Har-Bal Users Forum BBS

First off...Great product ! & Great Value to the Financially challenged.

My question has to do with order or recommended "Process" steps for Mastering. I have various PlugIns available, Mainly for Mastering I use:
Har-Bal, PeakSlammer & a Compressor.

Example: I have a Mix WAV file at -3db that is unprocessed. What is the best order to achieve the best Mastered Product.

1- Har-Bal
2- Compressor
3- PeakSlammer?

What is the a Best Order or information/Suggestions that you can give for sequence of Mastering process for best results?

brian770295 wrote:First off...Great product ! & Great Value to the Financially challenged.

My question has to do with order or recommended "Process" steps for Mastering. I have various PlugIns available, Mainly for Mastering I use:
Har-Bal, PeakSlammer & a Compressor.

Example: I have a Mix WAV file at -3db that is unprocessed. What is the best order to achieve the best Mastered Product.

1- Har-Bal
2- Compressor
3- PeakSlammer?

What is the a Best Order or information/Suggestions that you can give for sequence of Mastering process for best results?

Brian

We are glad you are enjoying the prgram.

Your order for mastering is somewhat correct.

1. Open Har-Bal and correct the spectral content in Har-Bal using the following process.
http://har-bal.com/ipw-web/bulletin/bb/ ... m.php?f=26

2. You have two choices here. You can either use a compressor to pull the track more together (if needed) and then use your limiter to bring the volume up to commercial standards

Most of the time it is not necessary to use a compressor because you have attenuated (brought down) the volume of the offending frequencies in Har-Bal
If you are using a a reference file and want to match the volume you should use the following process.

Use the "match loudness" feature in Har-Bal as a reference for your limiter.
When you use this feature just write down the gain number.

Pull the fader back to 0.0, record the newly EQ'd file and open the limiter.
Set the outceiling at -0.1 and the threshold at the number indicated by har-bal. If there was an increase in Har-Bal of 4.3,
Set the threshold for -4.3.

It works every time and the volume level is consistent throughout the entire album.

This is an amazing feature in Har-Bal. I know of no other tool that does this.

Make sure you use a reference CD that matches this genre of music in terms of loudness.

Earle

Appreciate the quick response! On your "Quick Start" guide you have "bring down Peaks over 3db". What is your definition or reference point to determine this peak. I see that on your supplied Ref Files there seems to be Peaks over 3db? Where are you measuring from as far as a baseline or point from which you measure up from?
Also, is it ok to use Har-Bal on a Mastered WAV once it's already been thru all the EQ, Limiting, Compression or should you back up to the Mix and redo.

Thanks Again....Brian

brian770295 wrote:Appreciate the quick response! On your "Quick Start" guide you have "bring down Peaks over 3db". What is your definition or reference point to determine this peak. I see that on your supplied Ref Files there seems to be Peaks over 3db? Where are you measuring from as far as a baseline or point from which you measure up from?
Also, is it ok to use Har-Bal on a Mastered WAV once it's already been thru all the EQ, Limiting, Compression or should you back up to the Mix and redo.

Thanks Again....Brian

Brian

When you move your cursor around the screen, notice in the bottom letft corner the moving scale. You can use this as your guide. Without being too mechanical you are simply removing major peaks that appear to be abnormal from the low end (20hz) up to the high end (5khz). Anything past that is usuall a cymbal crash, hand clap, etc and it is perfectly okay to leave them alone.

Look at our example of a well eq'd track
http://www.har-bal.com/images/goodtrack.JPG

Look at the peaks in this bad track
http://www.har-bal.com/images/badtrack.jpg

Are you beginning to see a pattern.

Load up your best mastered CD's from your personal collection and notice the minimum amount of spikes (yellow line) and holes (green line)

This is what you are after. Normally a compressor would automatically squish these peaks, but you are now able to see them directly and make the corrections. As a result your music will have increased dynamics and sound more alive.

Earle