Question about hip hop production mastering

[BlkGost]

First and foremost, I love the software. I can't believe my tracks are as loud as they are now (I used 50 cents hustlers ambition as my reference track for volume matching). I do have a few questions.

Seeing I just started the whole mastering learning process I know i have a lot to learn

1. I use chopped samples often (usually cutting out the bass to make room for my drums and bassline), and seeing the samples are already mastered would I be over processing them using HB?

2. Before HB my songs sounded very tinny and harsh, now they sound muffled. I assume its my fault by altering the eq curve too much. What FQ range should I bring up to put the highs (pressence) back into the song?

3. What do you suggest to use to warm up the overall sound and/or fatten it?

4. Can you suggest a free vst crossover/filter to download (I don't have one ?!?)

Thanks for your help

-M

[har-bal]

First and foremost, I love the software. I can't believe my tracks are as loud as they are now (I used 50 cents hustlers ambition as my reference track for volume matching). I do have a few questions.

Seeing I just started the whole mastering learning process I know i have a lot to learn

1. I use chopped samples often (usually cutting out the bass to make room for my drums and bassline), and seeing the samples are already mastered would I be over processing them using HB?

2. Before HB my songs sounded very tinny and harsh, now they sound muffled. I assume its my fault by altering the eq curve too much. What FQ range should I bring up to put the highs (pressence) back into the song?

3. What do you suggest to use to warm up the overall sound and/or fatten it?

4. Can you suggest a free vst crossover/filter to download (I don't have one ?!?)

Thanks for your help

-M

M

Tell us step by step how you are mastering your tracks and we can tell you what corrective action to take.

Earle

[BlkGost]

I lay out my loops in cuebase sx then record my vocals

I add compression to the vocals (2:1),drums,etc, some moderate eqing, blend the vocals with the music, and add Spectra Live to the master track (I used to limit, but I have HB now )

I do have studio monitors, I don't have a booth for vocals so I know thats killing the quality.

I don't know if that was what you were looking for, but thats pretty much it.

-M......short for Mack

[har-bal]

I lay out my loops in cuebase sx then record my vocals

I add compression to the vocals (2:1),drums,etc, some moderate eqing, blend the vocals with the music, and add Spectra Live to the master track (I used to limit, but I have HB now )

I do have studio monitors, I don't have a booth for vocals so I know thats killing the quality.

I don't know if that was what you were looking for, but thats pretty much it.

-M......short for Mack

Mack

I should of been more specific. I need to know your mastering process and how you are using Har-Bal.

Earle

[BlkGost]

well seeing I just bought it so far I've only used it to help correct eq problems with my mixed down track, and for volume maximizing. And I do that after adding whatever changes I make to the track while in cubase.

edit: maybe I jumped the gun in posting I'm going to toy around with some of the suggestions I've read so far in the forums. I do have a question about the opto half inch preset in t-racks. When I match volumed my track to -9.2 db, I saved it, opened it up in tracks and applied that setting. The sound I heard out the speakers was almost on the point of distortion, though upon analysis in wavelab, it said it was at a -.09 db average with no clipping. Should i just leave the track be after using Har-Bal and not use T-Racks? or was one of my settings off?

[har-bal]

well seeing I just bought it so far I've only used it to help correct eq problems with my mixed down track, and for volume maximizing. And I do that after adding whatever changes I make to the track while in cubase.

edit: maybe I jumped the gun in posting I'm going to toy around with some of the suggestions I've read so far in the forums. I do have a question about the opto half inch preset in t-racks. When I match volumed my track to -9.2 db, I saved it, opened it up in tracks and applied that setting. The sound I heard out the speakers was almost on the point of distortion, though upon analysis in wavelab, it said it was at a -.09 db average with no clipping. Should i just leave the track be after using Har-Bal and not use T-Racks? or was one of my settings off?

Mack

There are a number of methods that can be used. Previously we recommended T-Racks with the opto+half inch preset because Har-Bal did not have a limiter. Now with the addition of the limiter Har-Bal can be the last phase of your processing.

1. When you have finished a mixdown export your track to Har-Bal for spectral correction. You have two choices here. You can manually sculpt the spectrum and press the large intuitQ button or just press the intuitQ button and allow Har-Bal to balance it for you.

2. Normally at this point because of the genre you want punch in the music. Import yoursong_eq.wav into a sound editor and pull up a multiband compressor. There are a varity of tools that you can use to accomplish this phase. Because you already balanced your track you just want to add fatness and a bit of high end. Izotope is pretty good at this point. I recently posted a preset on the other site folks can use.

3. When this is done you can bring the track back over to Har-Bal for final level matching. This will insure that your volume is consistent throughout your album.

The reason I was asking for your mastering steps was so I could tell you some ways to get the best out of your tools.

In Har-Bal if you click on options/show tips it will show you the region that causes the muddiness in a track.

If you are still having difficulties I will call you.

Earle

[BlkGost]

Thanks for the advice once I get home I may run it through a spark fx machine preset and adjust the settings. Other than that the only other multiband compressor I have is a sonic foundry one (I don't own Izotope).

[JTroska]

I do have a question about the opto half inch preset in t-racks. When I match volumed my track to -9.2 db, I saved it, opened it up in tracks and applied that setting. The sound I heard out the speakers was almost on the point of distortion, though upon analysis in wavelab, it said it was at a -.09 db average with no clipping. Should i just leave the track be after using Har-Bal and not use T-Racks? or was one of my settings off?

2 things that may have been the problem come to mind.

1) When you use Har-Bal to "Match Loudness" with the intent to use another dynamic processor (in this case, T-Racks) to get that loudness, you have to reset that Limiter Gain back to "0" before you export from Har-Bal. Otherwise, you'll be limiting twice as much as you intended to.

2) T-Racks' numeric displays are way too inaccurate to really use with the Match Loudness trick. For example, setting the T-Racks compressor's input to 0.0 unity gain actually gives you a ~3 to ~4 db increase! There's really no way to know when you've attained a 9.2db increase with T-Racks. With T-Racks, you can only go by your ears.

I've come up with my own T-Racks template that has been working very well with my Har-Bal exports. If anybody is interested, I'll post it. I'll have to go over to my other Mac computer to get it.

I'd say use the Match Loudness feature