Help, I don't understand why this is happening, I don't like that the drums sound quiet and unpunched.
They are Perfect Drums, their output level is set to maximum 0.0dB. But I still don't have enough volume, I put a limiter on the channel with these drums, I increase the volume with a headroom of -0.3dB. As a result, the drums on the mixer to 0DB, and the bass began to walk on the volume and started clipping, and all these clipping goes to the master channel, how do I increase the volume of the tracks so they do not clipping on the master? The master is blank, no processing.

I also don't understand the volume of the material in the headphones, I always want to work at 75% of the sound, and increase the volume of the tracks, but... Then there's nothing to increase at the mastering stage, because the track should sound to me in -10-9 RMS, and I've already made all the tracks louder, especially the drums, when I increase their volume, they open and become punched, then the volume of the whole track increases, and there's nothing to increase with a limiter. How to solve such a "disease" problem?

 

Last edited by a moderator: Sep 18, 2021

Sounds like you haven't fully learned proper gain-staging (correct me if I'm wrong). You cure clipping by turning the volume down (not with limiting). It's that easy.

Turn everything else (except the drums) down. Mixing is not a loudness war. Make it sound good with proper/healthy gain-staging and get a good mix (with some headroom). Then the mastering will be easy peasy. You make most of the loudness in the production and mixing (but with headroom). Mastering is the stage where you up the level and clip/compress/limit the good mix to take it up to suitable True Peak. You ought to still have enough juice/volume to turn your headphones up to work with proper gain-staging during production/mixing.

I don't have any issues at all with Perfect Drums. The drums are already heavily processed per se, so you basically don't need to do much processing (compared to if you record/process/mix your own raw drums).
Edit: You can ofc process your Perfect Drums output anyway you like to your liking.

 

Last edited: Sep 18, 2021

Step 1
I've already worked with the headphones, but it's always 100% volume.
So you turn so loud until you have found your optimal listening volume.
With the master output level you can then check that you are just below 0 dB or exactly 0 db.

Step 2
First set everything to 0 dB, then set the master controller to minus -8 to -12 dB.
-8 to -12 dB is then your "headroom".

Then you take your plugins in the mixer chain, such as the "Compressor".

Then you turn the compressor, the mix control until you have the right volume and you stay below 0 dB better - 1 dB,
if you have "clipping" while listening, use the "limiter" with 1 dB or 2 dB as the last plug-in in the mixer chain.

 

Last edited: Sep 20, 2021

Thank you guys, I do not know what happens to me, it happens at a subconscious level, that at the stage of mixing I make the tracks of the mix louder, that then the limiter is nothing to raise.
It feels like at the mixing stage, I already want the mix to sound loud and glued together.
Tell me, is this a fairly common mistake? Or am I the only one?

 

As the name suggests, the Limiter is there to limit. So limit the volume and not increase it.

If that is too quiet, use compressors or loudness maximizers such as the
"Waves - L2 Ultramaximizer" www.waves.com/plugins/l2-ultramaximizer#audio-mastering-for-the-internet

You're not the only one that this happens. Many people listen too loudly and for too long.
Take a break and go out for 15 minutes and then listen again. In the studio, monitoring is never louder than 85 dB.

 

Two simple steps:

1. you make your single tracks louder by saturating, compressing, clipping and limiting. Not by pulling up the faders. The tracks' faders are to balance the relative level among your tracks.
2. select all tracks and pull the faders down until it's not clipping in the master anymore.

 

the first musician who will be able to use digital clipping in an artistic way will be the new Jimi Hendrix

 

It's easy to give in to the temptation of pushing things louder, because when things are an even bit louder they sound better. You can look at Fletcher-Munson curves for an explanation, but basically more volume equals a better frequency response in our ears and thus sound "better".

So... I'd argue for a different approach, 1) use subtractive EQ instead of boosts, 2) use a reference piece set at a comfortable level, 3) Likewise with the EQ, cut tracks instead of boosting them. 4) Use dynamics processing in master only to even out levels, not to make it go to 11

 

use soft clipper especially on drums

 

People already do that in Trap music and some other genres like Brazilian Funk. Digital clipping, no gear or analog saturation involved. It's a peculiar sound but I like it in some applications.

 

I'm interested on this: could you please link some songs?

 

sure:

Trap:

Brazilian funk:

 

I personally don't really dig any of this music regardless of the obvious point you are making by demonstrating digital saturation to recycle.

Is this a trend? XXXTENTACION Look at me! the track at least has a clear vocal that kinda makes it interesting with the distorted beat and somehow it is kinda Revel. I don't really see myself making tracks with that amount of distortion.

Thanks for the videos I have learned something new today