There was a standalone program that Doug Jane here in New Zealand coded for OS9 mac only, all it did was redraw the complete audio wave and you could choice how much of each peak gets drawn down, but prier to loading tracks you edited the louder peaks down so they were around the same. This brought up crest factor of that track while maintaining the integrity of the wave curve peak with no squared peak. It only used Sd2, in the studio I was working in back in 1998 all files were prepped and ran through the program brought back in to pro-tools sessions, then the final master was ran through with -3db peak reduction then brought back in to final master but at that stage before mastering the crest factor was already up there, so the limiter was not doing much at all, the studio was all in the box stock protools plugins, all synths instruments were real instruments. Learned alot about increasing crest factor that times as a junior engineer.
Waves MV2, harmonics sub and highs, parallel compression, find the loud frequency that cuts through without increasing volume, experiment hardcore. :) All this will only work if your mixing position can hear 1db subtle changes and sub content. I had errors with my mixing environment for years, mixed to the room and it never translated to other mediums. The way I have my monitor setup seems to be translating over all mediums. For example I can hear the smallest subtle changes to what MV2 does, to how much colour from saturation is needed that is not adding to the volume level but just fits better in the mix and that coloured sound translates across different mediums. Kick and bass is always a challenge and builds up in RMS if stacked on top of each other. I love the challenge and Davids videos always is on par with the challenges we face with home mixing and mastering.
Great answer! What matters is how it sounds in the end after mastering! My personal problem (that may concern me only, I don't know about others) is: can it sound even better? If you adventure there, it's almost an endless process... so here comes my question: when do we stop trying improving a mix and/or a master? 😂😂🤣🤣 I'm laughing of it but it's a very serious issue for me as an ultra perfectionist guy! 🤣😂 Best Regards from your friend François in Montreal, Canada! 🎼🃏🎶🎵🙏😁👍🌠
During the mix stage should you push the output of the 2 buss Master to minimize how much limiting you have to do during the mastering stage? What is a rough level (in your opinion) that you should shoot for considering that the mix itself sounds pretty solid...Cheers! Oh and the API 2500 trick on drums is really sick, that was pure gold!
I once watched you briefly touch on the subject of mask distortion and i can’t find ANYTHING on the matter elsewhere. Would you do a Q&A or maybe a tutorial on when and where it plays a role when making mix decisions? Thank you for ever amazing content. Keep it up!
MixbusTv Exactly! I figured it was one of those things the pro’s dont talk about. You should blow the whistle haha, i know Im not the only one interested in this 💯
Hey, imgod. For some reason dude never answers questions in his comments, but I will try to help you. In regards to pink noise mixing, I would say to use reference tracks rather than pink noise. I’ve tried both and I always get better mixes using reference tracks. Get some songs you like the production of and download the highest quality file of that song you can find, then put it in your DAW. And if you have anything on your master buss, make sure you disable to mastering stuff when listening to your reference track
Hi David. How much do you pay attention to individual track headroom during mix stage after initial level mix? i.e If a channel is peaking at 10db before eq/compression/etc, should we aim to keep it around 10db after processing? Thank you.
Have you tried coaxial speakers? I have sold my two way focal solo and went to coax the last years and im super happy. Genelecs and Aps are my favourite. I went with Aps because of money issues with genelecs coax. They are super expensive. I feel two way or three way always have phase problems and this reacts to transients and space problems inside a mix. Even expensive over 3k two way speakers have this. That confused me a lot. Have you tried full range? Like avantones or auratones?
No substitute for them, not hardware not plugins. But, if I didn't have those which I use on the 2bus it would probably be a combination of Black Box from analog Design and SSL Fusion. I have the Drawmer multiband saturator but I like it on tracks and groups more than 2bus. Still, none of those would do what the neve's do. Plugins, I can get a smiliar curve in the low end with McDSP Analog Channel 2, but no saturation, for that would be a combination of various, something for the low end, maybe one of the new IK Multimedia tape machines (I'm experimenting with them) Izotope Exciter, something for the high end (red silk xformer, that's tought) which would probably change every time. So yeah, I never try to recreate with plugins the Neve's it's a lost cause. I rather just mix and not think about it and let things fall in place. Funny enough, I always end up using the Waves LinMB on the 2bus when I'm not mixing with the Neve's (which only happens if I'm physically away from them)
I do, many mastering studios who own a hardware L2 all say to never limit beyond 1.3db, so I just stack the plugin ;) and just limit 1db 4x. Since we all have plenty of time on our hands you can always draw the peak down, say the L2 is limiting 1db but some peaks hit 2db, then zoom in and draw it down so all peaks are consistently 1db. So definitely in my opinion knock 1db off on the track, + drawing down peaks, then subgroup another 1db, masterbus another 1db. I use MV2 to knock 1db off while raising the crest, so its not always a L2.
@@3ATTR1X L2 hardware is a plugin in a box, and a very old limiter which has its places but definitely not up to par with the new ones. Not limiting more than 1.x db is just total BS
@@mixbustv Might be BS to you, and isn't this about everyone has a way that works for them, that's why we experiment hard, test things out aye? What someone has reported with the hardware and the L2 plugin, I tend to go and check it out listen to what the L2 is doing to the sound, the dynamics as apposed to a clipper, or hardware clipper. I have tested 10x L2 all doing 1db reduction as to 1x L2 doing 10db reduction, they sound completely different, I have done it with the L3 as well, was an interesting investigation. Call it for whatever you want.
@@3ATTR1X Matiu Kaikiko I'm not even sure what that has to do with anything. Where exactly you saw me saying that using one limiter instead of 2,3, 10 sounds the same? I'm curious. In fact I wrote there are many benefits of using multiple *as opposed* to one. Everything else you wrote about listening to what the L2 hw or plugin or clipper or hardware clipper (which one?) I have no idea where it comes from but, if you're using 4 L2 to limit 1db each you're still limiting 4db, you limit 2db each, you're still limiting 8db, so just confirm what I said, the hypothetical rule of not limiting more than 1.x db is total BS, it's program dependant and even with the L2 which is an old limiter and takes a lot less abuse than newer one on certain material you can limit up to 6db easy. So again, I have no idea what your hardcore testing is about, limiting ain't that difficult.
You said it man! Fuck the numbers! XD I would love it just to have a fader that just says what it does instead of those numbers and red flashing lights. XD I still find myself get so distracted by that.
Whenever i edit vocals, i start to listen to the vocal in detail and the more i listen i start to hear artefacts like pops clics, noise distorted words, roomy effects on certain words and even strange sounding words. It feels like i can hear so many errors in the vocal after a while that it almost sucks the energy out of me. How much should i care about this?
"Does it sound okay? Then fuck it."
Best life advice ever.
You are one of the few mixers out there who actually recommend to use our ears. Thank you soo much!
There was a standalone program that Doug Jane here in New Zealand coded for OS9 mac only, all it did was redraw the complete audio wave and you could choice how much of each peak gets drawn down, but prier to loading tracks you edited the louder peaks down so they were around the same. This brought up crest factor of that track while maintaining the integrity of the wave curve peak with no squared peak. It only used Sd2, in the studio I was working in back in 1998 all files were prepped and ran through the program brought back in to pro-tools sessions, then the final master was ran through with -3db peak reduction then brought back in to final master but at that stage before mastering the crest factor was already up there, so the limiter was not doing much at all, the studio was all in the box stock protools plugins, all synths instruments were real instruments. Learned alot about increasing crest factor that times as a junior engineer.
Waves MV2, harmonics sub and highs, parallel compression, find the loud frequency that cuts through without increasing volume, experiment hardcore. :) All this will only work if your mixing position can hear 1db subtle changes and sub content. I had errors with my mixing environment for years, mixed to the room and it never translated to other mediums. The way I have my monitor setup seems to be translating over all mediums. For example I can hear the smallest subtle changes to what MV2 does, to how much colour from saturation is needed that is not adding to the volume level but just fits better in the mix and that coloured sound translates across different mediums. Kick and bass is always a challenge and builds up in RMS if stacked on top of each other. I love the challenge and Davids videos always is on par with the challenges we face with home mixing and mastering.
are reference tracks a must have in mixing? how do you approach it? thx for all your Q&A's! they help alot!
Regular intake of isolate protein powders before mixing could significantly improve the crest factor.😊
Thanks David!
Great answer! What matters is how it sounds in the end after mastering! My personal problem (that may concern me only, I don't know about others) is: can it sound even better? If you adventure there, it's almost an endless process... so here comes my question: when do we stop trying improving a mix and/or a master? 😂😂🤣🤣 I'm laughing of it but it's a very serious issue for me as an ultra perfectionist guy! 🤣😂 Best Regards from your friend François in Montreal, Canada! 🎼🃏🎶🎵🙏😁👍🌠
During the mix stage should you push the output of the 2 buss Master to minimize how much limiting you have to do during the mastering stage? What is a rough level (in your opinion) that you should shoot for considering that the mix itself sounds pretty solid...Cheers! Oh and the API 2500 trick on drums is really sick, that was pure gold!
I once watched you briefly touch on the subject of mask distortion and i can’t find ANYTHING on the matter elsewhere. Would you do a Q&A or maybe a tutorial on when and where it plays a role when making mix decisions? Thank you for ever amazing content. Keep it up!
Yes I mentioned it in another video, if I don't do it I doubt anyone will :D masking in one very hard to explain and demonstrate concept
MixbusTv Exactly! I figured it was one of those things the pro’s dont talk about. You should blow the whistle haha, i know Im not the only one interested in this 💯
Hi David, I heard you say once that ‘volume is your first line of defence’ as a mixer. Please could you elaborate on that idea? Thanks.
I love you're channel dude. Awesome helpful content. Cheers!
What do you think about pink noise mixing? Should someone like me who struggles with volume balance use it? And does it work in all genres?
Hey, imgod. For some reason dude never answers questions in his comments, but I will try to help you.
In regards to pink noise mixing, I would say to use reference tracks rather than pink noise. I’ve tried both and I always get better mixes using reference tracks. Get some songs you like the production of and download the highest quality file of that song you can find, then put it in your DAW. And if you have anything on your master buss, make sure you disable to mastering stuff when listening to your reference track
Hi David. How much do you pay attention to individual track headroom during mix stage after initial level mix? i.e If a channel is peaking at 10db before eq/compression/etc, should we aim to keep it around 10db after processing? Thank you.
Yes, for the most part, aim for unity is the rough is good. That excludes automation of course (I do last)
@@mixbustv Thank you Sir!!!
Have you tried coaxial speakers? I have sold my two way focal solo and went to coax the last years and im super happy. Genelecs and Aps are my favourite. I went with Aps because of money issues with genelecs coax. They are super expensive. I feel two way or three way always have phase problems and this reacts to transients and space problems inside a mix. Even expensive over 3k two way speakers have this. That confused me a lot.
Have you tried full range? Like avantones or auratones?
Thanks for the video man
Going crazy of that dBFS dBVU and gainstaging with all that virtuality as well)
Doin it and doin it and doin it well hahaha.
I did the same thing when he said that! lol.
Hi! For Trap, Reggaeton and other bass heavy music, is it better to have the low mids louder than the sub lows?
Hi David, what hardware or software would you use if there was no 542's in your rack?
No substitute for them, not hardware not plugins. But, if I didn't have those which I use on the 2bus it would probably be a combination of Black Box from analog Design and SSL Fusion. I have the Drawmer multiband saturator but I like it on tracks and groups more than 2bus. Still, none of those would do what the neve's do. Plugins, I can get a smiliar curve in the low end with McDSP Analog Channel 2, but no saturation, for that would be a combination of various, something for the low end, maybe one of the new IK Multimedia tape machines (I'm experimenting with them) Izotope Exciter, something for the high end (red silk xformer, that's tought) which would probably change every time. So yeah, I never try to recreate with plugins the Neve's it's a lost cause. I rather just mix and not think about it and let things fall in place. Funny enough, I always end up using the Waves LinMB on the 2bus when I'm not mixing with the Neve's (which only happens if I'm physically away from them)
Is there a benefit to using multiple limiters in mastering?
I do, many mastering studios who own a hardware L2 all say to never limit beyond 1.3db, so I just stack the plugin ;) and just limit 1db 4x. Since we all have plenty of time on our hands you can always draw the peak down, say the L2 is limiting 1db but some peaks hit 2db, then zoom in and draw it down so all peaks are consistently 1db. So definitely in my opinion knock 1db off on the track, + drawing down peaks, then subgroup another 1db, masterbus another 1db. I use MV2 to knock 1db off while raising the crest, so its not always a L2.
@@3ATTR1X L2 hardware is a plugin in a box, and a very old limiter which has its places but definitely not up to par with the new ones. Not limiting more than 1.x db is just total BS
Yes, there are many
@@mixbustv Might be BS to you, and isn't this about everyone has a way that works for them, that's why we experiment hard, test things out aye? What someone has reported with the hardware and the L2 plugin, I tend to go and check it out listen to what the L2 is doing to the sound, the dynamics as apposed to a clipper, or hardware clipper. I have tested 10x L2 all doing 1db reduction as to 1x L2 doing 10db reduction, they sound completely different, I have done it with the L3 as well, was an interesting investigation. Call it for whatever you want.
@@3ATTR1X Matiu Kaikiko I'm not even sure what that has to do with anything. Where exactly you saw me saying that using one limiter instead of 2,3, 10 sounds the same? I'm curious. In fact I wrote there are many benefits of using multiple *as opposed* to one. Everything else you wrote about listening to what the L2 hw or plugin or clipper or hardware clipper (which one?) I have no idea where it comes from but, if you're using 4 L2 to limit 1db each you're still limiting 4db, you limit 2db each, you're still limiting 8db, so just confirm what I said, the hypothetical rule of not limiting more than 1.x db is total BS, it's program dependant and even with the L2 which is an old limiter and takes a lot less abuse than newer one on certain material you can limit up to 6db easy. So again, I have no idea what your hardcore testing is about, limiting ain't that difficult.
You said it man! Fuck the numbers! XD I would love it just to have a fader that just says what it does instead of those numbers and red flashing lights. XD I still find myself get so distracted by that.
Thats a great desk, what kind is it?
Modson Furniture
Love your passion for Sound! Keep up the great work Brotha!
Those two big speakers looks like a tri-amping Technics from my youth, on steroids)) EH-580 if i'm not mistaken, it was called :)
Hahaha so good, thanks!
Whenever i edit vocals, i start to listen to the vocal in detail and the more i listen i start to hear artefacts like pops clics, noise distorted words, roomy effects on certain words and even strange sounding words. It feels like i can hear so many errors in the vocal after a while that it almost sucks the energy out of me. How much should i care about this?
th-cam.com/video/U9MhZLWem0g/w-d-xo.html
Hi David, do you have experience with Bob Katz Kmetering?
I know of it, I don't use it
Right. If it sounds good then fcuk it. Thanks
"Does it soudn ok? Then fuck it" =D Only rule in music
Not really unless you make it for yourself only
Gotta use the ears