Subject: Re: [linux-audio-user] Software finaliser
From: Jason (hormonex_AT_yankthechain.com)
Date: Fri Jan 25 2002 - 01:47:21 EET
On Thu, 24 Jan 2002, Ade Rixon wrote:
> Perhaps what we should be collecting is a list of good or "typical" EQ &
> limiting parameters that people have used for their mastering. (Yes, I
> know it depends on the music, but an idea of the typical procedure would
> be a useful starting point.)
If it's useful, for pop music and rock my starting point is usually
a mild shelving filter with a
cutoff freq. of about 10k, and a peak/dip centered around 750 and another
at 2-4k. I'll usually roll off the bass a bit below 250. Then I'll try to
find the most active band and reduce it whill looking for the fundamentals
of the instuments that are causing the goop (usually cymbals and bass
guitar) and boost those a bit. I find that adds to clarity and
"transparency" which is something that audiophile magazines talk about in
consumer gear all the time, but I don't have the slightest clue as to what
it means.
Then I'll usually apply multiband compression to any problem frequencies.
This is not a step for the feint of heart. setting a multiband compressor
is an art and not a science, and while incredibly useful if done properly,
it does take some work to learn what it sounds like and when you do it
correctly. It's an in depth thing and I do it by feel more than anything
else, so the best advice I can offer for anyone wanting to learn how to
use them is to play with it a lot. You
can really kill a good mix with a bad multiband setting, so use caution.
Once that's done, I'll usually normalize the file digitally, and play with
an overall compressor, usually no more than 4:1, with a threshold between
-3-6 dB and -6-8dB, depending on the material. it's important not to
overdo
compression. The one exception for this is loud rock music which isn't
very dynamic, in which case I tend to just crank up the input gain on the
compressor set it to a fast attack and a slow release, and turn the ratio
knob all the way to the left.
Sometimes there's not much use in subtlety either.
-- YankTheChain.com - You can pretend we're not here. That's what I do.,
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