"Manual" mastering?

[davyj]

Hi fellow slutz!

I have a few questions about "simple" mastering (if that's possible). I don't own any gear other than my two Roland 1680's linked together, going out to a CD burner.

I've heard that the digital format has ZERO tolerance for any signal above 0dB. So is one of my basic objectives to raise the level of the mix as close to 0dB without going over?

I have tried the limiter and compression, and it seems to just squeeze the warmth out, and it either sounds "flangy" or I can't hone in on a hotter mix.

So: does anyone master by just "manually" manipulating the master fader ever so slightly?

Any help appreciated !!

[finetuner]

Originally Posted by davyj

So: does anyone master by just "manually" manipulating the master fader ever so slightly?

Just manually - probably not, unless you're dealing with classical / acoustic music.

However, manual adjusting of levels can certainly be part of several means to control dynamics.
Lowering a few peaks by hand might allow you to raise the level slightly, depending on the dynamics.

When applied to individual tracks (as opposed to a mix-down), even the better.

Manual gain riding can also be used to post-process your macro-dynamics. Like raising or lowering the level of whole sections. Either to make things more exciting or to even out for more consistency.


If it's the level of modern pop/rock/dance cd's you're after, you won't achieve that with manual gain riding only but i'm sure you're aware of that.
There's enough to read about it on this forum and the bottom line is not to rely on one device or technique to make things louder. It's always a combination of several techniques, each contributing slightly as not to leave too much 'fingerprint'.

At the same time realize that hot mixes are achieved by dynamic control of individual channels also, so don't just focus on the master section for that.

When you notice negative side effects of your Roland 's built in processors (or their settings ??) it's wise to refrain from using them.
Maybe you can experiment with inserting outboard effects ? Make your mix sounding as good as you can with what you have.

Hope this helps.