final mastering

[Bluap]

hello,
I've been trying for months now to control the mastering of a compostion, if you know what I mean. Specifically, I'm juggling with the volumes of the individual tracks. My biggest issue is that I can't find any consistent way to handle this.
For example, if you click on a segment, you can change the velocity of it. For some instruments, this works, for others, it has no effect - either being a mu sample or VST plugin.
I've added automatization sub-tracks to control the volume, but apart from this not working on every instrument, it's also an absolute change instead of a relative one, so as soon as you change the base gain on the mixer, you have to redo the entire sub-track.
I've also tried to add a master track with volume automatization selected, or a master track with a gain, but that doesn't work either.
It just feels like I'm not using the correct tools to simply handle velocity / gain / volume changes in my composition. I have a feeling I should be able to play the piece and record the mixing I do while it runs, or something like that, at least do it not on each track seperately.

Can anyone help me here? Thanks!

[pljones]

It sounds like you're trying to fix things too late in the process to me. If you had a more-or-less balanced mix to start with, each track would sit well together and not have bumpy bits. So iron out the cause not the effect of the bump, then freeze that once you're happy. It's two-dimensional - keep the track smooth and flowing as you want it, keep it sitting in the mix -- but keep going back to the source of the sound to get it right, rather than trying to fix it later down the line.

[dreammachine_nl]

Hi pljones, I’m not sure if I fully understood Bluap’s post, but I think what he is looking for are so-called VCA faders like you find in analogue mixing consoles (and nowadays incorporated in daws like Reaper/Cubase etc.).

Basically a VCA fader turns a mixer fader (or a group of mixer faders) up or down in relation to its (initially) set position. No audio is going through the VCA fader, it’s just a controller. In MuLab this concept can be easily demonstrated:

KVRDEMO_VCA01.png

Connect a Parameter Event Generator to a Rack (or multiple Racks to control a group of faders) and set its Parameter to ‘Gain’. Hook up some modulation source like a Constant Modulator to the Parameter Event Generator, change the value of the Constant Modulator and see what happens. Furthermore, in the Composer Area you could also automate the Value of the Constant Modulator, by drag/dropping its value onto a Track.

The major problem with this configuration is that you can’t effectively use the Rack Mixer Faders anymore, because the Parameter Event Generator value will always override its setting. As a result you have to set the Mixer Fader by adjusting the value of the Parameter Event Generator. This is far from ideal, but nice to demonstrate VCA behaviour .

In my projects I use a more practical way to implement this VCA-like behaviour, see picture below:

KVRDEMO_VCA02.png

Simply add an Amplifier module to your Rack after the synth/whatever plugin. Now, drag/drop the Gain of the Amplifier onto a Track to automate its setting. You can make that Gain Track a Subtrack of the Synth Track for an orderly view:

KVRDEMO_VCA03.png

In this way the Gain Track is always relative to the Mixer Fader and you don’t have to mess with your Gain Track automation to, for example, lower the global volume of the Synth Track. Now you can simply lower the Mixer Fader.

To implement a VCA-like fader to control a group of Amplifier modules: just drag/drop the Gain parameters of the Amplifiers to a Project Meta Parameter and automate that Meta Parameter by drag/dropping it onto a Track, simple as that.

KVRDEMO_VCA04.png

Cheers,
TDM

[dakkra]

Something helps a lot, especially with transient heavy tracks, is to put hard clipping on the transients that aren't too important to tonality. This makes controlling dynamics much easier down the line as you'll be focused on RMS/average dynamics of the track rather than transients. Transients, while they sound amazing in many cases, are very frustrating during mastering stage if they were not handled well during mixing. So clipping transients down to a reasonable range helps a lot.

When it comes to dynamics, I like to handle per track before I do anything to my master. Master should be the very last step (except for a safety brickwall limiter). For percussion outside of kick drums, I like to do a combination of peak over+under compression to make them very "flat" in terms of dynamics. This allows me to run the percussion at a lower amplitude while still able to hear the tones presented by the percussion. The natural consequence of that is of course that the percussion is no longer dynamic, and thus no longer has the same "impact", so tune to taste obviously.

Standard things to do on a per track basis: eq/filters to cut out unneeded frequencies for that track. Leads I tend to cut underneath 150-200hz, sub basses I soft filter down anything above 1k, pads are usually band passed, etc. Then I do my transient clipping, followed up with saturation/color if I feel like that track needs more harmonic content (but then filter out what you don't need. EQ's are THE TOOL for mixing). Then I handle things like dynamics.

There are also more specialized tools like spectral compressors, dynamic EQs, multi-band and modular chainers, etc... that help a lot while mixing and mastering. The thing to keep in mind is to learn the tools, and learn where to use them. It's different for each genre as well. Electronic music is not very dynamic, but sound tracks or jazz are best when very dynamic. Tools for the job.

General rule of thumb on the master: Do it last and do it gently. I'll do some very light EQ with some gentle multi or single band dynamics to "glue" everything together, but this is done as a character for the whole song, not as a fix for mixing. Mastering should be about character and feel. Mixing is where you fix how things sit in the mix. Of course my master always has a brickwall safety peak limiter, but I don't like to push it unless I intentionally want to squash transient/quick parts of the song as a whole.

[Bluap]

Thanks you all for the answers!
First, @pljones, it's not to tackle the bumbs or anything, it's about being able to regulate volume on the entire composition or parts of it. For instance, in some sections I'd like bass + keys + synths lower and maybe strings a bit higher, etc. I'm already using compression on several tracks seperately to mix things up.
@Dreammachine_nl (from Holland, like me?) that solution looks promising. Gonna try it tomorrow. Maybe I can setup a nice general mixer panel that way to use for all my stuff.
@Dakkra: yes, but I found so many differences in the response to indiviudal tracks to sub-automatization or other parameter manipulation. I still don't understand why I can turn down one track easily with the separate gain button but others not. Also, it's not available for recorded audio. So attempting to make a final master was kind of a last resort. But I do use a compressor and usually some chorus / reverb on the master. Should I not do that?

Btw, what's the difference between gain, velocity and volume?

[Bluap]

Ok Dreammachine I've tried your suggestion and it works half! It really saves me a lot of trouble now the gain sub-automization is relative to the mixer fader instead of absolute. This is a huge improvement!
I can't get the group fader to work though, dragging the gains from each amplifier to a meta-parameter does couple them when I turn the knobs, but not when I create a subtrack, the subtrack only works for the track it's attached to.
Still, thanks!

[dreammachine_nl]

Let’s make it fully work then

Step 1: So I assume you drag-dropped the Gain of both Amplifier modules to a Meta Parameter. Check: when you move the Gain knob of one of the Amplifiers or move the Meta Parameter knob, they should all move.

Step 2: Easiest way is to proceed as follows: right click the Modular Area button and ‘switch to floating’.

Step 3: Drag/drop your Gain Project Meta Parameter (not the Gain of one of the Amplifiers) to a Track in the Composer Area . My guess would be that this went wrong in your case.

Step 4a: Draw some automation in that Track. If the automation doesn’t work yet, proceed to step 4b:
Step 4b: Make sure that the Project Modular Area has a Project Event Input module. It doesn't need to be connected to anything in the Project Modular Area, but the Project Meta Parameters need this module to register any automation on a Track.

Step 5: If you want, you could make your automation Track a Subtrack of any Track you like now.

Does this help?
Regards, TDM

[SparkySpark]

Late to the game, but if anyone else reads this thread (lots of great advice here, BTW!)...

I don't automate a lot, but when I do, I always add an amplifier like in the screen shots above. I use the fader to regulate volume, and a subtrack for the gain to have control of the overall volume. ...or vice versa, it doesn't matter (unless one cares about pre/post fader stuff). Well, if you automate the fader, you'll see it move, but if you automate the gain, it is easier to finetune the volume afterwards (using the fader).

For your other issue: I too sometimes note the keys (or so) are too loud or too soft in relation to other instruments. In a song I'm working on now, I have forty tracks, of which three are together forming the lead synth. So in this case, I want to be able to make them softer or louder as a group. And it's easy! Simply create a new track and call it something descriptive, like "Lead synth mix". Set the outputs of the three synth tracks to Lead synth mix. Now, you can change their combined volume with the fader of the new track, and why not set the reverb on this track, to make the three sounds glue together and to save some CPU cycles.

(I also do this with my background vocals.)

Note that I never feel a need to go into the modular view. The two tips here I do straight from the mixer pane.

Have fun!