master volume level question

[gustavof]

hey guys.... I have some tracks that I'm trying to get mastered... they already sound great... but I want to get that stardard volume level (you know, like that ones you hear on CDs)... my question is... do I need any kind of limitation??... I know there is a right way to do this... I don't really have that many plugins... and I want to work inside protools... I have soundforge... but I prefer keeping everything under protools... help !!!.... thanx

[gustavof]

anyone??

[tomgr]

You need software and really good ears. I use Ozone, but I only try to get it in the ballpark for demo purposes, I don't even attempt to get it as loud as commercial CDs, not my area of expertise, if I am releasing a CD I go to a mastering place, if I am doing demos, I get it in the ballpark, but it never comes out as loud as a commercial CD.

Tom

[JonnyGinese]

if you run commercial CD's thorugh somethign with a peak/RMS reader you will find that most of them are around -9 to -8rms... which isn't that hard to get in protools if you know what your doing... Another program that make it really easy to raise the volume is WaveLab5... If you only have the standard plugins for protools then its going to be kinda hard for you to get above -10rms... but thats fine for demo purposes. I use Ozone 3 aswell.. and its an amazing plugin... Waves Ultimaximizer and multimaximizers are great too.. but are expensive. Sometimes its not just the RMS of the song either.. you have to make sure the RMS of the instruments are good as well.

Anyways... happy hunting.