ket]

HI David, thanks for the reply - i'm monitoring through a set of KRK RP5 (so they have enough bass response...?)

 

I'm not sure what the correct process is but i'm thinking this is a mixing issue?...

 

can i therefore ask your opinion....

 

If the bass "sounds" are low in the mix, and this requires me to Lower everything else - so that the bass is PROPORTIONALY louder than the other instruments - then this will (i think) leave me with a weak sounding track?... i will eb cranking the output (on my sound card to my monitors) UP...

 

is this then a "purpose" of the mastering process? to normalise the Overall sound and increase it's loudness?

 

Secondly: when i had my last 2 EP's recorded - both were on a logic setup (at a recording studio) the voclas (in parts) were "normalised".. so obivously they are quite loud in comparison... BUT i don't ever remember the sound engineer adding a huge amount of compression on the bass guitar to get them as Loud as the other instruments?....

 

hmmm curious and suriouser (it's just a blooming mixing and recording mindfield..>???)

 

cheers for your help

 

Ket

[David Nahmani]

Those are great monitors, but you'll only get so much bass response from a 5" woofer.

 

When mixing, don't worry too much about having a "weak" sounding track. Like you're saying, making it loud is a job for mastering. Worry about having a balanced mix, and no unwanted distortion. So yes, if you get an instrument to distort and it's still not loud enough, turn everything down and then you can raise that instrument. And turn up the monitoring level so it does not sound weak as you're mixing.

 

I'm not sure why vocals were normalized, there's really no reason to do that... but really don't worry about it, work with what you have, and turn down the level on your vocals if they're too loud, so you can hear that bass. Don't compress the bass to get it louder, compress it if you want it to sound compressed (or if you need to reduce its dynamic range). If you want it louder, turn everything else down (I think I said that before.... ).