HELP! FL Studio mixdowns in terrible quality?

[stru]

It's hard to explain, but when I work on a song (using ASIO4ALL sound driver) in FL it sounds so clean. Then when I mix it down to an audio file, it seems like low frequencies become distorted and everything sounds like an absolute mess. For example, if I'm making a hip-hop beat, everything will sound clean and perfect when I use ASIO in FL Studio. Then I mix it down to an mp3 and the kicks seem to overpower the synth lead, sub bass drowns out everything else, etc.. But when I was working on it in FL Studio it didn't sound like that. I had to turn down the kicks so much before mixing it down just to minimize the crap distortion, and even then you still hear it and it sounds like absolute ****. And I now make dubstep so this problem is even more aggravating than it was before.

I use the "SLOW AS HELL!" mixdown option, sample rate of 320kbps, and I get this effect in any format whether it be wav, mp3, etc. I've rendered my file in every combination of settings that I could select and nothing has changed :/ I never had this problem in FL Studio 9, but all of the sudden it's became an issue when I upgraded to 10. Is there a way to fix this?

I should also mention that if I work on the song in FL Studio with Primary Sound Driver or any other sound driver other than ASIO, it gets this "effect".

[stru]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwaiiZHkD94

That's an example of what I'm talking about. It didn't sound that messy and the lows didnt sound distorted or overpowering like that when I was working in ASIO. -____- what the ufkc...

[FSTZ]

no matter which driver you use, if your mixdown isn't right, it'll sound like shit

do you have monitors?

is your room treated?

are you mixing down in headphones?

Bob Macc on Gain Structuring

DC: Let's say the drums hit up to -3 dB, what should be a fair volume for the sub?

Macc: Sorry if it isn't really answering your question, but -3 is way too high.
Remember that 6dB is half.

So if you have one element at -6, that is half your headroom gone. Two elements at -6dB each = all your headroom gone. Having the drums at -3 will leave you fighting against clipping and struggling to keep everything down and under control.

Rather, set your drums for *around* -8 / -10 (ie, a bit less than half). The bass - if we are talking a pure sine sub - would probably sit best a dB or two below that, any distorted/fullband bass sounds should be effectively treated as different entities and mixed appropriately (due to Fletcher Munson).
This leaves you with a few dB’s headroom, and everything else is just parsley. No more fighting anything, you *will* get repeatable and consistent levels in your mixes, and better mixes as a result.

Good fundamental gain structure from the beginning is the easiest way to get a good mix. You should, IMHO, always be looking to get any/all sounds as right as possible, as early as possible in the signal chain IMHO. Think of a top notch jazz band - they play at the right level, it gets recorded, no mixing/eq/compression, no editing, no fuckin nothing. And it sounds the absolute bollocks. While that doesn't totally apply to dubstep etc, the principle is the same. If your 'band' plays the right thing at the right level with a good sound, your tune will mix itself. All these sidechains and multiband doodads and insane eq curves blah blah - unless used specifically as creative effects - are just sticking plasters for the fact the 'band' fucked up.

Benefits of gain structuring:
- You'll never have to move your master fader again.
- You'll never get clipping again (unless you're really doing something wrong).
- You'll mix more consistently as you won't be 'chasing your tail', pushing things up on the left and turning them down on the right (sound familiar anyone?).
- You'll get a sense for where tracks should sit peak-level-wise depending on what they are (drums ~ -8 to -10, bass a bit lower, pads maybe -18dB, shakers down below that etc).
- following from that you'll start getting the sound right at source, and find yourself moving the faders less = better fader resolution for finer level tweaking.
- Your tunes are more likely to be easily master-able (no clipping or shoehorning under 0dB happening)
- Your ME will thank you for it by making it sound fucking huge.

[stru]

It has nothing to do with my headphones or if my room is "treated". The mixdowns sound bad compared to the sound quality I was getting when actually working on the song.

Picture it like this.

Me before song is rendered: "Everything sounds EQ'd omg I maek brostepz liek Skrillexx w00t"
Me listening to final in WMP: "......you're seriously roasting my nipple with a blowtorch"

Listen to the link I provided. In FL, it didn't sound that messy.

**EDIT**
What i'm basically saying is if I mixed it down in the quality that ASIO provided me in FL Studio when I actually worked on the song, I'd be happy as could be.

[FSTZ]

is the project HUGE??

like more than your RAM can handle?

and have you tried any of the 3rd party ASIO drivers like ASIO4ALL ?

[WereWolf]

is the project HUGE??

like more than your RAM can handle?

and have you tried any of the 3rd party ASIO drivers like ASIO4ALL ?

Dude... read the very f1rst sentence

[FSTZ]

I did, LOL

I can't understand why it would process and sound like ass if his mixdown is right

[stru]

I did, LOL

I can't understand why it would process and sound like ass if his mixdown is right

I have no idea either. It's like ASIO automatically EQ's everything to sound amazing, but when I use any other sound drivers it sounds like a mess :/ And when songs mixed down, they don't mix down in ASIO for some odd reason. They mix down in the Primary Sound Driver and there's no way to change that (that I know of anyway). It's really annoying and a major downfall of FL.

This is why I wanted to switch to Ableton -____- but I've been with FL Studio for 5 years now and the learning curve is absolutely huge.

[FSTZ]

sorry I couldn't help you more broski

[Eridu]

are your bass in mono?

[Teknicyde]

FL doesnt clip until you render, OP, that IS your problem.

[FSTZ]

FL doesnt clip until you render, OP, that IS your problem.

and that takes us back to my 1st post

[Depone]

FL doesnt clip until you render, OP, that IS your problem.

This is your answer

Your mix is clipping (going into the red). Music apps have a hugely greater internal headroom, compared to when you bounce them to wav

[sunny_b_uk]

FL doesnt clip until you render, OP, that IS your problem.

This is your answer

Your mix is clipping (going into the red). Music apps have a hugely greater internal headroom, compared to when you bounce them to wav

this is the only possible answer, YOU are causing the sounds to clip in the red by having your levels all too high. read the moneyshot thread (which is dead helpful for mixing down) so u can correct the DBs of each of your sounds.. your kicks, snares, melodys etc NEED to be below a certain volume mate.

[jrisreal]

Are you using an interface? That may be causing your problem. Whenever I have my interface plugged in, fl studio distorts until I switch the master output to the soundcard.

[wormcode]

Yeah, probably clipping. Try rendering to 24 bit wav instead of mp3 and see how it sounds in comparison.

Also, I would throw WMP in the bin. But first make sure the EQ curves on it aren't set to something weird. Get old winamp or fubar and turn the EQ off. Sounds simple, but it happens.

[Augment]

Yeah, I guess it's clipping too. Try exporting to wav and see if it makes a difference

[stru]

I've tried exporting it as every file you can possibly think of. I've also tried exporting it in every selectable option, and NOTHING has changed.

[Eridu]

you could write a song about this called "nothing has changed". And then try to export it.

[Depone]

I've tried exporting it as every file you can possibly think of. I've also tried exporting it in every selectable option, and NOTHING has changed.

Did you read anything we suggested???