After you'e recorded a demo do you master it? If so what do you do?
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  1. #1
    Tech Mentor ohmydaze's Avatar
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    Default After you'e recorded a demo do you master it? If so what do you do?

    As titled really?

    I see an increasing number of people on my facebook asking about getting demos mastered and just wondered how much it happens.

  2. #2
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    I always master anything recorded. (Unless it is literally a mess-around mix like the ones on my souncloud).

    I usually bring up the levels in the stereo channel and occaisionally the master as i record at -2dB gain and another -4dB from Traktors master to keep loads of headroom.

    Then i pretty much ALWAYS add some compression, usually 2:1 with the threshold depending on the louder parts of my mix.

    I also usually add some EQ (automated for certain parts of the mix as different songs need different EQing) if i've messed up my EQing during the recording a little bit.

    Also i like to remove the low frequencies (<30Hz) to clean it up a bit as it can sound quite muddy especially after the compression.

    And finally if i still have some muddy lower end or noise i'll use an expander (Or use a compander in place of this and compression but the compander on Logic 8 is a piece of shit, the attack time is never right) to attenuate everything around -70dB and below.

    Obviously if i was doing an ambient mix, i wouldn't treat it this way, but for house/dubstep/dnb these few little steps can put you ahead of the rest.

    But yeah, Mastering is very important if people are going to be listening back to it through anything better than computer speakers or earbuds.

  3. #3
    Tech Guru mostapha's Avatar
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    Assuming you set Traktor (or whatever you're using) up so that you have some headroom left, I find that about 1-2dB maximum gain reduction of hard limiting makes things sound more like what people are expecting, as long as you're using a decent limiter plugin.

    It's certainly not necessary so long as you can normalize the mix so it's not ridiculously quiet.

    BTW, Traktor's limiter does not count. It doesn't give any feedback and it sounds like crap…you need to use something else. And never send it through another limiter if traktor's ever turns on or you clip…that just sounds bad.

  4. #4
    Tech Guru kiss-o-matic's Avatar
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    I'm still fidgeting with it. Well, not really. I slap my max into Live, and throw in the default Limiter and the "Generic Compressor" Compressor and it makes everything sound good. I should probably spend a bit more time on them, but don't.

  5. #5
    Banhammerized theory28's Avatar
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    i record at a low volume, so once i convert the WAV to mp3 i bring up the overall volume up.

    thats all.
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  6. #6
    DJTT Dominator JesC's Avatar
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    a good compressor/limiter and a polish to the eq's and your golden.
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  7. #7
    Tech Guru ponyboy's Avatar
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    Do you need a DAW to do all of this or are there sytand alone programmes one can use?
    Tony the Pony.
    My soundcloud page. House, mainly.

    Mixcloud & Website coming soon.

  8. #8
    Tech Mentor levvis's Avatar
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    usually just rock a normalize in audacity.. never had any dramas. Really if you're levels are good mixing it shouldn't be a huge issue

  9. #9
    DJTT Moderator Dude Jester's Avatar
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    audacity, audition, soundforge, ozone etc are all good.
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