after finishing a track i use the psp vintage warmer with the preset "mix extra pressure" to make them acceptable loud for playing them on my dj sets after in the club (and sometimes i even use the psp just whilst elaborating the projects - a maybe big error...).
also i made a track where without the psp it sounds quite not so good as with the plugin (sounds different, better, not just louder).
now i want to send the file to a label for releasing it because they offered me to release it.
unfortunately it is not loud enough to release it without a good mastering.
is there any way to make it sound lauder even after using the psp plugin and with it having the master levels at/near 0db ?
when i render it without psp it sounds not so good (a few sounds sounding quite different and the whole groove changing a bit) but this will be the only way to give the label the possibility to master it on their best.
or is it probably that after they master the track it will sound similar than it does by using the vintage warmer with the preset "mix extra pressure" ?
mastering fear
i'll hit all three posts here... this one first
http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=84499
tarekith is a real helpful fella round these parts, and $25 seems like a good deal. can't speak from experience, but i would trust him with my track for 25 bucks=)
about the sound card, timothy allan is correct, the sound card is merely another way to get audio in and out of the computer, the most important aspect of mixing is experience, followed by monitoring. headphones and the internal speakers from the mac are probably not enough, but in the right hands, decent results can be achieved.
the sound from 6 to 7 should be the same, although some plug ins have been changed a little, so this may have some effect, i.e. the new compressor, although i am not sure how much... some people seem really happy with the audio engine of 7, i never had a problem with 6...
http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=84499
tarekith is a real helpful fella round these parts, and $25 seems like a good deal. can't speak from experience, but i would trust him with my track for 25 bucks=)
about the sound card, timothy allan is correct, the sound card is merely another way to get audio in and out of the computer, the most important aspect of mixing is experience, followed by monitoring. headphones and the internal speakers from the mac are probably not enough, but in the right hands, decent results can be achieved.
the sound from 6 to 7 should be the same, although some plug ins have been changed a little, so this may have some effect, i.e. the new compressor, although i am not sure how much... some people seem really happy with the audio engine of 7, i never had a problem with 6...
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a1studmuffin
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The label should master it for you. Don't worry about loudness AT ALL, just get it sounding right when you turn the volume up and make sure the unmastered track isn't clipping. It's the mastering engineer's job is to get it to an acceptable volume level and make any final touches to make it ready to be played on CDJs/pressed to vinyl.
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deepfunktribal
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2005 12:03 am
but can they also master a track which has already been "premastered" with a compressor like the psp vintage warmer (for example using the preset "mix extra pressure") ?
if yes, my problem is solved, but if not, i may be render the track without the psp which means having a result not sounding that great and not really the same
so is it best (or even the only real way) to produce tracks without using any compressors and limiters on the master since it´s just for the proffessionals before pressing it on vinyl ?
heard also, that some good producers don´t use any compressors at the master but just in every channel to make every sound "sound" best...
if yes, my problem is solved, but if not, i may be render the track without the psp which means having a result not sounding that great and not really the same
so is it best (or even the only real way) to produce tracks without using any compressors and limiters on the master since it´s just for the proffessionals before pressing it on vinyl ?
heard also, that some good producers don´t use any compressors at the master but just in every channel to make every sound "sound" best...
A word of advice, DO NOT send the track to the label with the vintage warmer applied, let their preferred mastering engineer handle that. Honestly though, most labels these days tend to prefer the artist to deal with that, unless you're a bigger name artist and they know they'll make enough off the release to justify footing the mastering costs.
tarekith
https://tarekith.com
https://tarekith.com
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deepfunktribal
- Posts: 89
- Joined: Tue Aug 30, 2005 12:03 am
@Tarekith:
so there is no way to have the same sounding result after sending it to them as i had with my psp plugin ?
do mastered tracks sound different after they have been mastered by good masterer or just louder ?
are u not using any "mastering" plugin whilst producing ? should i use no plugin on my master channel ?
does it help to use the psp on all channels (or some) and let the rendered track be mastered afterwards -ß
so there is no way to have the same sounding result after sending it to them as i had with my psp plugin ?
do mastered tracks sound different after they have been mastered by good masterer or just louder ?
are u not using any "mastering" plugin whilst producing ? should i use no plugin on my master channel ?
does it help to use the psp on all channels (or some) and let the rendered track be mastered afterwards -ß
)so there is no way to have the same sounding result after sending it to them as i had with my psp plugin ?
>>> Not sure what you mean. If the only reason you're adding the PSP to your mixdown is so that it's louder for playing it for your friends and other DJs, then I'd say leave it off and let the mastering engineer handle that for you. No offense, you just sound unsure about what you're doing here, so most likely the mastering person will be able to do it better. Leaving off the PSP just gives them a lot more flexibility in doing this. <<<
do mastered tracks sound different after they have been mastered by good masterer or just louder ?
>>> That depends on the mixdown really. For people that are really skilled at production and have perfect mixdowns, then likely the mastering will just be a level increase and quality check. I think for people mastering their own material, this is what you should always be striving for. Otherwise the mastering engineer will do whatever they feel is necessary to make the tune sound better than it did when they got it. Within reason of course, you can't expect them to work miracles most of the time. The old saying that you can't polish a turd applies
<<<
are u not using any "mastering" plugin whilst producing ? should i use no plugin on my master channel ?
>>> I don't, no, nor do I really recommend it if you read my mastering guide above. Everyone has different ways of working though, I'm not saying that there's a right way or a wrong way to approach this. <<<
does it help to use the psp on all channels (or some) and let the rendered track be mastered afterwards
>>> Never apply processing 'just because' you read to do it somewhere. Anytime you're going to use a plug in that will affect the sound of your song, I think it's important to step back and think "What am I trying to do with this?" "What issue am I trying to fix?". If you have to ask someone else, then I think you don't really have a reason in mind, and thus you're applying a tool uneccesarily. I understand when you're learning it's hard to know what to do and not to do, but I think it's better to err on the side of caution and use a less is more approach most of the time.
You don't need to compress or limit everything in a song to have a nice polished sound. In my tunes, I MAYBE use 1 or 2 compressors in the entire track, that's it. I don't even like using those if I don't have to to be honest. All I'm saying is, if you don't hear a specific issue that you think the PSP will fix, then it's best to not use it. Overapplying dynamics plug ins when they aren't need almost always tends to make things sound worse, not better. <<<
>>> Not sure what you mean. If the only reason you're adding the PSP to your mixdown is so that it's louder for playing it for your friends and other DJs, then I'd say leave it off and let the mastering engineer handle that for you. No offense, you just sound unsure about what you're doing here, so most likely the mastering person will be able to do it better. Leaving off the PSP just gives them a lot more flexibility in doing this. <<<
do mastered tracks sound different after they have been mastered by good masterer or just louder ?
>>> That depends on the mixdown really. For people that are really skilled at production and have perfect mixdowns, then likely the mastering will just be a level increase and quality check. I think for people mastering their own material, this is what you should always be striving for. Otherwise the mastering engineer will do whatever they feel is necessary to make the tune sound better than it did when they got it. Within reason of course, you can't expect them to work miracles most of the time. The old saying that you can't polish a turd applies
<<< are u not using any "mastering" plugin whilst producing ? should i use no plugin on my master channel ?
>>> I don't, no, nor do I really recommend it if you read my mastering guide above. Everyone has different ways of working though, I'm not saying that there's a right way or a wrong way to approach this. <<<
does it help to use the psp on all channels (or some) and let the rendered track be mastered afterwards
>>> Never apply processing 'just because' you read to do it somewhere. Anytime you're going to use a plug in that will affect the sound of your song, I think it's important to step back and think "What am I trying to do with this?" "What issue am I trying to fix?". If you have to ask someone else, then I think you don't really have a reason in mind, and thus you're applying a tool uneccesarily. I understand when you're learning it's hard to know what to do and not to do, but I think it's better to err on the side of caution and use a less is more approach most of the time.
You don't need to compress or limit everything in a song to have a nice polished sound. In my tunes, I MAYBE use 1 or 2 compressors in the entire track, that's it. I don't even like using those if I don't have to to be honest. All I'm saying is, if you don't hear a specific issue that you think the PSP will fix, then it's best to not use it. Overapplying dynamics plug ins when they aren't need almost always tends to make things sound worse, not better. <<<
tarekith
https://tarekith.com
https://tarekith.com
Same thing I'm saying really, if you're listening to your song and think "gee, I really wish the bass and kick sat together better", then you have a reason
My main point is that you shold just go randomly applying effects, especially compression, without knowing why you are doing so, and how they work. Sure you need to experiment to learn this stuff, but don't be afraid to take them off the tracks after you do so too.
My main point is that you shold just go randomly applying effects, especially compression, without knowing why you are doing so, and how they work. Sure you need to experiment to learn this stuff, but don't be afraid to take them off the tracks after you do so too.
tarekith
https://tarekith.com
https://tarekith.com
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doc holiday
- Posts: 1683
- Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 1:49 am
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a1studmuffin wrote:The label should master it for you. Don't worry about loudness AT ALL, just get it sounding right when you turn the volume up and make sure the unmastered track isn't clipping. It's the mastering engineer's job is to get it to an acceptable volume level and make any final touches to make it ready to be played on CDJs/pressed to vinyl.
+1
leave at least 3 db headroom