Subject:Mix To New Track sounds very bad?

Posted by: tubes2bits

Date:3/14/2002 5:14:48 PM

When I mix five tracks (1 loop track, 4 hard disk tracks)to a new track it sounds terrible...like somebody threw a pillow over the new track. The new track is way down on volume and is totally dull sounding.

Does anyone have any idea what may be going on here?

Subject:RE: Mix To New Track sounds very bad?

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:3/14/2002 8:29:26 PM

Yeah. Your new track's volume is probably set at whatever your preview fader is set at. If it's at -6.0 dB, then your new track will be at -6.0 dB.

Just set the new track to 0.0 dB, and the new track should equal the combined volumes set for the original, individual tracks.

HTH,
Iacobus

Subject:RE: Mix To New Track sounds very bad?

Reply by: tubes2bits

Date:3/15/2002 11:25:35 AM

I have set the preview/new track level to +8.5dB and it is louder but the quality is nothing like the original tracks (and it's not clipping).

Subject:RE: Mix To New Track sounds very bad?

Reply by: Iacobus

Date:3/15/2002 1:23:50 PM

Hmmm.

OK, try this:

Solo the tracks you intend to mix down before you bounce them together and listen to them. Note the differences in volume between the tracks. (Watch the meter and also note the peak dB.)

Now bounce them together and set the volume of the new track to 0.0 dB. Solo it and listen to the new track. It should be equal in volume and tone as the original set of tracks. In fact, the meter should be the same amount in peak dB as the original tracks.

If this isn't happening with you, something's up with your audio setup. (What's your soundcard?) In fact, I'd go so far as to say you shouldn't have to crank your volume to +8.5 dB. If I did that with my soundcard, my meters would clip like hell and I'd blast myself out of the room. Literally.

Let me know how it pans out.

Iacobus

Subject:RE: Mix To New Track sounds very bad?

Reply by: tubes2bits

Date:3/15/2002 7:04:18 PM

Thanks.

I'll try some things and report back. I appriecate your time and assistance.

Subject:RE: Mix To New Track sounds very bad?

Reply by: tubes2bits

Date:3/16/2002 8:58:11 AM

For mixdown, the volume of each track on the track list is set either at 0.0dB, one at -1.0dB and one at -3.0dB. Soloing each track, ACID's meters peak at between -3.0dB down to -9.5dB. Soloing each track, my hand-held level meter shows monitoring levels between 62dB and 72dB. With all tracks in play mode, ACID's meters peak at between -1.0dB and -2.0dB. With all tracks in play mode, my hand-held level meter shows monitoring levels between 72dB and 79dB.

Before mixing to a new track, the preiew volume was set at 0.0dB. After mixing to a new track, the new track peaks on ACID's meters at between -5.7dB and -7.0dB. The hand-held level meter peaks at 72dB soloing the new track.

But it is not just the levels that I'm losing. The frequency range of the new track is nowhere near that of the unmixed tracks. It's very dull, no highs, no solid lows.

Since the mixing is being done in the computer (digital) and not going through the sound card, I don't see a tie in to the audio card (which is a Multi-Wave Pro24).

I have tried monitoring the CPU and memory usage during the mix to new track and there doesn't appear to be a problem there. CPU usage does peak at 100% for a moment but the memory is not being taxed.

Any further suggestions?

Anyone?