I am trying to finish my own personal electronic "Dance?" album. I have sampled most most all of the Kicks, snares, hats etc. to make up the percussion section off of vinyl and CDs. Some of this music is pseudo Hip-Hop, House and other forms of electrinica. I am using Pro-Tools Digi 001 with a Manley, Avalon pre and the full Waves plugin package. My question is basically about Compression/ Lmiting. I am sequencing everything and dropping instruments in track by track to Pro-Tools. In order to get that punch and overall loudness for this type of music do I need to re-limit/compress all of the drums again? I bus all the drum tracks to a Stereo Fader and then aplly the Waves L1 Ultramaximizer. I set the limiter to reduce about 3-6 db of gain reduction on this track. Is it necessary, or damaging to the overall drum sounds to add this step after I have sampled these instruments off of already Mastered projects? I can't seem to get the overall loudness of the tracks to match up to professionaly finished projects unless I do this. I understand that Mastering will help out on the overall end sound and percieved loudness. But am I making a mistake in this process? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Comments
Hey Guys- I've contemplated that question a lot since I just
Hey Guys-
I've contemplated that question a lot since I just *love* compression. Especially as an effect.
But Bill, if you compress a sample source, then "dye it in the wool" as an audio file to get triggered by a MIDI device later, the relative *volume* to the mix (compression used as mastering tool) is a blank slate once again.
But the tonality/transients of the wave's sound (using compression as an effect) *is* different.
This has been my first Bill Addendum. Let's see if I get it knocked in the dirt!
Bill: (I know in advance that you already said that you, personally, can "un-compress" something, but that it is effectively out of reach for your average non-mastering guru type of guy. Could I safely bet that I have a point, still?)
best-
.nick
Yes, you have a valad point. Basically, when you are in the m
Yes, you have a valad point.
Basically, when you are in the mix stage (using post mastered samples) you have the oppurtunity to make the mix uncompressed due to it being a different mix of various instruments and you will retain the compressed sound but with using a good deal of EQ in the mix, the track will have dynamics.
This is where the art of mixing comes into play.
I use overcompressed samples at times on tracks for expression.
I have even done something that would seem odd to most pros......
I have mastered indivigual channels and remixed and remastered.
Remember,
No Rules!!!
Thayt samples were premastered and you put them into a "mix cont
Thayt samples were premastered and you put them into a "mix content" renders them mostly unmastered at this point...so the raw sounds in a mix are now remixed into a new mix. Inside this mix is your character of your mix, EQ and panning, etc.
At this point of mix, 2-bus (or 2-bus) compression is a disaster. Stay away from it.
Get your tracks slamming good, but about 5dB below what a finished product would be. Make some room for mastering.
Make this one sound killer, live, but you got to crank the crap out of your system to make it real...then it is time for mastering.
Either professional or DIY (do it yourself) at least the building blocks were not ruined.
Look in the mastering forum and the previous thread and read down to where me and Michael were talking about how you should make your premaster (before mastering) sound "killer" for mastering.
I would be glad to acccept your track in audio projects inside RO to see it, critique it and give advice to the mix, if it is masterable or not.