Remaining in PT land...

[bigd]

Lets say I have about 60 songs that I need to bounce after mixing... Then I need to make sure they are all the same volume. I'd like to remain in PT because I don't have anything else but...

On each bounce to disk, should I stay straight up with no inserts on the master fader, or add something...

Also, would it be alright to import all 60 bounced mixes into a single PT session so that I can ensure they are all at the same level and sound, then bounce them all one by one once it's all good?

I'm hoping this way I won't get any surprises once I listen to the entire cd set and they would all have the same characteristics and save a bit of time...

[mindnoise]

Hi



Also, would it be alright to import all 60 bounced mixes into a single PT session so that I can ensure they are all at the same level and sound, then bounce them all one by one once it's all good?



looks like a good Idea to me, You can ride the volume automation to adjust the different levels.

a Loudness Tool like Sony Oxford Inflator might also help to things consistent but is not absolutely necessary.

regs

[nightshadecrisis]

remember that PTLE only supports up to 32 mono tracks....ie 16 stereo tracks...

[bigd]

Oh yeah... Well, I guess 16 songs that a CD would hold then per session. Thanks for the advice.

D.

[mindnoise]

you also can keep the songs horizontally in line (on one stereo track) not only vertically and automate the plug-in parameters in the final session.

Or do you want to listen to 16 songs at the same time?

regs

[bigd]

Another good point mindnoise. As long as I name everything well... And scrolling could be a pain for all 60 songs.

As a side note, the reason I'm doing all of this is to make cd's that I use as a background on stage. It all begin's with a midi track from the net, then I record a lead player, some singers for background, and fiddlers, and whatever else it needs. Would you have any advice on how to make the whole mix sound full, and well sounding for on stage performance... Since there is such a difference between home speakers and stage sound. e.g., on stage the bottom end is more promonent, or the highs are because of the loudness, etc...

I just have to make sure I get this right, since 60 songs is quite a lot to handle when you're going... by ear.

D.

[mindnoise]

HI bigd,


Would you have any advice on how to make the whole mix sound full, and well sounding for on stage performance...



Isn´t that what the Soundcheck is for? The clubs should have a master console, I guess and an
operator, too. If not, owning an mixing console would be your best bet to adjust levels
and frequencies, IMHO.


regs

[bigd]

Hey Mindnoise,

Well, yes, a stage engineer would be best for this, but what I meant I guess, is just an overall sound, that would react well with different stages and sound setups. My budget doesn't allow for a personal engineer.

thanks for the support.

D.

[mindnoise]

HI,

this isn´t really my stuff but my bet would be a mix with the frequencies kept quite linear, depending on your music and a mixing console and multiband EQ to adjust the sound as needed on the stage
and extensive soundchecks of course.


perhpas do a search on he forums to find something helpful.

so anyone with live experience, please join in

regs

[O.G. Killa]

Hi,

I do this kind of thing (loading tons of stereo mixes into a PT session) all the time. PT can handle it. I just organized 4 CDs of sound effects and sound design for a production company. I believe I imported around 2500 stereo audio files into one PT session.

Most of the CDs I do editing on have between 90-150 tracks (music beds for use in TV/film). Protools can handle it no problem.

A couple suggestions to help you...

1) like you said, file naming is extremely important. Use the Region bin a lot for locating specific tracks (cmd+shft+f works well too for finding things)

2) PgUp and PgDn scroll the PT edit window vertically (up and down), and then Opt+PgUp/PgDn scroll horizontally (left to right). Actually, I think it's option, it's one of the three. If option doesn't work try cmd or cntrl key + PgUp/PgDn.

3) the Tab and opt+Tab work great to jump forward and backward by one song at a time.

4) Use playlists to keep track of changes...for example create a stereo track and label it "Source", drag from region bin all 60 cues. Then when you go to make any changes choose "Duplicate Playlist" and label what the change is, for example "Reorder 1" etc...

5) If these 60 cues are going to be arranged onto severalCDs it's best to make a new stereo track for Each CD. In this case, you would label each track by name, then by what it is...for example, you'd have playlists on one track labeled as such "CD1-Source", "CD1-Reorder1", "CD1-WithFX", etc... Then on the next track you'd have "CD2-Source", "CD2-reorder1", etc...

6) Use Audiosuite plugins for as much as you can. If you use audiosuite, you'll be able to bounce faster than realtime in the end (by using Cmd+shft+k). After you've written all of your effects using audiosuite and it sounds the way you want, you click on the track you want to export, hit "cmd+a" to select all the regions in that track, hit "cmd+shft+k" to export and you can then put them all in one folder on the hard drive as stereo interleaved, 16bit/44.1KHz audio files.

7) if you use the method in #6, make sure to write any fades you do into the file (if you use the smart tool or "cmd+f" to fade anything make sure you select each region and hit "opt+shft+3" to print the fade files into the audio region.

8) keep all the regions on a track butted right up against one another and use shuffle mode to reorder the tracks. If you are going to use automation for plugins and gain changes then think about putting some space in between(2sec maybe?) each region once you have the order finalized. (select a blank section of track that is 2 seconds long, copy it, then past it between each region in shuffle mode).

Hmmmm...I'm trying to think of any other helpful hints...I think that's most of them. Hope it helps you...good luck!

[smudge]

If you are talking about songs or material that you think deserve a little extra effort I'd suggest a few small variations on O.G.Killa's excellent methods. Stick with RTAS plugins for the mixes and once you have them sounding how you like bounce to disk at 24 bit with nothing on the master fader, no dither and no fades. Then import your mixes back into a new session and apply compression and eq as needed to the master fader, and add any fades, also to the master fader. A limiter such as the Waves Ultramaximiser can be really helpfull at this stage to even things out and bump up the overall gain if this is desired. Bounce your mixes again at 16 bit 44.1k stereo interleaved, applying dither, and your done. All this is a little more time consuming but has several advantages. In particular you can work on the tracks as an organic whole rather than just a bunch of unrelated bits and pieces, keeping things smooth and consistent from track to track. You can E.Q a whole cd or series of tracks to have a particular feel or mood for instance. Use automation to keep plugin setting for individual tracks if necessary.

As far as the overall sound is concerned, a little compression goes a long way and can be very helpful in smoothing things out but don't overdo it. Likewise with the limiter. Nothing kills good audio more than over compression and over limiting. The current trend is to use limiting to make cd's sound as loud as possible but avoid this if you don't want the softest note on a flute to sound as loud as the loudest drum hit. As far as E.Q. goes, it's often helpfull to roll off low subs around the 30 - 40 hz range and add a touch of presence up around 10 - 12 K, particularly if you intend to use the material on stage. Cd's with too much low frequency content typically cause problems in these situations and there is very little musical content in that area anyway. If the material is rather dence pulling out a little low mid, somewhere around 400 - 500 hz can help clean it up and stop it from sounding cluttered.

Hope this is of some help to you but in the end there really are no rules, just suggestions.

[bigd]

Wow,

Thanks smudge, O.G. Killa and mindnoise,

If there are medals to give out in the DUC you guys should get 'em. I appreciate this greatly. Such a wealth of info. Again. thank you!