mastering advice

[keltech]

hello all

just some background before my question
I've been working on a few hip hop tracks mainly instrumentals that i have mastered recently
i use cubase sx 3 to make the music, soundforge to master with just timeworks master compressor to boost to about -13db. i don't use anything else all eq is done in cubase
i do all my mastering by ear using a modest samson servo 170 studio amp and tannoy reveal monitors and accoustic tiles behind me on the walls to stop the reverb bounce.

i'm happy with the sound of my mixes they seems fine, but my mate who has har-bal 2 was raving about it saying that it will improve them. so i took my tracks around to his place and tried it out.

i loaded a track in harbal first impressions my mix looks ok, assuming it should be even across the spectrum dipping around the very high ends and low sub sonic ends which humans can not pick up. i like a slight boost on the 50-60 for added bass. my spectrum has a few high peaks but when i start adjusting the green track taking them out the mix doesn't sound as good anymore.
so i started again this time i tried loading a commercial track i think sounds great as a reference and i matched the green line still didn't sound right.

so i'm confused , it seems to me sometimes you need some fairly high peaks and valleys for certain mixes to sound right or have i misunderstood and i'm not ment to lower major peaks and valleys?

my other question the inuitQ button, if i process it once i can see it changes things but to my ear i can not hear the diffence.
should i be loading my finished tracks up even though i'm happy with the mix and just press inuitq once to remove unballances I cannot hear?

i noticed you press the button more than once it will keep changing things


many thanks for the advice

[har-bal]

hello all

just some background before my question
I've been working on a few hip hop tracks mainly instrumentals that i have mastered recently
i use cubase sx 3 to make the music, soundforge to master with just timeworks master compressor to boost to about -13db. i don't use anything else all eq is done in cubase
i do all my mastering by ear using a modest samson servo 170 studio amp and tannoy reveal monitors and accoustic tiles behind me on the walls to stop the reverb bounce.

i'm happy with the sound of my mixes they seems fine, but my mate who has har-bal 2 was raving about it saying that it will improve them. so i took my tracks around to his place and tried it out.

i loaded a track in harbal first impressions my mix looks ok, assuming it should be even across the spectrum dipping around the very high ends and low sub sonic ends which humans can not pick up. i like a slight boost on the 50-60 for added bass. my spectrum has a few high peaks but when i start adjusting the green track taking them out the mix doesn't sound as good anymore.
so i started again this time i tried loading a commercial track i think sounds great as a reference and i matched the green line still didn't sound right.

so i'm confused , it seems to me sometimes you need some fairly high peaks and valleys for certain mixes to sound right or have i misunderstood and i'm not ment to lower major peaks and valleys?

my other question the inuitQ button, if i process it once i can see it changes things but to my ear i can not hear the diffence.
should i be loading my finished tracks up even though i'm happy with the mix and just press inuitq once to remove unballances I cannot hear?

i noticed you press the button more than once it will keep changing things


many thanks for the advice

Keltech

This sounds like a case where your mixes already sound good before you load them into Har-Bal. It is not necessary to make any changes if the song is already translating well to all systems.

The only thing I would suggest is placing a limiter at the end of your chain with an out ceiling of -0.1 and a threshold (if you don't want to make it louder) of 0.0

Cheers
Earle