Audio-Technica Demo: 'Loud And Clear'

[The_Metallurgist]

I don't go out of my way to push my master volume. I do use automation .
i challenge you to produce a mix to -14LUFS integrated...i bet you can't? lol

hahahhaha! you're on! i'm working Preach Right Here at the moment (it's a bit of a long one for me...). so far it's running typically @-14LUFS on the stereo buss, but i think i'm losing it towards the end if memory serves me...to -12LUFS? i can address this

the following refers to V1 mix...i see you've just posted up some more stuff meanwhile...............

i did drop your mix in the DAW for a poke around, mainly for personal interest to be honest, and to see if the facts support my ears? interesting. the limiter is working hard, especially the first section and end sections. the loudness range is only around 1dBLRA or so for example, in the first part. the middle bit has some very longgggg spikes suggesting perhaps that a different compression strategy in the mix itself might offer some rewards. it's interesting that i thought originally you might perhaps have been using the master buss to work the balance? the wave suggests this. would it be possible you are leaning on the master processor more than you thought? it's feedback Alan, not criticism. as someone who masters for others, it's a bit of a fascination of mine (some people collect postage stamps). i really need to get out more, eh?

i'm afraid i don't agree with Pauli because i'm hearing the artifacts, the vocal in particular is being highly "compromised" and people are perhaps being taken in by the raised instruments and the psychoacoustics (the Loudness Sells thing). i think with less reliance on that processor and a more targeted strategy within the mix, it would rock for me. for sure there's some good stuff in here, but it's the bad stuff that's getting in my way? it kind of feels like you are including the mastering strategy as an extension of the mixing process, so rather than a polisher it's being asked to deal with the spillovers which weren't attended to in the mix. i know you have a reputation for putting out quick mixes, but cutting corners has its consequences - more haste, less speed sort of thing.

from what people say, this is a good quality multi, but i'm not hearing this in your mix, and i say this with the utmost respect.

overall, the integrated LUFS (the program material's average, in other words) was -7.2, short term had moments at -5.2 which is really stressful. to get this into some sort of perspective, for the benefits of the wider audience who aren't aufait with modern specs for loudness (EBU R128 refers if some chaps would like to know more), radio play would be -12LUFS. a typical pop-mix would be expected to come in around -14LUFS and something like a classical mix -20LUFS.