jshhil Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 guys...please help i am mixing my first ever track...was super pumped when i finished creating it...and then the mixing came...i took a course from macprovideo which was extremely informative...loved it...wait is that the enemy? i just signed up to this tonight... i use logic 9, macbook pro computer...i sculpted the ch eqs, compressors, etc...to be honest, everything sounds fantastic...i really like it and am quite proud of myself...i am sure you all remember that feeling! one issue- the volume...i was told "never clip on the output, never!" so when i am at 0.0 db, the volume is low but mix sounds great in terms of instruments...but its way lower volume wise than other tracks i play that were mixed by others...any suggestions I am missing?? it sounds best when i am clipping 5.0 dbs lol...did i really mess this one up or what lol? final note- some sounds were from maschine, which i was told are quite ed'd already but if i remove all the things i did in logic, compressors, eqs, the track sounds worse so i think i am on the right track..help and thank you!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Syncamorea Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 If you are clipping just to ge the volume up, back down below clipping and try a limiter or maximizer to get the volume up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdgarRothermich Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 Congratulation on your your first mix (and more to come) What you are touching here is the art of LOUDNESS. What you see on the level meters is just a physical representation of your signal. The important thing however is the perception of loudness. "How loud does it sound and not how loud does it look". Different tracks sounds more or less louder even if they show the same peak level. I guess you have to take another trip down to MacProVideo or other resources to learn how to use (mis-use) Compressors and Limiters. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tristancalvaire Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 As an addendum, the process of making something louder while emphasizing or deemphasizing certain dynamics is called mastering, not mixing. That being said, your mix and arrangement needs to be good before mastering should even be considered for a loudness increase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shivermetimbers Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 As an addendum, the process of making something louder while emphasizing or deemphasizing certain dynamics is called mastering, not mixing. Seriously ??? " ... Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the master); the source from which all copies will be produced (via methods such as pressing, duplication or replication). Recently, the format choice includes using digital masters although analog masters, such as audio tapes, are still being used by the manufacturing industry and by a few engineers who have chosen to specialize in analog mastering. In order to make a deterministic process, mastering requires critical listening; there are software mastering tools available to facilitate this last step, but results still depend upon the accuracy of speaker monitors. In addition, "music mastering" engineers may also need to apply corrective equalization and dynamic enhancement in order to improve upon sound translation on all playback systems." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tristancalvaire Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 As an addendum, the process of making something louder while emphasizing or deemphasizing certain dynamics is called mastering, not mixing. Seriously ??? Would I be right to say that getting a track's loudness to a commercially viable RMS loudness falls under the realm of Mastering, even though that's not all Mastering is >.>? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ski Posted August 25, 2012 Share Posted August 25, 2012 jso when i am at 0.0 db, the volume is low but mix sounds great in terms of instruments... Then stop right there. You're done. Mission accomplished. but its way lower volume wise than other tracks i play that were mixed by others...any suggestions I am missing?? It's at that point when, to get your track to sound louder you need to apply processing (such as the things already suggested) to your final mix. Making a track loud should always be an afterthought. Professional engineers don't go for "loud" as a means to an end. They go for great sounding mixes and worry about loudness second. Far too many newbies make the rookie mistake of trying to mix a track and make it loud at the same time. 1) mix your track, make it sound great, and do NOT worry about how loud it is. If it's not loud enough for your general listening pleasure, just turn up the volume on your speaker system. 2) as you're mixing, ensure your peak is around -6 dB maximum (some trains of engineering thought say even lower levels are better). Don't get anal about it. "Around" -6 dB is fine. A lower level is NOT a problem. 3) if your mix is consistently peaking past that -6 dB point, insert a gain plugin in the first slot of your stereo output and lower the level until your peak no longer exceeds around -6 dB. Hold Shift while making adjustments to the gain knob to get finer increments if necessary 4) now is the time to apply compression or whatever other treatments you want to the stereo output, after the gain plug, to get the mix to sound "loud". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.