How do I boost the volume????

I've noticed that when I record something with Pro Audio 9 and mix down to .wav, the volume is considerably lower than other c.d.'s. How can I boost the final mix to get more volume?

There are a lot of answers to this question, the most simple is turn up the sliders a bit at the bottom of each channel. This may cause stuff to peak out (clip), in which case you need to either stick a limiter (a compressor with the compression ratio turned up to infinity) or add some compression. Equivalently you can turn up your master volume slider. If this is clipping then add compression to the master bus. The less dynamic range (and headroom) you occupy the louder you can get it.

You might want to try some mastering software like wavelab. I use it with Waves Native Gold plugins and it is very good !!!

I set the slider's on each individual track to even everything out and get each track set to the volume it needs to be relative to the other tracks, then I adjust the main sliders to where it's just below clipping. I have a cheap compressor (Samson), but I'm not sure how to use it with the software. My soundcard is a M-audio Audiophile. I've tried the onboard effects on Pro Audio 9, but they just don't sound quit right. Too digital....

If your familiar with Pro Audio 9, is it a good or bad idea to use the normalize function. I use it. Some say to use it, some say not too.

I need to check into some mastering software. This is probably my main problem......

Thanks for the help.

yeah, it's called Mastering and to get a really good sound takes forever.
I've been at it for about a year and I'm still learning how the EQ, compressor and limiters react together.

I've been using T-Racks for awhile now. I like it mainly cause it emulates outboard gear (even the desktop pic looks like real equipment sitting on your console). Plus it comes with some decent presets ...everything from tube sound to 1/2" tape to brickwall to FM mixes.

As far as trying to get the levels you hear on major label CD's at home tho. Ferget it. You can come close but you'll never get the clarity. They've got millions$$ and $$ to spend on mastering facilities and the guys that work at the best of em have been at it for years.

Another thing I learned was that using seperate plug-ins within your audio software (ie, plugging something like a PSP Vintage Warmer in the effects out in Cubase) sounds like crap. I've tried some of the best plug-ins out there like sonic maximizer, prosoniq, TCNative and none of em came close to the clarity and quick results I get with T-Racks.
I haven't tried Waves yet but one of these days I'll give em a go. Can't get the software to work on my Mac tho dammit.

Dude, you need to figure out how the compressors work, they are the single most important plugin !

If you get mastering software you will still need to know what compressors are all about !

I know how compressors work, I just don't know how to get the signal from my computer, to the compressor, then back to the computer. I don't think my soundcard will allow this. I'll check into T-Racks and Native Gold because the effects that came with Pro Audio 9 sucks, too digital sounding.

Thanks for the responses guys, keep up the good work...

I'd buy a plugin though you should be able to run a line out of your soundcard into the compressor and then back into the line input of the soundcard and re-record the compressed track.

Can you get a CD quality recording using the softwares listed? Yeah. Can you do it without having the experience (esp. your first couple of tries)? No. Eq'ing I think is the biggest problem with not having the recording sound loud enough. Especially if you plan on throwing alot of compression on. If you use too much compression you'll flatten your sound like a pancake, not too meantion work backwards with what you did with the EQ. You also need each instrument assigned to a different track (guitar, bass, snare, hi-hat, etc.) SO then you can treat each a certain way to bring out the good qualities of there sound in the EQ. Good EQ achieves clarity. SO good mixing is balancing the EQ spectrum when all the instruments are playing together. This is only learned though experience. The best way to learn is to model your sound after a sound you like. Take a CD with a good mix and then try to get your mix as close to it's sound as you can, bouncing back and forth and comparing. Write down everything you do also. Say you boost the bass drum at 100 hz, write it down. Then once you get the mix you can then look back and see what was done to get it. This will help you learn alot more rapidly as opposed to not knowing and learning. You'll see certains patterns that worked and the next time you'll know to start there. That's how good recording engineers can just sit down within 5 minutes and come up with a decent mix. Of course there's alot of doctoring to do, but they have a nice start.

Once you get a good mix with the EQ, then compress but very slightly. Your just going for alittle more of a bold sound.

Also you should question whether or not you want to compress? If dynamics is a big part of the music, compression will ruin the dynamics. You may just want alittle bit of compression to boost the the lighter parts into the mix. But not too much to where the everything sounds at the same level. Limiter does the opposite, it saves you from having extremely high peaks. Limiter is good on the vocals, because the volume of your voice changes so much. You don't want the peak to go to high, but you don't want to kill the softer vocals also. Compression the vocals slightly, focus more on the limiter.

BTW if your recording an acoustic song, don't use compression. Acoustic instruments like an acoustic guitar sound much more defined without it. Compression the distorted guitar though, especially if you want a nice heavy sound.

Mastering is pretty much EQing out the white noise. Which you need a special EQ instrument to perform this. Then normalizing. Don't use normalize if you don't have the tools to master the sound first. Normalizing actually boosts the white noise making the sound less clear. A light compression is what you need to boost the final mix to stereo level. However if your EQ mix is not good, you'll do worse.

DO the EQ first then compress.

> Mastering is pretty much EQing out the white noise.

huh?

Dude, it's a whooole lot more than that.
It's stuff like EQ & compression to make it bigger and fatter & richer sounding and making it louder. Making sure all your songs are the same level with properly timed space between songs. Editing beginnings and endings and adding fades & a hundred other things like storing and documenting backups.
In the case of a pro mastering house it starts from when the client walks in the door. The people who work with the artist, the facility, the equipment and the atmosphere. Most of all it's the mastering engineer and the experience he brings... not mention the multitudes of high end equipment he can access to make it happen.

Check out this site for some good links on mastering info.

http://www.digido.com/portal/pmodule_id=11/pmdmode=fullscreen/pageadder_page_id=31/

Thats what I said man. ;) The biggest change from demo to master is done through EQ though, especially unwanted frequencies. Most home EQ systems only read frequencies up to 15k, rarely up to 20k. There's a whole bunch of responce still in the higher end of the spectrum. There EQ (and filter) systems cover the entire spectrum, so whatever was not covered in the mixdown stage is fixed by the master engineer. The fattness, clarity, and volume is relative to the attention on EQ. Plus with the added acoustic environment they preform in, they are able to treat these frequencies, which are the cause of the wooly sounding demo, much more precisely.

I've read that the best thing to do on the mixdown is to use the EQ as little as possible, or at least avoid boosting frequencies, that it causes unwanted distortion. Any remarks on this?

Also, dynamics is a big part of our music. We'll be jamming a loud metal lick, then drop out and go bluesy. We're all about dynamics and mixing different styles of music together.

Originally Posted by: JFRICKI've read that the best thing to do on the mixdown is to use the EQ as little as possible, or at least avoid boosting frequencies, that it causes unwanted distortion. Any remarks on this?

ahh. I would disagree. If it was true, you probably wouldnt see that huge arse mixer in every studio you see. But yeah you do need to avoid boosting certain frequencies like 200 hz. It doesn't cause distortion instead a muddy soundscape. And yeah at the mixdown stage, you don't need to make dramatic changes in the EQ, just blending changes. EQ makes each instrument stand out, because each instrument has certain target frequencies that bring out the best of its sound. Like 100 hz on a kick drum, thats where the punch is. Without boosting there your kick isn't gonna have any punch, maybe only a slap in the mudd. Whoever said that may not know what frequencies to look for, how to balance them, and/or boosts them too much or just in the wrong places. If it's causing distortion, then they're boosting them too much and they need to balance them better. Like the frequency I meantioned earlier, 100 hz, is a good place to boost a couple of instruments. Not only the kick drum, but the guitar, bass, toms, or any other low end instrument in the mix. So you have balance how much each is gonna get.

Also, dynamics is a big part of our music. We'll be jamming a loud metal lick, then drop out and go bluesy. We're all about dynamics and mixing different styles of music together.

On a distorted/overdrive guitar, you definitely want to use compression. For the loud heavy guitar (as a guideline) start with a comp. ratio of about 4:1 and have the gain reduction at about -3 db. But this really depends on your consistancy at playing. IF you have trouble staying at one volume you will need to boost these settings, but do so slightly. If you play at the same volume throughout, those settings should suffice. As for the lead/solo parts and blesy parts, I'd lower the gain reduction to -2 db. This should leave you with enough dynamic flexibility without cutting down the lighter parts.

Also try both line-out and micing the heavy guitar. This will give you a nicer broader sound than just doing one or the other. Mic the amp in your bathroom if possible, since the ambient effect will increase the guitars heaviness.

Thanks, I'll keep all of that in mind and try some of those techniques.

A good tip is to keep the bass lower than when not recording, it usualy helps me

Originally Posted by: AICA good tip is to keep the bass lower than when not recording, it usualy helps me

What do you mean by that? Keep the bass lower than what, the rest of the mix?

You guys have got me confudled again cause you're mixing up yer terminoligy.
Are you talking about 'Mixdow' or 'Mastering'?

Mixdown is taking your 24, 48 (or whatever) track, and mixing it down to a 2 track master.

Mastering is taking that 2 track master and if necessary, applying EQ, Limiter and Compressor to get the optimum sound ready to go onto CD or Laquer.

Sorry, we're talking about Mastering....

Ok thanks.

> I've read that the best thing to do on the mixdown is to use the EQ as
> little as possible, or at least avoid boosting frequencies, that it
> causes unwanted distortion. Any remarks on this

The basic rule for an EQ is that a little goes a long way.

Whereas recording and mixdown can use huge amounts of EQ (like 10db or whatever), mastering is usually thought of in tenths of a db and at most, going 2 to 3 db. There might be a lot of EQ used, but it's all up and down the frequency range and usually in .5 to 1db amounts.

Yeah, I go in 2 db increments in both recording and mixdown. It's small but there's still enough noticable difference to make a good judgement call.