You can often nix everything below 40 Hz without drastically changing the sound of your mix. Peaks are parts of the frequency spectrum with excess energy. Low end is the first thing you should throw overboard. ), Valleys are parts of the frequency spectrum with dips in energy. Luckily, most modern limiters include a feature that automatically turns the output down as you crank the input. This, definitely. To make things louder you don't want to turn up the volume, you want to add missing pieces to the frequency spectrum and then mix it properly. However, in most cases, flatter mixes can be pushed to louder levels without distortion. Set the max DB to something like -.1 to -.3 DB to prevent any clipping. Or, you can try sidechaining to make more room. You can only push a mix so far before destroying punch and adding distortion. However, in most cases, flatter mixes can be pushed to louder levels without distortion. With that being said, here are the best ways to make music louder, while retaining as much impact and clarity as possible. A high-pass filter on the mix bus, set to remove excess low end. Yes, you still have to be competitive. Try it! But if you’re a few dB quieter, it’s okay. This way, you can hear the effect of the limiting without being fooled by an increase in volume. If you take the time to listen to Flying Lotus, his tracks are SOOOOO loud yet there is no clipping, lots of bottom end and is hardly abrasive. Most of the time, they do a fantastic job. saturation and compression throughout different stages of your track, and try a clipper. The loudness war is ending, but the obsession lives on. Your sound selection are also unique and pretty good. Thanks. This way, listeners don’t have to adjust their volume knob when switching between songs. Just one note held the whole time. These are missed opportunities to make music louder. Follow these steps to determine whether your mix has any peaks or valleys: In general, you’re looking for an even curve with no big bumps or dips. Be aware of these downsides. Try both—some tracks will benefit more from one over the other. The shape of a mix will vary based on arrangement and instrumentation. The effect? It’s like applying several coats of paint to a wall, instead of trying to coat it in one fell swoop. Some mastering engineers apply this technique to the mix bus too. Address any other problem frequencies that may exist in the mids and highs. Im surprised John hasn't commissioned this, it would make him some money in plays. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the edmproduction community. This is also a great place to control your final volume. I spend very little time worrying about loudness, and it’s been ages since I’ve had a mix rejected because it was too quiet. If you’re trying to make music louder, you’ll likely have to get rid of some deadweight. These bottlenecks will limit your ability to make music louder. Then, once you have a decent mix, you can make everything louder using a limiter. So I’m at the point where I finish songs but they sound kinda quiet, especially when I compare them to my favorite songs. Set the max DB to something like -.1 to -.3 DB to prevent any clipping. Every mix has a unique loudness threshold, People often ask, “How do I make my mix as loud as the [Insert Band Name Here] record?”. That John Mayer remix of I don't Trust Myself is pretty sweet. You then turn up the input gain of the limiter. I've took a look at his waveforms against some of my own. Especially in stuff like overall thickness and fatness if the track is limited pretty hard. OP, in case you don't know: what you need is a limiter on your master channel. Most streaming services—including Apple Music, Spotify, and YouTube—now automatically adjust the volume of different tracks so they play at an equal level. 2. If you’re trying to make music louder, keep these things in mind: As we continue to race towards a streaming world, the quest for uber-loud is quickly becoming uber-pointless. If you’re trying to make music louder, you’ll likely have to get rid of some deadweight. In some cases, it can actually be useful. This approach will lead to much more musical results. So you won't clip. If not, let it go. Then of course you can add a limiter to the master and get that to -8LUFS before distorting. While it takes up the most headroom in a mix, low end contributes the least to the perceived volume of a track. Put a Sausage fattener on master chain, turn fattness & color all the way, you wont regret it. This will bring up the average loudness of your tracks, but the peaks will not be able to get past the brickwall. There’s no point in ruining a mix just to make it louder. Remember that writing good music and are getting a good sounding mix are more important than loudness. If you have a loudness meter plugin, use it here'"make sure the max peaks and the perceived … Observe the shape of the spectrum analyzer’s curve. ... but maybe changing the texture, or depth of the signal will make it more profound without making it 'louder'. To learn how to use clipping effectively, watch the video below: What are your favorite ways to make music louder without sacrificing impact and clarity? No mix will be perfectly flat—it’s normal to see a few bumps. *Take any advise with a grain of salt ,ears and tastes vary. (Imagine filling a dresser with clothes, but leaving the bottom drawer empty.). The creates a "brickwall" that peaks cannot go past. At the end of the day, it’s their record. You can easily make a mix worse without realizing it. Add 1 – 2 dB of limiting at several points in the chain—both on individual tracks and busses. Cut Low End. The shape of a mix will vary based on arrangement and instrumentation. Is loudness really worth the sacrifice? Be careful though—in some mixes, there’s stuff down there that you won’t want to get rid of. Luke, your stuff is tight bro! You can raise it further but then you are just getting louder which is not the same as good. Bus your tracks to sub groups (drums, vox, guitar, synths etc) and put a VU meter on those - make sure they are not being hit any more than around 0dbu (which is around -18db in digital 'peak' speak). Instead of trying to achieve loudness with one limiter, they use several in series. If you don’t see this, try making EQ or fader adjustments. Any further in volume than the absolute minimum and you are just degrading the sound. Instead, evaluate each track on its own terms. Clean up the low end. As you drive most limiters harder, your track gets louder. This will free up headroom and help you achieve louder levels without distortion. Quiet tracks get turned up, and louder tracks get turned down.