Head Room

[Travis Mitchell]

Hey, I recently got a Digi001, i'm happy with the quality or the recordings...but not with the over all volume of everything when i'm done. Can you guys give me some pointers on how to get more power/levels out of my recordings? (so some one won't have to crank they're sterio for it to sound decent)
thanks!,

-Travis

[yavuzj]

Hi,

Use Waves L1Maximizer plug-in. It is great.

Download demo from
www.waves.com

[8mmOverdose]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by Travis Mitchell:
Hey, I recently got a Digi001, i'm happy with the quality or the recordings...but not with the over all volume of everything when i'm done. Can you guys give me some pointers on how to get more power/levels out of my recordings? (so some one won't have to crank they're sterio for it to sound decent)
thanks!,

-Travis<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Master the mixed down stereo tracks. Slight Compression and limiting usually will raise the levels. Actually pretty much any extra eq, etc that you add will raise levels. Dont push the compression/limiting too much or its gonna sound like crap. Usually a good recording does not need too much done to it in the "mastering" phase. Just a little "icing" added to sweeten up your cake!

[Sugarite]

Make sure the bass is split out from mastering compression. You'll pretty much need Waves C1-sideshain in any compatible editor, or T-Racks to do this. Waves C1 (or better yet C4) and L1+ Ultramax are welcome additions to the master fader, if you've got enough CPU left.

[Rock_Artist]

Here is some simple-basic guidelines hope they worth it and help.

Final Mix:
When you bounce from the PTLE keep remember to keep headroom and keep the signal not clipped.
Mastering:
To get a "CD like" [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] level you should increase the level to something between -4 to -0.6 or close. Again headroom is important because some systems outhere distort signal of 0db.

Quick: To simply pump up gain use the L1 (Waves), T-Racks or all those "Mastering" tools. I use them when I'd like to reference stuff on car or on tapes when I want to get a normal level.

Mastering:
Mastering in short is getting the music from the mix into final optimal level, optimal sound 2ch/Stereo (5.1, or whatever sometimes). All of that while keeping the sound optimal for any soundsystem...
PAs, Home Systems, Car HiFi, ****box (LoFi), radios and all... making the quality work like charm on all...
Whole Album: Even harder, make 10-20 tracks sound connected.

Processing:
Compression: This stage is for making the sound more in the same level.

EQs: Final EQ for boosting freq., improving missing freq. and "cutting" unwanted freq.
-
I use spectrum analyzing on most stages to get a good sound for all systems and to see what freq. I miss and cannot point out and overall view of what's missing.
-
Maximizer/Limiter:
The Final Tool making the signal at desired levels. You should beware not to Maximize too much.

The final waveform should look at almost 0db while still "free" so there is no consisting level and there is no too-low places (where not-needed).

DD Bitrate&Sample rate Conversion:
24bit/48khz gives greater performance in quality, "headroom [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]" and better audio capturing.
When getting it to disc it's important converting the signal right.
Use a good Dithering software (if doing entirely digital). There is VST Appoge outhere that consider to be the best.
Steinberg also provide a nice dither system and also PT got one.
If mastering out side PT it's good to dither outside.
Afterward simply convert sample & bit rates to 16/44.1 and burn...


Good Luck.
Mastering is a really complicated process that I've still need to learn more.
However, the basics I took here is from a book I read about the process that made me understand the work need to be done.

[zboy2854]

I've been experiencing a volume/loudness issue of my own with the Digi001. I bounce to disk with the final mix always having enough headroom. Then I open up the stereo file in Sound Forge and use the Ultramaximizer to max the levels up and hitting 0. However, when I listen to the mixes in comparison to other commercial CD's it isn't as loud. The CD's sound at least a few db louder. I've brought some of the songs from the commercial CD's into Sound Forge to look at the levels on the same meters, and to my surprise my mixes' levels are hotter, yet the overall power and loudness is lesser. Anyone have any ideas about this? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

[8mmOverdose]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by zboy2854:
I've been experiencing a volume/loudness issue of my own with the Digi001. I bounce to disk with the final mix always having enough headroom. Then I open up the stereo file in Sound Forge and use the Ultramaximizer to max the levels up and hitting 0. However, when I listen to the mixes in comparison to other commercial CD's it isn't as loud. The CD's sound at least a few db louder. I've brought some of the songs from the commercial CD's into Sound Forge to look at the levels on the same meters, and to my surprise my mixes' levels are hotter, yet the overall power and loudness is lesser. Anyone have any ideas about this? [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

There are lots of different reasons. Probably the first is commercial cd's are recorded in multi million dollar studios with great gear and expensive mics.

Aside from that i can think of a few other possibilities such as eq. A guitar may be "loud" but have the mids scooped out so it is not "present". The "hi mids" (2k-4k) really brings out "bite" in guitars, vocals, snare drums.

Also its often good to compress each individual track a bit in the mixdown. ie, if your snare drum is hitting real hot it may be peaking at -1, while the rest of your mix is at -8. when you run the ultramaximizer accross it and crank the mix up to zero, the snare peak is going to dictate the overall volume gain. if you compress that snare a little while mixing and bring the peak down, then the overall gain will be more when you "ultramaximize" it.

Also I find it helpful to turn off the "suck" switch while mixing down. I hate when I leave that one on *laugh*.

[Rock_Artist]

If you'll look on you're waveform,
You'll find it more "FIRM"...
L1 or any Maximizer/Limiters simply used just provide better levels but...
1. They absolute dynamic killers.
2. They increase all freq. = some you not hear or some aren't dominant ones.

I use the Limiters just when doing some reference cd because it's a quick way to get some level when putting you're tracks for checkup in the car.

However, when mastering the track you should first EQ the wavefile (that's why headroom important) to improve the "hotter" freq.
Wavelab for example gives a great 3d Freq. Analyzing Graph of overall wave.
Import a CD track of the closest style to what you're doing (if it's the sound you're intending to reach).
Look on the Analyze Graph. See what freq. you're more or less missing, which bother you and etc...
Than put EQ that enhance the sound, Compressing for getting nice start point, and a maximizer set for -0.4 or something less than 0db... 0db is dangerous because you could have distortion from some equipment that p/b 0db and increase the signal abit (electronic equip. still isn't 100% the same).

When looking on the graph after processing the signal with new effects you should try to get the closest to the track you've ripped from the cd.
When you get to the maximum you can that's it. Put it on any system and the levels will be close as those 1m$ studios [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img].

And ofcourse...
Whatever you do if the freq. look good on graph but sound bad... TRUST your Ears always. Just keep inmind that sometimes you're system (Digi001/Comp'Out->Amp->Monitors) produce a unique sound that may sound different on other monitors/system.
You should make the best sound for your system but the one sounds fine on your system, on the car, on your DVD, on your homestereo at your friend's house and anywhere.
I've screwed up some masterings at start as I've based on the system I have.
The easiest example for changes is the SBLive!.
I've got SBLive! and AM3... both mix on the same Spirit Console.
The same exact audio get warmer bass and crisp hi's the SBLive! while the AM3 provide flat clean sound...
Same get the same signal but one got a cheaper D/A....

Sorry if writing too much or whatever.
Good luck...

[zboy2854]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'll check things out in Wavelab and go from there. [img]images/icons/cool.gif[/img]