Questions about DP plugins

[mlcomposer]

I'm brand new to DP, recording, and mastering. I have a few basic questions ...

1) Is there a tool in DP that displays the average dB level of your mix?

2) Is there a tool that displays the lowest dB level and the highest dB level (high and low peaks) so you know the dynamic range of your mix?

3) I’ve read that the average dB level of your mix should fall somewhere between 10-18 dB, is that true?

4) How do you simultaneously amplify and compress your mix to a particular dynamic range? I've read this is called "upward compression" (gain boost + compression) but I'm not sure.

Sorry for the very basic questions, but I'm brand new to DP and also the entire world of audio recording/mastering. I'd really appreciate your help. Thanks!

[mikehalloran]

It would take a book or two to answer your questions properly. What I do with an acoustic music or a choral track isn't going to be the same as someone creating EDM or a film score or pop CDs or contemporary Christian tracks for KLOVE — even though we use DP and many of the same tools.

Your goal like all of us is to create a mix that sounds good on any playback system. The only cardinal rule is to avoid digital distortion. Other than that...

There's the George Martin style approach: "All you need is ears". Others have an arsenal of mastering tools and plugins to get there, among the most popular being PSP Xenon and Izotope Ozone Advanced.

If, however, you don't know what to do with them, you need to learn. I'd start by reading through this forum. Read enough to know the real issues as they apply to the music you make.

Loudness wars, dynamic range, metering standards, mastering for film, CD, iTunes and YouTube... all are discussed in these threads as are the various tools available in DP to help you get there plus the various third party commercial and freeware that can help. Often, you will find that there's no right approach (but there are a lot of wrong ones).

Tons of videos on MOTU.com and YouTube on how to do these things. It's all out there...

Have fun!

[Phil O]

Great answer from Mike. I can't add anything of significance except to address one of your specific questions.

2) Is there a tool that displays the lowest dB level and the highest dB level (high and low peaks) so you know the dynamic range of your mix?

I've been using this from Melda:
https://www.meldaproduction.com/plugins ... ssAnalyzer

...and it's part of their free bundle. I've upgraded to the paid version. I think it was about 50 bucks. Well worth it IMO. Lots of other good stuff in the bundle.

Phil

[stubbsonic]

Within DP, you can open the MasterWorks (MW) Limiter. It will show you a pretty reliable level meter with "peak hold". It is a limiter that when you adjust the amount it will boost the level automatically.

But of course, keep your ears on. You can make a louder mix that has no dynamics. Pushed to hard, a highly limited mix will just have no punch and will tire out your listeners' (and your) ears.

[mikehalloran]

http://www.motu.com/products/software/dp/video.html

[Shooshie]

First of all, I really encourage you to start reading audio tutorials and texts, many excellent ones of which can be found on websites by searching for Audio Recording Basics on Google. Find out the names of some good books and get them.

The basic books from which I learned are way out of print now, and they didn't even address digital audio, which had not been perfected at the time. (1970s) The books I read now are probably too advanced for you at this time, but you'd benefit from them later. I'll let you find what you need, as I'd be guessing at which basic books are the best.

I will say this, which I think is very important. Digital Audio is a combination of two worlds: the electronic/mathematical world of digital computer equipment and the physical, acoustical world of analog sound. You must know the principles of both to become competent at this. Otherwise, you'll be setting things at recommended levels which you don't understand, and which may not be appropriate for what you are doing. So, read about digital audio, but also read about audio. If you aren't familiar with binary numbers, hexadecimal numbers, bit resolution, digital signal processing, and sample rates, you'd best look those things up, too. It's not like you need that information for recording or mixing a song, but there are times when you must make informed choices, and that information is crucial to being informed.

All that said, for now just keep your average levels at least 12 dB below 0 dB. Digital is not like analog. You don't get a warm glow when you push the levels; you get digital clipping which creates something like a click or scratch in the sound. If you have a lot of transients (peaks) jumping up into the yellow or red, lower that average even more. You can do it in the levels of each microphone, each track, or in the master, depending on WHERE the clipping is occurring. If it's happening on input, lower the mics. If it's happening in the tracks, lower their faders. If it's happening in summation, through the master or submaster tracks, lower that track. DP has a lot of headroom, so it's not clipping within DP, but most likely either at input or output.

That's the barest of bones of a tutorial. Just enough to get you through your first sessions. You'll need a LOT more information to go further.

Shooshie

[Shooshie]

PS: Check out the DP Tips Sheet thread, which you can find near the top of this forum. While the tips for DP may be overwhelming at this time, you'll find many more tips throughout the thread, such as a downloadable/printable Frequency Chart that tells you the frequencies, MIDI #s, and piano key numbers of an 88-key keyboard, which can be very helpful in learning audio and recording. Many, many more tips as well.

There's also a glossary of abbreviations on page 2. THAT is always helpful, though it may be a little out of date. I don't think I've given it a full update in 5 years or so.

Good luck, and always ask if you can't find the answer.

Shooshie

[mlcomposer]

Thanks everyone! I'm reading all of these helpful comments and looked at the DP Tips Sheet and MOTU videos that someone pointed me to. Learning, learning, learning ...

Back to my project in DP, I used the "MasterWorks Limiter" on my entire mix, setting the ceiling to 12 dB. That helped a lot; no more clipping.

However, the different tracks in my mix still sound like they're not blending together. What is the next step?

[mikehalloran]

However, the different tracks in my mix still sound like they're not blending together. What is the next step?

Unfortunately, the correct answer is that it depends on why the tracks are unbalanced relative to each other.

Now's the time to start reading up on the art of mastering. Learn how to use the tools that you have. The more you know, the better. Compression, reverb, parametric and graphic eq are your friends here.

There are some plugins that will listen to you tracks and help you try to eq them the same. They only go so far, however. It's your ears and experience that will get you there.

Listen to commercial tracks that have the sound you like. Play with eq - a lot. Learn what the sliders do at their center frequencies. You want the various tracks to sound like they belong together while you avoid trying to make them all sound the same (the REO Speedwagon syndrome).

Back to George Martin: listen to the Beatles and hear how he pulled it off. Beatles VI does not sound like the White album which doesn't sound like Abbey Road... but each of the albums has a tone that is easily identifiable.

[mikehalloran]

I wasn't going to recommend any specific 3rd party plugins but there is one that comes to mind and that is Nectar Elements from Izotope, formerly Nectar 1. It will work for 10 days during the evaluation.
https://www.izotope.com/en/products/mix ... -elements/

Definitely download all three preset packages and install
https://www.izotope.com/en/products/mix ... s/add-ons/

Disengage Masterworks (bypass mode) and try the various presets on your mix. I know it's supposed to be used on vocal tracks but trust me on this — it works great on stereo mixes, too.

The point is not that one preset will magically bring your mix together — although it may — but so that you can see and hear what the various compressor, reverb, filter, de-essor, delay, parametric eq and limiter settings will do for your tracks. It's very easy to go into each preset, see what is activated, tweak and adjust while the track is playing to hear the results. You can't save in demo mode, however.

If you like the results, it's $34 and gives you an inexpensive upgrade path to Nectar 2. It's a great vocal track tool and some of the presets only sound good in that use.

More discussion and a link to the sale price here.
http://www.motunation.com/forum/viewtop ... &start=165

I paid $249 for Nectar 1 as I recall. I still use it now and then. The last time was on a 2-track recorded direct to tape with cheap condenser microphones. I found a preset with eq, light compression and the de-essor that was almost right, dragged the eq curve to flatten out the bottom end and it was perfect.

The pitch control is sometimes perfect for problem singers. The DP pitch tool gives you much greater control but this one saves a lot of time when it works.

If you use Masterworks Limiter, you would put it in the chain after. You may or may not need it.

[monkey man]

I highly recommend reading Roey Izhaki's "Mixing Audio" book.

Trust me on this. He covers compression and limiting ad nauseum; you'll have expert-level knowledge on the subjects if you listen to his advice.

[mikehalloran]

I highly recommend reading Roey Izhaki's "Mixing Audio" book.

Trust me on this. He covers compression and limiting ad nauseum; you'll have expert-level knowledge on the subjects if you listen to his advice.

http://www.amazon.com/Mixing-Audio-2e-R ... 0240522222

The second edition no longer has a DVD. Not to worry, the content is now on a web site that you unlock from a hint in the book. The publisher did this so that those who bought the eBook version would also have access to the content.

[monkey man]

I've not listened to any of the DVD and don't feel as though I've missed out on anything, Mike. The tracks serve to illustrate phenomena that are very-well described in the book anyway.

Thank you for providing the link for the OP, mate.

[daniel.sneed]

[...] I used the "MasterWorks Limiter" on my entire mix, setting the ceiling to 12 dB. [...]

Stunning! AFAICT, ceiling is to be set to prevent digital clipping. In my setup it's usually set to -0.3dB or -0.5dB.

Overall general level is another story, though.
Within MasterWorks Limiter, you may try to tweak threshold while listening carefully to effect on transients and on dynamic, as level increases and decreases.
In my setup, threshold ends up usually between -3.00dB and -10.00dB, depending on tracking and mixing.

To go deeper, you may like to get knowledge and experience with MasterWorks Compressor. But be warned that there is a serious learning curve with any multiband compressor.

[monkey man]

Yeah, plus I've found that listening "fatigue" or contextual reference seems to go astray quite easily whilst adjusting the 3 bandwidths and making cuts and boosts using the plug.

What appear to be benign, conservative adjustments can, to fresh ears, render rather more drastic effects on the mix. In light of this I'd suggest going really easy on it whilst employing it on the master buss.