Questions tagged [mastering]
Questions regarding the final stage of audio post production. Mastering refers to the process of taking the final mix of a song and processing it for the master data storage device from which all copies will be made.
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What concerns are there when converting 24bit 48khz to 16bit-44.1khz (CD quality)?
My band is working with a somewhat pricey mastering engineer and we are wanting to keep the price down. For a price we're comfortable with, he will either provide us with hi-res masters (24bit, 48khz -...
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Bassline Not Audible on Laptop Speakers
I produce EDM (Electronic Dance Music), mainly house. I have this problem with basslines. On my studio monitors, and my headphones, the bass sounds punchy in the mix. I can get it to the point where ...
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Figuring out EQ for sounds
Looking for some guidance on EQ strategies for making sounds more professional. I know this is a very general question and maybe this falls more into mastering, but when I hear sounds in libraries or ...
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'Why' and 'When' should audio encoder's/decoder's be used?
I got a lot of questions in my head in addition to what's mentioned in the title. Here's all of them, take your time answering :D
I'm aware that it doesn't alter the quality of the song/track in any ...
user6976
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Setting volume level of mix
From what level of decibels should I start to set the volume of tracks in the mix?
I've heard that usually it starts at -6dB on a kick and match the rest of track's volume to that kick ...
Is it ...
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Reference movies for mastering
What reference movie do you have for mastering?
I'm more concerned with dynamic range and loudness. Which movies have the best of both worlds?
I think the last Superman movie was too loud, I didn't ...
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My instruments sound muffled on consumer gear and radio, even though it sounds okay in the studio? What can I do to fix it and why is it like this?
I have been working on my new single but I feel like it could have a brighter more professional finish. To me, it sounds like there is a problem with the dynamics. The drums and the brass sections ...
george patterson
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Where can I find good before and after sound samples for learning eq, compression, mixing?
Where can I find good before and after sound samples for learning eqing, compression, mixing or even mastering?
Would be great if there are detailed explanations to each mixing action.
baj
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Mastering Levels for Interactive Audio
Hi game audio professionals, I'd love to get your opinions on this.
When rendering final mixes for game audio, how loud do you mix? Let's take an example of an iPad game that includes a street ...
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Advice on Mixing and Mastering levels - Peaking/distortion when playing through DVD players? (non PC)
Hi all!
I have a question relating to the mixing and mastering levels of a film's audio soundtrack and problems I have since noticed after a project have been completed.
I have been freelancing in ...
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What are the steps/phases of a CD/Album production
What are the steps/phases of a CD/Album production? From the moment of recording to when it's out?
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Client asking for AES Channels 1 & 2 render
Hello,
I've rendered audio content for radio and TV/commercials before, but rendering out a simple wav or mp3 has always been sufficient; as long as the ceiling was set to the appropriate level. ...
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What's a really good book to get deep into sound design??
I'm looking for a book that can help me understand every detail on how to make sounds from scratch and not just manipulate presets. I've been producing music for the past 2 years and i've created some ...
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Headphones for Mastering ?
Hey hello!!
I'm looking for a good pair of headphones under $200 for mastering field recordings.
I was told that the Ultrasone Pro 550 and Audio-Technica ATH-M50 are very good options.
What do you ...
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Mastering chain effects
This question has been asked in various forms but not yet completely in my view.
I'm trying to find a good mastering chain for a sound effects library using say Waves plugins in pro tools.
I see ...
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When you're mastering, does it matter whether you export your mixdown to a WAV/AIF file first?
In many mastering tutorials, I see that people have exported their mixdown as a WAV file and then re-opened it in their DAW (Ableton in my case). Are there benefits to doing this instead of just ...
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Reason: Why do my songs sound dull and soft?
Just to get it out of the way, I have no formal training in music production, let alone sound engineering. So apologies in advance if I say anything stupid.
I have been using Reason to make hip ...
GCH
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What exactly does it mean to normalize a track/how it is done?
When exporting a song I was working on in Ableton I decided to export it as an .aiff file for the first time, just for kicks I guess, when I noticed some options that I had never really paid attention ...
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Suggestions for mastering a sound FX library?
I want to put together a sound fx library which will have some processing. I'm wondering the best way to master the effects so they all have the same timbre and overall level. Is this typically done ...
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Is it wrong to use compression on the master bus?
I've read some pretty conflicting statements about what people should or shouldn't do when it comes to putting effects on the master bus. In general, what I always do is put on a compressor but have ...
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Final MIX - Movie Mastering Levels
Hello All!
I understand that workflow in sound designing a movie usually ends up in 3 tracks;
Dialogue, Sound Effects, and Music.
I've been asked to level out a feature length movie which doesn't ...
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General advice about sound spatialization
I am composing music by layering various instruments of different types. Percussions, strings, lead, etc...
Is there a generally-agreed "best" way of putting those instruments in the auditive space? (...
Skippy Fastol
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How should you mix / master when producing music for Video Games?
Should anything be done differently when mixing and/or mastering for Video Game music, considering it will play along with various other game SFX?
Should a certain range of frequencies (or multiple ...
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Removing subsonic frequencies when mastering
In general (for music where lf are not important):
To increase space for dynamic range in audible frequencies, is it a good idea to remove low frequencies when mastering?
More specific:
I am ...
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Best Voice track mastering software ?
Hi all
Im running Protools HD on Mac and would like some feedback as to what in your opinion is the best voice mastering plug in for feature films.
I have used Ozone 4 and their center voice preset ...
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Post Production, How To Become Faster?
So I have been doing audio post production and master for a friend of mine for a few months now. He is starting to have a higher demand for videos and is sending more to work on. They are commentaries ...
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Learning how to create, record, mix, and master audio
I've been messing around with digital audio production for something like six years on and off, and it's been a beautiful frustrating experience. I know very little if any "textbook" information and ...
Naftuli Tzvi Kay
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Generating massive-sounding duplicated noises
I'm using SONAR 5 Producer (I know, it's old.) to record/mix/master my recording. What I'm looking to do is with certain sounds, I'd like to create the effect of having hundreds of instruments without ...
Naftuli Tzvi Kay
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Voice narration mastering?
I'm a web developer who wants to start making screencasts, with emphasis on quality. One of the things that I have to take care of is the voice quality - I want it to be as good as possible for a ...
Nikolay Dyankov
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Tool for improving old recordings
I'm looking for a tool like this, but not quite sure what to call it. I have a number of MP3s of recordings I did on 4-track tape back in the day. I quite like them but the recording is fairly poor ...
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What is the difference between dBFS and dBu?
What is the difference between dBFS and dBu for leveling when it comes to final mix and standards for cinematic release?
I know that each country is different. In South Africa, the spec for ...
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Editing/Mastering workflow for a podcast
I'm creating a podcast with two voice tracks and some intro/outro music, and I'm trying to decide on a general workflow for editing and mastering. Specifically, I'm not sure if some of the effects ...
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Loop Group - Caveats?
I've always been under the understanding that Loop Group is SAG/AFTRA jurisdiction, and since these actors make royalties, that any recorded group ADR cannot be custom-library-mastered (no licensing, ...
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Getting the kick drum to really come out in the mix?
When I get done with a mix, no matter how much I work on the bass drum it barely comes out. I'm mainly working with metal bands, so I was wondering if anyone could give me pointers/ suggestions/ ...
Jasper James
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Techniques on Mastering
I'm interested in creating the most 'dynamically interesting' sound from music that I've produced on a computer, which includes vocal samples, bass, rhythm and instruments.
At first I was happy with ...
AlexW
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sound optimization for web/online
hi, i've been wondering about this issue (sound optimization for web/online) for some time now... i completed sound design for two short films. the design work was mainly about creating space and ...
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In which situations is Audio Expansion applied (opposite of compressors)?
I've encountered from time to time some plugins that allows a threshold and a ratio to be set so that quieter sound can have an even more quieter level (or silenced altogether). Ableton Live actually ...
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How to achieve overcompressed sound?
How can I make a track sound like its over-compressed, like this one:
http://mp3.juno.co.uk/MP3/SF1228842-02-01-02.mp3
?
(I'm using the izotope Ozone plugin inside a VST host)
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How to check a Master Audio CD for Errors?
Everyone who has dealt with audio production knows that quality of the whole bunch of future cds depends on quality of master cd.
How can I check my master cd in order to be sure that there is no ...
NR4TR
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What is a good mastering chain to use in a DAW?
I realise that there is no one 'correct' answer to this (so maybe this can be marked community wiki), but as a hobbyist with a small home studio I would be interested to hear how others set up their ...
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Audio Mastering Book Recommendations
I am in the initial stages of a recording project of my own and am interested in doing my own mastering work once it is finished. So, I am looking for books/reference materials on audio mastering as ...
Tom Miller
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What is the best volume to work with studio monitors?
What is the best volume to work with studio monitors for mastering and mixing tracks?
I own a pair of M Audio Bx8 Studio monitors and I always produce with the volume knob at the middle.... so here ...
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Final Mixer Vs. Mastering Engineer
I'm new in the field and I hear these terms flying around and i'm down with most of them but when it comes to final mixing and mastering i get stunned as a person who does music and sound design so is ...
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How to read and use a Phase / Vectorscope
I been using Izotope Ozone 4 for some time, but I'm still a bit intimidated by the Vectorscope in the stereo-imaging section.
When Mastering / Mixing a signal...
What "lissajous shape" are you ...
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Help with mastering
I use Logic Pro. It seems like every song on the radio I hear sounds good everywhere. Headphones, ear buds, loud speakers etc. My music generally feels like it lacks dynamic range. As if a lot of the ...
Milo
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What does mastered mean on a commercial library?
All the libraries I have bought/seen advertised say mastered at 24/96. Is this meaning simply that the audio was cleaned up, metadata was added and its ready for drag and drop use? Or is there ...
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What is Mastering?
Can anyone explain mastering? What is it for and why should anyone care? Should I have all of my recordings mastered?
Donn Felker
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Steps to sound effects editing and mastering? Sounds you recorded.
So far what I do is
Take the sound effect I recorded
Drop it in pro tools
Cut up The audio so I have pieces of sounds I will keep
Then I name the sound
Fade the sound on the back end
Add a ...
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Mastering a demo reel
So, I'm finally getting around to putting my demo reel together (I know, I know... Shoulda done that a long time ago), and I was wondering something...
Is it okay to have someone that's not me do the ...
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Mastering sound effects and impulse responses
Hi! I'm hoping to produce both an impulse response library and a sound effects library for commercial distribution. I was wondering if anyone had any tips on how to master sound effects and impulse ...
