[DFT]

Hi Guys,
two problems that I've recently had (but I've been struggling with this for years):
1. The intro has relatively few instruments, so the maximizer makes them painfully louder, than in the rest of the song.
2. If there's a constant sound like a pad or string section, the maximizer (which is a fancy compressor), makes the constant sound's loudness fluctuate according to other instruments, especially drums and lead vocal.

Is there a best practice solution for this?
-Use separate buses? what kind of buses would be recommended? (percussive, vocals etc.)
-Automate the maximizer's parameters?

Thanks in advance 

[cowparsleyman]

@DFT - Hi, which maximiser do you use?

[DFT]

Hi,
I'm using the Steinberg Maximizer plug-in that is included in Cubase 10 Pro:
https://steinberg.help/cubase_le_plugin_reference/v10/en/_shared/topics/plug_ref/maximizer_r.html

[cowparsleyman]

@DFT - I don't know that one so I can only tell you about the ones I'm familiar with and that I use a lot. I've never had this issue, but I can understand how it might occur and how it sounds.

First I get the mix right, with a decent level of headroom maybe -10db, it might be as simple as leaving it there, (without the maximiser) then I add the buss compressor, my goto is the bx_townhouse (just so the needle is tickled), then I follow that with the Waves L3 Ultramaximiser, again not much at all just to lift it to around - 6db,  that combination really is stunning (I used to use the Waves SSL comp, and that's great too)

Depending on the Genre I might not use a maximiser at all, but nearly always a master bus comp.

As for your issues:-
1. This isn't good, that the intro sounds louder than the rest of the song, I think in this case I'd try it without the maximiser, Why do you need one on this song?
2. It sounds like your attack and release values are too quick, try setting them a bit longer.

I would nearly always use busses, especially when there are multiple tracks per tracking element, subBV, subRhyGtr, subBass, subSynth for example, the instruments go to subAllInstr, and the Lead vocal goes to subLVox, which might end up as a sidechain into a dynamic EQ on the subAllInstr buss...

Hope this helps

One thought...did you normalise the track on the master buss? that can lead to this.

If you send me the un mastered track as a wav I'll take a look if you want...

Hope this helps.

[DFT]

@cowparsleyman - Thanks!
I somehow found myself several hundreds of kilometres from my Cubase dongle...
I will send the wave file once we'll "re-unite" (around Tuesday).

The main reason I thought I needed that, is because there are a lot of transients.
It means that even after normalizing to 0 dB, the track would sound too quiet in comparison to anything else out there.
I mean, to listen to my track in Soundcloud, I had to increase my PC's volume, and then of course my ears would hurt when the somebody else's song comes up next.

By the way, I didn't say that the intro became louder than the song. The intro has fewer instruments and they are not really loud.
It seems as if the plug in, detecting the quiet audio level there, compensates by boosting these instruments aggressively, making them pretty much "in your face"- over-compressed and not really pleasant.
Anyway, I will update in a few days. Thanks again.

[Boydie]

It seems as if the plug in, detecting the quiet audio level there, compensates by boosting these instruments aggressively, making them pretty much "in your face"- over-compressed and not really pleasant.

That is what a maximiser does

I agree with @cowparsleyman that a rethink of your workflow would solve your issues

First of all mix WITHOUT any mastering plugs (eg no master bus compression, limiers or maximisers) to get the right relative levels and aim for the master meters to be bouncing around the -10 to -6 mark

If you want things louder or quieter throughout the mix use automation on individual instruments or busses

When the mix sounds great at this low volume you are ready for “mastering”

I won’t go through all of the stages now (if I get time later I will come back) but at this stage you will have lots of transients (spikes)

I would suggest just using compression and limiting to reduce the spikes, which allows you to turn everything else up - this reduces dynamic range so be careful as the track can end up sounding loud but lifeless

Using a limited will leave the quiet bits alone - whereas a maximiser will turn these up, which could disrupt your mix (eg the intro)

I therefore think you will have better, more controllable, results from using a limited than a maximiser (you you be able to turn your maximiser in to a limited OR just swap for a limited)

With any compressor (a limiter is just a compressor doing a specific job) you need to be careful of “pumping” - where you can actually hear the compressor coming in and out

As @cowparsleyman has said a tweak of the attack and release (and other) settings should sort this - and being less aggressive with compressors is also a great way to go, especially when mastering

[cowparsleyman]

@DFT - Look forward to hearing from you. Yip - get the mix right and use a good loudness meter, aim for maybe -10lufs Integrated, that should solve the issue


btw - All streaming platforms try their best to equalise the loudness for a song ( I think SC uses -14lufs, to ) so that if your song is too quiet it will do it's thing and try and make it louder, and even worse, if it's too loud it will squash it to death.

Hope this helps

[Cawproductions]

Hi all,

Heres my 2 penneth for what its worth.
I very rarely use a maximiser on the master buss, If i have problems with things jumping out, I will always address seperately them either with automation or compression, as the others have said, its a good place to start with a balanced mix before you hit the mastering plugs.

Agree with Boydie, -6 is my target pre master.

Ok, heres a thing, I know this isnt a well documented, but I build and mix my track with a limiter on from the start, set to +6db, thats way I can aim for 0db. Then when its time to master, I reduce the limiter to zero and start mastering, That way I can hear what my limiter is doing.

My mastering goal is -11lufs, thats an integrated value not a momentary value, across the whole mix.

Hope this helps,
its my way, not the highway.

Cheers
Andy