Subject:exporting tracks for mastering?

Posted by: ATP

Date:5/15/2004 4:59:05 AM

quick question:

i am about to mix a couple of my projects in a professional studio (digital mixer, harddisk recorder, the works). the way i will import my projects is saving each track of the fully edited song as a seperate WAV, and then digitally transferring them to the harddisk recorder via local ftp.

now, i have already somewhat mixed my tracks individually in the project. that is to say, some tracks have a lower volume than others, a little panning, filters etc. what is the best way to go about preparing my tracks for import in the studio?

a : i leave the current volume and panning settings as is, then export to wav.
b : i adjust volume on every track till it approaches 0 db, then export, and then readjust volumes/pannings on the studio's mixer.

the downside of option a could be that if a track with lower volume needs to be made louder in the studio's mixer it will produce additional white noise. that's about the only reason i can think of right now. is that reason enough to go for option b? or is there an option c perhaps? :)

so, my question to those of you who have done this before is, any suggestions to what is the best way to export my projects to individual wav's in this case?

Subject:RE: exporting tracks for mastering?

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:5/16/2004 8:31:19 AM

If you're going to do further mixing in the pro studio, I would say option b is more than likely your best bet. No sense in starting with a file that's low in volume to begin with.

Iacobus
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RodelWorks - Original Music for the Unafraid
mD's ACIDplanet Page
Guitars 4 Kids

Subject:RE: exporting tracks for mastering?

Reply by: ATP

Date:5/17/2004 10:14:49 AM

yeah that was what i was thinking too. of course i need to spend more time mixing it on the studio mixer, but i guess in the end it's really the best way.

cheers! :)

Subject:RE: exporting tracks for mastering?

Reply by: ShawThing

Date:5/24/2004 9:22:14 AM

Hi ATP - as an engineer I totally disagree with mD's reply! (No offence of course, it's all just opinion! :) ). IMHO, if you've got a mix (roughly) the way you like it, STICK WITH IT!! Change nothing, keep all relative gains the same, but increase master outs to highest short of clipping (i.e. so's the loudest track are almost peaking). You can always raise some tracks levels later if needed, and assuming you have reasonably clean tracks in the first place you won't have a huge noise increase doing this (remember, raising digital levels just means adding numbers, there's no system noise, hiss, etc. to bring up too!). Also, you always have the option to raise some trakc levels by other, more creative means eg compression, limiting, distortion (anything from mild tube enhancement to full-on amp sims) etc.
I've had a terrible time on my own projects and on clients' (worse by far!) trying to recreate that magical 'it sounded so great at home yesterday, dude' feel to a track! If it ain't broke, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FIX IT!!!!
Hope this helps! :)

Subject:RE: exporting tracks for mastering?

Reply by: SHTUNOT

Date:5/24/2004 9:34:35 AM

I have to disagree with shawthing...

1)Export all files at optimal levels without clipping. Bring to studio for import

2)Have the client make their own mixdown that they love and bring it in so the person mixing can A/B to guide him.

Please prepare,prepare,prepare what you would like done to the song in writing so that all goes as planned. [ie:what ever you did effects/panning/etc...at home] Saves you money in the long run.
Like on track 1+2 the kicks sounded great because I used XYZ with yadda yadda yadda.

Just because it sounds good in your[or even the clients] room doesn't mean it sounds good everywhere else.

Ed.

Subject:RE: exporting tracks for mastering?

Reply by: SHTUNOT

Date:5/24/2004 9:36:37 AM

Are you mixing THEN mastering or just mastering?

Ed.

Subject:RE: exporting tracks for mastering?

Reply by: ATP

Date:5/25/2004 10:58:10 AM

thx for the replies, all. i have currently test mixed a track with all individual tracks raised to approx 0db, and i must say i'm mighty pleased with the results. funny thing is on my home set i don't even notice a real difference between my own mix and the mix i did on the studio's table, but on other (crappier) sets it's noticable straight away.

------------------
Are you mixing THEN mastering or just mastering?
------------------
actually i am just mixing, no mastering yet. apologies for the misleading topic. when i wrote the title i was thinking of the wrong thing.

as for how to export, i can see ShawThing's point, but then again like SHTUNOT said the sound of my home set is very much different then the sound in say, the studio, even with the same mix settings. so i think i'm gonna go ahead with option b, as that has worked very well for at least 1 track so far.

thanks again for your help ;)