Do you mix in Peak mode or RMS?

[stash98]

And if so..what are your volumes peaking at? I have been mixing pretty low in tracktion and it has resulted in a loss in the 5-20k frequency range (makes mixes sound muddy). Am trying to find the right peak volume to mix at.

is -3 in peak mode about right? Im still used to 16 bit where things got loud a lot faster...now they aren' geting loud fast enough

[djsubject]

i try to peak at 0db dont know if thats right but thats what i do

[aldi]

where do you see the peaks ? in the tracks after all plugins you can even go louder. i'm mixing around 0db with peak also but it doesen't matter if you go above a bit. you can turn down the volume in the mastersection. (you can't overdrive the channels with floatingpoint way of working)

[stash98]

i see the peaks in the master bus which i have set to zero. when it turns red i know i have hit zero and pushed it too hard.

i guess this is better though then just mixing way too soft..it loses all the high gain and makes the mixes to muddy.

[djsubject]

my drum bus will sometimes hit the red but i have a punchy drum in my mix's, most of the time any way, then i try to get the master as close to the red without peaking

[stash98]

in my experience, punch does not equal loud, in fact it usually means more compression, which lowers the volume a bit.

my issue is that I don't want to have so much level, that the mastering engineer is screwed..i also dont want it so quiet that i lose artifacts..i am mixing to peak around -1 and seeing how that goes.

I also mix with a compressor on the master bus. I have it set around 2:1 w/ a threshold of -4. So i guess i need to push that baby harder.

[semiquaver]

If you are going to a mastering house, I always prefer to send uncompressed mixes: thet have better compressors than I have! Also - high level should not be a problem at the mastering house. They've got faders after all...

A suggestion someone posted here made perfect sense: mix hot - export floats - then normalize. Should give close to optimal resolution. (does T export floats? haven't had a chance to try it...) The beauty of that method is you don't have to worry about master fader levels at all. Nifty.

[djsubject]

in my experience, punch does not equal loud, in fact it usually means more compression, which lowers the volume a bit.

not on my punchy mixes

but i am far from a pro

by punchy (witch is probly the rong word) i mean like this

http://skirize.bounceme.net/v2.mp3

but if you dont bring everything up to meet the rest of the mix it just dosent work

PS yes that track is STILL unfinished

Subz

[IIRs]

you can safely ignore all the level meters except the main mix buss ones, which should probably be in peak sensing mode (at least to check the final export levels.)

If you're going to have your mixes mastered properly, don't export any lower than 24-bit. I would actually recommend you export 24-bit and 32-bit versions, and give the mastering engineer a choice.

In this case, you just need to make sure the mix buss doesn't clip at all.. leaving a bit of headroom is a good idea, but it doesn't really matter how much you leave: the 32-bit version will not be affected at all, and you would have to leave HUGE amounts of headroom to risk any audible degradation in the 24-bit version.

[stash98]

thanks for the input. I have not had so much headroom before, so i'm not used to it!

you guys should try mixing with a compressor (if you have a good one, like Waves Renaissance) on the master. I learned this from a few guys who do major label records. They always slap a light comp on before they mix down. It definitley adds intensiy to your mixes and gives you a few more db to push the mix at.

I was doing this on my old 16 bit system with great results. Just now getting used to 24bits.

[IIRs]

you guys should try mixing with a compressor (if you have a good one, like Waves Renaissance) on the master. I learned this from a few guys who do major label records. They always slap a light comp on before they mix down. It definitley adds intensiy to your mixes and gives you a few more db to push the mix at.

What's the point paying a mastering engineer if you're going to limit his options? Either master it yourself.. or don't master it at all!

[semiquaver]

I like to monitor through a light comp sometimes just to feel good! - But I send it to the mastering house without. (on those happy rare occasions that I get to use one...)

[trs]

Nice voices Djsubject, very energetic. Did you mix with or without compresion?

[djsubject]

WITH!!!!

lots of it aswell (:( sorry if thats cheating but my UAD-1 cost to much for me not to use )

PS. Thanks trs

[stash98]

you guys should try mixing with a compressor (if you have a good one, like Waves Renaissance) on the master. I learned this from a few guys who do major label records. They always slap a light comp on before they mix down. It definitley adds intensiy to your mixes and gives you a few more db to push the mix at.

What's the point paying a mastering engineer if you're going to limit his options? Either master it yourself.. or don't master it at all!

Actually the light compression is on a majority of albums you have heard. How do you explain using an SSL console to record? They are famous of course for their comps.

Every mix engineer i talk to puts a comp on the master. this isn't a revolutionary technique or anything. It's certainly not considered mastering in any way.