Knowing how to master your tracks properly can make an immense difference in making your tunes sound more professional. Here are a few tips that you can use right now to get on top of mastering.
1. Route every channel to the mixer. Yep that’s right every single drum hit, instrument and synth. It will make it so much easier to change the levels of different instruments up or down. By doing so you will also be able to add effects to any part of your tune.
2. Pull all of the levels down once in a while. When you have written down a fair bit of your tune, save it, then put all of the levels down in the mixer window. What’s that you say? “It took me 15 hours to get that part of the tune at the right level!” I don’t care how long it took you just trust me on this one. Maybe even come back to your tune the next day. Reset all of the levels and then gradually move the volume slider up on each part of the song. Your ears will be fresh and you will avoid the dredfull 4am sindrome where everything sounds so good! Over time you will become more confident at reseting the levels and this will help to acheive a better overall mix.
3. Setting your levels. Often begginners don’t understand what levels to set each individual part of a song at. Like usual I will stress that there is no one and only setting but as a rough guide: Set your Bass to peak at (-10dB), Kick Drum (-2dB), Hi Hats (-20dB), Snare (-6dB), Pads (-20dB). The closer to 0dB you are with an instrument, the louder the instrument will be. But just rememeber that there will be less headroom for other instruments. If one part is too loud than the other parts will fight for space in the mix leading to a muddy mix overall.
Popularity: 30%
Related posts:
09:48, 07.12.2008
That was helpful, the dB setting especially. Thanks!
19:56, 20.09.2009
im new to FL studio. How do I change the dB??
18:48, 18.12.2009
Kick at -2db!? Seriously? Most would say at least -6, if not -9 or lower. I guess it depends on how strong of a kick (or kicks, if you are layering drum samples, highly recommended) you are dealing with.
00:14, 26.12.2009
You’re right it depends on the type of tune you are making, but if your making club hits than you want a loud ass kick!
20:12, 03.01.2011
What about DrumLoops? Beside my own drumkit(s) I usually use DrumLoops (From FL Sources or Downloaded).
1 of them has good kinda Kick & Snare & Clap, But ABSOLUTELY RUBBISH Hats! I wanna hear that loop with MY OWN HAT samples … plz help!
22:00, 11.01.2011
you dont have to use a special dB- for kicks and snares etc..
its about listening what sounds the best.. is it to loud it will drown the other sounds, and you wont be in doubt about it if your have the “right” ears .. i agree that every sample should be turned down, but its about how you want it because it can change a track ..
10:14, 24.02.2011
Here is the correct rates for general;
Bass –>-8 db
Kick–>Don’t touch
HiHats –>-6 db
Snare–>-3 db
Pad–>-8 db(with effect)
Lead–>-3 (for Heavy lead -6db)
Perc–>-6 db or -8 db
———————————————–
Here is low setup mastering chain.But sound nice for electronic music.
Add master channel;
-Parametric EQ2 –>select preset “40hz+18khz cut”or”40hz cut”
-Multiband Compressor –>Select preset “Quick Release”or”Mastering 2.4db”
-Limiter –> “Gain 3db”-”Attack 4ms”-”Release 270 ms”-”Ahead 10ms”
01:57, 27.03.2011
This is all going to depend on your sound source like for me I process all my sounds off hardware so.. the dynamics change the game. what you want to do is this
Mix your kick and bass 1st. Once you have those to two elements mixed well everything else will fall into place.. because everything that doesn’t will stick out like a sore thumb
00:17, 17.10.2011
What will the levels be for a hip hop track
Kick
Snare
Hats
Bass
Synth
Brass
SFX
??????????
23:15, 21.03.2012
How do u tweak the individual instruments in terms of frequencies?
20:11, 22.03.2012
Thanks man my songs sound quality is 100%