Cubase LE 4 audio mixdown

[brn_mcnulty908]

Before I do an audio mixdown to export a song from LE 4, I get my levels and master volume all where I want them to be. After i export it, though, it's a whole lot less loud than it was when I was listening to it in Cubase. The volume level does not even compare to those of pro studio recordings I listen to. What is going on here?

[tacman7]

Depends on how loud your monitoring cubase. If the master meters are up there bouncing in the red you should have a pretty hot file.

Master volume level should be unity gain (0db).

I don't export that hot, I take the file into sound forge and run a few compressors on it.

I also export with a compressor on the master bus.

My rough mixes aren't really mixed, just set the levels and compress the hell out of it.

But I digress.

I guess some people process everything inside cubase, I just got into working like this.

[brn_mcnulty908]

Originally Posted by tacman7

Depends on how loud your monitoring cubase. If the master meters are up there bouncing in the red you should have a pretty hot file.

Master volume level should be unity gain (0db).

I don't export that hot, I take the file into sound forge and run a few compressors on it.

I also export with a compressor on the master bus.

My rough mixes aren't really mixed, just set the levels and compress the hell out of it.

But I digress.

I guess some people process everything inside cubase, I just got into working like this.

If you're going to process the mix outside of Cubase, don't you have to export it first? That's where it goes to shit for me it turns it down so much

[Electriclight]

If you are making a final mix for CD, you want the levels approaching 0dB.. Put a limiter on the 2 bus and smash the audio as much as you want.

The level of monitoring is a good point. Import the final mix back into Cubase and listen. It should sound exactly like the pre mixdown version.

If you are saying the CD doesn't sound like commercial CDs then add more compression and limiting on the final output (2bus).

[brn_mcnulty908]

What do you mean by "2 bus"?

[Electriclight]

That's Brandon's term for the Output stereo signal. On the Cubase Mixer it is the channel on the far right side. Click the 'e' there to insert effects such as a limiter.

[brn_mcnulty908]

that's what I thought. and that's what i did. Put the limiter on and then compressor with the "Make-up" dial turned to about 12. Anything higher than that and it starts to get distorted. Better, but it still comes out pretty quiet.

[captainL]

i use le 4 too. I can't get my music that loud either. I wouldn't call it quit, just not loud. But I haven't tried to compress the master channel. I wonder if le4, being free, doesn't quit put out as well as the full versions??

[Electriclight]

NO NO NO

There's enough stuff here to blow out your pipes. What does the meter on the output look like? What does the wave form look like? If your waveform shows alot of empty space you haven't compressed enough. If your waveform looks like a solid smashed up bar with flat tops and bottoms you have done all that you can do.

There are many tricks to making a mix sound loud, most of them do make a mix sound crummy as well. . But don't blame Cubase LE4... You are way off base there.

[captainL]

Originally Posted by Electriclight

NO NO NO

There's enough stuff here to blow out your pipes. What does the meter on the output look like? What does the wave form look like? If your waveform shows alot of empty space you haven't compressed enough. If your waveform looks like a solid smashed up bar with flat tops and bottoms you have done all that you can do.

There are many tricks to making a mix sound loud, most of them do make a mix sound crummy as well. . But don't blame Cubase LE4... You are way off base there.

Easy tiger. Go have a beer or something. Not blaming anyone, just exploring possibilities. A simple no would have worked.

Now to educate someone...like me...
What is the level on the mixer based on.
I understand the relative level between different tracks, but what is the master mixer level based on. Is it a standard Decibel level in the music industry? Is it physical limitation on the sound waves? Is there a possibility that Cubase, Cakewalk, pro tools, Sony records, or who ever could have a slightly different setting/standard. I don't know and that is why I ask.

Thanks.