Subject:brick wall

Posted by: Westside Steve

Date:6/6/2014 9:20:50 AM

hi guys. Hey in Sound Forge Pro 11 what would be your favorite method of brick wall limiting? Have my mixes just about where I want them and would like all the tracks to be about the same volume. I don't understand brick wall limiting versus compression all that well so any tips would be really helpful!
are they the same but for a very high compression ratio?
thank you
WSS

Subject:RE: brick wall

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:6/6/2014 9:52:45 AM

You might want to take a look at Wave Hammer, which pretty much does it all for you without you having to figure too much out. Set the threshold to match the limit point in your want in your source audio, pick a relatively steep compression ratio (10:1 maybe) and then have it auto-normalize.

Go easy though. It doesn't take much limiting to make it sound really bad and squashed.

Subject:RE: brick wall

Reply by: rraud

Date:6/6/2014 10:19:52 AM

The old trick question, 'when is a limiter compressing or a compressor limiting'.
In any case Wave Hammer can work and sound good. The secondary 'volume maximizer' will distort if excessive. There's many other compressors and limiters available, freeware and otherwise.

Subject:RE: brick wall

Reply by: Geoff_Wood

Date:6/6/2014 9:15:55 PM

I'll third Wave Hamer. But it is not a function of SF itself, but a plugin that can be used in any application !

geoff

Subject:RE: brick wall

Reply by: rraud

Date:6/7/2014 2:43:42 PM

"can be used in any application "
That supports Direct X (Dx) plugs. Yes, I use WH with Vegas pro frequently.

Subject:RE: brick wall

Reply by: Westside Steve

Date:6/10/2014 9:39:11 AM

thank you gentlemen. I will give wave hammer a try!
WSS

Subject:RE: brick wall

Reply by: musicvid10

Date:6/10/2014 4:56:11 PM

Limiting will not equalize your volume or loudness. There are a ton of other things involved.

Loudness normalization can be as simple as RMS norm in Sound Forge, or as involved as EBU / ATSC standardization.

Perhaps you could tell us a little more about your project and goals?

Subject:RE: brick wall

Reply by: Westside Steve

Date:6/11/2014 6:00:25 AM

I am putting together a CD standards and ballads showcasing my voice. Nothing original just a fun project in between my solo CDs. I'm using various backing tracks and programmed tracks and playing a very small number of instruments.
I will make a CD of perhaps 10 songs po so to test various decks. Some songs are noticeably quieter than others. That's all. I know I can go back to the original mix and whatever mastering compressor preset I was using (usually Pop Platinum)and increase the output to where it peaks minus 2 or so. I just wondered if a brick wall limiter set at minus two would make all the tracks sound pretty much the same.
Simple as that.
When I do my commercial CDs I hire a guy to master them.
Thanks
WSS

Subject:RE: brick wall

Reply by: Chienworks

Date:6/11/2014 7:08:21 AM

The problem with limiting is that it only controls the loud parts, not the quiet parts. It's possible for one track to be mostly loud while another is mostly soft, yet both are limited at -2dB. The first will sound much louder than the second even though they peak the same.

You need a mixture of careful volume adjustment and compression to make them all match. In the end you'll use your ears at least as much as you use SoundForge's tools to make the final determination. What limiting does for you is allow you to increase the softer parts without having the loud peaks distort.

Subject:RE: brick wall

Reply by: musicvid10

Date:6/16/2014 11:35:26 AM

Use RMS Norm. It will be fine for your non-broadcast use.