Hello. Thank you for this UA-cam tip. It has helped me more than anything I've tried. After using these post production mastering tips, my mixes have that finished professional sound. Thank you!
Thank youMojaxx for producing the only 'music mastering in Audacity' UA-cam tutorial that comes from someone who *actually* knows what the f&Ck they're talking about! Do you know how many wastes of time are out there right now? I do - I just watched 10 of them before I found yours! cheers from Oz. 😎
Great video, audacity is a powerful tool that's been around for many, many years. I use it alot. Instead of exporting and reimporting, you can just mix it down to a new track then delete the old one all within the project.
Thank you for sharing this, I think if we keep the EQ to isolator in Rekordbox (Performance Mode) under Controller > Mixer > EQ = Isolator this will keep the graph/waveform and levels to master just that we have to check the clipping on both the channels. Also if we set the volume of every track manually under Grid Settings then also we can get the equal graph/waveform.
Wow this is so helpful. I tried doing this for the first time a few days ago. Instead, I used the amplify effect to make my levels more consistent. It was really inefficient, time consuming and inaccurate Going to try it this way later today.
just use 3 compressors each barley making the needle move with a slow attack and a medium to quick release then use a final limiter to pull up the overall volume and help catch the peaks that the 3 compressors don't catch ! this always works for me . but this is a great video
I don't think you should be using DC offset with normalise for DJ mixes. You also shouldn't be doing so many gain stages I think - you could just skip the first normalise and go limiter. Or limiter - normaliser if you can't set the limiter to your desired output level. Personally I would have gone through and taken out those tiny short clicks and pops style bits - they are usually a few ms long each so changing gain to pull those tiny short sections down -3dB or so usually gets them to match the rest of the track. You can't hear the difference. But it provides more consistent level to normalise with. I'm not a fan of limiters on DJ mixes generally (unless hardware when recorded or something, so a part of the original performance), but the maximiser on Ozone sounds pretty good.
I have to try using audacity more, I'm constantly surprised at what it can do. Would you go about mastering a vinyl mix the same way? I usually play with the trim levels on my mixer to stay consistently at -5db throughout my mix. But when I see the wav in sound forge, there seems to still be quite a bit of disparity between tracks. Sometimes I find it easier to run my mixes through platinum notes. Any advice? Thanks again for these great vids! Picked up abelton live standard a couple of months ago, I'm still very new to it. Can't wait to see your next video
The way each record is pressed will have a big impact on how each one sounds in a mix with real vinyl. I wouldn't worry too much about it, just try and keep it as consistent as you can. People can normally tell when they're hearing real vinyl, so that gives you a bit more leeway. I expect a fully digital mix to be pretty perfect, but analogue is analogue. 😉
+Oscar Delgado You cannot always go by the wav form generated in audacity when playing vinyl, due to many competing factors such as how the vinyl was pressed (warped, elongated or thin, etc), dust/dirt debris (which may be present on the record), stylus condition and background noise all play a vital role in the quality of any give vinyl mix. Before I dampened my DJ desk my recordings would pick up passing traffic going by my window. As long as it sounds consistent in volume you should be ok. If its not then more attention to sound levels during the mixing process would be more beneficial to learn in the short term to improve your overall long term aims.
Yeah different vinyl mastering sounds way different and it's hard to get consistent levels. Personally I go through and take out any loud clicks or pops manually by gaining those very short sections down -3dB or there abouts (or whatever is needed to bring it to the level of the rest of the mix). I sometimes do like in this video and mess with segments, but usually I will raise them rather than lower then (I record at around -10dB usually for headroom) to get them consistent (try to avoid doing too many stages of this though because each one is another gain stage). Here is a vinyl mix I recently recorded where I matched the volume of three segments, as well as trimming sections with backspins where it gets too loud. I also boosted up the cartridge feedback at a couple of points to hear the crowd noise easily :) www.mixcloud.com/SubterfugeSeminars/showboat-dj-set-at-axed-2-11-aug-2018/
thx now i know hier i can quickly increase the levels but what about the headroom between -15 to-12dB that i need for the target value of integrated-14 LUFS for auch streaming platforms like soundcloud, mixcloud , deezer spotify tidal etc. ? Such values were not mentioned here , although they are essential, i think
Was hoping to see you use Ableton,and a little more in depth creativeness. This is more suited to the beginner. However it's informative and enough for a taster into post production. ✌️
Is there the risk that by normalizing to -1.5 db the mix will sound soft compared to other tracks? or will serato and traktor use auto-gain to make it comparable to everything else?
People won't be playing your mix in Traktor or Serato. The video about -1.5dB is being heavy handed - most people can get away with 0.5-1. The argument for CDs is also only about older CD players, most can handle 0dB. But leave SOME headroom. Read the comments on that video, most people reckon 0.6-1dB max. I think 0.7dB is a decent headroom. There's also not much difference in the sound of -0.7dB and -1.2dB.
Hello Mojaxx just would like some help on this, i currently use audacity to record my mixes and im using serato dj with my djm 900nxs (Club kit) and would like to know under the preference in aduacity and on the recording device I choose my djm900 is that better than the soundcard on the MBP or should i still get a seperate soundcard like a focusrite ? Also i noticed that when i have the djm as my recording device the levels on audacity is at -15, and for me to see an increase on the volume in audacity i have to turn up the gain alot in order to see the levels volume go up in audacity. Now ive checked my utilies for the djm900 and the usb output level is -19 is that ok or should i switch to -15, -10, or -5? And is that only affect the volume when recording or also affect the volume when in a live gig when using my djm900? Thanks for any response
+DJNexuz1 Use the mixer soundcard for sure. It will be superior to your on-board sound card in every conceivable way, delivering a more accurate and cleaner sounding recording. As long as you are confident at maintaining a level sound output you could experiment with the different output recording levels and maybe find one that works for you better. Best of luck to your.
Another thing.. the audio quality on this video isn't great.. any reason for that? Can hear computer ground issue or hdd or other computer or hiss/crackle background noise low in the mix .. always annoys me when seeing audio related videos, with bad quality audio lol.
Ouch @ 11 mins, I'd rather make the solo tracks sound closer to the blends than make the blends sound like the solo tracks. Blends are meant to be louder!! Unless you work real hard and pull both down for best gain structure. But I understand if you trying to make everything as loud as possible. but some dynamics in this music would be ok. Vinyl or digital mix? Also, there is NOTHING wrong with subtle EQ on a mix.. but I'd prefer to do it with hardware live during performance, with master output DJ isolator such as Dope Real or similar company product. But it is a bit cruddy to have/want to do it in post-production/mastering, as it wasn't representative of the actual performance. Really wish could afford an Isolator.
The point of doing a live mix is to manage the levels to a competent degree during the mix. Post production just takes to much away from the live performance in terms of feeling, style and intended direction/journey the DJ had in mind. A live mix should have some volume discrepancies as long as they are not to noticeable to the average listener. I have never been a fan of all this post processing as I believe just a little bit more mixer sound level awareness to what you are playing is far more valuable to learn in the long term.
I agree, but it can be very hard to tell sometimes just from LED lights. I have decided to try having a cheap old laptop 'analysing' the output of my mixer (if I can be bothered setting this up) to see what the frequency spectral looks like in real time. Especially with underground stuff that is possibly (often) poorly mastered, the average volume of tracks can be all over the place, while the peak can still be high. Also because I am generally focused on blending tracks together, while I try to boost solo playing tracks to match the volume of the blends, sometimes the solo portions can be a bit too low in the mix. Another thing is if playing without monitors, or a club room with people in it that fills up (and maybe no time to hear what it sounds like on the dancefloor), or ear fatigue setting in.. it can often be that you begin a mix playing quieter and end playing a lot louder. So for the recording, it can beneficial to 'fix' that up - I usually try to do as few edits as possible though. If it is a vinyl mix and some pops and clicks are the loudest parts of the recording, it is worth bringing these down too so that you can at least do a single (entire mix) normalisation pass and not have the clicks being the loudest bit, but rather the loudest bit of the music instead. But I agree that when you start to add limiters and things it kind of kills the vibe of the original performance. I think if you use hardware limiter during performance though it is alright. But I'm not a big fan of that on CDJ/mixer/traktor .. it was an 'easy' way for consistent gain structure though, the few times I used Traktor. I'm currently using Ozone to get a mix as loud as effing possible (breakcore style) for CDR giveaways. Having headroom these days is a luxury for people with nice systems, most listeners (especially of this style) are playing out of headphones/laptop speakers/phone/shitty desktop speaker setups so you need to get things pretty loud to cut through the playback with lack of bass and low mid.
So you are saying that it's more important to scoff at advancements in technology so that, first and foremost, you can demonstrate your ability to adjust the volume and gain pots on the fly? You did notice that this was a vid on mastering a studio mix, demo, right? I don't think anyone is suggesting you master or do any POST production while you are playing live.. On the the other hand, if you are recording mixes and NOT putting any effort into mastering them, then .... well you get back what you put in, or the saying goes. If you are making a demo to and trying to take it/make it to that next level in your journey I'd think that NOT doing at least some basic mastering would be counterproductive... but that just me. I mean it would kind of be like showing up to a job interview with no shoes..... in your underwear. it's still you, but maybe just not the best image of you that you'd want to make that lasting first impression with. Technology is like anything, ... best used in moderation, just keep in mind innovation goes hand in hand with pushing the current mainstream meta. Or we would all be showing off our log drumming and stick rhythm skills instead of mixing electronic music. This sort of thing is about making high quality, polished finished product... for promotion, demo or whatever. The only reason I could see ignoring the power and potential awesomeness that Ableton and a little plugin prowess could add to a studio mix... would be when someone completely lacks the experience, knowhow and/or ability to utilize it in a creative way to deliver the goods a worthwhile result. And even then, I'd lean more towards practice and skill training as a form of asset acquisition. I can walk just fine, but I don't feel the need to leave my vehicle parked and walk to the store to prove I can... ya know? I use ableton to do quick dirty layouts of set ideas... just to see how things are going to look a little ways in... its an amazing tool for me using it this way, I tend to make track pools ALL the time, whatever I am into at the time, it's not uncommon for me to throw 40 or 50 tracks into one of those pools throughout the course of a week, being able to spend a few hours and get them weeded out, the choice tracks laid out on a general a general timeline, while I start to lay the groundwork for the "tale".... is awesome. It's made my time in my studio much more productive. At the end of the day, do what feels right to you, there is always gonna be new stuff out there, and people willing to put in the work to use it all to their advantage...
Hello. Thank you for this UA-cam tip. It has helped me more than anything I've tried. After using these post production mastering tips, my mixes have that finished professional sound. Thank you!
Thank youMojaxx for producing the only 'music mastering in Audacity' UA-cam tutorial that comes from someone who *actually* knows what the f&Ck they're talking about!
Do you know how many wastes of time are out there right now?
I do - I just watched 10 of them before I found yours!
cheers from Oz. 😎
salute Mojaxx - been trying to find something like this for a while now
Great video, audacity is a powerful tool that's been around for many, many years. I use it alot. Instead of exporting and reimporting, you can just mix it down to a new track then delete the old one all within the project.
Thank you for sharing this, I think if we keep the EQ to isolator in Rekordbox (Performance Mode) under Controller > Mixer > EQ = Isolator this will keep the graph/waveform and levels to master just that we have to check the clipping on both the channels. Also if we set the volume of every track manually under Grid Settings then also we can get the equal graph/waveform.
When I grow up I want to be just like Mojaxx!
Wow this is so helpful. I tried doing this for the first time a few days ago. Instead, I used the amplify effect to make my levels more consistent. It was really inefficient, time consuming and inaccurate Going to try it this way later today.
Thanx mo! I learned soooo much!!
great video man
If Audition reminds you very much of Cool Edit, that's because... it is :) Adobe bought and renamed it in 2003.
Yeah... I mentioned that in another take, but the video was already hella long, it had to go. ;)
Very good tutorial ! Mojaxx I have a request , can you do a tutorial for adobe audition cs 6 ? respect for everything you do.Cheers !!!
just use 3 compressors each barley making the needle move with a slow attack and a medium to quick release then use a final limiter to pull up the overall volume and help catch the peaks that the 3 compressors don't catch ! this always works for me . but this is a great video
why 3x compressors .. do you mean multiband?
Very helpful thanks!
I don't think you should be using DC offset with normalise for DJ mixes. You also shouldn't be doing so many gain stages I think - you could just skip the first normalise and go limiter. Or limiter - normaliser if you can't set the limiter to your desired output level. Personally I would have gone through and taken out those tiny short clicks and pops style bits - they are usually a few ms long each so changing gain to pull those tiny short sections down -3dB or so usually gets them to match the rest of the track. You can't hear the difference. But it provides more consistent level to normalise with. I'm not a fan of limiters on DJ mixes generally (unless hardware when recorded or something, so a part of the original performance), but the maximiser on Ozone sounds pretty good.
Great video. Thanx man !
what about using a plugin like MAXXVOLUME from WAVES? Would that not be necessary?
I have to try using audacity more, I'm constantly surprised at what it can do. Would you go about mastering a vinyl mix the same way? I usually play with the trim levels on my mixer to stay consistently at -5db throughout my mix. But when I see the wav in sound forge, there seems to still be quite a bit of disparity between tracks. Sometimes I find it easier to run my mixes through platinum notes. Any advice? Thanks again for these great vids! Picked up abelton live standard a couple of months ago, I'm still very new to it. Can't wait to see your next video
The way each record is pressed will have a big impact on how each one sounds in a mix with real vinyl. I wouldn't worry too much about it, just try and keep it as consistent as you can. People can normally tell when they're hearing real vinyl, so that gives you a bit more leeway. I expect a fully digital mix to be pretty perfect, but analogue is analogue. 😉
+Oscar Delgado
You cannot always go by the wav form generated in audacity when playing vinyl, due to many competing factors such as how the vinyl was pressed (warped, elongated or thin, etc), dust/dirt debris (which may be present on the record), stylus condition and background noise all play a vital role in the quality of any give vinyl mix. Before I dampened my DJ desk my recordings would pick up passing traffic going by my window. As long as it sounds consistent in volume you should be ok. If its not then more attention to sound levels during the mixing process would be more beneficial to learn in the short term to improve your overall long term aims.
Yeah different vinyl mastering sounds way different and it's hard to get consistent levels. Personally I go through and take out any loud clicks or pops manually by gaining those very short sections down -3dB or there abouts (or whatever is needed to bring it to the level of the rest of the mix). I sometimes do like in this video and mess with segments, but usually I will raise them rather than lower then (I record at around -10dB usually for headroom) to get them consistent (try to avoid doing too many stages of this though because each one is another gain stage). Here is a vinyl mix I recently recorded where I matched the volume of three segments, as well as trimming sections with backspins where it gets too loud. I also boosted up the cartridge feedback at a couple of points to hear the crowd noise easily :) www.mixcloud.com/SubterfugeSeminars/showboat-dj-set-at-axed-2-11-aug-2018/
This is very helpful, thanks
thx now i know hier i can quickly increase the levels but what about the headroom between -15 to-12dB that i need for the target value of integrated-14 LUFS for auch streaming platforms like soundcloud, mixcloud , deezer spotify tidal etc. ? Such values were not mentioned here , although they are essential, i think
Was hoping to see you use Ableton,and a little more in depth creativeness. This is more suited to the beginner. However it's informative and enough for a taster into post production. ✌️
This is the basic 'record/master a live mix' bit all done. Starting with the next episode we'll be getting deeper and more creative. :)
Great vid 😀
great video...what's the song @ 5.18?
Thanks for this great video!!
thanks for posting
Is that track from the begining by Karnage?
Is there the risk that by normalizing to -1.5 db the mix will sound soft compared to other tracks? or will serato and traktor use auto-gain to make it comparable to everything else?
People won't be playing your mix in Traktor or Serato. The video about -1.5dB is being heavy handed - most people can get away with 0.5-1. The argument for CDs is also only about older CD players, most can handle 0dB. But leave SOME headroom. Read the comments on that video, most people reckon 0.6-1dB max. I think 0.7dB is a decent headroom. There's also not much difference in the sound of -0.7dB and -1.2dB.
typically, now most platforms require you to leave between -1.5 and 0 db of headroom. And in general there will not be a big difference.
I dunno why but I am extremely limited in terms of plugins, but most importantly, I don't have the limiter in my list. Can you help me please?
Hey Mo,
When are you guys going to cover multi-track recording from Serato?
I don't think this has ever been possible. You mean with the Bridge?
Thanks , this is useful.
Hello Mojaxx just would like some help on this, i currently use audacity to record my mixes and im using serato dj with my djm 900nxs (Club kit) and would like to know under the preference in aduacity and on the recording device I choose my djm900 is that better than the soundcard on the MBP or should i still get a seperate soundcard like a focusrite ? Also i noticed that when i have the djm as my recording device the levels on audacity is at -15, and for me to see an increase on the volume in audacity i have to turn up the gain alot in order to see the levels volume go up in audacity. Now ive checked my utilies for the djm900 and the usb output level is -19 is that ok or should i switch to -15, -10, or -5? And is that only affect the volume when recording or also affect the volume when in a live gig when using my djm900? Thanks for any response
+DJNexuz1
Use the mixer soundcard for sure. It will be superior to your on-board sound card in every conceivable way, delivering a more accurate and cleaner sounding recording. As long as you are confident at maintaining a level sound output you could experiment with the different output recording levels and maybe find one that works for you better. Best of luck to your.
Nice work on this channel. You got skills. Let me know when you upload fresh videos, maybe we can help somehow.
Another thing.. the audio quality on this video isn't great.. any reason for that? Can hear computer ground issue or hdd or other computer or hiss/crackle background noise low in the mix .. always annoys me when seeing audio related videos, with bad quality audio lol.
For some wierd reason the video ain't loading. (uk)
Ouch @ 11 mins, I'd rather make the solo tracks sound closer to the blends than make the blends sound like the solo tracks. Blends are meant to be louder!! Unless you work real hard and pull both down for best gain structure. But I understand if you trying to make everything as loud as possible. but some dynamics in this music would be ok. Vinyl or digital mix? Also, there is NOTHING wrong with subtle EQ on a mix.. but I'd prefer to do it with hardware live during performance, with master output DJ isolator such as Dope Real or similar company product. But it is a bit cruddy to have/want to do it in post-production/mastering, as it wasn't representative of the actual performance. Really wish could afford an Isolator.
thank mo
The point of doing a live mix is to manage the levels to a competent degree during the mix.
Post production just takes to much away from the live performance in terms of feeling, style and intended direction/journey the DJ had in mind.
A live mix should have some volume discrepancies as long as they are not to noticeable to the average listener.
I have never been a fan of all this post processing as I believe just a little bit more mixer sound level awareness to what you are playing is far more valuable to learn in the long term.
I agree, but it can be very hard to tell sometimes just from LED lights. I have decided to try having a cheap old laptop 'analysing' the output of my mixer (if I can be bothered setting this up) to see what the frequency spectral looks like in real time. Especially with underground stuff that is possibly (often) poorly mastered, the average volume of tracks can be all over the place, while the peak can still be high. Also because I am generally focused on blending tracks together, while I try to boost solo playing tracks to match the volume of the blends, sometimes the solo portions can be a bit too low in the mix. Another thing is if playing without monitors, or a club room with people in it that fills up (and maybe no time to hear what it sounds like on the dancefloor), or ear fatigue setting in.. it can often be that you begin a mix playing quieter and end playing a lot louder. So for the recording, it can beneficial to 'fix' that up - I usually try to do as few edits as possible though. If it is a vinyl mix and some pops and clicks are the loudest parts of the recording, it is worth bringing these down too so that you can at least do a single (entire mix) normalisation pass and not have the clicks being the loudest bit, but rather the loudest bit of the music instead. But I agree that when you start to add limiters and things it kind of kills the vibe of the original performance. I think if you use hardware limiter during performance though it is alright. But I'm not a big fan of that on CDJ/mixer/traktor .. it was an 'easy' way for consistent gain structure though, the few times I used Traktor. I'm currently using Ozone to get a mix as loud as effing possible (breakcore style) for CDR giveaways. Having headroom these days is a luxury for people with nice systems, most listeners (especially of this style) are playing out of headphones/laptop speakers/phone/shitty desktop speaker setups so you need to get things pretty loud to cut through the playback with lack of bass and low mid.
So you are saying that it's more important to scoff at advancements in technology so that, first and foremost, you can demonstrate your ability to adjust the volume and gain pots on the fly?
You did notice that this was a vid on mastering a studio mix, demo, right? I don't think anyone is suggesting you master or do any POST production while you are playing live..
On the the other hand, if you are recording mixes and NOT putting any effort into mastering them, then .... well you get back what you put in, or the saying goes. If you are making a demo to and trying to take it/make it to that next level in your journey I'd think that NOT doing at least some basic mastering would be counterproductive... but that just me. I mean it would kind of be like showing up to a job interview with no shoes..... in your underwear. it's still you, but maybe just not the best image of you that you'd want to make that lasting first impression with.
Technology is like anything, ... best used in moderation, just keep in mind innovation goes hand in hand with pushing the current mainstream meta. Or we would all be showing off our log drumming and stick rhythm skills instead of mixing electronic music.
This sort of thing is about making high quality, polished finished product... for promotion, demo or whatever. The only reason I could see ignoring the power and potential awesomeness that Ableton and a little plugin prowess could add to a studio mix... would be when someone completely lacks the experience, knowhow and/or ability to utilize it in a creative way to deliver the goods a worthwhile result.
And even then, I'd lean more towards practice and skill training as a form of asset acquisition.
I can walk just fine, but I don't feel the need to leave my vehicle parked and walk to the store to prove I can... ya know?
I use ableton to do quick dirty layouts of set ideas... just to see how things are going to look a little ways in... its an amazing tool for me using it this way, I tend to make track pools ALL the time, whatever I am into at the time, it's not uncommon for me to throw 40 or 50 tracks into one of those pools throughout the course of a week, being able to spend a few hours and get them weeded out, the choice tracks laid out on a general a general timeline, while I start to lay the groundwork for the "tale".... is awesome.
It's made my time in my studio much more productive.
At the end of the day, do what feels right to you, there is always gonna be new stuff out there, and people willing to put in the work to use it all to their advantage...
Adobe has bought Cool edit... Thats why is similar ... :)