Bounce To Disk Survey

[G.roots]

I have been searching the forum for over an hour with no helpful results about the topic.

Background:
Every time I mix and then bounce to disk, I end up with mixes that are low in volume and a bit dead sounding. I know that a lot of people take the bounced mix into a new session and then apply plugins the master fader etc... I have tried so many different methods to resolve the issue but nothing is working good enough. I ended writing my own software to maximize my bounced file's volume at the sample level (i.e. did math of raw data in the wav file). This has produced the best results I have heard but I just can't believe that there is not an easier way to get a good mix with the bounce to disk feature. I have been considering getting a outboard CD burner with digital I/O to correct the issue by bypassing bounce to disk all together. What does everyone think?

Survey Question:
What is the best method for bouncing to disk and then home master your final mix. I am interested to know everyone's procedure for bouncing to disk and then making the bounced file sound clean, loud, warm and punchy. Please include what plugins you use on the Master fader during or post bounce.

Peace and thanks!

[da BaSsTaRd!]

search: mastering
search: waves

[tele_player]

Two different issues here. Mastering vs. normalization. G.roots' processing of the wave file after bounce is (I expect) peak normalization, and he's satisfied with the results.

In that case, the answer is to mix louder, and raise the master fader before bouncing. It may not be enough. Anyway, I'd run Inspector before doing the bounce, and set the levels so that it shows headroom under 1db.

Mastering is a different issue, though related, sort of.

[Cliffy_Boy]

I'd run Inspector before doing the bounce,

Inspector... wuts dat?

[tele_player]

www.elemenatlaudio.com

Inspector is a very useful, FREE plugin that tells you quite a bit about what's going on. This is one of the best free things out there, in my opinion. Read the manual.

[Chris Cavell]

Elemental Audio Systems Inspector RTAS plugin.

It's a free and sometimes helpful real time frequency and amplitude analysis plugin. It displays both Peak and RMS meters as one of it's features.

Cliffy!!! You mean to tell me you didn't know about something that was FREE!

[G.roots]

Thanks for the replys guys. Yes, I know the difference between output normalization and Mastering. I am interested in YOUR PROCEEDURES for mixdown>>bounce>>mastering including plugins on the master faders and any other notable issues.

Peace

[Cliffy_Boy]

Cliffy!!! You mean to tell me you didn't know about something that was FREE!

missed that one

Thanks Robert and Chris. Freebie Inspector... here I come!

[albee1952]

I'm with the others here as I am curious about your levels before the bounce. My bounced mixes are plenty hot enough so I have an experiment for you to try. Buss all of your tracks to a new stereo track and record the same mix. If the new stereo mix track is also low in level, then you should probably up your recording levels for your original tracks. If the new stereo track is plenty hot or clipped, then I'll shutup and wait for someone smarter to chime in. Personally, I like to take my 24 bit bounces and open in a new session(import audio to track) for mastering. I use Waves L2 and dithering(always dither in the last plugin slot) and bounce to 16bit, 44.1k Stereo Interleaved. Waves L2 is a great mastering tool for solid levels. Just don't get too crazy with it (or any mastering tools) until you've done a lot and lived with it for a while. I still think that mastering usually should be left to another person that does it all the time. There's nothing like a new set of ears with a fresh point of view.

[graveleye]

missed that one

Thanks Robert and Chris. Freebie Inspector... here I come!

Hey will it work with 5.3.1? I bet not

I would like to try it though.

I dont know - really dont have much trouble with getting my bounces loud. Thats the easy part for me... the hard part is smoothing it over and equalizing the master to make it sound good. Loud is easy.

I wish though, that "loud" was not what we all seem to be forced to worry about. Loud does not make a mix better. It just makes your mix sound as lousy and loud as the commercial stuff. Thats my opinion of course. I could talk for hours about the loud vs quality aspects of mastering.