How to get super loud pop tracks?

[The_K_Man]

Originally Posted by Jesse Graffam

He's "Big Bass" because of his talented self, not because of any secrets. No argument there from me. But yeah, I'm sure he has "a few more" tricks. I would hope a shop with more gear customizations than not would.


K Man:
LUV U 2 DEATH FOR GEARSLUTZ - Masterful Audio - Undo and EQ only.wav
the new "Mastered for iKman" standard. :P

What you call the "K-Man" standard(ragged looking waveforms chockful of transients) was how most mixing and mastering was done for decades until the 1990s. Ain't nothing new.

I'm just trying to bring it back, that's all!

(why do I get the feeling that I'm older than most of Gearslutz?)

[marchhare]

If only to save this thread from a premature death, I tried one last one, less
hot. I quit after this.


https://www.yousendit.com/download/U...NHZVbS9OUjhUQw

[OwensDrumming]

What are you guys using for limiters (plugins, hardware, etc.)???

[marchhare]

This attempt was-



Pro Audio DSP DSM
UAD Manley Massive Passive
UAD Precision Maximizer
Ozone 5 Limiter

[Babaluma]

Originally Posted by OwensDrumming

What are you guys using for limiters (plugins, hardware, etc.)???

Already listed mine. If I'm going for loudness I'll usually clip the Crookwood ADC and add Elephant, but things tend to start sounding nasty after 2-3dB limiting.

[sanddigger1]

I did another version last night while I had to work on some grindcore tracks :
http://www.archive-host.com/files/18...test_SD1_a.zip
It's less loud than my first attempt.

[Table Of Tone]

It normally always turns out to be something that has been tracked too hot in the recording stage.

The crackle only really shows up when you start to try N make it loud.

Also, watch out for reds N overs within plugs.

Some plugs, especially in PTHD, run at fixed point, which means you don't wanna be hammering em.

Take care of the above points, make sure you are happy with the way the mix sounds when you turn up your monitoring, send to a good ME, tell him (or her) how you want it, enjoy, hopefully

[Laurend]

Originally Posted by OwensDrumming

What are you guys using for limiters (plugins, hardware, etc.)???

I use my own limiter design. It has adaptive look ahead and release which preserve both bass and clarity. More info can be found here:
4 Gain Reduction Strategies - YouTube

[Table Of Tone]

Originally Posted by marchhare

This attempt was-



Pro Audio DSP DSM
UAD Manley Massive Passive
UAD Precision Maximizer
Ozone 5 Limiter

Not too shabby for an ITB cut.

That mix seemed to benefit from the color added by DSM and UAD Mass Pass and of course, what you did with those four plugs.

I'm guessing UAD modelled that unit with the transformers in the signal?

Although I have the hardware mastering version (don't use it that often), I've never checked out the UAD software version.

[maxon]

Zippyshare.com - LUVMASTER.wav

Plugin chain:

Precision Multiband -> UAD Limiter -> Brainworx V2 -> UAD Precision EQ -> UAD Limiter

[marchhare]

Originally Posted by Table Of Tone

Not too shabby for an ITB cut.

That mix seemed to benefit from the color added by DSM and UAD Mass Pass and of course, what you did with those four plugs.

I'm guessing UAD modelled that unit with the transformers in the signal?

Although I have the hardware mastering version (don't use it that often), I've never checked out the UAD software version.

Thanks Adrian! On a side note, the Rockerverb 50 was one of the best amps
I've owned, stupidly I sold mine, gonna get another one soon. I just picked up the Precision Maximizer recently, I really like what it does, makes things louder and somehow increases the punch, too. You mentioned in your earlier post how things really start to crackle when you make them louder, in this mix the vocal is distorted on the chorus, so that's obviously a problem.
I've been revisiting the idea of multiple limiters, each doing a small amount.
Never had much luck with it until I tried putting the DSM first. Too early to
tell, but so far it seems to be working well.

[Table Of Tone]

Interestingly, the DSM really works well when following the A to D on Forssell MADA 2.
FGX doesn't!

Things were very different with a Prism AD 2.
FGX loved it but DSM didn't!

Funny how things work, right?

[Sofa King]

Originally Posted by OwensDrumming

I'm having trouble getting maximum volume out of my pop tracks. I'm using a limiter on my master bus and whenever I push the threshold, it distorts. I've tried using them in series and that does the same thing. Are there any tricks to get maximum loudness like you hear on today's music? I've tried several limiters and the same thing happens. Am I using the plugins wrong? Thanks.

P.S. I'm primarily using a Massey L2007 limiter. I love that thing. It's so musical.

I think only so much can happen in mastering.
If thats what the track needs, I think it needs to happen in the arrangement and the mix.

Something that ALWAYS works for me is to squeeze a little in many places, as opposed to hammering it just on the subs, of the mix.

[mcsnare]

Here's mine:
https://www.yousendit.com/download/U...NXY1bmpvS3NUQw

Dave

[Temple of Light]

You really need to wrap your head around this, it's all that matters to an artist.
A. A mix is a dynamic evolving/devolving thing.
B. A mix is really achieved by multiple layers of pristine sound to begin with.
C. A mix, when maximised for clarity and dynamic range per individual track, will MASTER with relatively little effort.
D. A mix that gets a girl wet or a man hard is a mix that BEGS to be TURNED UP!
E. A mix that sounds great at 20% of the available gain range of it's intended delivery device is a mix that will be remembered and requested again and again.
F. U are going to need more than a computer...
G. A mix HAS to be MASTERED for it's intended delivery device, else you fail, suck, and waste time, money and skill. If you are trying to get this tune into a radio broadcast rig, versus a club PA, versus an Ipod, versus TV broadcast, or movie sound stage, each environment will require a different set of considerations: mathematical, aesthetic and spatial/acoustical.

You ask a simple question regarding an entire enclycopedic knowledge of a subject matter you clearly don't understand. Read and learn alot more about the subject before asking anything further about it.

[OpusOfTrolls]

Originally Posted by Temple of Light

You really need to wrap your head around this, it's all that matters to an artist.
A. A mix is a dynamic evolving/devolving thing.
B. A mix is really achieved by multiple layers of pristine sound to begin with.
C. A mix, when maximised for clarity and dynamic range per individual track, will MASTER with relatively little effort.
D. A mix that gets a girl wet or a man hard is a mix that BEGS to be TURNED UP!
E. A mix that sounds great at 20% of the available gain range of it's intended delivery device is a mix that will be remembered and requested again and again.
F. U are going to need more than a computer...
G. A mix HAS to be MASTERED for it's intended delivery device, else you fail, suck, and waste time, money and skill. If you are trying to get this tune into a radio broadcast rig, versus a club PA, versus an Ipod, versus TV broadcast, or movie sound stage, each environment will require a different set of considerations: mathematical, aesthetic and spatial/acoustical.

You ask a simple question regarding an entire enclycopedic knowledge of a subject matter you clearly don't understand. Read and learn alot more about the subject before asking anything further about it.

IOW, he didn't master engmix's sample.

[OpusOfTrolls]

Maybe we should all have a second round with a different genre? Hopefully get some better critique this time.

[sanddigger1]

Originally Posted by maxon

Zippyshare.com - LUVMASTER.wav

Plugin chain:

Precision Multiband -> UAD Limiter -> Brainworx V2 -> UAD Precision EQ -> UAD Limiter

How to download from this filehosting service ? It just reloads the page everytime I try...

[Babaluma]

Originally Posted by OpusOfTrolls

Maybe we should all have a second round with a different genre? Hopefully get some better critique this time.

it's why i love the REP WUMP so much. there are clearly set down rules and time frames, two or three separate threads for different parts of the discussion, if there are many entries they are split into two or three groups, all users sign up BEFORE, so you don't get any last minute stragglers, no revisions allowed, entry dates are clearly laid out beforehand etc. one unofficial rule is that if you fail to comment on EVERYBODY else's entry (in your group), then you are banned from taking part the next WUMP. it all works really well. but i tried to implement similar ideas on another (non-professional) music forum once, and it all just went to shit...

[maxon]

Originally Posted by sanddigger1

How to download from this filehosting service ? It just reloads the page everytime I try...

Zippyshare.com - LUVMASTER.wav

orange "DOWNLOAD NOW" right side up

[sanddigger1]

Originally Posted by maxon

Zippyshare.com - LUVMASTER.wav

orange "DOWNLOAD NOW" right side up

...which just reloads the page...

thanks anyway.

[maxon]

Originally Posted by sanddigger1

...which just reloads the page...

thanks anyway.

I dunno where problem is. Re uploaded hope this helps.


https://www.dropbox.com/s/1rrignhu9wrqpax/LUVMASTER.wav

[sanddigger1]

Dropbox works fine. Thanks a lot.

[greggybud]

Originally Posted by Babaluma

it's why i love the REP WUMP so much. there are clearly set down rules and time frames, two or three separate threads for different parts of the discussion, if there are many entries they are split into two or three groups, all users sign up BEFORE, so you don't get any last minute stragglers, no revisions allowed, entry dates are clearly laid out beforehand etc. one unofficial rule is that if you fail to comment on EVERYBODY else's entry (in your group), then you are banned from taking part the next WUMP. it all works really well. but i tried to implement similar ideas on another (non-professional) music forum once, and it all just went to shit...

Wow...WUMP still thrives?

Years ago, I learned a lot through WUMP. For anyone seriously wanting to learn about mastering, from ME's I highly suggest it.

[Temple of Light]

Originally Posted by OpusOfTrolls

IOW, he didn't master engmix's sample.

Like I HAVE TIME TO DO WORK FOR FREE?
OP should be paying me just for the advice!

[engmix]

Originally Posted by Temple of Light

Like I HAVE TIME TO DO WORK FOR FREE?
OP should be paying me just for the advice!

Hey Temp, i don't think anyone is asking for free work here. I posted this sample for a very specific purpose, for those who genuinely wanted to get involved. This isn't a symposium on how to mix, just purely for getting hot masters. I left the distorted vocal on purpose to see how some would handle the task of dealing with it. I thought this would be a good chance to see how some purely in the box and hybrid approaches were utilized. Did you take a crack at mastering the sample, if so, could you point me to it, i would love to hear it, and hopefully you listed what you used, and your speakers.

When i was an assistant engineer back in the day i had the chance to see others at work on a daily basis. That was the primary point of this throw-down. For myself and others to see who's doing what, with what, and why.

[engmix]

Originally Posted by OpusOfTrolls

Maybe we should all have a second round with a different genre? Hopefully get some better critique this time.

This would be a fantastic idea. I do have another track laying around that's a pop rock record that we could use, but perhaps someone else should pony up a track so it's not from the same source.

[everyday]

Originally Posted by mcsnare

Here's mine:
https://www.yousendit.com/download/U...NXY1bmpvS3NUQw

Dave

my God... Dave McNair is here for an online shoouout... The OP must be happy!!!!

[bonne]

I enjoyed Brian L's comments earlier in the thread. Would be interesting to see him give it a whirl as well.

JB

[maxon]

one more attempt. My secret weapon for very very quick mastering. ONLY ONE plugin on master chain (no eq no limiters no compresors) only Tony Maserati plugin, 30 sec knob settings and done.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/x2hqntma97...UGINMASTER.wav