Mastering in Mixcraft.

Support and feedback for Acoustica's Mixcraft audio mixing software.

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msnickybee
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by msnickybee »

aj113 wrote: You can view the waveform of the mix.
Why would you not view the mix waveform in Mixcraft as a matter of interest?
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aj113
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by aj113 »

I guess that's for cremley to answer.
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Pete Stobbs
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by Pete Stobbs »

Mark Bliss wrote:Be aware: a meter plug-in on the main bus will be measuring before the main fader.
In other words, the meter is measuring what is going to the fader, not coming out.....

It is often common to insert a gain trim plug-in before the third party meter.
Mark, would you mind expanding on this?

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Tripzy
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by Tripzy »

Mix everything as best as you can, then on the master buss effects I have on top Izotope with the stereo widening setting, under that the broadcast mastering thingy set on normal, but lately been using it on the loud setting. Yep I run them both. Master this down to 44 32bit for the MPG and 44 16 for my video software (both in .WAV) Then I load the 44 32 bit file into Sonnox Codec Toolbox and convert it to MPG.

Just started releasing some stuff...... take a listen if you would like. I am getting ready to load up this weeks songs this evening.

https://www.reverbnation.com/tripsonshadows

Have to say thanks Acoustica....... I would have never gotten as far as I have with this project if it wasn't for Mixcraft.

Tripzy
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JohnS
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by JohnS »

hi
It Is a devil of a job getting your head around mixing.
I want to get on with my music ,but If you want a decent copy of what you have made,you have to learn slowly.
I am an amateur at this as well and i have now made an effort to get the drums right first.
I am studying the frequencies of the different hits like kick ,snare and so on.
I have managed to make a drum template using XLN Drums and separated the kick, snare,Hi-hats etc and now learning to use EQ on each piece until I have a sound similar to the ones In tutorials.
After that I will have a go at the bass and then build up a song.
I did get a drum track from Toto's africa ,because I like the sound of Quality of that production.
I placed It In a separe wave track and started to do comparisons.
It Is a horrendus jobby trying to get anywhere near the studio quality,but with a fiddle on the drum gain staging and overheads and room,I am getting close.
There Is a hell of a lot to learn just getting the drums right and I shall make templates when finished.
If you can get those drums and bass going with good quality the rest should follow.
It Is all about getting frequencies right and making sure each Instrument sits in It's own space.
"There !! I am starting to learn"!!!
Beieve me me it is not a five minute job,It is a steep learn curve and me at 65,Well!! "I have got to get a shift on"!! :?


All the best
John :D
Last edited by JohnS on Fri Aug 12, 2016 1:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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JohnS
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by JohnS »

Hi
Try out Lurssen mastering plugin .
I think It Is great and simple to use.

All the best
John
cremley
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by cremley »

Someone asked why I would use something other than Mixcraft for "mastering" a mix. Here's my opinion (well, maybe more of a work-flow)...

When I'm happy with a mix, I go ahead and make a final mix with all of the effects and some limiting/compression on the master bus in Mixcraft. I'm cheap and don't have a great mastering effect/vst....

sooooo....

I find it easier to take the best mix I can from Mixcraft, then pull it into Audacity to put final limiting/compression on the stereo mix. For me, I can put a hard limiter on in Audacity and it just "works" for me. Maybe I'm not smart enough to use the built-in effects/vst's.... maybe I'm just a product of the "loudness war" for my mixes.

I don't squeeze it much in Audacity (maybe 2 db just to 'fatten it up') and I guess I could adjust my limiting in Mixcraft better, but this way I can have a mix for YouTube, car stereo's, and other 'personalized' settings depending on the method of delivery. (I also find that visualizers like iTunes and Plane9 respond to my post-Audacity mixes better.) Yes, I do put a more 'dynamic' mix on audio CD's I pass out for the aficionados, but for streaming media, I can make it as loud as commercial/radio/top 40 mixes people hear every day. Again, I'm not asking for your approval, this is just what works for me.

I do have to admit that I've been using Audacity forever, and only using Mixcraft for about 4 years so maybe Audacity is more natural to me. I used Audacity exclusively until I got turned onto Mixcraft. I'm just an old farrrt and can't get rid of the pumping or compression artifacts from the vst's I'm using in Mixcraft for limiting. In my opinion, Audacity has a rocking hard limiter that I understand how to configure. Does any limiting or compression alter the sound? Of course it does !!! Why have effects if it doesn't make it sound better?

Also.. since I had my "Presidential Campaign Moment" and used the word "clip," I should apologize.... brick wall limiting (or hard limiting) would have been a more-better use of the English language. ;-)

Anyways, I was just here to share ideas and see what experts do to make a living.


Cheers !!!
GregRBand
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by GregRBand »

Wow! This is a great post to read about here.... So much info head spinning...... :shock:
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Mark Bliss
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by Mark Bliss »

As is common whenever this topic comes up, there's enough misinformation to make anyone's head spin IMO.
Stay in tune, Mark

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cremley
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by cremley »

To all that question...

I had to use an ellipses... does that make me smart, or just the way I talk?

Moving on...

I would like to hear from everyone on how they make a "final mix" for common reproduction. Do you just make a mix for all playback devices (iPhone speaker, Beats Audio Headphones, average bluetooth speaker amazon special, some vintage 1983 Infinity('s) hooked up to a Carver Mt1.5???) I am just trying to share info.

I make different mixes for the way it is to be "listened-to." I have found that the compression in YouTube and SoundCloud to make mixes sound different? Does this make sense?

What is the best way to make one mix that will sound great on all devices? Answer that for me...


Cheers !!!
aj113
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by aj113 »

You can't make a mix that sounds great on all devices, forget it, it's a lost cause. There are billions of playback systems and devices in the world, you have no chance of producing a mix that sounds great on all of them. Just focus on getting it to sound good on your own system.

Soundcloud will reduce your mix to a 128 kbps mp3. My advice is - don't use it. It's better to upload to Youtube as an HD video, then it will be reduced to a 192 kbps mp3. Still crap but preferable to 128 kbps, which is virtually unusable.

If you want your uploaded music to sound good when streamed, focus on producing double-digit LUFS masters (i.e. -10 to -12 LUFS for mainstream pop and rock). All services these days reduce the loudness of mixes, so while many people are still hell bent on producing loud mixes, even though it is futile to do so, you will have an advantage over them by producing music with a wide dynamic range.
cremley
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by cremley »

AJ !!!!

Thank your for your input. I do agree with you that there is no such thing a a perfect mix that will playback on all devices. I guess I have too much time on my hands... ;-)

I sincerely appreciate the info on the streaming media. I have (I think) figured out a way to get HQ audio on YouTube by using an MS encoder. It may have just been luck.

I was under the impression that YouTube used an MS WMV or WMA type compression ??? If they use mp3's, then I can figure that out. Again, thanks for the info.

I guess I'm too old and can't figure out how people "listen" to music through the speaker of a cell phone. I'm jealous that I can't get the kick to "pop" like it does on any larger speaker...

So...what do you do for a final mix? I gather a "mix" of what sounds good on full-blown home stereo, occasionally on a DJ setup, Bluetooth Waterfall speakers (no kidding-- 2" full-range drivers), and on car stereos. Am I too afraid that what sounds good on my system will sound out-of-balance on anyone else's? Sure... This is why I'm asking.


Cheers !!!
aj113
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Re: Mastering in Mixcraft.

Post by aj113 »

Well, in answer to your question, see my post above.

For a 'final' mix it is the same as a 'first' mix or any other mix. My monitors, or my cans, or both, but nothing else.

People listen to music differently to how they used to. In my day buying a record and sitting down to listen to it was an event, these days, for many people music is just aural wallpaper which serves as a background to their lives.

Youtube compresses to mp3, you should upload the best quality file possible - 44.1kHz 16 bit wav preferably - and let YT do the compressing.
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