'Love Me Do'-style harmonica production (on a BR1600CD)

[Super 8]

Cheers Bruno! Do you use different Mastering Presets or tend to stick with the same one? Also, do you 'Normalise' your tracks after you've mastered them or do you not need to as that is included as part of the mastering process perhaps?

[bruno]

Nope - I never bother with normalising unless I get a low level track. When you master, you can hear the mastering effect - so I bounce push the levels as high as a can - and then select mastering and use my ears. Clean compression is my fav, but use others depending on the track. I sometimes reduce the treble or boost the bass depending on how it sounds.

The weird thing with mastering is that it will change the balance in the mix, ie all the sudden the vocals are too load. So you have to adjust.
B

[Super 8]

Cheers B - That's a great help amigo! When you say: 'The weird thing with mastering is that it will change the balance in the mix, ie all the sudden the vocals are too loud so you have to adjust' does that mean going back to your original mix then mixing it slightly differently to the way in which you had done originally in order to get the levels to sound right when the Mastering effect has been applied? Does this mean you're sort of 'tweak mixing' blind as it were since you won't actually be able to hear what it will properly sound like until you've re-applied the mastering? (Hope that made some sort of sense there!!)

[AndyR]

^ It can kind of mean that

But when you find yourself in that situation, ask yourself "am I using mastering as part of the mix process?"

I was doing that a LOT a while back - and it gave me endless headaches... When you realise that you're using mastering to change the sound of the mix, I now believe it's a good moment to stand back and wonder whether the mix itself is as it should be...

What I try to do now is make the mix as near as dammit to what I want (I try to imagine myself releasing it without mastering).

Then I go into mastering and listen to various presets (I tend to gravitate towards Mixdown, Live, and Pop). This might highlight something I hadn't noticed in the mix - something that makes me want to go back and remix.

After that, I try to use the Mixdown preset without any changes.

It really is worth experimenting, though, actually noting down what the differences are between the presets, and trying to figure out and learn what they are doing to the sound.

As far as I can tell, the mastering on the BR1600 doesn't include an automatic normalising at the end. When I've got the mastered mix, I take a copy and normalise one of them. If there's not a big difference, I use the un-normalised one. If there is a big difference, I might use the normalised, or I might remaster it a bit hotter.

You can use the settings in the mastering patch to raise/lower levels, or you can use the faders during mastering. Use Track 9/10 fader to vary how much you're pushing into the mastering gubbins. Use the Master fader to control overall recording level after the mastering gubbins. In fact, I sometimes use the Master fader during mastering to emphasise the dynamics in a track (don't push it over 0 though! Treat this as your "max") - you can also do the opposite, remove some over-enthusiastic dynamics from an otherwise perfect mix!

[Super 8]

WOW! That's a complete education right there Andy. Thanks so very much for your insights here. I'll see how I go on ... CHEERS!

[bruno]

You have to use your ears - I've never change the mix, but changed the mastering preset. I sometimes tweak a preset, but not by much. It can be a really frustrating thing though, I should use the speaker sims more (the idea being that you can hear the mix through modelled speakers), but at that stage excitement takes over and I just want to post :-)

You have to be aware of ear fatigue. I've posted tracks that I though sounded great, and then listened to them next morning and have been horrified. Requiring a quick remix/repost. Also, you quite often have to leave it a few days to let things settle and then you suddenly start hearing your mistakes. But its a learning process - there is no right or wrong, just what you like. Listen to tracks that you really like the sound of and try and get in the same ball park. I think mixing makes you analyse the pro productions more. There's loads of opinions and articles on the web, and don't be afraid to experiment - or get things wrong. On songcrafters, folks generally won't rip you a second one for getting things wrong - you may get a gentle hint if things are obviously wrong, but hopefully in a constructive way. 9 times out of 10 you know it anyway.

NB my favourite patch is clear compression

B

[Super 8]

Cheers for that Bruno - wise words Sir! Personally I welcome criticism (so long as it is of the  'constructive' kind!) I feel it's the only way I can actually learn! I guess I just need to finish something on this new BR1600 unit of mine and stick it up here! OK, before I get to that stage, a few more q's I'm afraid folks (again, as always, any suggestions GREATLY appreciated!) Here goes ...

1.) Regarding this 'Speaker Simulations' mode: Will it work with regular active monitors that are just connected via the red & white RCA line outs (or do you have to have compatible digital monitors that are linked via co-axial connections?)

2.) As for the whole recording DRY/recording WET argument. Right now I'm still experimenting with this new-to-me machine & I'm trying to find the processing that suits the type of 'muzak' I make. I'm liking SOME of the built-in Vocal and Guitar presets for example however, not being that familiar with these sounds yet, I'm not wanting to record wet and commit to an effect at this stage because, as you'll know, that effected sound then gets 'printed'/locked to the track. (With me so far? Not sure I am!) So ... what I've been doing to date is picking a preset (for example: Vocal preset P001) so I have a bit of substance to my sound when I'm tracking but NOT recording with that sound (ie: Effects>Location>Input 2 - RECORD DRY). Once I have my inputted sound (in this case my voice) down to tape ("Oops!" Showing my age!) I then go back into Effects, choose 'Location' again then scroll to whatever track I've recorded to. I can then showcase all the vocal banks presets (all 40+ of 'em!) and try to find a processed sound that fits. The thing is ... where do I go from here to print that sound at this stage? Must I mute other tracks then go into Bounce Mode then play the newly-effected track in real time whilst recording to a free track or is there an easier way to do this? (Again, I hope this makes some kind of sense!)

3.) Finally (for now anyway!) I record in a very small, non-reverberent space (a box room in fact - yeah, I know!) The natural sound of this room is: 'flat'; very 'dry'; 'lifeless'; you get the idea! As such, I tend not to like this dead sound and I'm looking for any advice/tips/insights as to what best to do where adding/emulating a natural REVERB. I'm not convinced my sonic experiments to date attempting to create an ambient space in which to place my sounds using the built-in BR reverb are sounding that convincing to be honest!   
         

[bruno]

Hmm
1. Yip I believe so - you should be able to hear a large difference flicking between settings
2. I change my view point on this every time I record. Sorry! NB the vocal presets are actually very nice imo
3. My brother says that room is everything - natural ambiance is king particularly with acoustic instruments. (He's very experienced at recording professionally). He always tells me to play with the furnishing, add a carpet etc. I haven;t really done that though. I guess that you have to do the best with what you've got, move fast and learn for next time.

[Super 8]

... move fast and learn for next time.

So I have to sell my house?? ;-)