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Old 05-24-2021, 01:18 AM   #41
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watched the whole vid. I know you're going to say "it doesn't seem like it given this thread etc..." but it really was a totally basic video. There are really advanced techniques for mastering out there, even on YT, that can really boost your mix. Obviously having 10 or 15 plugins in your mastering chain is overkill, and one should refrain from that, but there -are- advanced mastering techniques out there.
That doesnt mean advanced techniques are appropriate for what youre doing. And without proper monitoring, this is all moot any way. Its not about any one shitting on youtube but that channels have to make new videos and keep you watching, so its going to get to 'advanced techniques' pretty quickly. Thats not the same as properly knowing and understanding the basics.

A decent mastering engineer is likely to get a better result than most of us without using advanced techniques. And again, a space set up to be able to hear these things properly would be very advantageous.

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maxdembo
Yeah, see like, compression on the master bus I've found really helpful even if I got the dynamics of a mix alright in the first place. It just grabs every instrument in a mix, and adds that extra layer of character but it's very subtle, something like the Waves SSL Bus Compressor say, and brings out a tad of those transients without it sounding sharp and fake.
Those are not words I would choose to describe what mixing into a compressor is doing. The extra layer thing is confusing terminology, subtlety is entirely down to the settings, and it reduces transients rather than bringing them out. It can change the levels in the mix massively if done slightly incorrectly.
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Old 05-24-2021, 09:41 AM   #42
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Default The OP and others may be confusing mixing vs mastering?

Probably not putting anything new out here, but things you should do before even thinking about plugins:

Powered studio monitors set up properly in your room
Room setup/treatment/calibration for as flat a sound as possible

Grab a pencil and a notepad

Listen to the track one time, make notes on your overall feeling of that track; what you like AND what you don’t like
Take a 5 minute break

Listen to the track again, make notes on the individual verse, chorus, hook, bridge, etc. for example, what needs to change? (Eq, level, compression, etc). Why does it need to change?
Take a 5 minute break

Listen to the tracks again, but this time listen critically to the different instruments and how they mesh. If something needs changed here, talk to the mixing engineer as they will need to make the changes in the actual mix. When talking to the mixing engineer, be sure to start with what you like in the mix. Then talk about what you feel needs to change in order for you to deliver the best master you can. Be sure to let him or her know where the limitations lie should they want you to just master the mix without any changes. Finally, close with something positive.

If you get a new mix, start at the top and work down again, otherwise, go through your master suggestions one by one and notate which plugins you will be using to tackle which problem.

Finally, work from the bottom of your notes up, making your smaller tweaks in the mastering chain and finally arriving at the overall feel.

Scan your notes for that track and keep a record so you know exactly what you did, why you did it, and also have something in case the artist ever wants a limited release or something of that nature.

Why use a pencil and paper? There’s value to the physical connection you get in writing, even if it looks like a 5 year old wrote it. Also keeps you focused and grounded

Remember: A good Mastering engineer is simply putting the final touches on an already-baked cake. If you are doing anything drastic as a mastering engineer, then you need to take the right approach: talk to the mixing engineer. In a perfect world, the mastering engineer should barely have to touch anything other than maybe making sure the track meets loudness standards. For example, if you are having to make EQ adjustments of more than 1dB or two, you REALLY need to get with the mixing engineer so they can make the larger adjustments needed.

Final thought: if you are mastering a track and can’t explain exactly why you are doing what you are doing, for each individual track, every little tweak, etc. then you really need to go back to the original mix and start again.

Final, final thought: it does seem like the thread has a lot of people confusing the role of mix engineer vs. mastering engineer, to include the OP. For example: On compression, it gets overused WAY to much. remember that the use of compression is an art, but the application is a science based on multiple factors. Compression limits dynamics, so if for example, the drums are too dynamic in a mix, the mixing engineer should be adjusting that use of compression on the drum tracks. The mastering engineer should NOT be adjusting that use of compression on the overall mix. I would even go so far as to say (and correct me if I’m wrong) that if a mastering engineer is using more than two or three, MAYBE in extreme cases, 5 plugins on the mastering chain, then they really need to get with the mix engineer since the two disciplines are looking at things from completely different angles

Last edited by Lynx_TWO; 05-24-2021 at 10:08 AM. Reason: Clarification
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Old 05-25-2021, 03:46 PM   #43
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.
Finally, a good analogy for mastering music: final mix is the baked cake, mastering is condiment or sparkle to put on top. i.e. you can't go back and open up the cake and throw in an extra ingredient, it's already baked and done.
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Old 05-25-2021, 04:46 PM   #44
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Finally, a good analogy for mastering music: final mix is the baked cake, mastering is condiment or sparkle to put on top. i.e. you can't go back and open up the cake and throw in an extra ingredient, it's already baked and done.
Except you can go back and render a new version whenever you like, you can very easily go back and open up the cake and fiddle with the ingredients. You broke the analogy
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Old 05-25-2021, 05:19 PM   #45
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Except you can go back and render a new version whenever you like, you can very easily go back and open up the cake and fiddle with the ingredients. You broke the analogy
Man, seriously...

You can practically go back, and change a red velvet cake into a cheesecake.

Never mind going back to the "Coming Out Of The Oven..." stage, and taking things back to the "Mixing The Dry Ingredients..." and working forward to a second "Coming Out Of The Oven..." stage.
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Old 05-28-2021, 11:03 AM   #46
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Man, seriously...

You can practically go back, and change a red velvet cake into a cheesecake.

Never mind going back to the "Coming Out Of The Oven..." stage, and taking things back to the "Mixing The Dry Ingredients..." and working forward to a second "Coming Out Of The Oven..." stage.
Yes, but remember, if you want to change the cake, that is the Mixing Engineer's job. Not the Mastering Engineer's job.
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Old 05-28-2021, 01:16 PM   #47
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That doesnt mean advanced techniques are appropriate for what youre doing. And without proper monitoring, this is all moot any way. Its not about any one shitting on youtube but that channels have to make new videos and keep you watching, so its going to get to 'advanced techniques' pretty quickly. Thats not the same as properly knowing and understanding the basics.

A decent mastering engineer is likely to get a better result than most of us without using advanced techniques. And again, a space set up to be able to hear these things properly would be very advantageous.
well that's true.

The part about Comp on the master bus making the transients less obvious. I dunno. I use an SSL Comp, from Waves, and I go Slowest Attack/Fastest Release, barely any action going on the meter with the needle, 4:1 Ratio, that gives me a bit more action going, and that along with a couple Limiters that come in the chain later (FabFilter and Ozone) where I do the same and also play with the transient options and my mix is certainly punchier after than before mastering.
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Old 05-28-2021, 01:34 PM   #48
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I think you're confusing "punchy" with simply louder.
(People usually use the word "punchy" to mean more dynamic. Hence the replies you're getting. And "dynamic" as defined! Not redefined as more compressed!)

We humans think louder is better until the damage is beyond gross. (And even then there are still a few holdouts!) Match the volume with your pre and post "mastered" program. Now A/B it. Still think the processed one sounds better? If yes... that's good! If not... maybe a revelation.
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Old 05-28-2021, 02:02 PM   #49
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well that's true.

The part about Comp on the master bus making the transients less obvious. I dunno. I use an SSL Comp, from Waves, and I go Slowest Attack/Fastest Release, barely any action going on the meter with the needle, 4:1 Ratio, that gives me a bit more action going, and that along with a couple Limiters that come in the chain later (FabFilter and Ozone) where I do the same and also play with the transient options and my mix is certainly punchier after than before mastering.
Compression: The act of pressing something into a smaller space or putting pressure on it from different sides until it gets smaller.

Read what serr just posted, then read it again.
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Old 05-28-2021, 04:15 PM   #50
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I think you're confusing "punchy" with simply louder.
(People usually use the word "punchy" to mean more dynamic. Hence the replies you're getting. And "dynamic" as defined! Not redefined as more compressed!)

We humans think louder is better until the damage is beyond gross. (And even then there are still a few holdouts!) Match the volume with your pre and post "mastered" program. Now A/B it. Still think the processed one sounds better? If yes... that's good! If not... maybe a revelation.
Never mind taking the two versions matched for volume, and having someone play twenty instances of the two at random to see if you can actually pick out the "Punchy..."/"Juicy..."/"Mojo..." instance correctly even a few times.
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Old 05-30-2021, 02:01 PM   #51
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I think you're confusing "punchy" with simply louder.
(People usually use the word "punchy" to mean more dynamic. Hence the replies you're getting. And "dynamic" as defined! Not redefined as more compressed!)

We humans think louder is better until the damage is beyond gross. (And even then there are still a few holdouts!) Match the volume with your pre and post "mastered" program. Now A/B it. Still think the processed one sounds better? If yes... that's good! If not... maybe a revelation.
oh yeah I always use the 'gain match' function anyways, I'm not at that level that I get happy with just louder music man

Don't you think you can make a track punchier by messing with the master bus and adding a bit of compression there, again not emphasizing squeezing the audio but trying to inject a bit more attack in there ? Yes, while level matching. Haven't you played around with Limiters during mastering that could add some punch to the mix and get some transients coming out a bit more, say with the Fabfilter one, or the Ozone one ?
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Old 05-30-2021, 02:20 PM   #52
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oh yeah I always use the 'gain match' function anyways, I'm not at that level that I get happy with just louder music man

Don't you think you can make a track punchier by messing with the master bus and adding a bit of compression there, again not emphasizing squeezing the audio but trying to inject a bit more attack in there ? Yes, while level matching. Haven't you played around with Limiters during mastering that could add some punch to the mix and get some transients coming out a bit more, say with the Fabfilter one, or the Ozone one ?
You're describing the behavior of expanders. (Which can sometimes be goaded into getting that kind of result.) I've never had a compressor or limiter literally do the opposite of what the maker said it would do, how the controls are labeled, and what I expected from it after some 30 years of using compressors.

If you had a mix with some muddy low mids or bass where a frequency or two kind of drone/ring throughout and more sound like a monitoring problem someone missed rather than a tonal quality someone desired. And if you didn't have the mix to work on yourself. Then you might be able to subtract some of that mud with an eq or a band of a multiband compressor. You're still not "adding" any punch. You're removing something masking it in this example.

These tools wont do any of this for you on autopilot any more than I can pick your favorite song at random. The above example would be you identifying the drone. Then finessing a multiband comp to attenuate it without doing damage to other intentional sounds nearby.
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Old 05-30-2021, 04:53 PM   #53
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...

You're still not "adding" any punch. You're removing something masking it in this example.

...
Along this line...

About 57:22 here -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2omnANYrlI

If you are willing to set the nonsense/"Sales Pitch..." garbage you have been lead to believe about what gear/a given plug in is doing aside and internalize what the guy is trying to get across there?

That is an ace that you can keep.
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Old 05-31-2021, 11:31 AM   #54
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Default “Punch” with compression

Ok, I get what you are saying now, BUT…. So here’s what is mathematically going on…. Any actual “punch” you are “adding” can be easily explained by the fact you are using slow attack and fast recovery times. For example, an attack of 50ms is the minimum attack time to let all frequencies down to 20hz through for one wavelength. (someone correct me if it’s 100ms to let the entire wavelength through, I always get confused a bit on that one). I have an excel chart I use that I can upload that shows the mathematics of this in case I want to target specific things, hence why I say that the USE of compression is an art, but the APPLICATION of compression is a science.

So what is happening, is that for a split second all relevant frequencies are coming through, then the compressor clamps down based on your threshold and ratio settings, and since you are using a fast release, the compressor is recovering fast enough so that the same thing happens on the next beat. And actually I just realized you can probably calculate an appropriate release time based on the tempo…

The PROBLEM with this is that when you are doing this to an already-mixed cake, you have zero actual control over what INSTRUMENTS get this treatment, only what frequencies get impacted across time. Also to consider, any portion that is compressed is getting pushed down toward your noise floor. If you were able to record an extremely clean signal then this may not be a problem, but in non-professional recordings, usually (at least from what I’ve found) the noise floor might be audible after moderate compression.

Here’s a link to the excel tool I use; feel free to check the maths and let me know if anything is off; it’s always evolving as I learn more…. https://1drv.ms/x/s!Aoz5nDzevbl1l7VVWgRe0wGXQKFezQ

Does that make more sense now?
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Old 06-05-2021, 01:41 PM   #55
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Lynx TWO thank you for that, but that's way too complicated for me. I'll simply be honest: this is more headache than I'm willing to go through for making my mixes sound decent.
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Old 06-05-2021, 02:44 PM   #56
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P.S.: gave it a rest, thought about a bit in the meantime. Is it possible - and this isn't some sort of self-indulgence on my part here - is it genuinely possible we mix such different musical genres we don't even see/use something as basic as a Compressor the same way ? I've got no issue with using particular terminology, like I'll happily trade away the term "punchy" for anything else you guys would have me use, I seriously couldn't care less, no attachment to words. But I use compression on my electric guitars, drums etc, also on a dedicated Drums Compression parallel track, on a dedicated All other instruments (but Drums) parallel track, on my session 2-bus... and then again during mastering in a new session with the rendered .wav file, and there's much more "punch" that way. More attack, more in your face, more of all that. Does this sound odd to anyone ?
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Old 06-06-2021, 03:03 PM   #57
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P.S.: gave it a rest, thought about a bit in the meantime. Is it possible - and this isn't some sort of self-indulgence on my part here - is it genuinely possible we mix such different musical genres we don't even see/use something as basic as a Compressor the same way ? I've got no issue with using particular terminology, like I'll happily trade away the term "punchy" for anything else you guys would have me use, I seriously couldn't care less, no attachment to words. But I use compression on my electric guitars, drums etc, also on a dedicated Drums Compression parallel track, on a dedicated All other instruments (but Drums) parallel track, on my session 2-bus... and then again during mastering in a new session with the rendered .wav file, and there's much more "punch" that way. More attack, more in your face, more of all that. Does this sound odd to anyone ?
Yes, this is actually a good point - when talking about anything, a common frame of terms is important... So when I see the word "punch", I am thinking about the volume difference in the initial attack of a transient on a waveform as it relates to the frequencies involved. I also tend to get into the more technical side of things because if I can quantify it mathematically, I can reliably repeat results or at least get close to where I want to be without having to solely rely on "gut feeling". Not to discount the gut feeling, it's just as important to feel the emotion in music as it is to get it to the standards that have been set by streaming platforms, but that's (for me at least) is where the final tweaking of a plugin comes in. For example, when to comes to female vocals, I prefer to hear all the breath, air, little clicks caused by the tongue reacting with saliva on the roof of the mouth, etc. In order to get this result, you need very heavy compression (and EQ) in order to force the louder sounds down to the same volume of the quiet sounds, and then raise the overall volume back to bring the quiet subtleties up to the same volume as everything else.

If you are talking about something being more "in your face" and talking about compression, then what I hear is you enjoy hearing the quieter subtleties of the drums since compression brings everything closer to the same volume. So if you are hearing more transients, it's because they are closer to the same volume as everything else. If this is what you are going for then by all means, go with it. The one things I would suggest though, is to volume-match your result with whatever came before so you aren't falling into the trap most of us fall into since the human brain automatically hears "louder" as "better". Fortunately, we have some pretty good loudness algorithms to do this based on models of human hearing.

Another point, off-topic, but in the ballpark, is the whole mastering to pink noise thing. Many people will EQ this mix in the mastering process so that the overall frequencies in the entire mix align with the frequency distribution of pink noise. The problem with this approach is that if you don't pick a couple of things to stand out in that mix frequency-wise, it often will result in a technically accurate but very emotionless master. So really, it's all about a balance of art and science. Using pink noise as a rough guideline can be a great tool, but that's all it is.

You now have several options for mastering a mix with Ai. The problem with that approach is that Ai doesn't (yet) understand the emotional impact of the music, so while some of these algorithms result in a technically perfect master, it actually doesn't have any emotional impact and kinda sounds bad to us. Where I see mastering with Ai can be good, is a tool to use to make sure you didn't miss something, but that's it.

The bottom line, audio is super subjective. So if you like the sound you are getting, then by all means go for it. Just make sure you are comparing apples to apples by volume matching. More plugins these days are starting to embrace this concept, which I believe is a positive direction!
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Old 06-06-2021, 03:18 PM   #58
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This is a very good post.

I'll try to keep it short since others here are more ensconced in the conversation that I am.

I just want to say that, the problem with bringing out "punch" or whatever term we want to use, in the mastering stage, is that anything you do at that point affects everything.

So, for example, let's say you want the drums to pump on beat. Fine, nothing wrong with that. But if you set up a compressor to do that while mastering a 2-track mix, everything that's playing at that time will be affected by that compressor. So, you're not just bringing out the drums. You're bringing out everything, which is sort of equal to bringing out nothing. It's kind of like turning everything up doesn't make anything louder than anything else. It just makes everything louder.

That's why people keep repeating that most of what you seem to want to do would be better done in the mixing stage, where you can pin point and focus on which instrument you want your effects to affect.
Yep! I've gotten to the point where if I'm doing a master, I ask for the Reaper project and the original tracks so I can make any needed adjustments in the mix. Really helps if the mixing engineer is willing to do that. Just takes a little extra time to upload everything, but that's what the "Save As" and "Copy tracks to Folder" options are for!
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Old 06-07-2021, 03:55 PM   #59
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...For example, when it comes to female vocals, I prefer to hear all the breath, air, little clicks caused by the tongue reacting with saliva on the roof of the mouth, etc. In order to get this result, you need very heavy compression (and EQ)...
This one gave me a good chuckle...
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Old 06-07-2021, 04:19 PM   #60
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I was actually just listening to a good example of this, one of my favorite rather unconventional mixes (skip ahead to hear some "saliva" action), Ida - "Maybelle" ~2000:

https://youtu.be/sucTuWpl2LM

Last edited by eq1; 06-07-2021 at 04:26 PM.
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Old 06-07-2021, 05:21 PM   #61
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...

More attack, more in your face, more of all that. Does this sound odd to anyone ?
Odd?

Not really.

Decades old volume war "Tone Attorney..."/"Cork Sniffer..." nonsense?

Yeah. Pretty textbook example.
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Old 06-08-2021, 02:20 AM   #62
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You're describing the behavior of expanders. (Which can sometimes be goaded into getting that kind of result.) I've never had a compressor or limiter literally do the opposite of what the maker said it would do, how the controls are labeled, and what I expected from it after some 30 years of using compressors.
See Lynx_TWO's response.

You absolutely can enhance transients with a slow attack.

Slamming drums through a slow attack compressor until only transients remain and blending it in parallel is a classic trick.

There are two basic camps on compressing a mix - fast attack, slow release levelling, or slow attack, fast release pumping.

All this talk of what should be done is kind of irrelevant, as how the finished product sounds is all that really matters, and listening to that is the only way to give truly constructive advice.
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Old 06-09-2021, 02:40 PM   #63
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...It's kind of like turning everything up doesn't make anything louder than anything else. It just makes everything louder.

That's why people keep repeating that most of what you seem to want to do would be better done in the mixing stage, where you can pin point and focus on which instrument you want your effects to affect.
alright, fair enough. Maybe I've misinterpreted what I heard when using Compression for mastering on my own tracks. I'm not going to stand my ground here, because I honestly have an opinion based on very empirical/not too solid ground. It felt to me like the whole mix would get a little kick out of this, and I know for sure I achieved that with the Fabfilter Limiter and the "Punchy" option activated along with slow Attk Fast Release. Before and after, the track had gained a bit more dynamism. Nothing outrageous - only a bit.
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Old 06-09-2021, 03:59 PM   #64
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alright, fair enough. Maybe I've misinterpreted what I heard when using Compression for mastering on my own tracks. I'm not going to stand my ground here, because I honestly have an opinion based on very empirical/not too solid ground. It felt to me like the whole mix would get a little kick out of this, and I know for sure I achieved that with the Fabfilter Limiter and the "Punchy" option activated along with slow Attk Fast Release. Before and after, the track had gained a bit more dynamism. Nothing outrageous - only a bit.
If it feels good, do it.

You can always try to dissect why it works in technical terms later.
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Old 06-09-2021, 04:44 PM   #65
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Default this thread hurts my brain

oww!
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Old 06-09-2021, 04:58 PM   #66
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Have you tried taking a commercial release, professionally mixed and mastered and presumably finished, and running it through different compressors with different settings, to see if "punch" and "oomph" and "etc" can be either added to or subtracted from the mix? Might be a useful exercise.
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Old 06-10-2021, 11:59 AM   #67
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If it feels good, do it.

You can always try to dissect why it works in technical terms later.
This is probably the most useful advice here. Audio is subjective at the end of the day. For example, the mix I submitted for the LEWITT mix challenge is here: https://soundcloud.com/daniel-boyd-1...by-daniel-boyd

I usually end up doing the master so it was fun to do both. But again, it’s super subjective as to who would like this mix vs any of the other hundreds of submissions.

FYI if you want to submit one, just Google LEWITT mix challenge, signup and download the tracks. You have until the 16th of June to submit an entry.

So yes, as long as you are feeling the music then go for it. I also feel like you should be able to describe why whatever is happening, is happening, but I guess this maybe does kinda fall into a chicken or egg thing…

To the people who’s brain hurts reading this thread, heheheh I get it. However, I will say it’s been useful to see how we often assume certain audio terms mean the same to everyone, and that’s not always the case. Explains some of the frustration I’ve run into working with other people, so I’m actually glad the OP opened up the can of worms . Maybe a thread with audio terms listed and explanations for each as a common reference could be useful?
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Old 06-10-2021, 08:15 PM   #68
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Default thats not why my brain hurts

this thread is where every bad idea has come to a header
after 20 yrs of internet bs

im not the confused person hear bro
this op is the train wreck of a lot of calculated marketing wealselz
concerted efforts
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Old 06-11-2021, 08:43 AM   #69
Lynx_TWO
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Beat Machine View Post
this thread is where every bad idea has come to a header
after 20 yrs of internet bs

im not the confused person hear bro
this op is the train wreck of a lot of calculated marketing wealselz
concerted efforts
I would not disagree with that, for sure haha. I would have spent FAR less money on plugins if I knew back then what I know now (and still always learning). I've noticed a couple of people on YouTube starting to post videos on this type of stuff though.

SpectreSoundStudios (mostly recording stuff)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-f...5M-Z0cd0MOP5xw

White Sea Studios Snake Oil videos are usually fairly good
https://www.youtube.com/c/Whiteseastudio/featured

The House of Kush has some good stuff - he probably likes to hear himself talk as we all do but he does have some decent content - but does seem to border sometimes on the marketing side
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0t...eWQzJJsVjBrEhQ

Any other channels or resources, always looking for more things to learn!
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Old 06-11-2021, 08:49 AM   #70
Beat Machine
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Default its not complicated

you either hype yr mixes or you dont

anyway you cant ME yrself ,.
its an oxymoron

not saying your a moron lynx
...i like you


i like the first guy,..he looks like he knows how to rock out

i think its still just the same circular 'internet wizdoms' tho

Last edited by Beat Machine; 06-11-2021 at 08:59 AM.
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Old 06-11-2021, 09:17 AM   #71
Beat Machine
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Default best advice on the internet-ever

SpectreSoundStudios (mostly recording stuff)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-f...5M-Z0cd0MOP5xw
[/QUOTE]

wins the internet!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZKTB4DmEB4

lol who knows which end of a soldiering iron to hold?

Last edited by Beat Machine; 06-11-2021 at 09:32 AM.
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Old 06-11-2021, 11:00 AM   #72
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Awesome! I'll check those out
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Old 06-11-2021, 04:24 PM   #73
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