Why has mastering made my track worse??

imcallednick · Post by **imcallednick** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:01 pm

I've just set about learning how to master with FL Studio 8, putting compression, EQ and a lil reverb to how i think each sound sounds best, and panning the track with the bassy stuff in the middle. Since doing this my track sounds less powerful and for some reason the wobble was being drowned out by the drums even though it wasnt before?

I'm not good at explaining but I'd really appreciate any help and tips with this problem!

Thanks
Nick

hurlingdervish · Post by **hurlingdervish** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:04 pm

i think you are fiddling with too many knobs expecting immediate results

serox · Post by **serox** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:08 pm

imcallednick wrote:I've just set about learning how to master with FL Studio 8, putting compression, EQ and a lil reverb to how i think each sound sounds best, and panning the track with the bassy stuff in the middle. Since doing this my track sounds less powerful and for some reason the wobble was being drowned out by the drums even though it wasnt before?

I'm not good at explaining but I'd really appreciate any help and tips with this problem!

Thanks
Nick

Leave it to professionals. Make your track sound good and let them clean it up. Read this thread at least once a week to get a good idea of why you should leave it alone:)

http://www.dubstepforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=74832

sifres · Post by **sifres** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:10 pm

Also... If you are using compression on the drums and the bassline, and they are around the same frequency's, this will show. Try finding the loudest frequency in both and cut that from the other (it's always better to cut then to boost), then after that, try sidechain compression on the bassline. I'm guessing this will make it sound a lot better!

imcallednick · Post by **imcallednick** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:20 pm

thanks sifres I'll try that, have you got any tips on panning?

imcallednick · Post by **imcallednick** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:25 pm

and serox I appreciate that I'm a bit of a noob but I want to learn. how do you mean let them clear it up?
here's the track I was trying to mess around with

http://www.zshare.net/audio/6205770572eb284f/

thanks

legend4ry · Post by **legend4ry** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:28 pm

Yeah, I think the problem is - that you're doing it yourself..

What you should be doing is mixing theres a sticky at the top of the page to sink your teeth into !

More than likely mastering is something what happens after the initial track is completed but a fresh set of ears gets to have bash at it and corrects some EQing / brings elements out.

Theres nothing wrong with 'aving a quiet tune what has everything sitting nicely at all.. after all, thats what volume knobs are for - to turn up things what're quiet! You shouldn't have to make people turn it down!

As you said you're new to making tunes so my personal advice is.. don't worry TO much about mixing, get used to your equipment and learn how to construct a tune and get comfortable at doing that - just make sure nothing goes into the red !

FSTZ1 · Post by **FSTZ1** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:33 pm

focus on creating music...

leave the mastering to the professionals

abZ · Post by **abZ** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:34 pm

Yeah mastering is a subtle art. Nothing wrong with having a go at it but you probably aren't going to get great results as a n00b at it. I would start off by just giving the tune a little limiting and go from there.

The thread title stirs up some emotions in me though. I am have some issues with several producers on my label. Song ideas good but mixdown execution not so good. So I wasted some money on mastering because the engineer did all he could do and it still is not acceptable. It is my fault for taking these tunes on as is. Lesson learned but I suggest to anyone looking to get some signage, do some tutorials on gain structure/mixdown and a/b your tunes with some really good similar music. Make sure this doesn't happen to you!

Sharmaji · Post by **Sharmaji** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:38 pm

just went to a great, great mastering convention yesterday in NYC-- interesting to hear other pro's techinques.

basically, it sounds like it was just a bad mastering job! sorry to be harsh but its' most likely the truth. there's no bible that says just doing a mastering process will make your tune sound better... one can easily do a bad job.

self-mastering is also often a lot like self-dentistry; yeah, you can tie your loose tooth to a doorknob and slam the door shut, but there's professionals out there who have a much more nuanced approach after a lot of experience.

and read that mastering sticky!

imcallednick · Post by **imcallednick** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:40 pm

yeah im getting mixed up with mastering and mixing i think
I see what your saying legendary
Its frusterating not knowin as much as you want to know!
Am I right in thinking mixing and mastering is more about making the track sound good on all sound systems and speakers

sorry for bein a complete noob ha[/quote]

legend4ry · Post by **legend4ry** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 4:59 pm

Well mixing is just making sure everything is in its right place in the tune, liek you don't want to be hearing a booming pad whats making your drums duck under it and take the punch from them, making sure the tunes not TO loud (unity/0db) so if it does get to the point that you was it professionally mastered theres room for the engineer to work with..

Basically, it goes like this (though everyone has their own techniques)

Make the tune > Make sure every element is in its right place > mastering > release

And somewhere in between there is sending it to DJs and label owners to get signed.

But in all honesty, as long as its listen-able - and you like it I wouldn't' worry to much about the last 2 steps. especially releases they're just the icing on the cake (in my opinion) just write some tunes! look at some of the things on the "production bible" and most importantly - have fun with it don't get fustrated

morro_e · Post by **morro_e** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 5:05 pm

by mixing you literally mix components of your track into single thing and main issue of mixing is gain structure which is as clear as possible in the topic about gain structure where mac rules

mastering is something that should make your entire mix (tune) clearer because enginer (and not you!) gets rid of some frequencies that are dont need and boosts overall loudness level

abZ · Post by **abZ** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 5:07 pm

Legendary wrote:Well mixing is just making sure everything is in its right place in the tune, liek you don't want to be hearing a booming pad whats making your drums duck under it and take the punch from them, making sure the tunes not TO loud (unity/0db) so if it does get to the point that you was it professionally mastered theres room for the engineer to work with..

Basically, it goes like this (though everyone has their own techniques)

Make the tune > Make sure every element is in its right place > mastering > release

And somewhere in between there is sending it to DJs and label owners to get signed.

But in all honesty, as long as its listen-able - and you like it I wouldn't' worry to much about the last 2 steps. especially releases they're just the icing on the cake (in my opinion) just write some tunes! look at some of the things on the "production bible" and most importantly - have fun with it don't get fustrated

I wouldn't necessarily say don't worry about the mastering. I mean yeah you have to worry about getting it signed before you worry about that but you have to be able to supply a proper mix down in order to get proper mastering. It is like my version of the saying goes, you can polish a turd but all you will have is a shiny turd.

legend4ry · Post by **legend4ry** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 5:14 pm

abZ wrote:
Legendary wrote:Well mixing is just making sure everything is in its right place in the tune, liek you don't want to be hearing a booming pad whats making your drums duck under it and take the punch from them, making sure the tunes not TO loud (unity/0db) so if it does get to the point that you was it professionally mastered theres room for the engineer to work with..

Basically, it goes like this (though everyone has their own techniques)

Make the tune > Make sure every element is in its right place > mastering > release

And somewhere in between there is sending it to DJs and label owners to get signed.

But in all honesty, as long as its listen-able - and you like it I wouldn't' worry to much about the last 2 steps. especially releases they're just the icing on the cake (in my opinion) just write some tunes! look at some of the things on the "production bible" and most importantly - have fun with it don't get fustrated
I wouldn't necessarily say don't worry about the mastering. I mean yeah you have to worry about getting it signed before you worry about that but you have to be able to supply a proper mix down in order to get proper mastering. It is like my version of the saying goes, you can polish a turd but all you will have is a shiny turd.

Truth mate but what I mean is, if you just create and pick bits up as you go along, your tunes will be strong and then you can put loads of time into mixing, otherwise you're fighting trying to get what you want out of a tune and a mix, then its just frustrating and annoying to write and generally is when most people I know, quit.

sifres · Post by **sifres** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 5:59 pm

Mmmm... I think that tips for making a mix sound good are necessarily mastering though...

If you start using EQ and some sidechain this can free up some air so you can get a better view of the track... No eq just leads to mud up to the point where you will drop a track because it doesn't feel right.

Not saying you should release it after a self mastering job, just saying subtle eq, compression, reverb and panning are more of a mixdown issue. Just don't overdo it, because you'll piss off the mastering engineer

JFK · Post by **JFK** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 6:09 pm

Having listened to it Im sure you can clean it up with a decnt bit of work on the eqing.

The lead sounds a little too high in the mix for me, but the track itself has some good ideas.

Stick at it dude and (youre probably sick of reading this now) read the stickies

peace

hurlingdervish · Post by **hurlingdervish** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 6:50 pm

abZ wrote: It is like my version of the saying goes, you can polish a turd but all you will have is a shiny turd.

isn't dubstep in general shiny turds?

jokess

jolly wailer · Post by **jolly wailer** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 7:16 pm

seems like you're still working on your mix down (not really mastering anything it seems)

my advice would be to undo what you did to make it sound worse

thats yr final mixdown, wouldn't be a mastering

darkmatteruk · Post by **darkmatteruk** » Fri Jul 17, 2009 7:52 pm

Jolly Wailer wrote:my advice would be to undo what you did to make it sound worse

this ! if something makes an element of your track sound worse, get rid of it. you dont have to go over the top to get good results

Why has mastering made my track worse??

Why has mastering made my track worse??

Re: Why has mastering made my track worse??

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