Beat This! Competition - August 9-10, 2023
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warzone (nov 5-9) signup begins in...
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VVS
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Rule #1 when mixing/mastering. Do not use your headphones to mix/master.
I disagree, as long as you know your monitoring solution and how it should sound, then you can mix on headphones, the only things really effected is you cant "feel" the bass and the stereo image wont be accurate. It certainly isnt a number 1 rule. The number 1 rule is gain staging. Some professionals are fully capable of mixing with headphones.
I disagree
Gain staging mainly only really important in analogue domain
It was the buzzword for a few years, but it's changed now. I've forgot the current one now tho, think it may have also died off.
I disagree, if your master bus is clipping into the red it usually sounds like shit.
VVS
Banned
Battle Points: 133
I disagree with you on gain staging. In these modern times, a good mastering engineer can work with mix downs that peak at 0 dBFS. Gain staging was used to give your buses extra "head room" to apply other effects to keep the audio levels below -6 dBFS. My mixes used to sound like dog shit back when I was gain staging my channels/buses to -6 dBFS but at 0 dBFS they sound incredible. And you would obviously use a finalizing limiter among other plugins for flavor on your master bus. Unless someone on this board is an experienced audio engineer to give us a detailed and accurate answer as to which one is better, I think this comes down to personal preference. Do what works for you!
When working at 32bit resolution then you have infinite headroom then gainstaging doesnt matter. When you arent then it does matter. It is also a fundamental concept that people should understand, even if they dont do it. Ive watched inexperienced producers with all their tracks in the red and their answer is to keep turning things up instead of down. Ive also watched people turning all their tracks up and the interface all the way up instead of just turning the speakers up
Another reason gain staging is important is because it keeps your faders in the high resolution area, where you have more control over the balance of your mix.
Another reason gain staging is important is because it keeps your faders in the high resolution area, where you have more control over the balance of your mix.
VVS
Banned
Battle Points: 133
Keyword being "32 bit". Most DAW's support 32 bit exporting of mix downs. Which validates my point again, on why gain staging at least for me is not as important and less relevant to an experienced audio engineer. I'm not sure what you mean by keeping the faders in a high resolution area? I mix at 0 dBFS and never had an issue with my faders lacking resolution. If anything, I have to touch them less because the levels are high enough that I only need to apply minor EQ and compression when necessary.
32bit export and 32bit real time are 2 different things
As for clipping the mixbus, you can use this if you know what you're doing.
If my mix is peaking +2 I know I can use clipping, compression and limiting to bring it back below zero with the same mix.
I could also likely look back at the mix and shave a little off here and there so that the mixbus peaks lower. Then with processing on that mixbus, get it below 0.
It let's you know if your mix is going to be able to get loud once it hits mastering.
If you make a nice mix peaking at -8db. Then take it to mastering and can only hit -13lufs then your mix is gonna be too quiet.
If my mix is peaking +2 I know I can use clipping, compression and limiting to bring it back below zero with the same mix.
I could also likely look back at the mix and shave a little off here and there so that the mixbus peaks lower. Then with processing on that mixbus, get it below 0.
It let's you know if your mix is going to be able to get loud once it hits mastering.
If you make a nice mix peaking at -8db. Then take it to mastering and can only hit -13lufs then your mix is gonna be too quiet.
With good use of clipping you can mostly eradicate the need for gain staging but the key words you used are "if you know what you are doing". Clipping adds distortion and can sound terrible if not executed properly. Same as compression on the master bus, less is more, as its very easy to squash your transients into oblivion and cause unwanted pumping. For me personally when Im mixing, I first ask myself " can I get this instrument in the right ballpark volume before doing anything else to it" and the quickest fix for that IMO is the gain. Next would be eq, then compression/clipping and saturation. But I always start at gain because it keeps my fader where it works best and its just a knob to turn.
And while recording live performances. You want to maximise volume without peaking, which is why you have compressors/limiters to control peaks and boost the parts where the performer may be moving around and not staying right next to the mic causing fluctuations in the level. When boosting the quieter parts the lower the noise floor the less noise gets boosted by the after compression gain increase.
VVS
Banned
Battle Points: 133
At the end of the day...if you have good reference monitors and trained ears, you will know who's mix is trash and who's actually studied. This debate is kinda pointless since nobody here is an audio engineer. If any of my beats are mixed badly I welcome anyone to give me their input so we can have an open discussion.
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VVS
Banned
Battle Points: 133
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