Steve Posted August 18, 2004 Share Posted August 18, 2004 I asked this question on SOS and got some great advice but I thought I'd ask you lot too. I burned a prototype copy of my mix to CD to see what it sounded like. I just don't like it! I dunno if it needs compression or EQing or what. In Cool Edit it sounds fine but when it's burned to a disc, some of the tracks sound a bit tinny. Is there an easy way to fix this? I have Cool Edit Pro and Soundforge if any of those are any use. I need to kind of globally EQ it I guess. I have no idea how to do it or if it's even possible. Any advice would be great. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Deeswift Posted August 18, 2004 Share Posted August 18, 2004 Maybe try messing with Soundforge's compression, that's probably what I'd do. Don't over do it though, it's easy to get carried away with effects. It shouldn't really sound tinny on playback though. Have you tried it on lots of different players? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 18, 2004 Author Share Posted August 18, 2004 Well my setup is pretty dated and weak and it sounded tinny on that. The other guy who made the mix with me played it on his system which is really good and phoned me to say it sounded tinny too. I guess I'll just copy the mixdown and have a play with it in Soundforge. Can't do any harm I guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
$a!n+ Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 I got ya back Sigma. Use sound forge. Youll need some plugins also maybe. You need to: 1. Normalize (I like to to do it often, before and after other EQs)2. EQ's (I like to add a lil extra bottom and top end to give a better feel of the over tones.3. Compression/Limiter (If you run a compression makes it fast on attack and release and pretty intense. Try anything from 3:1 to 10:1. What ever balances out the volume more)4.Normalize again5. Volume (turn it up as loud as possible with out clipping, #1 and #2 should have you pretty close to that but to be safe go ahead and boost it up.)6.Visual (look at the entire wav file as a whole and make sure it looks pretty even as far peaks in waves and volume. * Dont quote me on this but sometimes I will use a multi-deley to run and stereo simulator and it will give you a "larger" sound. But sometimes it'll mess up you pans. Try that see if it worx. That should help to make it sound larger and more up front. Let me know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 19, 2004 Author Share Posted August 19, 2004 Cheers mate. I'll have a play around with it and see what it sounds like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted August 19, 2004 Share Posted August 19, 2004 s'all about t-racks 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banano Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 It's kinda hard to gauge what you mean without hearing it - is it lacking in bass and l/m or are the highs getting all nasty and screechy? I'm assuming you got that mixdown prob sorted - what format and samplerate did you mixdown to ? Tell us : Is it tinny throughout or just in places or on certain tracks? What plugins have you applied already ? If there are major problems with a mixdown there really isn't much you can do correctively.....mastering is more sweetening and spit 'n polish. Feel free to send it my way and I might (no promises) be able to persuade my flatmate to master it on his TDM rig - he's been a studio recording/mix engineer for about ten years and his ears are gold compared to mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 20, 2004 Author Share Posted August 20, 2004 The levels throughout are fine volume wise. Some of the tracks are a little tinny although I didn't really notice this until I burned it to a CD. It sounded OK playing through Cool Edit. It just sounds like it needs to be a bit more "beefy" for want of a better word. The mixdown was a wav (Windows PCM) file at 32Khz (cos of my fuck up!) which I then converted to 44.1Khz so it would burn. It still sounded fine in Cool Edit at this point. I have applied no plugins at all yet. I'm still adding the finishing touches to the mix and I only burned one as a test to see what it would sound like. Thanks for the offer too, but I really need to finish this shit off by Sunday. I've been messing about with this for far too long! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banano Posted August 20, 2004 Share Posted August 20, 2004 hmmmmm tricky one this, - if it's already sounding tinny then i'd rule out an exciter plugin and go for a maximiser. If Cool Edit will take VST plugins then : goto www.waves.com you can actually download a time limited demo of the entire (i think) waves package - and this is what 95% of all commercial releases are processed with these days and the particular plug you'll be wanting is: L2 MAXIMISER - ignore all the others it should make you mix sound like a bought cd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 21, 2004 Author Share Posted August 21, 2004 L3 Multimaximizer & Ultramaximizer? Will that one do? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banano Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 (edited) If you've got it , I guess it would, but unless you're a mastering engineer with a really decent monitoring setup then chances are you'll do more harm than good. I certainly wouldn't try using it myself unless I ran into real trouble....Better just to shove it through L2. It's simple and it works. Having said all that, this may not solve the problem you're perceiving - it's really hard to tell with audio stuff as everyone's perceptions and descriptions of problems are different, but if you want a quick and easy improvement then L2 would be the way. BTW flatmate is up for sorting it if you can upload it somewhere. Edited August 21, 2004 by Banano Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 21, 2004 Author Share Posted August 21, 2004 OK. I don't see a download link for L2 on the site though. I just installed L3 but I don't really understand all the options! I'll have another look for L2............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Banano Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 OK. I don't see a download link for L2 on the site though. I just installed L3 but I don't really understand all the options! I'll have another look for L2............<{POST_SNAPBACK}> hmmm.....there should be options to dl the entire plugin set.......but there are 'alternative' dl options though, as i'm sure you're aware Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 21, 2004 Author Share Posted August 21, 2004 I'm just having a play with L3 now. There are a fair few presets. I dunno which one to use for the best! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted August 21, 2004 Share Posted August 21, 2004 are you using the shame speakers / amp when you listen on the pc then from cd? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 21, 2004 Author Share Posted August 21, 2004 are you using the shame speakers / amp when you listen on the pc then from cd? Yeah man same ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted August 24, 2004 Author Share Posted August 24, 2004 Banano - Thanks mate. I managed to "get hold of" the diamond Waves bundle and L2 was in there. At first I wasn't sure if I liked the results but after listening to the CD a couple of times it sounds loads better than it did. Cheers man. BTW - your discs should be in the post tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
$a!n+ Posted August 25, 2004 Share Posted August 25, 2004 Its done? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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