27-10-2022, 06:49 AM
Like everyone else I try to get my mix as loud as it can be without distortion, of course. I have heard mixes in here that are much louder than mine. Some are distorted, so tho loud but lost all quality. The price is just too much to bear. I want it loud but don't want to pay the price. Can you blame me?
My stereo bus is quite simple, just like my tracks except it's treated mid/sides separately. The only thing I have not used was the old rusty limiter. I never heard of putting limiters on the mid and sides before. I have it on the stereo bus but not on the mid/sides. I thought doing that would give me more control. Limiter on the stereo bus will push the sides down whether they like it or not, and us compensate the lost volume will bring the sides back up regardless its will. A limiter on the mid by itself, however, couldn't touch the sides even if it wanted to, the same to the limiter on the sides to the mid. They can be treated individually. The unintended benefit is I get to control the width of the mix by controlling the level of the sides w/o affecting the mid. The mid is the foundation, the meat of the mix, the sides are ear candy, controlling the width = controlling space. So much better! But that was only in theory. I need to put it to the test. And so I did.
After a long while struggling with it, I think I pinned it down adequately...for now b/c I don't hear weird stuffs while working. I find that having the limiters on the beginning instead ending (as should be) of the m/s chain works better. I can still use the EQ/comp/gate/whatever behind it to control wherever I want.
I got close to 3dBs increase in volume relatively with my last mix w/o distorting my mix. That's twice as loud psycho-acoustically speaking. I was hoping I can get a bit louder but never dreamed twice as loud. I can also get the mix wider by pushing the sides levels. I maybe automate the sides levels in parts of the song for effect later on. but I have not tried that yet. We'll see.
Anyway, I hope you find it useful. I know there's many ways of doing things, and this is one of them that I came up with. I am sure people have thought of this way a thousand years ago already, but I don't know that
.
Btw, if you have time, let me know what you think of the mix. Thanks in advance.
My stereo bus is quite simple, just like my tracks except it's treated mid/sides separately. The only thing I have not used was the old rusty limiter. I never heard of putting limiters on the mid and sides before. I have it on the stereo bus but not on the mid/sides. I thought doing that would give me more control. Limiter on the stereo bus will push the sides down whether they like it or not, and us compensate the lost volume will bring the sides back up regardless its will. A limiter on the mid by itself, however, couldn't touch the sides even if it wanted to, the same to the limiter on the sides to the mid. They can be treated individually. The unintended benefit is I get to control the width of the mix by controlling the level of the sides w/o affecting the mid. The mid is the foundation, the meat of the mix, the sides are ear candy, controlling the width = controlling space. So much better! But that was only in theory. I need to put it to the test. And so I did.
After a long while struggling with it, I think I pinned it down adequately...for now b/c I don't hear weird stuffs while working. I find that having the limiters on the beginning instead ending (as should be) of the m/s chain works better. I can still use the EQ/comp/gate/whatever behind it to control wherever I want.
I got close to 3dBs increase in volume relatively with my last mix w/o distorting my mix. That's twice as loud psycho-acoustically speaking. I was hoping I can get a bit louder but never dreamed twice as loud. I can also get the mix wider by pushing the sides levels. I maybe automate the sides levels in parts of the song for effect later on. but I have not tried that yet. We'll see.
Anyway, I hope you find it useful. I know there's many ways of doing things, and this is one of them that I came up with. I am sure people have thought of this way a thousand years ago already, but I don't know that
.Btw, if you have time, let me know what you think of the mix. Thanks in advance.