Mixing/Mastering

[Zuper]

Can someone point me toward some good online reading for mixing and mastering info? I'm fine recording tracks, adding effects, and getting the levels and EQ set to my liking, but don't know where to go from here. When I export the session, the volume levels are very low, and the EQ seems to have changed quite a bit.

I'm using Cubase SE.

Thanks for any and all help!

[LSchefman]

Zuper, when you export a session, everything seems to change, so it's important to know what you export the session to.

For example, I mix down to an external 2 track deck, such as an audio CD burner or sometimes, to 2 track tape.

Other people do an internal bounce in their computer software.

What's your method?

[Zuper]

I export to an AIFF file. It sounds OK, just seems different from the mix I had in Cubase.

Just wondering if I'm missing something.

[Carlier]

I've found that putting a limiter on the stereo bus makes a huge difference. With the Waves L1 it's like pressing a 'magic on' button. The cubase limiter (in dynamics) doesn't really do the trick though, in my opinion.

[LSchefman]

So you're bouncing internally, and then converting to AIFF...are you using the same bit rate and sample rate settings?

[Zuper]

Yup. No settings changed. I also will sometimes convert to WAV.

Carlier- Waves L1 looks like a great program, but is out of my budget.

I'm just trying to create the nicest tracks I can with what I have.

[Zuper]

I've tried searching, but thought there might be a good online step-by-step that I can read through, and just see if I'm missing something. I know there are a million different ways to do this, but thought it'd be something to check out.

[scottlr]

Lots of good articles here
Sound On Sound (http://www.soundonsound.com/index.php?url=/)
...and here
Tweakheadz (http://www.tweakheadz.com/index.html)

[Carlier]

You could try these free plugins

http://www.digitalfishphones.com/main.php?item=2&subItem=1

or Cubase's multiband compressor on your stereo out

[Zuper]

Thanks, guys!

I've checked out SoundonSound, and it looks cool, but I don't think it's worth the $ for me right now.

Carlier- The endorphin plugin looks interesting. Have you used it?

[Carlier]

The endorphin plugin looks interesting. Have you used it?

I just downloaded it myself (it was recommended in sound on sound magazine this month) but yes, that's the plugin I was thinking about. Have you tried experimenting with the Cubase multiband compressor on the stereo bus? I also sometimes find that the Magneto plugin on the stereo out can make things sound better.

[Zuper]

I will try some of those things, Carlier. Thanks for your help.

[scottlr]

Thanks, guys!

I've checked out SoundonSound, and it looks cool, but I don't think it's worth the $ for me right now.

Carlier- The endorphin plugin looks interesting. Have you used it?

I never got a subscription, I just read the free available articles there. Most of the older stuff is available free for viewing. You just gotta dig through it. Also several mastering services online have a lot of info for your reading pleasure. And the Bob Katz book, Mastering Audio is a great resource as well.

[pbradt]

Zuper, when you export a session, everything seems to change, so it's important to know what you export the session to.

For example, I mix down to an external 2 track deck, such as an audio CD burner or sometimes, to 2 track tape.

Other people do an internal bounce in their computer software.

What's your method?

I bounce mixes in real time, out of Pro Tools into a 2-track audio program. If it's a final mix, I bounde into 16/44.1, but I'll bounce out of PT into 24 bit two-track and re-import it into PT for my feeble attempts at mastering. i do this all in one computer.

[Zuper]

I never got a subscription, I just read the free available articles there. Most of the older stuff is available free for viewing. You just gotta dig through it. Also several mastering services online have a lot of info for your reading pleasure. And the Bob Katz book, Mastering Audio is a great resource as well.

I'll have to check it out again, Scott. Most of the good stuff I saw required a subscription.

[scottlr]

Here's a few examples from there I had bookmarked.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jun99/articles/mixcomp.htm

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1996_articles/apr96/compression.html

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Aug02/articles/multiband.asp?session=7dfebf75eef82ad71f230787da52 c095

[Zuper]

Thanks, Scott! Some good stuff there. Much appreciated.

[Carlier]

Here's a few examples from there I had bookmarked.


Thanks!

[dougb415]

I bounce mixes in real time, out of Pro Tools into a 2-track audio program. If it's a final mix, I bounde into 16/44.1, but I'll bounce out of PT into 24 bit two-track and re-import it into PT for my feeble attempts at mastering. i do this all in one computer.

This is similar to what I want to try next time around; instead of exporting from within Cubase, I'm going to try playing the project in real-time from Cubase and capturing the audio via Wavelab or another 2-track recording program.

[pbradt]

This is similar to what I want to try next time around; instead of exporting from within Cubase, I'm going to try playing the project in real-time from Cubase and capturing the audio via Wavelab or another 2-track recording program.

Putting the tracks through that squishing process in converters can never be a good thing. FWIW, some people "in the know" say the real-time bounce out of PT is how the "big boys" do it.

[Zuper]

Can anyone expand on this process? How exactly is it done?

[pbradt]

I feed out the two channels from the MBox into the audio input of the computer. the second, two-track program gets the live feed and takes it to two-track. In terms of audio, it's the same feed that usually goed to the power amp, line level. Once the 2-track file is saved, it can be re-imported back into PT or a mastering program for that. When you're record is perfect, you can repeat the same process into you final, 16/44.1 file, for burning to CD and conversion to mp4 or other audio format.

[Tone_Terrific]

Are you saying that you have created what you think is a good stereo mix, then you bounce internally to two-track and notice the mix that you thought was so great is just not the same, regardless of any processing during the bounce?
Can't help, but I can empathise. I have, maybe, noticed this too, and then tried to cover it up with limiting and EQ.

[pbradt]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, hence the external bounce.

[Zuper]

Thanks, Pbradt. That helps. What software are you using for two-track?

[Tone_Terrific]

I. In terms of audio, it's the same feed that usually goed to the power amp, line level.

So, a D/A conversion out and an A/D conversion back in and it still sounds better since it is now recorded into a "new" program? Not as another pair of tracks on the same project.....let's see..how can I try this?

[pbradt]

Thanks, Pbradt. That helps. What software are you using for two-track?


Being on a Mac, I use a Mac program called Sound Studio.

http://www.freeverse.com/soundstudio/

I'm using an older version but by the time the final product hits sound studio, no effects are needed, it's just there to make it all beautiful in 16/44.1.

I suspect Garageband could be used for the same thing on a Mac, and some sort of SoundForge could be used for PC. I don't know anything about Windows audio software so I won't be much help there.

[pbradt]

So, a D/A conversion out and an A/D conversion back in and it still sounds better since it is now recorded into a "new" program? Not as another pair of tracks on the same project.....let's see..how can I try this?

The conversion doesn't seem to affect it when you're playing back in real time, at least not to my ears.

I DO know any time you're squishing that many pixels into the space of two, it can't help but not sound the same. Truth to tell, I'm really an amateur with this stuff, but this is a trick I picked up that has worked well for me in creating better-sounding mix files. If I hhad better A/D converters, I'm sure it'd sound even better, but it sounds pretty good.

[Zuper]

Sound Studio looks cool. I will see if Garageband will do it first. Thanks for the ideas.

[DANOCASTER]

Zuper -

Something on the Master Bus can really help. I have the Waves stuff and like many - much prefer the Massey 2007. It's $69 and is HIGHLY regarded on Gearslutz and the PSW forums

Also - record the mix back into PT instead of Bounce to Disk

Those 2 things can help ALOT