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Subject:Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Posted by: VMP
Date:6/4/2005 1:14:09 PM

Hi I am always strugling how to normaliz my audio tracks to professional standards, I mean the bass and the treble mostly. Untill now i have always used some comercial tracks as reference to normaliz my audio. So cutting away the low mid or high tones by listening to other comercial tracks.

It would really be handy if acid Pro 5 or Soundforge had like Vegas 'colour scopes', Frequentie scopes which showed frequenties of the audio so that I could tweek it.
Or a normalizing preset for freq, which cut of the unwanted low and mid tones.

Thanks for any help.

Message last edited on6/4/2005 1:17:29 PM byVMP.
Subject:RE: Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Reply by: rictheobscene
Date:6/4/2005 3:04:54 PM

Download SPAN from Voxengo. It is a VST effect and is free. I think it may give you what you are looking for.

http://www.voxengo.com

Ric


Subject:RE: Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Reply by: VMP
Date:6/4/2005 3:22:14 PM

Looks interesting!
Can I install it as plug-in for Acid Pro5?

I have put the '.dll ' in the acid pro ' FileIO Plug-Ins' folder.
But can't seem to find it in the Acid pro 'fx' menu.

V

Subject:RE: Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Reply by: jumbuk
Date:6/4/2005 5:32:08 PM

I think you are probably talking about "mastering" rather than "normalising". Normalising means maximising the amplitude across a whole sample or song, without reference to frequency.

I do my mastering in Sound Forge. It has a very good Spectrum Analysis tool fro FFT frequency displays. Span does a similar thing, but not as many features (it's free, after all!).

However, the goal of mastering is not to get a perfectly flat frequency spectrum. You can't do this in a mechanical way. You have to listen with your ears, through a trusted set of monitors. The spectrum analysis is a good tool to help locate those frequencies which stand out to your ears, and do something about them.

Hope this helps.

Subject:RE: Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Reply by: jumbuk
Date:6/4/2005 5:34:34 PM

PS you have to put VST plug-ins into a VST plugin folder. On my PC, it is in C:\Program files\Steinberg (because I use Cubase as well). Do a search for the VST folder, and put the dll in there.

Subject:RE: Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Reply by: VMP
Date:6/4/2005 6:17:27 PM

Thanks, jumbuk & rictheobscene .

It is indeed 'Mastering'
that I am refering to.

Thanks for the tip on the spectrum analysis.
I am gonna play a bit around with the analysis, and try to use it ;-)).

By the way, can you give me any tips for 'a trusted set of good monitors' ? brand or model?
Thanks,
V

Message last edited on6/4/2005 7:17:15 PM byVMP.
Subject:RE: Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Reply by: jumbuk
Date:6/5/2005 2:08:02 AM

Re monitors: I use Alesis monitor ones, through a Alesis RA100 amp. I have had them for about 10 years, so I can't tell you what is available on the market now. Behringer probably make some cheap (but Ok) monitors as well.

Any advice from other users?

Subject:RE: Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Reply by: bluestone
Date:6/6/2005 9:19:04 AM

I have a pair of Mackie 824's which work great. They give the best "what you hear is what you got" sound that I have seen.

Subject:RE: Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Reply by: randygo
Date:6/6/2005 10:10:23 AM


Harbal will do exactly what you want. It's not a plugin, you would use it just before maximizing and dithering your project.

Best $100 I ever spent. My production quality has gone up ten-fold. It is just an excellent tool to balance the frequencies of the final mix. I can't recommend it enough!

Check it out:

http://www.har-bal.com

Cheers,

Randy

Subject:RE: Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Reply by: VMP
Date:6/7/2005 5:45:13 AM

Thanks for all your replies!

Subject:RE: Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Reply by: DKeenum
Date:6/8/2005 12:44:24 PM

I'm wondering if you are really refering to mixing. At least that's the way I would refer to it. And you just develop that by doing it. Your method of referencing your mix to a commercially released CD in your style. That helps an incredable amount. Mastering is supposed to be the icing on the cake.

BTW, monitor ones are good monitors. If you've had them for 10 years, then you should know them well.

Subject:RE: Normalizing freq How do you guys do it?
Reply by: MacMoney
Date:6/8/2005 4:48:27 PM

>BTW, monitor ones are good monitors. If you've had them for 10 years, then you should know them well.

Same here!

George Ware

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