So....they want it louder....when its already REALLY loud...wtf do I do....

[RARStudios]

Deleted

[macc]

Explain that the level of the album is not in any way related or proportional to the size of their manhood.

[huejahfink]

Who is "they"? What kind of music is it? How loud is it, and I mean sustained RMS, not peak?

Is it bass heavy? You might be able to sacrifice some bass to gain some level?

Anyway, I think you know the answer "Get new ears, you're deaf"

[Bell Head]

Originally Posted by etcd32

Okay, so I produced, mixed, mastered an album...

Its loud...like...its to the point where if it goes up .2 dBs things start clipping (The bad kind). Its louder than any album on my computer. (I have over 6000 songs)

They want it LOUDER?!?!?

What do I tell them...Get new ears, your deaf?

-Evan

Run it through a distortion pedal. They'll love it.

[RARStudios]

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[badmark]

This :

youwashockvst

[huejahfink]

I received two tracks yesterday that honest to god had a dynamic range (using TT Meter) of Zero.

RMS for the whole track of -1.4 on both.

[RedTuxedo]

I bet it can use just a hair more 3K with a wide Q without sounding harsh. Louder at that point is perception. More upper mids might give them what they want.

I really like the sound you got on the master, but I do understand about pleasing the client and keeping your "artistic" integrity as well.

[RARStudios]

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[wado1942]

That gave me a headache. Did you ask what they're trying to accomplish by crushing what little life is left out of it? I assume you told them that MP3 and CD players have volume controls that let the user CHOOSE the levels right?

Here's what I'd do in that position... Tell them you'll make it louder for double your fee for mastering because your job is to make it sound GOOD, not bad. Then ask to be left out off the credits because you can't have your name associated with something that doesn't pass your quality standards. At any rate, it's blatantly obvious that the star of that band is your computer. With all the manipulation you did to it to make it in time and in tune, no pointless number on your RMS meter can substitute for their lack of ability as performers.

[RARStudios]

Deleted

[huejahfink]

Just listened Evan, it IS loud. Plenty loud enough. It would probably sound much better at a lower level.
I found the extreme highs quite irritating, it's very crackly up there.

This said, I've heard quite a lot of music considerably quote"louder"unquote than that!

[RARStudios]

oh trust me....I cant listen to it over the half way mark on my computer....or it just shrills my ears...

I swear they just like to bitch...I am hoping thats it

How do you explain to someone that something that is this LOUD is not the right kind of loud...I did ask them, they were talking volume levels of the track in its entirety, not certain parts, like the songs weren't "loud" enough....

x.x


Once again, by no means, am I a professional...I literally just started my studio September 4th, 2010. Obviously I have a ton of learning to do, but this is one road bump that I know I will deal with in the future.

[MarkRB]

Not enough Bass. Kick sucks up all the energy and that's why it sounds quiet. Compression is too slow as well.

That Kick is super loud!! Cool tune though.

Just 1 man (idiot)'s opinion so please ignore at your leisure.

[KnewJack]

That doesn't even sound like a type of song that should be super loud anyway. It has no balls. Your mix is good, but their sounds are lame, to my ears at least. They probably think it should hit harder than it does, but it just doesn't come off in the production. Would need a harder hitting style of production to really come off loud. For the clients ears, you could probably add a bit of harshness in the 3k range. Then they'll thinks its louder.

Otherwise substitute those drum sounds for some hard hitting samples.

[DuX]

I really like reading on what to say or do at such moments when the client asks either for impossible or to ruin the whole recording altogether. There should be a sticky post with all the tips and tricks on what to do

I usually waste too much time explaining...

Cheers!

[RARStudios]

Deleted

[fuse]

A client of mine doesn't get his dance tracks released by his A&R if they aren't totally smashed. I managed to get them loud by pushing the levels in the analogue domain including AD stage and use a decent digital limiter to get the level 'right' without too many nasty artefacts. They do sound as loud as the other tracks of the same label but without the harsh distortion.

[MikeyMike]

Originally Posted by MarkRB

Not enough Bass. Kick sucks up all the energy and that's why it sounds quiet. Compression is too slow as well.

That Kick is super loud!! Cool tune though.

Just 1 man (idiot)'s opinion so please ignore at your leisure.

+1000thumbsup With a better mix this song could be huge. The vocals are way too dry. The drum sounds has no balls. The entire track sounds 2 dimensional and will never make it on the radio sounding like this. Wow. The track is actually "pumping" and is a compression disaster. Back to the drawing board on this one. This song will "Have" to be remixed. If the whole album you did sounds this bad, I feel sorry for you because it's gonna have to be done completely over from scratch, mixing wise. I have no idea how the raw tracks sound.

[PatrikT]

Originally Posted by etcd32

Here is a clip.

It has no meat. And it is spike-y rather than being nicely rounded.

If you think 0.2 dB more will make a dramatic difference to the worse, I think you are focusing on the least disturbing factor here.


Regards
Patrik

[DavieB]

I think what they probably want is it to sound "bigger" and not louder, this can only really be done at the mixing stage. Tell them to mix it again and advise them to work the mix more cos mastering is not a magic bullet. As far as the track goes there's no depth to it, no ambiance to it and no width to it, it's not ready for mastering at all... Kick it back to the mixing stage...

Had another listen, it sounds conjested, drums are fine - hats maybe slightly wide of the snare - but there is absolutely zero space in this mix, the mono sum sounds virtually the same as the stereo, where de width at, where de ambiance at and whats with that LOUD mono guitar chorus, it just doesn't sound epic. Kick it back to mixing and be imaginative with the mix...

[DavieB]

Originally Posted by huejahfink

i received two tracks yesterday that honest to god had a dynamic range (using tt meter) of zero.

Rms for the whole track of -1.4 on both.

hahahahaha!!!!!!!! Omg!!!!!!!!!

[miro]

mix could be a bit wider (by panning, not spreading with widener tool) which would help a "bigger" and thus louder sound.

[RARStudios]

Deleted

[Waltz Mastering]

Originally Posted by etcd32

damn .... x.x

I'd revisit the mix.

Is there a bass guitar in the song? Can't hear it. Guitar's sound thin.. a lot of high mids but nothing for girth. (a little mosquito sounding) Kick seems to out front...2 cents

What is your mastering chain?

[SSMastering]

The mix is definitely a bigger problem than the mastering. The kick is all beater, not enough low end (75Hz, maybe?) and is overpowering. Plus the guitars are too loud in the chorus, also too dry and need more bottom to change the perception of those harsh high mids. Can't hear the bass guitar at all, as Waltz Mastering mentioned. And when the bg vocals come in, I can hear a lot of compression pumping... there's suddenly a volume drop, and then I can hear the volume coming up to unity again. The whole idea behind compression in mastering is for the attack and release times to pump in-time with the drums so people can't hear that bad pumping effect. Lead vocals could surely use some verb, plus sound like there's too much 1-3k, and don't sound natural. The whole mix could use more ambiance to give listeners a sense of depth and space. Mastering is the LAST thing you need to be worrying about at this point. Just being honest, here...

[heybub419]

The pumping is really bugging me. And, as SSMastering said, the kick is all beater; sounds too "squishy". The compression is really bad: kind of reminds me of the "Californication" album .

[heybub419]

I like the song...The compression is too much though, IMHO. Thats a shame that they want it so loud; music is losing so much today.

[Suade]

If they really want it louder I guess you could try adding some heat to the individual tracks - eq, exciter, distortion - the result would be more musical than distorting after mixdown.

Have these clients given you any references - tracks that they like the sound (loudness) of...?

[huejahfink]

Originally Posted by heybub419

I like the song...The compression is too much though, IMHO. Thats a shame that they want it so loud; music is losing so much today.

Haha. I DISlike the song, but actually quite like the compression on it. I know it's quite an unorthodox squash but I think it adds a really different vibe to the song. I think maybe with a bit more work on the track elements working through the compressor, this could sound even better. I would almost go as far to say as that the sucking effect on the kick should be even more prominent. Perhaps a longer attack time might help let a bit more initial impact through before the squishing starts.

:-)