Newby Question - Final Mixdown

[tbplayer59]

I'm still new to the product and home recording and have a question.

Do I need to anything special for the final mixdown to WAV?

I have all the levels set and automated where needed. I think it sounds pretty good as is, but am I missing a step?

Thanks in advance.

[teljax]

It's all subjective. If it sounds good to you, then it's good. Mix it down and listen to it on as many different sources as you have available. This will help to tell you if it needs to be tweeked a little.

[TrevsAudio]

Hi!

Best advice I can give is; if it sounds right to you, it probably is. This is your creation and you know how it should sound.

The only thing I would check for is no clipping on the master track. Make sure the loudest bits are going no further than yellow on the meters, or you could be inviting distortion.

Why not publish on the Showcase http://forums.acoustica.com/bbs/viewforum.php?f=10 and we could advise you further. I only published my first ever effort two months back and have been greatly encouraged by the suggestions and help offered by our members. Great bunch of guys.

[Acoustica Eric]

Compression, Compression, Compression.
Use the broadcast or isotope mastering compressor on the master track , experiment with different presets and tweaks.

[TrevsAudio]

Just a quick note - the song has been posted on Showcase http://forums.acoustica.com/bbs/viewtop ... 10&t=13780

Excellent first effort I'd say!

[tbplayer59]

Compression, Compression, Compression.
Use the broadcast or isotope mastering compressor on the master track , experiment with different presets and tweaks.

So what is the purpose of compression in the final mix? I know what it does, or I think I do.

What am I aiming for by compressing the whole thing?

[Acoustica Eric]

It pulls everything together, enhances and excites the signal. Done right, compression is the key to that professional sound people strive for.

[TrevsAudio]

Here's an article referred to by Greg in another post http://audio.tutsplus.com/tutorials/mix ... mpression/

[clavguy]

more on what Trev said about recording levels....

I recently completed the Berklee free online music course.. The guy mentioned that in the old analog days, one wanted to set the individual recording levels for each track and eventually the master as high as possible even allowing an additional "small clip" once in a while in order to overcome the inherent noise levels. That is not true anymore in the digital world. Setting the record levels lower is better now...

[tbplayer59]

That's good to know. I didn't really know anything about recording levels except that too high was distorting and too low was not enough sound. I'll keep this in mind for whatever I do next.

[TrevsAudio]

Yeah, an arguable rule of thumb is that the master should peak between -6 and -3 db max.

[gypsy101]

That's good to know. I didn't really know anything about recording levels except that too high was distorting and too low was not enough sound. I'll keep this in mind for whatever I do next.

this vid explains it well-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MqjPA5eOU4

a good video on mastering-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=en ... 00S1s&NR=1

[tbplayer59]

I've read the responses and that leads to another question.

I added effects to the master track and it sounds much better. I chose something called "CD Mastering 2" or something like that. There seems to be more separation of the instruments, especially the bass and higher frequencies, tambourine and trumpets.

Here are the questions:
Can I add that compression and EQ from the "CD Mastering 2" to the master track? In other words, is it OK to use something intended for mastering in a mixdown?

Is mastering something that is done to the final mix wave file?

In mastering the final mix wave file, is more compression and EQ added?

Thanks again for the pointers.

[TrevsAudio]

Have a look at the second video Gypsy recommended. All your questions are answered there.You can also get a free e-book and sign up for a free 2 week course on mastering that starts today.

[gypsy101]

Have a look at the second video Gypsy recommended. All your questions are answered there.You can also get a free e-book and sign up for a free 2 week course on mastering that starts today.

link? I must have missed that one.