Elektron-Users

Ok, I need some guidance here. Something so simple is turning out to be very hard, and I don't know why. The problem? my tracks are all very quiet compared to almost any other recording artist out there. Obviously, professional artists hav mastered the tracks so that they are really loud (to stand out on radio etc etc), but tis poses a problem for me. I've heard my own tracks in the midst of a bunch of tracks from different people, and the drop in volume is drastic. Now this might sound like an easy solution: the listener can just turn it up, but I belive that even a small thing like that takes away the focus and makes the listener bored quickly, thus he/she skips. (not always but often enough). I wouldn't want to have to keep changing volumes on my ipod betwwen different artists either, and in modern dance music atleast, there seems to be a rough standard, and my music falls well below that.

Now, I feel I've done what I can to boost my tracks. I take the volume up high inside my instruments (for example, MD), I turn up the MD to max volume, I adjust the gain on the mixer until the point of near distortion, then I send the signal as hot as possible (without distortion) to my soundcard, and record just below distortion in my DAW (Reaper). I EQ and boost as much as I can before distortion, and render the track. still they come out MUCH lower in volume compared to other tracks. I know a lot of this has to do with post-recording production, but I feel I've tried every "logical" solution, so there must be some sort if interaction between prameters in a non-linear function that I just don't get.

so, how do you guys and gals get your tracks up to the average level of your kind of music?

I think you've run into the "compress the SHYTE out of everything" conundrum . Maybe have two versions of your tracks, one with normal dynamics (basically what you have now), and one with everything compressed to smithereens to please the masses. It's a sad joke really...

I think its a good thing to not be in the loudness wars. I hear what you are saying about too quiet is not good for impact though. If you can get your sounds bigger while mixing it helps.

Check out tarekiths mixing and mastering guide. http://tarekith.com/assets/mixdowns.html

I use a waves multimaximiser and it's lovely. only for a few db though. also one of these to see rms levels. http://www.kaosaudio.com/roger-nichols-digital-inspector-free/

still not happy with my stuff but it's better than ever.

snowblind is a wicked track. the compression is really jumping with the sub though eh. I guess that is what you are talking about. we should all set a quieter benchmark.

I agree- eschew compression!
Your music is so much more interesting with dynamics than it is just LOUD for the crap of it.
Also then the loud points stand out that much more when you want them to.

Getting loud tracks is a lot in the mix, giving each voice it's own frequency space with EQs, using compression to change the density of each instrument to suit the ensemble. Cut frequency bands if they're not needed, e.g., the classic bass cut on all non-bass tracks. If you're just sending stereo out from the Elektron, then you'll need to do the mix in it, which is harder w/o dedicated parametric EQs and compressors per voice. That said, the filters and eq can be used to make a space for each instrument, and proper programming should make it easy to begin with.

I would suggest not riding everything into the orange, record each voice peaking below -12dB. 24 bit recordings have a LOT of headroom, as long as you're not trying to fill up the meters. At any rate, loud is all about density, not actual max dB values, so pushing everything on the way in isn't going to help you.

But really, I agree w/ Live Seq and Hecka - anything above -14 -12 dBFS loses dynamics however skillfully you cut it. Look at Clark or Flying Lotus - great records, but they'd be way better with dynamics.

Applying dynamic processing during mastering doesn't necessarily mean creating over-compressed, squashed to death mixes...
I master my own music and although I'm not strictly a mastering engineer I'm asked to master other people's tracks quite often, but I never get to loudness wars ranges...

actually, my point is that even after maxing the levels of every possible step in the recording pricess until just under distortion, even boosting volume a lot in my DAW, it still comes out "quiet". the is nowhere for me to go without getting distortion, and I don't get it.

of cource, I don't support the loudness-wars, but I've heard tons of hobbyists producing vivid, dynamic tracks that are as loud as any commerical release. I just don't know what they're doing that I don't.

well, your tracks are good examples of how I want mine to sound like Leo. I know for a fact you've used some MD kicks, and I do the same, but if I play your track after mine, I have to turn down a lot. All I'd like to learn, is how to get as loud as your tracks, without losing dynamics.. big fan of your sound too..

Thanks for the nice words...
Well, after a certain point it's always a compromise between retaining the original dynamics of the track and getting a higher RMS level (higher perceived volume). You have to learn where to stop, where to draw the line. And in a way every track is a different challenge, 'cause the musical elements in it usually radically change the balance of the mix, making necessary to adopt a slightly different strategy at the mastering stage. The approach can change from track to track.
Ash cloud permitting, I'm leaving for a short trip for a few days. I'll be happy to give some extra suggestions regarding your tracks when I get back.
But for a starter, make sure you're sub frequencies are under control. You probably don't need a lot of energy below 30Hz. Huge energy spikes in those super low regions can "eat" lot of headroom really quickly. Try using HP filtering on the single elements of the mix and then a less steep filter on the stereo mix as well. Same approach with the frequencies above 19-20k. Just a gentle roll off will usually make the mix less harsh and nicer sounding.