Enforcer
Tape Op
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 26
Location: England / Southeast |
| my Track sounds a lot lower than previous tracks! Why.... |
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Hi Everyone, im pretty new to this mastering game,i have recorded a mix on my pc,using Acid 5 and sonys soundforge 8 (for mastering),
My big problem is when ive finished the mix in acid 5 and all the levels sound right & are not distorting (going into the red) i render the mix to my harddrive, then i open soundforge 8 and insert the mix, Now considering ive mixed in acid at 24.bit, i understand that i need to Differ the mix in soundforge so that its sounds right before it goes onto the cd, Right??? 
i used to normalize the sound but was told it only strips the sound,?
So Finally after Differing the sound i save to a file, then use Nero to burn the audio mix.....Now i find the PROBLEM!. i send the mix to the production guys, who then compile the mix cds..............  when i get to hear the final cds, the mix i think is sounding right is about 5 to 10 DB lower than the other tracks.... i just cant seem to get it any better ,surely if my mixes are recorded at the highest possible level in acid how come it sounds so low..............  Please if one of you experts can steer me in the right direction i would be very gratefull, (should i just be recording in 16bit and not 24...........Please help....... |
Sat May 06, 2006 4:30 pm |
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McC
Newbie
Joined: 31 Mar 2006
Posts: 5
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Seems like your song hasn't been mastered at all?. Here's one trick to do "something..." by using SF's "Normalize RMS". In SF, select your whole song, go to Process/Normalize and click "Average RMS level", and then click "Scan Levels" to check your Peak/RMS levels.
Today's normal (whatever?) songs, have Peaks close to 0dB and RMS roundabout -10 to -14dB. Compare your song(s) to the other ones on the compilation(s), and see what the levels the other ones have.
Now you can start testing, by setting different dB levels on the leftmost slider and clicking OK. Try -10, -12, -14, -16dB, to check what they do. (Click off the "Use equal loudness contour", it's just a PITA.)
You can also copy your song into many (sub)windows within SF, and then quickly compare different RMS settings by just hitting play in the next window. It's easy to select the same, short sequence along the timeline in each window, to check specific parts, only.
After a few hours, or days,  you'll get a hold of it. This is just a quick, but easy way to "masterate" at home.
Have fun,
McCee |
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Sun May 07, 2006 5:32 pm |
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conquistadore
Forum Moderator
Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 513
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| Retain dynamics |
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While normalising is an easy way around to make your mix sound LOUD, it isn't a very nice thing to do.
The best way would be to run your mix through a compressor/limiter. While it may be tempting to make everything sound as loud as it can get, it is extremely important for your mix to retain its dynamics. No point spending days on a mix and screwing up all your work with something as simple as a normalize option or an UltraMaximizer or Finalizer.. |
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Mon May 08, 2006 11:28 am |
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Enforcer
Tape Op
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 26
Location: England / Southeast |
Many thanks guys.. to both of you McC i have played around with soundforge and managed to get it to 0db and yes it does sound a lot louder. Thankyou very much  , conquistadore you say its better to use a compressor/limiter is there such a plugin on soundforge? or do i have to use another program.Any advice you can give will be of a big help.
Once again thankyou. |
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Mon May 08, 2006 12:48 pm |
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McC
Newbie
Joined: 31 Mar 2006
Posts: 5
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| Re: Retain dynamics |
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quote:
Originally posted by conquistadore
While normalising is an easy way around to make your mix sound LOUD, it isn't a very nice thing to do.
Normal (peak) normalizing does not necessarily make a mix (much) louder. When we talk about
RMS
Normalizing, it's a completely different animal. It was specifically more LOUDness that Enforcer asked for.
quote:
The best way would be to run your mix through a compressor/limiter. While it may be tempting to make everything sound as loud as it can get, it is extremely important for your mix to retain its dynamics. No point spending days on a mix and screwing up all your work with something as simple as a normalize option or an UltraMaximizer or Finalizer..
The "RMS Normalizer" in SF uses compressing & limiting to achive higher, perceived average levels. And it has adjustable RMS, so it offers all choices from "screwing up all work by making it as loud as it can get", to doing practically nothing...
McC |
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Mon May 08, 2006 1:18 pm |
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McC
Newbie
Joined: 31 Mar 2006
Posts: 5
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Just being curious, did you compare your(s), and the other songs Peak/RMS levels to each other?
McC
quote:
Originally posted by Enforcer
Many thanks guys.. to both of you McC i have played around with soundforge and managed to get it to 0db and yes it does sound a lot louder.
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Mon May 08, 2006 1:23 pm |
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Enforcer
Tape Op
Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 26
Location: England / Southeast |
Yes McC i did compare mine with the other tracks and yes they were sitting at 0.db, i played around with the settings and managed to get mine to sound a lot louder,and sit at 0.db aswell. So do you think that using SF is they way forward?? ive looked at Cool Edit Pro and that has a limiter on it but seem to do the same as SF...... |
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Mon May 08, 2006 1:28 pm |
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conquistadore
Forum Moderator
Joined: 03 Aug 2004
Posts: 513
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| Re: Retain dynamics |
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quote:
Originally posted by McC
The "RMS Normalizer" in SF uses compressing & limiting to achive higher, perceived average levels. And it has adjustable RMS, so it offers all choices from "screwing up all work by making it as loud as it can get", to doing practically nothing...
McC
Hmm...interesting. Din't know about this one. Time to look back into SF! |
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Mon May 08, 2006 2:20 pm |
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McC
Newbie
Joined: 31 Mar 2006
Posts: 5
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quote:
Originally posted by Enforcer
Yes McC i did compare mine with the other tracks and yes they were sitting at 0.db, i played around with the settings and managed to get mine to sound a lot louder,and sit at 0.db aswell.
Hmm, as you give just one value, it looks like you have chosen the "Peak" option, instead of "Average RMS".
With RMS, you get two different dB readings, of which the second one is kind of "more" interesting here, as it shows the average level, perceived by the ear. This is the one that tells how "loud" it sounds, while the peak shows just short transient max levels. Do the "Scan Levels" of the different songs with the "Average RMS" dotted. The difference between the Peak & RMS is called the Crest Factor.
McC |
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Mon May 08, 2006 6:07 pm |
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