bouncing files

[lechszcz]

ok, i've been dealing with this problem for a little bit, but everytime i bounce my track to itunes it sounds like [bleep][bleep][bleep][bleep]. Im using an mbox mini with an imac and mackie speakers.

My tracks in pro tools sound great through the mackies but once i bounce and play through my computer speakers through itunes it sounds thin. What can i do to make sure my songs do not sound dull on other systems? i.e car stereos and most of all, my own computer speakers. This is driving me mad. Please, please help!

[Phil Ogden]

What you're describing sounds like a monitoring issue resulting from poor room acoustics.

Low frequency reflections may be combining with the direct output from the Mackies and, if they're out of phase, canceling out some of the signal. This has the effect of giving the impression that the bass content is lower than it is therefore affecting your mixing decisions.

Getting your room treated may be your best bet i.e some kind of bass traps.

http://www.myspace.com/philogg

[twix]

Make sure itunes eq or audio enhancer are turned off. Obviously if you tested it in your car or elsewhere from itunes and it sounds bad, then the mixing and environment is the issue.

[Larold]

Bouncing always likes bad. You should record to a stereo track and then use EXPORT AS FILES.

If you hear a beeping, it might be an incompatible format or a clocking problem.

[flommer]

If getting your room treated is not practical (at least in the short term) then you can work backwards:

Take a song or CD you know well that sounds good in the car or iTunes, then play it back through your Mackies/ProTools... The point of this is to learn what the specific differences are. Then, you can compensate while mixing on the Mackies (add more bass than sounds right, for example).

Take that song that you know well, then EQ it in ProTools with the Mackies to what you think it should sound like... Then bounce it down and see if it sounds thin on the other systems. Wherever you cut or boosted, you would do the opposite to your new mix..

It takes time and experimentation, but if the bass traps are inaccessible right now, it gives you something to work on. It's good practice, too.. Makes you learn your environment, even if it's not ideal..

This could also be a mastering situation.. Commercial stuff is compressed to hell to make it loud. Loudness has an effect on the perceived freq. response ie. a smile shaped eq curve. Could that be what you are describing as thin?

PS.. Bouncing vs Export has been shown to be a myth, as the signals null each other out if the phase is flipped... YMMV