Logic Pro 8 normalized songs still quieter than itunes songs

[Draculing]

Im using the presets for mastering on my output prior to bounce and compression on most tracks prior to output but my songs are still not as loud as a songs in itunes even after normalizing....

any ideas?

thanks

 

[Pete Thomas]

There are two things here:

1) The presets will not just work like that, you may need to raise the level of everything going into your output bus in order to "drive" whatever compressors limiters are there. This is the simplest way to get more "loudness", a more complex way would be to set the input gain of each processor in the chain.

Use your ears to know when you are driving too hard, ie listen for distortion and destruction of dynamics in the tune.

2) Most/many commercial releases have been mastered by specialist mastering engineers with better equipment and better monitoring than a lot of us have in our home studios. They have the experience and trained ears to get loudness without nastyness (well some of them!)

 

[rzzz]

Im using the presets for mastering on my output prior to bounce and compression on most tracks prior to output but my songs are still not as loud as a songs in itunes even after normalizing....

any ideas?

thanks

hi pass filter out the ultra low bass (50hz) and see what happens to the volume

rz

 

[Pete Thomas]

hi pass filter out the ultra low bass (50hz) and see what happens to the volume

Good idea (unless you want the sub bass) and do it before the rest of the mastering processors.

 

[Tempteh]

eq on all of the tracks, less compression, and limiter with a 0db on master..

 

[weshunter]

first off, i'm a serious noob at this stuff.

second, i tried this hi pass thing and it definitely helped. thx.

another question along these lines:

after i apply the limiter (should i use adaptive limiter or regular, btw? i've been using adaptive) and compression, the meter says it's 3-4 db in the red. should i reduce the volume so that it isn't? shouldn't the limiter fix this?

 

[Markdvc]

after i apply the limiter (should i use adaptive limiter or regular, btw? i've been using adaptive) and compression, the meter says it's 3-4 db in the red. should i reduce the volume so that it isn't? shouldn't the limiter fix this?

What level is the master out (not the output 1-2 strip) set at? If it is higher than 0, then it will raise the signal level, even after any limiter running in the output 1-2 channel strip.

kind regards

Mark

 

[weshunter]

i thought the output 1-2 channel volume was the master out -- where is the master out?

i have a feeling this is a very stupid question

 

[Markdvc]

If you don't see it in the track mixer or arrange mixer drawer, have a look in the audio environment.

It does catch people out quite often, so no, I don't think it is in any way a stupid question. The master Channel strip regulates the signal level of each and every output channel strip in Logic.

kind regards

Mark

 

[weshunter]

found it, but it was set to 0

 

[Markdvc]

OK, perhaps I misundersttod what you mean by "the meter says it's 3-4 db in the red."

Care to elaborate? Exactly which meter are you referring to? How is the limiter set up?

kind regards

Mark

 

[weshunter]

on the output 1-2 channel, the number that turns red when it goes over 0, reads in the red even though i've got a limiter and compressor on it. the limiter is set to the 'average limit' preset

any ideas?

 

[pv_joker]

the limiter is set to the 'average limit' preset

any ideas?

If you're using a preset on the limiter, you might find that you need to change some settings before the limiter will function exactly right. Presets are a great starting point but they will rarely be just right straight off the bat.