Ableton Forum

we're preparing our live sets but have run into a little niggle. we're doing our sets with stem files of our tracks (drums, bass, synths, fx, vocals most of the time).

assuming you master and do compression/eq on your songs, how do you compensate for the effect that has when you export your stems? we're setting up some more complex live sets and didn't realize this might be an issue till we dove into it.

we're trying to figure out how to properly make sure all our stem files are compressed in relation to each other so that when they're combined in ableton live, they sound proper like they do when we do a final album mix down.

any tips?

do you guys just put compression and such over your master live channel?

I just use compression on my master channel - I use Focusrite saffire bundle.

groovy. we were thinking of "mastering on the fly". thanks!

ollyb303 wrote:I just use compression on my master channel - I use Focusrite saffire bundle.

Do you mean you have compression active during your live performance on only the master channel or do you mean you compress all the tracks via the master channel during export? I too was curious as to a) how to save processor power during live performance b) how to mesh my exported tracks properly. Anyone else care to chime in on advice regarding the matter?

i wouldnt have a mastering suite running during a live set, i solo each track and export it so the still go throught the mastering chain, i then just stick i light limiter and an eq if need on the master channel of the live set!

the dark wizard wrote:i wouldnt have a mastering suite running during a live set, i solo each track and export it so the still go throught the mastering chain, i then just stick i light limiter and an eq if need on the master channel of the live set!

the problem with this is that when you're mastering, the compressor needs to be effected by every other sound going on. so if you solo the instrument, that changes how the compressor acts. i thought maybe sidechaining would work to allow you to properly compress the tracks while still exporting solo.

radioactivesandwich wrote:

the dark wizard wrote:i wouldnt have a mastering suite running during a live set, i solo each track and export it so the still go throught the mastering chain, i then just stick i light limiter and an eq if need on the master channel of the live set!

the problem with this is that when you're mastering, the compressor needs to be effected by every other sound going on. so if you solo the instrument, that changes how the compressor acts. i thought maybe sidechaining would work to allow you to properly compress the tracks while still exporting solo.

sidechaining would indeed maintain the relative integrity, but having a mastering fx on the master track seems as if it would potentially master each solo'd track individually ... right?

indeed.