Mix down/leveling in Ableton Live

S

Symphonic Rae

Drum & Bass
Joined
Sep 14, 2011
Ok. So I am trying to get all my levels good without clipping the master or individual channels and at the same time keep a decent volume on the master. This is proving to be more difficult than I anticipated. Any advice on how to raise the overall volume of a track? I have tried a limiter but I find it is still not as loud as I would like it to be before clipping. Any advice appreciated.

Misty
 
this mite help with sum ideas... http://johnmiszt.com/ableton/mixdown-tips-tutorial/


mixdowns take practice, and lots of hours of listening time to get them crystal clear, you might get a better idea of what you need to work on if u post up tracks into the new talent section, there are so many diffrent things that can screw a mixdown its impossible to give u specific advice without hearing what you are doing
 
Might be not the answer you're looking for but my advice would be not to worry too much about loudness. Focus on getting a nice balance and leave some headroom. While you work just turn your speakers up to compensate ;)
 
t0rben said:
Might be not the answer you're looking for but my advice would be not to worry too much about loudness. Focus on getting a nice balance and leave some headroom. While you work just turn your speakers up to compensate ;)
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very good advice!
 
init... worry about loud at the end! but as a rule of thumb, i always start a track / channel on -6dB anyways
 
Thanks for the responses:)


t0rben said:
Might be not the answer you're looking for but my advice would be not to worry too much about loudness. Focus on getting a nice balance and leave some headroom. While you work just turn your speakers up to compensate ;)
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I have read this, but when I take the mix out to my car or a different system for a test I have to turn the volume up too high. I just don't understand how ultimately you get the mix louder.
 
Symphonic Rae said:
I just don't understand how ultimately you get the mix louder.
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practice mate... im using no different techniques than 2 years ago and my tunes are markably louder... all it is, is the way i USE the techniques, simply knowing them doesnt = loud ;)
 
Multiband compressor / Utility / Limiter?

I'm not saying this is a correct way of doing things, but it'll sure boost your volume without clipping! Personally though, I wouldnt worry while working on a track, I usually produce everything at -3 to -6db!
 
Yeah I'm also in the range of -6 to -3 dB when producing, in Ableton the Utility is a great little tool for putting the gain down a little, or making things more stereo or mono.
 
best way to make it all loud is a crystal clear mix. first comes clever arrangement so your sounds dont overlab. use the stereo field and the frequency spectrum to their potential to further separate the sounds. Then sidechain compression to allow still hidden sounds to peek out at the right times. once everything separated you can adjust levels so everything is more or less equal or in its right place at least, then you can crank that shit into some mild compression and get a blast of RMS with dynamics preserved. people are getting fed up with tracks that are smashed into a brickwall limiter for loudness, not to mention that it adds distortion to your mix. so don't use it unless u are a professional and have a good one. just my 2 cents.
 
Don't care so much about clipping. All my tunes clip.
If it sounds good, it is good.

Don't forget that the volume bar in your DAW isn't as accurate as you might think it is. I always go by my interface.
 
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elmaruk said:
Don't care so much about clipping. All my tunes clip.
If it sounds good, it is good.

Don't forget that the volume bar in your DAW isn't as accurate as you might think it is. I always go by my interface.
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errr! that cant be right, clipping never sounds good, and can cause damage to your amp/speakers. Clipping is not the same as analog type distortions which show the signal as hitting the red. Master output must never go above 0db if a track will be bounced below 24bit, infact it should be kept around -0.3db to be safe, pops and cracks that come because the sound system is being pushed to hard dont sound good
 
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