Quote:
Originally Posted by illacov  I would almost want to ask why you would use a compressor for volume in mastering and not the volume knob?
Or if the levels are that low, why not something like a 1292?
Just curious.
I will just be quiet now. Welcome back Chris. 
Peace
Illumination |
When I mean volume, I mean using the gain reduction (Putting it to -1 or -1.5 depending) and adding volume after. Because if you don't use a proper compressor, and you aim for volume and only use a limiter, the limiter will catch all the peak transients, but your music might start to sound squished really quickly.
I'll try to give an example:
A Hip-Hop track and the kick and snare/clap are representing the sharp transients. To counter this, you use a compressor (with the setting that I stated above) and you brush off the transients to make everything gel together. I use the Mpressor for this and since I feel it's a hard knee compressor, I try not to go too overboard with the threshold. So I add, I see the gain reduction going a bit in the 1.5. I set the limiter knob (or not, depending) so it doesn't go past 1.5 of gain reduction (great feature on the mpressor by the way), and I add makeup gain, or not, depending how it sounds to my ears. Some say they don't like it on there, well I personally do.
I then add the ApEQ and see if I can cut/boost some frequencies to give more presence to the track and to get rid of excessive bass. only 1 to -1db of boost/cut is enough (if the track was mixed properly, or else you tell the client the problems, and you ask for a new master).
After this, I sometimes add a bit of inflator (6%-10) just to make the master come alive and not remain static from the compressor, but watch out, too much and your track starts pumping.
Then I add the Izotope Ozone plug, I set the limiter so that it reduces to .5 or 1 gain reduction. I set it on soft, I put the release on 50ms or 100ms.
I do not activate the dithering and keep the file as is. Then I put it in Voxengo rBrain Pro and convert to 44.1 and 16 bits.
All in all, I do tons of listening and I try to make the track as best as they can sound, without squishing too much (depending on the style).
I really with I could show what I do in person, that way we could see if things/methods could be improved, what works etc.