From Tracktion to CD

Discussion about: tracktion.com
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G'day people,
This is my first time so be gentle....

I have Tracktion (obviously) and have had a lot of fun with it. However when I render my edit to a .wav file, using the 'export' button, the results are invariably flat and unsatisfying even though I am using the highest sample rate and sample size possible (nothing like listening to the edit from Tracktion itself).
Is this a problem with the quality of my sound card or is there some sort of software or plugin I can use to get the stuff out of Tracktion and onto my hard drive so I can .mp3 it and burn to CD etc. in order to impress all my friends with my musical prowess (lol).
I know this may be elementary but any tips would be appreciated.
Also, has anyone got 'Spike' and if so, what do you think of it?

Thanks for your time,
MW

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Hi there :D
It´s all about volume. Connect a final mix in the master output rack.
After rendering to wav load it in audacity & Select all (ctrl-a) and chose amplify in the effect menu.
Klick ok.

Btw to convert it to mp3, remember to set up lame mp3 in audacity in file menu preferences.

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Welcome to KVR :)

You say nothing of the music you make, so it's difficult to know whats wrong. There's a hundred million pages out there explaining how to record/mix your tracks prior to mastering, but one usually has to go through the learning process themselves, either by reading-up (links to follow) or by very slow trial-and-error.

Perhaps you could post your tune somewhere? People like to listen and talk.

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Hi,

Get a copy of BBE SonicMaximizer, try the demo from(http://www.cakewalk.com) It's availble as a vst/dx plugin.

This will make your dull music sound professional and polished, it really is quite magical.

It's so good its even better than PSP's Vintage Warmer, yes that good.

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If its a subtle difference you are talking about, you might be missing dither: drop the mda dither plug into your master section before you export (making sure its the very last plug in the chain, and that the master volume is at unity: put another Vol/Pan filter before the dither if you need to change the levels..)

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The problem for me was the room; if you're happy with what you hear in Traction that may be your problem too. Unless you treat the room by making it much more absorbent, you're going to have the room's sonic signature influencing your work: all the bouncing, echoes, etc. create a very distorted version of the sound which you automatically compensate for as you mix. Oh, it sounds fine IN THE SAME ROOM, but not on a CD outside the room. If you want to impress people :D you need the loudest mix you can achieve without distortion because this is what they're used to unfortunately, some good mastering plugs, and a neutral room to work in. If you're interested in this relatively verboten final topic PM me or do a search on Acoustic Room Treatments. It's simple, can be cheap if you do it yourself, and changes everything.
Pythagorean perennialist.

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gizmo wrote:If you want to impress people :D you need the loudest mix you can achieve without distortion.
NO NO NO NO!!!

I urge you to read this!!

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The statement could still be true. It depends on the people being impressed and what impresses them. ;)

Greg
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Lunch Money wrote:The statement could still be true. It depends on the people being impressed and what impresses them. ;)

Greg
So, somebody somewhere has no speakers plugged into his PC, and chooses his favorite track by dropping them all into an audio editor, and seeing which looks more like a square wave. He'll be very impressed. :roll:

Everyone else listens to music to judge it, and if it sounds good and they want it louder they turn the bloody volume up!

Dynamics are exciting!! If you squeeze all the dynamics out of it your music will sound boring or irritating, and make listeners want to turn the volume down (like the adverts that come on in the middle of the film :x )

Please don't do it just cos everyone else is.. THEY DO IT OUT OF IGNORANCE!! :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x :x

Ok, rant over. I'm calm now..

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platinumears wrote:Ok, rant over. I'm calm now..
I agree! Make your track a bit quieter, let the music have a bit of room to breathe. I have "The Best of New Order" CD and it is loud - but it sounds like shit, because it sounds distorted.

Back off the levels, if it sounds too quiet, acquiant yourself with the volume control.

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I agree. ;) I'm just saying that the world is full of not-knowledgable people who would be more impressed by perceived loudness.

Myself, I'm rather against over-squashing. ;)

Greg
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I'm not for choking all the dynamics out of music, but I do see a reason for turning up the volume/compressors/limiters. Many times when I turn up the volume on quieter tracks on my cd player it either doesn't go loud enough or it starts to clip my headphones...
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jtxx000 wrote: it either doesn't go loud enough or it starts to clip my headphones...
:?

Sounds like you have the wrong impedance headphones then..
either that or your listening levels are way too loud!

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no, this is on crappy old headphones on a bus. To get it loud enough to drown everyone out i have to turn it up all the way, but i hear distortion of some kind after i turn past 8.5 in the cd player (it sounds like a harmonic exciter). So at level 8.5 tales from topographic oceans (yes) isn't loud enough, but meteora (linkin park) is.

but i do agree that some of stuff today has been way over compressed/limited, i'm just saying that there is a reason for turning up the volume on the mix.
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jtxx000 wrote:no, this is on crappy old headphones on a bus. To get it loud enough to drown everyone out i have to turn it up all the way, but i hear distortion of some kind after i turn past 8.5 in the cd player (it sounds like a harmonic exciter). So at level 8.5 tales from topographic oceans (yes) isn't loud enough, but meteora (linkin park) is.
This is a problem with your equipment, not the recording: If your headphones are half decent and properly matched to the impedance of the amp, they should easily go loud enough to give you permanent hearing damage!!

Many modern boom-boxes have overblown bass.. does that mean we should all mix bass-light to compensate?

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