Mixing the Master Channel

[Sanova]

props hypno. even my stubborn ass learned somethin

 

[djswivel]

Hypnotist, I have actually heard about that before. The whole record/needle skipping thing. At the same time, to me it just sounds right. I'm accustomed to it, and unless the shit is just mad creative, I'd like my kicks and bass right dead center

 

[Hypnotist]

yeah i was waiting for you to post hypno, wondered where you where for a minute.

Yea, I've been hibernating. Moved outta Brooklyn, now I'm reppin CT again. I'll prolly be online more, now that I'm up in the woods.

 

[LonChainy]

Nice thread guys....it really makes perfect common sense if you think about it...if you can visualize a orchestra sound stage for a minute...say your sitting in the audience listen to the concert...notic the visual....the tempanis are center...strings to the middle left....horn section middle right....cello up the middle but a lil in front of the tempani...xylophone way over to the right....triangle over to the left, but not quite as far as the xylo...etc....this is panning.....NOW....visualize everybody, all instruments....sitting right in front of each other....your ears wouldnt know how to register that.

And yes if you mix at lower levels on your faders you will notice a significantly better mix..i myself have just recently discovered this.....also most engineers mix a relativly low levels on their monitors...because if it sounds good at a low level, you know it will sound tight at higher levels...now thats not to say you shouldnt EVER turn up you monitors master level, every now and then you should...cuz some elements of your mix you cant hear at low levels

 

[Hypnotist]

And yes if you mix at lower levels on your faders you will notice a significantly better mix..i myself have just recently discovered this.....also most engineers mix a relativly low levels on their monitors...because if it sounds good at a low level, you know it will sound tight at higher levels...now thats not to say you shouldnt EVER turn up you monitors master level, every now and then you should...cuz some elements of your mix you cant hear at low levels

I wasn't talking about the level at which I hear my mix... that's a completely different story. I think this thread was meant to see what you put on the master channel to not make it clip.

You can be clipping without realizing it, while your monitor levels are really low and you may not be able to hear any type of clipping at all.

Now when it comes to monitoring my mix, I tend to keep the monitors relatively low, as to not fatigue my ears, and then when I make a pass with a fader move or change something, or make an edit, I will listen to that pass with the monitors up.

You are right though... There are some things that you can't hear when the monitors are low. And there are many things that you can't feel when the monitors are low. One of the things is obviously low frequencies, but there's also that breathing that you get with music when the envelope is pushed. You have to remember that all sound is is vibration causing air molecules to move around. And sometimes you have to let the room breathe. Just don't inhale too much and let your ears get tired.

-Hypno

 

[nonie]

Props Hyp. This seriously helped me out a lot, this whole thread did. Thanks guys.

 

[open mind]

But the BIGGEST thing, is start mixing with a kick and snare level of approx -10db...goo starting point

do u mean -10db RMS power or Peaking level at -10db?

 

[Relic]

they said it doesnt matter on the numbers just listen..and follow all the other advice.

 

[afriquedeluxe]

good post, props on everyone thats chipping in, some good knowledge here.

 

[open mind]

they said it doesnt matter on the numbers just listen..and follow all the other advice.

sorry relic but the db peakin number and the RMS number of the MASTER bus counts! on the mix i dont care a lot about numbers but i respect dj swivel a lot cause of his experience and what he said we should start mixing at -10db or rms? lets me think.(compare a master with -10rms power with a master of -18 or lower and then u will understand that numbers COUNTS!)

plz respond swivel.do u mean -10 RMS or peakin level?

 

[djswivel]

sorry relic but the db peakin number and the RMS number of the MASTER bus counts! on the mix i dont care a lot about numbers but i respect dj swivel a lot cause of his experience and what he said we should start mixing at -10db or rms? lets me think.(compare a master with -10rms power with a master of -18 or lower and then u will understand that numbers COUNTS!)

plz respond swivel.do u mean -10 RMS or peakin level?

Damn this thread is sooo old lol

Are you in Pro Tools? I generally start with the kick and snare roughly 10db below the ceiling of the stereo bus/master fader

But again, that's just a very generic starting point. Some tracks are very minimal so that might be too much, and other tracks are very beefy and you may need to lower it even more. As I said many many months ago, use your ears as the best judge. Ignore the volume, and just get a good mix. Then if its not loud enough, just pull up your master fader and throw an L2 on it. Simple stuff.

 

[NorthJack ENT.]

I never mix the master channel because the master shouldnt clip if u have everything else eq'd and leveled out the right way and u need sum good monitors to hear what ur mix sounds like u should have some nearfeild monitors and sum good bass pumping monitors and u'll be good..

 

[mikemat]

Tricks

There are some fairly common tricks to panning I hear a lot of producers doing lately. First off panning should always be done carefully enough to keep the mix symmetrical or even. Hihats don't have to be in the middle as long as they are balanced around the middle. Have a closed hat at -20 and a similar sounding open hat at +20 and they free up the middle of the mix while still sounding even.