Mastering in Mixbus

[Church Lane Studios]

Hi, I'm one of those DIY-Mastering people who do mixing and mastering for their own projects. Has anyone got experience with mastering in Mixbus? Is there anything I need to consider? I actually quite like the built-in Limiter soundwise, but is it true that it has a -1db ceiling?

[Jouvert]

I am no mastering engineer, but I have mixed and mastered my own sessions in mixbus and yes, it does have a -1db ceiling. that is to help protect your sound card's out put (especially if it doesn't have a high enough headroom). If you check your levels with the Ik multimedia meter, The -1db ceiling fluctuates c. 0.9 db or less, so it's not so bad and usually the rms readings are spot on (with just maybe one or two tweaks in mixbus to get levels hotter)

N.B I just use Ik multimedia just as a confirmation tool and discard the audio file after since, for some reason Windows player cannot read the file after being used by IK Multimedia. I then do another export of the audio from Mixbus.

The Metering on the master output section could be used to set your final average levels using the K-14 standard, where, 0 = -14
I use the meter as follows:

above +4 (Slammed) =c.-6db

+4 = -10db ( -9 db including the -1db ceiling).

0 = -14db

-4 = -18db


The Leveler is very transparent and may work well as your final mastering dynamic processor, along with some saturation ( careful or too much satruation will dull your mix)

I normally use the master out EQ section to tweak my overall tone.
You also have the mastering plugins package available from Harrison's website

Hope this helps.

[Church Lane Studios]

Thank you for the answer! I think I will definitely try the leveller on the stereo bus.
Don't you think the -1db ceiling does increase the "squashing"?
To me it feels like I'm not getting quite as much loudness without squashing as in other DAWs, but I'm still a mixbus "beginner".
Everything else in Mixbus is sonically so pleasing that it might just be something I'll get used to after a bit more fiddling with it...

[Jouvert]

Thank you for the answer! I think I will definitely try the leveller on the stereo bus.
Don't you think the -1db ceiling does increase the "squashing"?
To me it feels like I'm not getting quite as much loudness without squashing as in other DAWs, but I'm still a mixbus "beginner".
Everything else in Mixbus is sonically so pleasing that it might just be something I'll get used to after a bit more fiddling with it...

If when you are experiencing Squashing or pumping, then increase the compressor's Speed knob (the upper of two knobs just above the master out compressor section).
If you are getting any of those artifacts on any channel, you could do the same on each individual channel ( what you do in the channels could affect your final outcome)
Remember that Mixbus follows the K-14 (Bob Katz) system, as opposed to other Daws which may not have a dynamic range standard (0 dbfs)
for me personally, I do not mix hot in mixbus (I use the Meter on the master out to calibrate individual channel levels to -4 = -18dbvu I believe), then i commence my mixing

Hope this helps

Jouvert

[Tassy]

Hi, I'm one of those DIY-Mastering people who do mixing and mastering for their own projects. Has anyone got experience with mastering in Mixbus? Is there anything I need to consider? I actually quite like the built-in Limiter soundwise, but is it true that it has a -1db ceiling?

Hi Benjamin
Anything you do, please, study the manual signal flow diagram to be sure what is prefader (more precisely: pre-eq-gain-dynamics-saturation built in) or postfader.
Regards channels, buses and master...

I did things for long based on experiences in other daws where there was nothing built in just plugs I put and was happy when I realized that a lot things (settings or plugs) I have to use postfader in Mixbus to get what I thought I would. Since then it sounds even greater
Best
Tassy

[Jouvert]

Hi, I'm one of those DIY-Mastering people who do mixing and mastering for their own projects. Has anyone got experience with mastering in Mixbus? Is there anything I need to consider? I actually quite like the built-in Limiter soundwise, but is it true that it has a -1db ceiling?

Hi Benjamin
Anything you do, please, study the manual signal flow diagram to be sure what is prefader (more precisely: pre-eq-gain-dynamics-saturation built in) or postfader.
Regards channels, buses and master...

I did things for long based on experiences in other daws where there was nothing built in just plugs I put and was happy when I realized that a lot things (settings or plugs) I have to use postfader in Mixbus to get what I thought I would. Since then it sounds even greater
Best
Tassy

I think that Steinberg (Cubase and Nuendo) also follow this convention, where channel inserts 1-6 is pre fader and 7-8 is post fader.
Jouvert

[Tassy]

Hi, I'm one of those DIY-Mastering people who do mixing and mastering for their own projects. Has anyone got experience with mastering in Mixbus? Is there anything I need to consider? I actually quite like the built-in Limiter soundwise, but is it true that it has a -1db ceiling?

Hi Benjamin
Anything you do, please, study the manual signal flow diagram to be sure what is prefader (more precisely: pre-eq-gain-dynamics-saturation built in) or postfader.
Regards channels, buses and master...

I did things for long based on experiences in other daws where there was nothing built in just plugs I put and was happy when I realized that a lot things (settings or plugs) I have to use postfader in Mixbus to get what I thought I would. Since then it sounds even greater
Best
Tassy

I think that Steinberg (Cubase and Nuendo) also follow this convention, where channel inserts 1-6 is pre fader and 7-8 is post fader.
Jouvert

[Matt]

Didn't realize mixbus had a -1 db ceiling. Good to know. And fwiw I really like the k-14 metering. Gives you a nice spot to aim for with plenty of headroom to keep your mix from sounding squished. A while back I was using pro tools and FG-x for my pseudo mastering. I could get things hot, but it was overkill. I was aiming for like -6 to -8 average levels.

I had heard about bob Katz system, and once I read where iTunes now sets average levels to around -14, if you have volume matching turned on, I decided to try it. If everyone would start using this system we might finally bring some dynamics back.

Once I starting using the k-14 system I realized I don't need much, if anything, as far as a limiter goes on my master buss. I still use one, but it's normally just barely catching an occasional peak. Not slammed like it used to be. And things sound much much better and bigger. I just have to turn up the volume knob on my stereo a little. Totally worth it.

[Robert M. Bohman]

There is a LUFS law now in effect here in the US. It was mainly aimed at broadcasting but it's finally catching on to the music industry as well. A huge thank you to Bob Katz for his efforts.

[Jouvert]

I should have mentioned that the -1.0db ceiling is in effect only when the brick wall limiter on the master bus is on (green Light), that might have gotten lost in translation.
In addition to the other ways of clearing up any compressor artifacts which i mentioned in an earlier post, you could also use the brickwall limiter's look ahead function (yellow light) on the master bus, which should help in giving a more transparent mix.

cheers,
Jouvert