Need more volume for entire session

[ajp]

I've recorded a number of songs and when I set up the tracks to record, I had the inputs set so I recorded as high as possible without peaking and then when i bounce to disk, I have the volumes all pretty high, but my final MP3s are not nrealy as loud as other MP3s on my computer. You can take a listen to the tracks I'm tlaking about at
www.westeightfive.com/music.html
and you can hear that you need to turn your volume up to hear them.

So how can I make my final mix louder? Right now I have each track (guitar, drums, vocals, bass) duplicated so I have them in stereo, should I just duplicate the tracks more to get more total voume, or is their a simpler way to increase the final volume of the track?

Thanks.

[mersisblue]

fist off when BTD the master faders level is what gets recorded so making sure the master faders volume is

high is first next slaping a lmiter on it will allow you to get an overall higher signal but ( using it sparingly ) will

lose some dynamic range . check this first

next after you have bouced to disk open the file in a new session called the same name but with master after the title ( this is merely my preference to keep things organized ) highlight the track and normalize it

during this process i like to keep my faders at unity . you can also add more compression / liiting during this stage as well as multi band eq , tube emulation , etc....

this is the mastering stage and takes time , and what i believe to be the most important step in the process

as it is the final step ) he laughs last laughs best kind of a deal here )

finally make sure that what ever proram your using to burn to cd is not F ing up your level

if you use itunes try some of teir preset eq settings and make sure its flat if you dont want it effecting your file , there is also a master level control in it unes you can use to increase or decrease your level

hope this helps

[Dirren]

"...highlight the track and normalize it"

actually skip the normalizing step since it might screw your mix levels. Normalizing scans the track and finds the highest peak. that peak is then brought up to the desired maximum level. this means if your new levels are to hot, you're in trouble if you'd like an EQ boost later (depending on how you set the normalising levels).. also the dynamics will change. somethimes dramatically. i would recommend just EQ > COMPRESS > LIMIT. also, never normalize stuff that's supposed to be mastered at a professional facility, you'll tie the hands of the engineer.

//Dirren

[where02190]

So far you have done only 2 of the 3 steps in recording.
1. tracking
2. mixing
3. mastering

You can either have your tracks professionally mastered or learn about it and do it yourself. You cannot master while you mix. This is an entirely separate process than mixing, and invloves the 2 track stereo mix only, utilizing high end compressors, limiters, eq's etc.

without mastering your mixed tracks, whether CDA or Mp3's, will never compete in level with commercial recordings.

Search this forum, you'll find more info on mastering. If you plan on professional mastering do not put any plugins on the master fader, le tthe mastering engineer do that. IF you attempt yourself, be awae of oveloading the mix buss. keep your master fader at 0, and lower your channel faders to prevent buss overlaod. Typically I run channel faders at -10 nominal, allowing adequate headroom to the mix buss.

When tracking, adjust your input levels to a nimonal -18dbfs for an 001 and M-box, -14dbfs for an 002. these levels equate to 0dbu for the respected units. It will allow for adequate headroom for transient peaks and give you quality audio throughout.

Slamming every track to 0dbfs leaves you with little headroom for dynamics and eq, and over multiple tracks means your track level to mix must be lower to prevernt buss overload.

Proper gains staging throughout is key to keeping consistant and quality levels.

[ajp]

thanks so much for the help. i am new to this and just trying to learn as much as possible.
another question then, if i am going to take this in somewhere to have it mastered, would they do the mixing too? should i just bring in the raw recordings without having added any plugins and then let the engineer play with it?

[JFreak]

there are many studios that do mixing, and some studios that do mastering; very few that ace both - and millions of opinions if you ask what is and isn't good. there are also your pair of ears that you should trust

if you plan on learning some self-mastering, i'd suggest you learn how to use "peak" audio editor (www.bias-inc.com) and buy vintagewarmer & masterq plugins from pspaudioware.com

[Chris Coleman]

Right now I have each track (guitar, drums, vocals, bass) duplicated so I have them in stereo, should I just duplicate the tracks more to get more total voume, or is their a simpler way to increase the final volume of the track?

Thanks.

This section of your post is the most disturbing, in terms of what it says about your general understanding of audio...you're putting the cart about 7 miles in front of the horse right now. So, before you even think about recording or mixing anything else, do yourself a favor and pick up a few books on the fundamentals of audio and recording.

For instance - duplicating a track to "have them in stereo" does not make them stereo. If you leave the faders at the same level and don't apply different processing to the different tracks, all you're doing is bumping up that track's level by a few dB...which can be done with the fader or level adjustments of a plugin. If you present the same program material to both the left and right speakers at the same volume, all you're getting is a solid center image - mono. If you want to "stereo-ize" a mono track, the best way to go about it is to apply a stereo effect - reverb, delay, chorus, flange, phase, etc. and effect each side differently...but all these techniques still have tradeoffs in terms of imaging, comb filtering, etc. However, don't waste tracks trying to make something "stereo", just use a mono-to-stereo plugin (or an outboard processor, etc.) if that's what you really want to do with it.

Getting to your original question - there are LOTS of things to learn about gain staging from mic to master...making sure you leave yourself headroom in both recording and mixing, being certain that you're not clipping anything along the way (unless that's a desired effect, of course)...the list goes on and on. Don't worry about making anything "loud" just yet - focus on doing whatever is in your power to make it sound GOOD.

I'm really not trying to come down on you, I'm just a huge proponent of arming one's self with knowledge and basic understanding - so you can assimilate the recording process that much easier when you encounter it. Check out this book to get started. It'll point you in the right direction. I'm sure there are about a million and one recording books out there, but it is crucial to understand the fundamentals of audio (analog and digital) and basic recording/mixing techniques.

Probably the best possible thing for you to do right now is to sidle up next to someone who seems to really understand audio and recording - and then proceed to pick their brain and ask questions until your voice is hoarse (or he/she kicks you out). The DUC can be a great place to ask questions, but since you're seemingly So fresh to all this - finding a real breathing human being, with whom you can ask quetsions face-to-face, is your best bet.

I wish you luck - and welcome the often frustrating and wonderfully rewarding world of recording.

[ajp]

Chris,
Thanks for the post. I am VERY new to this and it is a bit frustrating to learn as i go. I will definitely go and check that book out today.