Speaking of titles... (prefight)

[Spud]

A Conversation
Due: Monday, 01/09/12 9:59am pst
mp3 with artist name sent to fightmaster@songfight.org

subject: A Conversation
message: Your Band Name
attachment: yourbandname_conversation.mp3

[hillbilly]

I would like to talk about this

[dirgetheband]

I would like to talk about this

Billy,

Sounds like something is on your mind. Please tell me more.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Why are you two leaving me out of this?

[Caravan Ray]

Why are you two leaving me out of this?

That's what your wife said when she caught me shagging your mother.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Why are you two leaving me out of this?

That's what your wife said when she caught me shagging your mother.

Do me a favor and tell your wife to stop taking such long hot showers. It steams up my camera lens.

[The Elephant Choir]

Hi all,
Need help! Wrote and recorded a song for current song fight, but when I mix down to MP3 with my new Pro Tools 10 setup, the mix is SUPER low. I don't understand because my gain staging was fine - hovering right around end of green/beginning of yellow (-12ish). I tried using the Maxim plugin on the masterfader and it gives it a bit of a boost, but not nearly enough. I've tried the limiter too (ratio up at 20/1 and boosting the gain), but it sounded horrible - all murky - and doesn't even give me the boost I need. I just don't understand why I'm having this problem since my input levels were fine. I'm not trying to get a super loud/compressed radio master - just something that isn't WAY, WAY lower than all the other Songfight tracks. I went to the other songs that I've been working on since I got this new Pro Tools set up (I haven't gotten to the mixing stage with any of them yet) and tried bouncing them down and same problem - gain staging fine, but mixdown crazy low. I don't get it?

[ken]

Did you turn down your master fader?

Are you sure it is the mp3 conversion that is the problem? Maybe your speaker volume is just low?

Does the mix level sound good before you export?

Also, for future reference, there is a Help and How To forum where this kind of question would be most appropriate.

Ken

[Billy's Little Trip]

Hi all,
Need help! Wrote and recorded a song for current song fight, but when I mix down to MP3 with my new Pro Tools 10 setup, the mix is SUPER low. I don't understand because my gain staging was fine - hovering right around end of green/beginning of yellow (-12ish). I tried using the Maxim plugin on the masterfader and it gives it a bit of a boost, but not nearly enough. I've tried the limiter too (ratio up at 20/1 and boosting the gain), but it sounded horrible - all murky - and doesn't even give me the boost I need. I just don't understand why I'm having this problem since my input levels were fine. I'm not trying to get a super loud/compressed radio master - just something that isn't WAY, WAY lower than all the other Songfight tracks. I went to the other songs that I've been working on since I got this new Pro Tools set up (I haven't gotten to the mixing stage with any of them yet) and tried bouncing them down and same problem - gain staging fine, but mixdown crazy low. I don't get it?

1. Let's start with the stupid question. Could it be the system you are playing it back on? Have you tried burning it to a CD and playing it in your car, etc?

2. Don't do a bunch of unneeded limiting and compression to make your track louder. That just ruins the sound you worked so hard to make dynamic and awesome.

3. If you are sure it's not because of the system you are playing back on, nor that you are mixing down incorrectly, I'm going to pose a suggestion to try.

A. Mix down your tracks as you normally would to a stereo wav file.
B. Download a free copy of GoldWave.
C. Import your wav file to GoldWave.
D. Go to effects>volume>maximize.
E. Choose a pre-set or give your own setting.
F. I generally set my songs here at the mighty Song Fight at 8.0 above 0. I have of late knocked it back to 7.5. I've found that between 6.0 and 8.0 above 0 seems to be pretty good. 9.0 sounds like it's over boosting. I saw on an engineering tutorial that 7.5 is a commercial radio ready loudness in today's over boosted world. It should be less, but to compete in the loudness war, you need it when being played with a group of songs like here on SF.
4.0 was suggested for CD quality when all the songs are yours and normalized together in mastering.

[The Elephant Choir]

Thanks for replies. To respond to your questions - the system I'm playing it back in is fine. If I play my song back to back with basically any mp3 or songfight entry, the other song is normal and my song is crazy low. And my mix sounds fine. What do you mean - turn down the master fader? I have the master fader at around 0. If I turn it down, the mix sounds lower and if I turn it up, it distorts unless I use a limiter, but then it doesn't sound as good and the overall level is still way low after I mix down to mp3. Is there something I'm missing?
I will download the plugin that was recommended and give it a try.
Thanks again!

[The Elephant Choir]

p.s. Is the Goldwave the same as the AC3Filter? When I go to the download link on the goldwave page, it directs me to the AC3 Filter. Thanks.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Goldwave isn't a plug-in. Well, they may have one. But the way I suggested, it is a stand alone audio editor. Like I said, mix down from your DAW as usual, but as a wav file. Not an MP3. Don't convert to an MP3 until everything is done to your satisfaction.

[Billy's Little Trip]

p.s. Is the Goldwave the same as the AC3Filter? When I go to the download link on the goldwave page, it directs me to the AC3 Filter. Thanks.

No. Did you get to Goldwave via the link I posted above? http://www.goldwave.com/
It should say GoldWave v5.65 or gv v5.65 or something.

[The Elephant Choir]

Never mind. I found the real Goldwave, but it's an .exe file and I have a mac.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Ha. Figures.

From their site FAQ:
Is GoldWave available for the Mac?
Currently GoldWave is available only for Windows PCs. GoldWave can be run on other operating systems by using virtualization/emulation software, such as VMware, Parallels, or Wine/CrossOver. For similar native Mac software, please try these links:

Sound Studio
Audacity
Bias Peak

edit: Maybe a mod can merge these posts into the help and Apu section. Thank you, come again

[The Elephant Choir]

It would appear the "what system are you listening to it through" had it right on. Message from friend - "Hey, as far as volume goes it's fine. I think I read somewhere that Itunes usually does not play back at the same level as your software. It's absolutely fine on my system compared to other MP3s."
I was playing it from my computer on my stereo and my studio monitors and comparing it to other MP3s and it was crazy low, but I guess it's ok. Certainly glad I obsessed over this for a day and a half. Sigh.

[jast]

Screw GoldWave, get Audacity. Free cross-platform audio editor.

[Ross]

If I was Jim of Seattle, these would make great lyrics for a song called "A Conversation."

Ps- that sounds much snarkier than I mean it to. Just meant to be a little nod/wink joke.

[Caravan Ray]

If I was Jim of Seattle, these would make great lyrics for a song called "A Conversation."

What song did he do that on?

I just remember that the "Caravan Ray" part of it had the worst Australian accent since Meryl Streep in "Evil Angels"

[Ross]

I don't remember the title, but I think the discussion thread he used has to do with being stuck inside the songfight gap.

[irwin]

If I recall it was "Get A Life"

[JonPorobil]

I'd like to be in this. I have a fancy piano part worked out, but the lyrics aren't congealing, plus I'm not sure when I'll get the time to record. But I'm trying.