Help needed please (mixing & mastering)

[mikethebike58]

Hi everyone

Im Mike im new here and i would like some advice/help on the mixing & mastering process in Studio One
Ive almost completed my backing tracks project just one more session to go and all the recording is done. ive really enjoyed the whole year + process and ive logged thousands of hours worth of work . . now comes the last part and i need to get it right
Ive spent countless hours looking on you tube but everyone has their own way of doing things and for me at least its now hit and miss
The main thing I want to achieve is to have all my backing tracks at the same volume

thats basically it . . . . .

So i watched Joe explain about "static mixing" and i have prepped all that and once the last session is done i can start mixing im really trying to look forward now and get a handle on mastering so i wont be stumbling around in the dark when the time comes


I recently came across a great you tuber and he kinda got me started down a path that i believe is the correct one . . it kinda makes sense

Basically in the project page he gets all the tracks to the same level by manipulating the event handles to achieve a threshold of 16 LUFS in the pre fx box in the left hand panel

Im doing tests to check if thats all i need to do i can get that figure on all tracks no problem its a bit fiddly and time consuming but its not an issue
when it comes time to add fx (such as a limiter) on the master/post panel thats where im kinda stuck
I watched Joe explain about volume and loudness using the limiter and keeping it all (mostly) in the yellow and kissing the red but . . . some tracks ive grouped together so they run on without a pause (kinda like a medley) and some ar a little loder than others so how do i use the limiter there?

do i just get the loudest part kinda into the red and thats it? and as each song is kinda different and when im manipulating the limiter to achive a decent volume im guessing they wont all be the same volume

So if anyone can point me in the direction of some info or help me out on here i would be very grateful . . . . .

 

[parityflux]

There's a lot to unpack here and I can offer a few opinions on some of this. First off, you should be proud of yourself for taking this on and for working so hard. For many of the musicians and engineers I know, the mix and master stages involve lifetime learning. You only get better by actually doing it and every project you work on will further your experience. There will be successes and mistakes, and you'll learn from both as long as you keep listening, keep evaluating, listen to genre reference tracks, etc.

Unless I am trying to build a redbook CD file or something, I almost never use the Project page. Plenty of people do, but since I work on my own stuff, I mix and master in the same file. There are great reasons for doing it separately, but I do not abide. My "mastering" is light and I do it on my main bus after mixing. I turn on the chain only when I'm ready, but it is off for tracking and mixing purposes. I have tried quite a few of the metering solutions out there and have been using Streamliner by ADPTR lately. I used to use Bute Loudness Analyser 2, but my current install is VST3 and it is not behaving correctly in FSP8 and I have yet to change it back to vst2-only. Anyway, while I mix to target LUFS (-16 LUFS in your case), I avoid getting too obsessed over the exact numbers. When I do, I also know that I am risking mixing by the numbers instead of the ears. Learn a bit about Short Term LUFS while still mixing as it is a good indicator of energy during various sections the song. Also examine your dynamic range (LRA), not to do anything about it necessarily, but to learn from by deep listening, comparing the number to what the whole sonic arc of the track is like. On target LUFS, I see them driven by delivery first and then genre. I'm not questioning -16 LUFS as it sounds as good as any to me, I just want to point out the wide variances possible. Delivering for streaming is often around -14 LUFS, CD delivery can be anything really and genre comes into play more strongly. Death metal from the mid-90s can scorch at -7 LUFS and pristine reference orchestral recordings can come in at -18 to -23 LUFs and less even. All of that is stuff you have likely learned already, but I point it out because in my own experiences, higher LUFS come with lower dynamic range (LRA, number-wise) in a natural relationship. I like dynamic stuff and you can still get good dynamics with -16 LUFS targets. You said that you wanted even LUFS track-to-track and along with that comes some evaluation of LRA. Defer to the song, to the mix, for guidance. If you have a "quieter" song, let it be a little quieter. If you have a slower ballad with a really strong hook or chorus, make sure that shows in your LRA as a confirmation more than anything. Unless you have strict instructions on the LUFS, be as flexible as the music warrants.

I almost never use a limiter except as the last element in my master chain (like Joe's video), and it is only there for safety. I use a different one than the Fender one, but that shouldn't make much difference other than it wouldn't coincide with Joe's video. My goal is a bit different than Joe's in that I rather not have it kissed at all. We work on different material though and the needs are different.

While you are mixing, have metering on your mix bus just to start getting to know your material meter-wise and get closer levels but definitely leave room for the mastering stage.

That's all I can muster at the moment. I am sure many people use the Project page and can provide tips on mastering in it.

Cheers!