| "Your Very Own Guide To Mastering...what U Need To Know"- Bodi MASTERING Aight, you've got your tunes mixed, and have decided on the order in which you want them played to ensure that they make a statement about you as an artist/band. Now it's time to master. If you have heard or know about this I suggest you use Wave's C4 compressor, L1 Ultramaximizer, and Renaissance-EQ along with DSP-fx's Aural Exciter and other DirectX plug-ins within various progs to give your mixed stereo tracks the professional quality they need. Once the individual tracks have their best foot forward, set your track spacing, crossover points, project-wide volume control, and CD info. Stereo Mix: Normalization Ever Wonder how all the tracks on your favorite CD seem to have been recorded at the same level? Normalization and compression are the answer. Normalization raises the natural volume of the mix such that the hottest signal of the stereo mix is raised to just below digital distortion. When every mix on your project is raised to this level with the proper dynamics, it's easier to control the mood and feel of the project as a whole. Peak Limiting Ultra-Limiting takes the ideal of normalization and enhances it specifically for the digital domain. In the analog world, pushing the peak meters past 0db causes a bit of tape saturation that provides a warmth and presence to the sound. This oversaturation can't be done in the digital world the same way. Any digital overs (i.e. any sound over 0 decibels causes a nasty computer glitch. Ultra-Limiting allows us to clip the short digital overs that would otherwise reduce the average track level, thereby bringing up the LOUDNESS of the track. This is where good ears comes into play. Pushing a track past the point where you are just clipping those un-needed transients will ruin the dynamics and presence of the track. Multi-Band Compression If you brought us a mix recorded elsewhere, and the dynamics are wild, and you don't have the individual tracks, all is not lost. Although it is not the preferred method our multi-band compression algorithm allows us to compress various groups of frequencies seperately. Normally, overbearing frequencies will cause a compressor to compress the whole of the sound. For instance, when compressing a mix that has an overly dynamic bass or kick, the compressor will cause the vocals to duck down as well, resulting in a squashed mix that has no definition. However, multi-band compression allows seperate freqeuncy groups to be compressed separately, then the whole of the sound is put back together as a stereo track again. This resulting mix maintains its definition, presence, and clarity. Graphic Equalization When you are trying to portray an overall sound, graphic EQ is a great tool to achieve your goal. There is a difference between Pop and R&B, and it's mostly related to the lower registers of the audible audio frequency ... OK it's all about BASS. For the Pop market you want a more airy sound wherein the bass is a little less than booming. For R&B, no boom, no sale. Parametric Equalization If you are trying to remove or limit specific frequencies (60cycle hum, hiss, mud tones, etc..) parametric equalization is the tool to use. It's like taking a magnifying glass to your track and picking out the frequency you want to effect. Trust me for all the cool edit pro users...this feature works well...If you know what you are doing. Effects Another handy tool for creating an overall feel to a project are effects... no duh. If you are looking to add a more live feeling sound to your project as a whole. To kind of put in a particular atmosphere (dancehall, stage, intimate room) a "little" reverb and a "little" delay in combination with the afformentioned graphical equalization can go a long way towards getting that overall feel. For CEP try using "Tight And Close" or "Nice Presence." Fades, Crossfades and PQ codes Fades and crossfades allow you to blend sections of your project such that the transition from section to section is smooth. However, many CD creation software packages force a specific time between CD tracks. Some progs don't have this limitation, that's why I mentioned it. You can set track separators (PQ codes) where YOU want them. Mix Formats: Red Book standard Compact Disc (CD audio) Digital Analog Tape (DAT) Analog Tape Real Audio MP3 Wave & AIFF Also coming up...I will be posting a Mixing guide...Hope this helps & enjoy |