0db master level? Boosting?

dLife wrote on 9/29/2022, 9:33 PM

Hello,

I have been mastering my music at around 0db in Music Studio.

I notice that if I include my tracks in a playlist with other sources my content tends to be a noticeably lower volume than other artists. I would like my content to be similarly loud.

I could master my work at a higher level? Otherwise I could use a gain feature? I have access to Audition and see that they have a boost feature in the amplify options, but it seems like I may as well just master my tracks louder to begin with?  

I’m wondering what other users do to get a stronger volume obviously without any associated unwanted distortion?

I tried a couple of normalize options that were available to me but without adding a gain these were no different.

Comments

SP. wrote on 9/30/2022, 2:21 AM

@dLife There is a big difference between volume level and perceived loudness of a track.

Usually you need to use a compressor and limiter to reduce fluctuations between the loud and quiet parts of your song and to raise the overall volume without clipping.

Music Studio comes with Mastering Suite in the Master Channel where you can use the MultiMax and brick wall limiter effect to do this. But you can also use other VST effects.

Also use a reference track of your choice which already sounds as loud as you want your song to sound.

dLife wrote on 10/6/2022, 9:34 PM

Hi @SP. thanks for that. Are you saying that Mastering Suite is bundled with Music Studio?

I couldn't find it but when I search online it is kind of directing me to MUSIC MAKER 2023 PLUS. I found a free version that I installed but it doesn't help me as far as I can tell.

Anyways, back in Music Studio when I select the FX options on my master fader I don't see the MultiMax and brick wall limiter effect or anything like that. In fact when I go to Audio FX > Categories > Mastering I just get an empty folder. I'm missing something here.

Mastering Suite sounds exactly like the kind of thing I'm looking for, I just need to know how to find it.

Graham-Hawker wrote on 10/7/2022, 12:31 AM

Which Music Studio - Samplitude Music Studio or Acid Music Studio? My Samplitude Music Studio came with Ozone Elements which I believe is a mastering plugin. Also in the mixer view the master channels have a mastering suite button.

dLife wrote on 10/7/2022, 9:51 AM

Acid Music Studio 11.

dLife wrote on 10/7/2022, 10:23 AM

So, maybe what I need is a new Acid Music Studio compatible vst package with decent mastering features. I see that WIZARDFX SUITE by Magix has some. Is there anything else that the community can recommend? Also, apologies if I'm posting under Samplitude Music Studio, I'm running Acid. Not sure if I can edit the category? I'll look into it.

emmrecs wrote on 10/7/2022, 10:48 AM

@dLife

 Not sure if I can edit the category? I'll look into it.

Not sure whether you can but, as a moderator, I can move your post, so have done! Hope that's OK.

Jeff
Forum Moderator

Win 10 Pro 64 bit, Intel i7 Quad Core 6700K @ 4GHz, 32 GB RAM, NVidia GTX 1660TI and Intel HD530 Graphics, MOTU 8-Pre f/w audio interface, VPX, MEP, Music Maker, PhotoStory Deluxe, Photo Manager Deluxe, Xara 3D Maker 7, Samplitude Pro X7 Suite, Reaper, Adobe Audition 3, CS6 and CC, 2 x Canon HG10 cameras, 1 x Canon EOS 600D, Akaso EK7000 Pro Action Cam

dLife wrote on 10/7/2022, 11:13 AM

Okay, thanks Jeff!. All good!

@emmrecs

sheppo wrote on 10/8/2022, 5:22 AM

My advice is don't go down the rabbit hole of chasing ever-louder productions, especially not when creating your music. It's a distraction from the creative process.

but when it's time, as @SP. said is a limiter / compressor, and time is all you need to make louder songs. There are loads of free VSTs out there for this, so have a play around with some of the better reviewed ones. I can personally vouch for the entire suite of Dead Duck software's plugins. They offer compressors and limiters too - https://plugins4free.com/dev/597/ - I'm sure other forum members can offer recommendations too.

If you're going down the paid route I can again personally vouch for Ozone's Maximizer, and Fabfilter's Pro-L (limiter), and Pro-C (compressor tools). Fabfilter's plugins are exceptional and I personally love their visual nature.. especially for their compressor since they can be a little hard to get your head around.

Loudness isn't the same as what your db rating is. Although you should try to hit -1db consistently since all streaming platforms really don't like 0db and will just lower the volume for you anyway.

dLife wrote on 10/20/2022, 9:59 PM

Okay thanks @sheppo that really helped. I like the idea of a 'mastering bundle.' It's a bit more than I want to spend right here and now but at some point I'll probably buy that. But at this point I mainly just need a limiter / compressor system.

I probably will download the Dead Duck options, but I realized that since I already have access to Adobe Audition to get my feet wet I have been fooling around with that and am impressed with the results I have been getting within a relatively short period of time tonight.

Firstly I rendered my Acid Music Studio track to a 48,000 24bit .wav, opened that in Audition, then I just went into 'Amplitude and Compression', then found a 'Multiband Compressor' preset I liked for the test track called 'Internet Delivery', then I added a 'Hard Limiter' set to Limit to '-.1dB.' Right away even just visually looking at the wave form I can see that there is a lot going on there and the perceived loudness is about what I am looking for.

I loaded the original track and the compressed/limited track on two tracks in Acid and went back and forth between them and the difference is clear.

But you are definitely right "It's a distraction from the creative process" and I am looking forward to getting back to the creating music. But this was something that needed to be figured out at some point.

sheppo wrote on 10/21/2022, 3:48 AM

As they say, necessity is the mother of invention.

What you've stumbled upon - by making your track somewhere, then 'mastering' it somewhere else, is essentially what professionals do. Not the same tools, obviously, but process-wise it is. Good job!

dLife wrote on 4/21/2023, 10:39 AM

I have been meaning to post this. Here is a screenshot and you can see the wave before and after compression/limiting.