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Mastering in Pro Tools (with stock plugins)
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- čas přidán 4. 05. 2013
- In this tutorial I describe how to master an audio track for CD replication in Pro Tools utilizing Pro Tools' stock plugins. I also show a technique of PRINTING a stereo mix to an audio track in ProTools instead of Bouncing to Disk.
Please consider making a donation to my Paypal account to allow me to keep making more content on this CZcams channel - thanks! Paypal: bbuck822@gmail.com
SESSION TEMPLATE: mega.nz/#!7ERV...
SETTING UP A PRINT TRACK: • Pro Tools 101: Setting...
Tech talk starts at 2:46
Thank you
thanx
😂😂✌
Thank you
You are very welcome. I can't be more pleased than to read your kind words. It is because of people like yourself that reminds me of why I do what I do. I know I'm not the best engineer, public speaker or presenter - but there is so much more to it than any of that and I'm glad you find value in the videos I upload. There will sure be more to come!!!
Still the OG video on Mastering that I keep coming back to! Thanks Brian!
Thank you, Reggie. Can't tell you how awesome that makes me feel. Glad this has been a source of help and growth for you and your music!
+Reggie Robinson thank you very much.
Mr. Buckalew is the ONLY channel on CZcams I have the notifications turned on for. He gives great advice and means it when he says email and ask a question. I've learned a lot and got the confidence needed to keep ticking away at my independent journey. Thanks Brian!
You are truly welcome. I wish I could provide content more often. Thank you for watching the videos on my channel and taking the time to leave your comment. YOU are the reason I do what I do!!!
8 years later it still sounds amazing thank you so much 🙏🏾 subscribed ✅
Thank you very much. And this will still be valid 20-years from now as it is based on fundamental principles. Those will never change. The way we develop our music obviously changes constantly, but the principles behind mixing and mastering are rooted in solid theory and will always be relevant. Thank you for watching and for subscribing.
@ Francisco Guerra: It is best to master at the highest resolution as possible, preferably at what you recorded at. Mastering is where all down-sampling (going from 48k and above down to 44.1) and dithering (going from 24-bit and above down to 16-bit) occurs. This is not to say you can't do this inside of your mix, but most mastering engineers like to work with the highest resolution file as possible. Also, I have my peaks at -10dB - this is accomplished by balancing my mix's levels track-by-track. I never really like to use a Limiter while I'm mixing, but that's not to say I won't if I feel it is necessary in certain cases. One reason I would use a Limiter in my mix would be to provide a client a mix with Mastering levels. In this scenario I would bypass the Limiter after I've bounced the file, as it is just to allow my client to hear the mix at a "commercial level".
Brian Buckalew
Brian Buckalew
You should always A/B when they are at equal dB levels, otherwise your brain will always automatically think louder = better
The point here is that it's supposed to be louder... Ha
This is the best straight forward and short video ever. Just the way I like tutorial videos that don't over explain. Straight to the point and quick explanation. Thank you!
zeppelinviolet You're welcome - and thanks for watching and leaving some nice feedback!
I mean this is the most unorthodox way I've seen mastering done in Pro Tools but it gets the job done. Nice work sir, keep cranking out tune
Thank you very much - dare I say thinking “outside-the-box” while mixing in-the-box?
Great video . Thanks for reminding me that everything I REALLY need is already in most major DAW's like Pro Tools. Well done.
Brian I'm a beginner with pro tools 12 and I wanted to thank you for this video. Good insight to what can be accomplished in this program! Thanks!
Jaybird Jones glad you found this useful. Good luck moving forward making some great music!!!
Hi Brian, I just wanted to say THANK YOU brother; your videos are among the BEST I have seen in mastering, etc.
The long hours it takes to explain and show how you do your work as well as edit the tape and then upload it is very very much appreciated!!!!!
I also appreciate the fact that you have taken request's from people and actually follow-up and make the video's for them/us.
God Bless you my friend.
I'm not weird or anything, but I love you. This has been the most helpful video I've ever watched regarding ProTools. I have put your instruction into practice, and I love what I hear. Thank you SO much for this gem. Many thanks.
My pleasure. I am so pleased you are getting benefits from this approach. It really does make things more simple in my opinion. Thank you for watching and leaving your comment - now go make some GREAT MUSIC!!!
You got a like with me, doing a mastering class delivery and your idea of the process of mastering in protools was big help
Hey Brian thanks for this... Very useful information. I've been using this for musicians who want to record but don't have the budget to get it mastered in a proper suite... And the proof is in the airplay. This method stands up against pro mastered tunes playing either side of the broadcast playlist... Thanks for sharing man!
+Tony Bonnici You're welcome. Thanks for watching and commenting - glad you enjoyed it!
Very clear thank, I'm in the middle of a mix at the moment and this will help me when it comes down to mastering.
Awesome. I am glad to hear this is going to help. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave your comment.
The input on my first audio track is the Pro Tools abbreviation for "Built In Microphone". Let's take a stereo aux track and a stereo audio track. The input of the stereo aux track will be bus 3-4 and the output will be bus 5-6. Set the input of the stereo audio track to bus 5-6 and the output to your main stereo output. Enable the stereo audio track for recording. Set the output of you audio track to bus 3-4 and hit play. That will send your audio into the stereo aux thru to the stereo audio.
once again thank you very much for all your videos mister
i remember some time ago i got the proo tools software i open it and dont know what to do, then i found your videos for bigginers and here i am now learning about mastering
GOOD BLESS YOU my FRIEND you are good...
take care
+LOS DUENDES LOCOS My pleasure. I'm glad you have made progress with your mixing. Keep on learning - we can always learn more to advance our abilities.
Thank you very much, Everyone can learn with a good teacher like you! Thanks Master!
This was by far the best video I've seen on mastering with stock plugins. Very simple and I can't wait until my off day to test it out. Thanks a bunch and I will searching for more of your video if you have them.
Art Wellz Thanks! Not only do I have a lot more videos on my channel, but I am going to be making a bunch more in the next few months called "5-Minute Mix Tips" that will be much more focused on a single topic.
Great I will be sure to subscibe...thanks again
Thanks, John - I've even got another new mastering concept I'm working on right now with only Waves plugins. I haven't gotten the results quite to where I want them to be, but Waves plugins add awesome warmth. Another week or two in the oven and I might have another video ready to upload. I'll keep everyone posted.
I had difficulties mastering but this tutorial along with the print track video helped a lot!
Great video! Still holding up after almost 8 years. Thanks for sharing. Cheers!
Thank you, Luke. Yeah, the concept will never change. This is a foundational principle for mastering. Obviously you can take it into many different directions, but this workflow will always be a great way to start - regardless of experience level.
Please Brian keep uploading videos like this.... they are great and very helpful
Thanks, Camilo - I will surely be adding more content similar to this in the very near future. Thanks for watching and commenting.
thank you. this makes a lot of complicated stuff sound much more doable after listening to this vid a few times. really appreciated!
+Christine Walsh so glad you found it useful. I really tried to make it as simple as I could.
This is an amazing video. I watched this and learned a lot. You can even see the changes as he goes along
B. Nasty Thanks for checking out my video and leaving your kind words. As soon as I get back from my vacation I plan on putting up some more videos. Thanks again and Happy 4th of July!!!
OMG THANK YOU! Just starting out in Pro Tools, and mastering. I set this up as a template and love it! Having the live bounce right there, as it's happening, has helped me to see every little adjustment I'm making. You just ripped so much learning curve away. I'll be watching all your videos, for sure!
Excellent, Greg!!! I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear you say this. This is exactly why I made this video - and I am glad to hear it is still hitting home with mix engineers years after I made it. These techniques are timeless and will always get great results.
Entering Metadata is normally done in the Mastering Stage. From what I have read standard WAV does not support metadata unlike compressed audio formates like MP3 and the like. What I have noted with CDs quite often (new CDs) contains metadata information (my CD player reads this information). Also for the purpose of purchasing WAV files on line (ie...HD Tracks does not sell lossey audio) I would see a necessity to have important metadata embedded in this file format. What is the best solution for this (a professional standard)?
Thank you for this tutorial Brian...such a great help. I am putting together an EP with this same method you implemented. Instead of having the limiter on each individual audio track, I am inserting it on the Stereo Print track.
You are very welcome. In the session here I am just using a single song. If you are doing an entire EP, then the limiter would be just a single plugin on your Sub Mix or the last plugin before you bounce or print depending on what you call you Aux busses. So, if you have multiple tracks, they all go through the same limiter. It is very important that your peak level on every track is within a dB of one another so the limiter is not working harder on one track over another. This will give you uneven mastering results.
@@BrianBuckalew Yes, agreed. In the mixing session I got the tracks to match level wise as close as possible. Where the confusion arises is the final dithering task. If it is on the final Print track for the songs, is it truly being applied during the 'exporting files' process? Or does it in fact need to be a bounce to disk from the final print track?
Yes - if you had an EQ and Compressor on an audio track and bounce to disk those effects would be on the bounced file. The Dither is no different. The benefit of not having the dither printed directly to your print track is the ability to make changes to that track prior to bouncing. Otherwise, any changes would add additional dithering which is not optimal in any case. Hope that makes sense.
@@BrianBuckalew Yes, indeed I would not want or need the dither on the print track itself. It is for the final mastered file of course. But does it apply the dithering when exporting the files or does it apply it only in the 'bounce to disk' option? I have read and seen so much about avoiding the bounce to disk feature as much as possible which is why i am trying to avoid it and export that final print track file by right clicking in the clips menu and selecting 'export files'.
If you are just exporting the file then you can either add the dither to the Print Bus (Aux track prior to Print Track) as the last plugin on that track or you can add dithering afterwards in a separate DAW line I do in Studio One. I have several videos that show my entire mastering process that goes from pre-mastered session all the way to putting together the final EP/LP. I rarely add dither inside of Pro Tools for what it is worth. I know I show it here in this video, but it was more for demonstrative purposes and less for actual practical use.
very helpful, thank you!!! People like you make youtube worth it!!!
You are very welcome.
This vid is MAGICAL! It's totally transformed all my mixes - a thousand thanks!
Awesome, Reggie - that’s music to my ears!!!!
TNice tutorials was an amazing tutorial. You are a great teacher
Vinicius, thank you very much for watching and taking the time to leave your comment. I am very glad you found this useful.
I'm not entirely sure what you did but copying your settings actually works on my tracks and my tracks LOOK like they have been mastered. When I've tried other CZcams videos I end up with a mess that clips and sounds awful. Thank you for taking the time out to show your setup. I now have something I can use and then start to try understand what each plugin achieves and start to introduce my own plugins. Thank you.
My pleasure, Col! Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave your kind words. Let me know if you want to discuss my process in depth - bbuck822@gmail.com
Thank you so much for this video Brian! I've tried watching other videos on this topic but they've been a little too advanced for me. This one was easy for me to follow. Thanks again!
Excellent. I am very glad to hear you found this video useful. You are very welcome, and thank you for watching and taking the time to leave your kind words.
Thanks for the video Brian. Some great information here. However, keep in mind that if you’re recording to an audio track that the inserts fall after the fader. Then, if you use the Export Clips as Files function you’re not adding dither to your final exported audio file because you’re only exporting the clip, not the mixer channel. If you want to add dither to your final mix down, it would be better to insert Dither on your stereo Master Fader and then Bounce to Disk. Also, it’s not a good idea to convert your sample rate after dithering because then you’ve sample rate converted the dithering noise. In theory, it’s best to sample rate convert first, then dither.
Hello Erik - great points that I should have mentioned in the video's Description. I'm glad you mentioned this - it is always BEST to have Dither put on the Master Fader. I plan to make a new updated video shortly with more information and better techniques that should help everyone. Thanks again for watching and leaving your comments.
Brian, I know this is old but help me a lot now! Great, man, Thanks !!
You are very welcome. The best part is techniques like this are relevant for years because it’s the process that works.
Very good indeed, simple but with a formidable practical implication . Congratulations on your work friend!
Jônatas Nascimento Thank you for your kind words
Hello kind sir, thank you for this tutorial. I will watch it to infinity
Ah this is amazingly beautiful song. Love ambient style.
PS . Ignore all negative "try to look smart" comments. You did amazing job showing us so many secrets from the "kitchen" without asking for anything. Everyone that argue for something so not important like what define the word "song" is definitely not here to learn or enjoy the process of making music. You are great mr Brian.
Thank you very much for the kind words. I'm glad you like my "SONG". It is called "Begin Again" and will be available on iTunes in early 2014.
I cant figure out the routing to the sub print and the print. No signal on either channel.
I have instruments routed to Sub Groups and then to Sub master then to master.
Hi John, Just curious if you figured it out.
I’ve been studying Pro Tools like crazy for quite a while and hate it when I can’t get something (and when people don’t reply to questions).
Lemme know
Ps
He’s got this...
czcams.com/video/1gJAwJJvz2k/video.html
Thanks Brian for sharing this info. It has helped me greatly!!! I appreciate you taking the time to help explain the process of mastering within pro tools.
helpful, thanks!
The "introduce compression and limiting little by little" approach is something I haven't heard yet (as I'm only a month and a couple hundred tutorial videos into production, mixing, and mastering).
Though, I'd prefer to be accurate with LUFS so I'll probably keep using Reaper and Fabfilter's limiter.
Using a Limiter is not the same as applying Compression to a track. This is a very important point that needs to be understood.
@@BrianBuckalew Isn't limiting is just compression with an infinite ratio? They serve different purposes though, ya
Also, isn't 7:03 a myth based on old analog EQs? Additive EQ is clean these days.
Also also, isn't the "roll off all lows and highs on every track" thing another myth that leads to bad habits?
Also also also, 6:40 wouldn't you want to not do any 3db+ (additive nor subtractive) EQ moves during the mastering phase?
Also also also also, 8:42 don't you want to have a true peak of -1db for distribution to Spotify and other online publishers?
Wow this changed the sound quality of my track drastically!! Thank you
This is great news. Glad you were able to find this video helpful. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Stay safe!
well.. I'm trying this technique but I can't seem to get it playing not even when record is on.. what am I doing wrong..? did I miss a step..? do I have to change some settings so it can record what the pc is playing or something..??
hey comment update! I figured it out..in the next video explanation I found the missing step... thanks from the bottom of my heart man!! 1 love
You are very welcome.
Hello Sladek, the layout of the faders is to separate the session from the print process. The Master fader is the END of the signal chain as you mentioned. The Print Bus and PRINT track are to the right of the Master fader to make it easier for me to keep them out of the mix process visually. It does NOT affect the sound in any way.
Good job on explaining each step of the process. I just finished my first Mix and going to give this a try..... Thanks!!
Excellent. Best of success to you. Let me know if you need any additional help @ bbuck822@gmail.com. Happy Mixing!!!
Thank you so much for this video! You've taught me some really vital information for the song I'm working on and for all the future ones. This is the BEST most informative video I've seen so far on the subject, you are a life saver.
Music to my ears, Matthew! You are so very welcome!!!
if you're getting your print track out via the export option dither is automatically applied by pro tools as per the preference settings. no need for the plug in
Dude, the track is amazing.
Thanks, Melomania! Here is a link to the LP it is on: itunes.apple.com/us/album/left-behind/id919625224
The only time you need to use dither is when changing bit depths, such as 24 to 16 bit.
Yes, that is correct. It is when you go to a lower bit-depth that the dither needs to be applied.
My original mix is 44.1kh / 16 bit. Should I just keep it at that and do I need to dither if it remains the same sample and bit rate?
Hello Michael - GREAT QUESTION. If your audio is 44.1/16-bit and you are outputting to WAV, then you do not need to apply ant dithering. If you are going to convert to mp3 then you will want to add dithering in this case. Many DAWs like PreSonus Studio One do this for you automatically anytime you are creating audio files (Digital Release) and are needing dithering to be used. This saves an engineer from forgetting to (I've done this many times in my life) apply dithering on export or even applying the wrong kind/type. Hope this helps!
and your computer's processor is not being taxed with a lot of separate plug-ins running. This is just one approach. You could also process each song individually (or with separate treatment via bus routing) and then run all tracks into one main Stereo bus feeding into your Master fader (which is where your dither plugin should reside). The point is to get the results that are most pleasing to your ears. When you are done with this processing step you will bounce each track separately.
Excellent way to up the perceived volume!!!! Thanks.
Hey! I’m having trouble in connection the stereoprintbs into the print track, do you know what can it be?
Tiago, if you could email me at bbuck822@gmail.com I would be happy to try and help you get this working.
Hi Brian really like the video man thanks so much , but did you rename or wright in the Sub mix and Print track part you didn’t mention that one ? Can’t change the name on mine for some reason
Yes. I name/rename all of my tracks. Nothing is ever Audio 1, Aux 1, etc. I always name them according to what they are or what they are doing. You should be able to double click on the track name, or right click on the track and select rename.
Is it always better to put a bounced file in before mastering than to master on the same project file as your mix? Wouldn't importing a bounced file slightly degrade the quality?
+Khue Bui In my opinion yes. There are several reason why as well as several school of thought on this. For me I just like to focus on mixing and mastering separately. Also, I like to have all of my processing power for when I master. Let me add this caveat: If you are just working on a single for demo purposes or to just get a track up on your website then I would say you could do mastering inside of your mixing session. Normally when I am mastering I am mastering several tracks for an EP/LP and I want them all bounced down with lots of headroom (-6 to -10dBs) for my mastering work.
Thanks!
Thanks for the feedback! dbx is a great company that makes great PRO-gear. I do believe we have all fallen victim to the "MORE IS BETTER" approach to plugins. I really only use an EQ, Comp and Reverb and/or Delay (depending on the mood I'm trying to set) anymore. In Pro Tools I use EQ III and the stock Comp/Limiter. The Reverbs and Delays are where I go outside of "stock" plugins. I prefer Waves for my Delays and like to experiment with different Verbs. Thanks again for checking it out!
Good reference of gain staging- -12 to -the 6dp
Thank you sir, learnt something from your demo. Stay blessed as well.
Thanks very much for all that information. You have a great way of explaining it all and making it simple.
Thank you, Sean. Glad you found this video helpful. Hope you are doing well and staying safe.
That's great man as I'm an avid pro tools user as well. I like your concept. I also like the peaceful song.
Absolutely. That will be the next video I put. Several others have asked for the same video.
What if I wanted to play around with the frequencies? Like remove a small portion of the mids or raise the highs a tad bit? Which bus should I use to play on the eq? Because I know you said on the sub mix bus that the eq is not used to raise anything, only cutting off the low and high end.
YourDadsAccount if you are using this type of mastering setup then I would suggest doing it early in the chain, or at least as early as possible. I would suggest trying it on the actually stereo mix audio track and work forward from there sending it onward to your submix busses instantiating your compression and any additional EQs. To me that would make the compressors work more naturally on what you actually want them to process. That is not to say you can't reintroduce some low end back into your mix via an EQ after a compressor if you find it needs it. Sometimes Compression can thin out a mixes low end and in those cases it is required to use additive EQing.
I'll try it out, thanks!
YourDadsAccount you're welcome
Thanks a lot for this sir. I'm currently mixing/mastering a virtual orchestral composition and keep getting distorted, muddy, fuzzy playback after bouncing. This helps me by following some form of guidelines.
You are very welcome. Make sure you are not overloading the stereo mix bus/master fader track - you can get a lot of unwanted harshness when several instruments are brought together into a single stereo channel - this is referred to as digital summing and can produce distortion and digital clipping. Keep your levels on each track at a conservative level and make sure your stereo mix bus doesn't go into the red (I usually keep my peaks between -6 to -10 depending on the genre). This will help you out considerably. Best of luck and please let me know how you make out.
For sure. I tried the way of adding plugins through the stereo audio and aux channels but wasn't able to get signal through to the print channel, nor could I get any output from it despite following the exact directions you give in the video. Any reason why this might not be working? Both aux channels are getting the signal just not the stereo audio print channel even with record enabled.
Never mind. It was the input only not being enabled. Found that out in your print track video.
I'm only getting a signal on the last audio channel (the one with dither) when it is armed AND recording. How do I get it signal while just playing and not recording? It's really painstaking to do this while it's recording.
Depending on which version of Pro Tools you have, if its a slightly older one you want to switch to "input only" monitoring as opposed to "auto input" The newer versions of Pro Tools have a little letter "i" on the track to switch it to input monitoring.
@@BrianBuckalew That fixed it. Thank you!
PERFFECT!!! You are welcome.
You need compression. The two most used tools (plugins) for mixing are Equalizers and Compressors. If you can get these two tools down you will be well on your way to being a great audio engineer. Just search for EQ vocals, Mix Vocals or Vocal Compression here on CZcams and I'm sure you will get tons of videos to watch.
@JohnQPublic: He's already mixed down his track, this is a separate session with the stereo mix imported for the mastering process.
Thank you kindly! Sure it isn't a famous mastering house. Or done with expensive hardware. Or even anything close to professional when I do this. But it sure helps and sounds way better than just bouncing out my mix to share with friends or do a CZcams video! Now i have to find those plug-ins in PT9. And very affordable! LOL Thanks again!
got a ? i got my set up just like yours but i cant hear any sound when i just arm the audio track i only get sound if i record any suggestions on what im doing wrong or some settings i mite need to change
For anyone that comes across the same problem as tone chinn does then please just refer to my "Setting up a Print Track" video. It can be found right here: czcams.com/video/1gJAwJJvz2k/video.html
how do I run the stereo print track to the print track. can't seem to get it
Hello Gregory. I'd suggest watching my "Setting Up A Print Track" video and see if that helps you. If not just message me back here and I'll see if I can get it working for you. czcams.com/video/1gJAwJJvz2k/video.html
Hi Brian. A question that I couldn't find an answer for yet:
Is there a problem if we master directly on the mix-buss? Or is recording the final mix into a stereo track is a must before applying the mastering plugins to it?
And will there be a difference in the quality of the results?
Please answer 🙏
The idea is we want to separate the two processes as much as possible. Mixing is mixing and mastering is mastering. The two are not related and should not really be combined into the same process as they take different mindsets and different approaches. That is the “proper professional” answer. The truth is you can do whatever you like as long as it gets you the results you are wanting.
@@BrianBuckalew Thank you very much Brian! 🙏 Finally I have my answer 🙂😍🥳
You are very welcome.
OK... I can't find Maxim in PT9. Any guidance would help! The others are there. (thankfully). Now, you've got my mind reeling. LOL. Where do I add the stereo width option? Here, or in the Master fader, of the Mix before sending it into this Mastering session? Same with Reverb? Are there any other processes/plug-ins that are usually applied in the Mastering session? Thanks again! I'm actually learning something I can apply! VERY Cool!
Which version of PT9 do you have? Maxim should be on your installation disc.
Brian Buckalew Hi Brian. Thanks for responding!!! Not sure which version I started with (the box says 9.0, but it's now 9.06. It was a fresh install. but Maxim was nowhere to be found. AVID has it as a free download on their site, but it was confusing because they only mentioned one version for 7.3 and above in 7 and one for PT 8. So I downloaded the one for 8 and it is running fine on Win 7 (64 bit) and PT 9.06. So now I'm good to go on the compression steps! Thanks! Any additional guidance on the other questions above would be Great! Thanks!
im having a problem when i bounce to disk the volume is low but the vocals are good what can i do to fix that
Interesting. If you could email me a brianbuckalew@yahoo.com I'd like to see if I can help you straighten that out.
Hi Brian....Can you tell us anything about whats been said about iTunes...... being one has to drop master levels by 1.4 db or it will distort on iTunes.....would love your feedback on this
iTunes and several other Internet-based streaming services are putting an end to the Loudness War. Any song that is mixed too hot (anything over -1dBFS) will be compressed (again) so that their peak level is reduced down to that of songs that have more dynamic range and a lower ceiling - this means songs that aren't mixed as loud and that have a larger dynamic range will actually sound louder than songs that are mix, well, louder. The standard I have shot for in recent months is -1.5dBFS for my peak - this allows me to get the Mastered for iTunes designation and still sounds commercially viable from a level standpoint when compared to other mixes. One way or another levels will be coming down or else those hot mixes will sound softer than anything that meets these new standards. This is how I understand it and apologize if I am a little off on my explanation.
Hey Brian, great tutorial! I've learned a lot. I just haven't been able to figure out why when i route the Stereo Print output to the Final print Audio track, I don't get any sound? and there aren't any readings on the master channel (even though I have armed it). If you could help me out that would be great.
+Donne Pedersen I would suggest you view my video on "Setting Up a Print Track" and see if this helps you out: czcams.com/video/1gJAwJJvz2k/video.html
Great video! I have an older version of Pro Tools that doesn't have Maxim. Can I use BF-76 or the Digidesign Limiter as a substitute?
Brian I have a question would you recommend using the maxim plugin in both your mix and master session or just master session?
Hello Jourdan, If I used Maxim on my Master fader in my full session to hear how everything sounds with a Limiter on it then I would suggest turning it off prior to bouncing to disk or printing you pre-mastered stereo file. Then you certainly can use Maxim again in the Mastering session with any other processing your track(s) may require.
thank you very much!! one more question in the full session do you suggest turning down the faders to get the master fader at -10 dbs or would you just turn down the master fader in the full session to -10dbs?
I would suggest turning down the faders of each track to build the mix up to -10 dBFS. I never touch the Master fader.
Very frustrating as I have been trying to master or at least obtain a decent volume and this doesn't work. The meters are at -0.3 at the highest point of the the song but when I listen to it in I-Tunes it is still low.
This is caused by Apple's leveling feature - the louder the mix the lower the perceived volume it will have overall (less dynamic range). If you want a song to be well received on iTunes then you should aim for -1 dBFS and this way you will maintain your level and all of your dynamic range. This can be explained fully by searching the Internet under "Mastered for iTunes".
Thanks Brian I will look for those articles.
Thanks Brian. Good video! Thanks Eric for the follow up!
is putting plugins on my master fader technically mastering? If I do this would it mean that I shouldn't master my track? In other words, should I not do this if I am really going to do mastering? Is even a basic mastering like what you show in this video better than putting plugins on the master fader? I am confused as to the difference.
In my opinion you shouldn't consider mastering at home as "professional" mastering. The mastering process is so much more than just adding plugins that are suited for the mastering process. There is the environment in which you are mastering in that needs to be considered; what you are listening through; knowing what needs to be adjusted and not just going off of a preset. Taking the time away from the mix before you start mastering would be another thing I would also consider - I NEVER start mastering immediately after I have finished mixing a song. I always wait several days to give my ears a rest and a way to reset myself from the mixing experience. You could use the mastering from home process as a way to hear what your song (or your clients song) would sound like with mastering applied. You could also send a home mastered mix to your mastering engineer to give them an idea of what you are shooting for. With all that being said, I have mastered many albums for many clients just this very way with excellent results. But whether you should put plugins on your master fader or do it the way I show here comes down to personal preference - I obviously choose the latter.
This is a great video, easy to understand and you explain everything really well. The song you made sounds great as well :)
Thanks for your kind words and for taking the time to watch and leave your comment. I'm glad you were able to find value out of my video.
Cheers Brian - great video - not only informative but well presented, , explained, demonstrated and paced - enough to go on to start with your principles and then to play with to suit. Much appreciated, especially as I don't have expensive extra plug ins (yet?) and all features came with my Pro Tools 9 MP version prior to the 10 you used.
Great tips Brian. Cool. track too.....
+marc freeman Thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed this tutorial.
worked just as you said it would ....2 thumbs way up!
And a thumbs way up for you.
how did you mix your song. im in a band and have addictive drums running with 7 channeks and guitars and bass with another 5, should i keep them under -10db and not add anything? plus my drums and overheads have all eqs on them.
Hello Gabe. I suggest you record each instrument (guitar and bass) with as healthy of a level as possible. I often times get up to -3dBFS. It is when I mix them down that I try to achieve the -10dBFS limit. If this sounds confusing to you then just think of it like this: It is better to have more level than you need and turn it down than to have recorded too low and not have enough signal - in this case you would be introducing more noise into your mix than if you were turning your tracks down to achieve the -10dBFS. Noise is not a desired attribute to a clean, professional sounding mix and is often the first thing that people use to determine if something sounds professional or unprofessional. Another thing I suggest is to Bus all of your like instruments together to control as a unit (Guitar Bus, Vocal Bus, Drum Bus, etc.). This gives you much more control over your entire mix and also allows for processing of an entire instrument group to save on processing power.
Thank you that was very helpful.
Thanks for sharing your video it has given me a fantastic starting point.
You are very welcome, Niven. I wish you the best of luck on your musical journey.
Oh wow ! I didn't see the templates! bravo a job well done!!
Thanks, James - glad you were able to find this useful.
very I have also passed it around with my pt friends
I am pleased.
Thanks a bunch for your tutorial. I had to watch the other "how to" for making a print track. All is good now thanks to your contribution.
Why did you print a stereo file instead of exporting it with the stock plugins?.
You can do both. I simply wanted to illustrate another possibility. Since it is easier to just bounce to a file I think it is important to mention you don't necessarily gain any quality from printing to a track. That is not to say someone won't find benefit(s) from doing the print track method, it just may be a matter of preference. I have not used print tracks in this fashion is quite some time - I now own an analogue console and print mixes back into my DAW, and while that process is similar it is not exactly the same as printing inside the DAW itself.
Thanks for taking the time to put this video together. Very helpful. Your song sounds great too! I love ambient music that has a decent melody. I'd like to hear the full track.
Thank you for viewing and for your kind words. I'm glad you found this video helpful and that you enjoyed my music. Here is an iTunes link to the song from the video: itunes.apple.com/us/album/begin-again/id919625224?i=919625247
Here is a link to my iTunes page if you would like to hear more: itunes.apple.com/us/artist/day-of-awakening/id446222535
great tutorial learnt a lot notice you did not put the limiter on the master track why?
Thanks for checking out my video, glenford. I do not put any processing on my Master bus. This is due to the fact that the Inserts are placed after the Fader (Post-Fader). I repeat, the Inserts are placed after the Volume Fader. This is somewhat odd, because that means you cannot use any compression plugins or limiting on the Master Fader, because the Volume Fader (i.e. during a fade out) affects the input signal of the compressor (threshold), and therefore, negatively affects how the compressor is supposed to work. Use metering plugins on your Master fader after all other processing has been added to your tracks and busses.
Hey man! Love the video. I tried to replicate this exactly and all of it works as it does in your video except BF-76. That plug in actually makes my mix quieter. Any idea why this would be?
Hello Jared - Thanks for watching and for your kind words. The reason you are getting level reduction is the audio is too hot into the BF-76. So you need to get your gain structure in order prior to starting this process. I would suggest having a mix that is anywhere from -6 dBFS to -10 dBFS of headroom. This will allow plenty of room for your mix to grow in the mastering process.
First off, Brian: great video, and thank you for putting it up... it helped a lot. I have a question about the Maxim plugin though: in your video, within the "peak limiter" section, your level of audio goes up to -6 (around where you placed your threshold level). However, the audio level in mine is much lower - at around -12. Why is this? Is it to do with the levels of my (amateur) mix?
You would need to know what is your peak and average level prior to mastering. I talk about this in-depth in this video: czcams.com/video/LXL1Du1jPRc/video.html
Thanks Brian.
Dude - this is an awesome video and you have helped me massively. Thank you
Thanks for making this video Brian..Do you know if I can Master The way you did her on Protools 8?? How do you access the Mastering window, or you just create one in the edit window? Also how did you create the print track??
John Arroyo Yes, you can do this in any DAW, not just Pro Tools. It is the type of plugins used (EQ, Compression, Limiter) more than it being done in Pro Tools. Here is the link to my video on setting up a print track: czcams.com/video/1gJAwJJvz2k/video.html . It will walk you through the entire process of setting up this session. Let me know if you have anymore questions after you watch it and I'll help out if I can.
Brian Buckalew Thank you so much..I will be in touch..
I think cisco is talking about "input only monitoring/ Auto input monitoring" . If you select track in the menu bar click on "input monitoring" you will get your sound through. "oh btw im using pro tools 8 , so not sure if it is in the exact same place on 10" hope this helps. : )
P.s. Thanks for the awesome Vid .
YOU. ARE. INCREDIBLE. Thank you soooo much!
You are very welcome. Glad you found this helpful
I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but thank you for this video.
Hey, I made a blank session to replicate you set up and try it out! I can't seem to get the print track to communicate to the Output of Built-in 1-2, and it doesn't run through to the Master track. Every other track is playing but the print track and master track. And I have the SterPrntBs running out to print. The print track is an audio track correct? What's the issue?
ALT+K on PC track>input monitoring
Brian, I am trying to use this template you have here to master a song I have recorded. I am able to route the in's and out's of all of the tracks except the last audio track to the master out. I looking at your routing and I think I have mine as you do. I have the main audio going to a bus and that bus going to the sub mix. then the sub mix going to another bus and that bus going to the stereo print. I then have the output of the stereo print going to a bus and that bus going to the print. I have the output of the print track set to my main outs as I do the master track. I see the audio in the meters for the main track, sub mix, and the stereo print, but nothing on the print and master tracks. I can't seem to figure it out. Can you please help me?
Hello Brent, the best way to explain this is if you go to the video's description and at the bottom I have a link to my video on Setting up a Print track. Check that out and get back to me if you are still having issues.