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#17946 03/24/09 09:28 PM
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Hi There, can someone explain what effect quantize does and where I might use this? Another question I have is when you are mastering your mix,where are your volume sliders. I was wondering where you guys have the volumes set when your at the mastering stage.

Thanks


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Darren Patrick #17947 03/25/09 11:12 AM
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Quick answers:

Quantization is the process of altering sounds to 'snap' the sounds to the designated timing. For example, if you play four quarter notes, and then quantize to the quarter note value, they will be perfectly placed, timing-wise. Without quantization, they would be looser, timing-wise. Some quantization is useful in some situations to clean up messy playing, such as to the nearest 32nd note, but too much makes the music lifeless and sterile - too perfect - unless you're going for that sound, like techno. That's a very quick and dirty explanation.

Mastering is a much more complicated subject. The short answer to your question is, it depends; every song is different. A slightly longer answer is that mastering is a separate process, after the song is done, to alter the sound. One purpose might be to equalize the tone or volume of a song so it fits better with other songs on the same CD. Another (mis)use might be to squash the life out of the song (remove dynamic range, the difference between loud and soft sounds) so it plays as loudly as it can and sounds as loud as other songs on commercial radio.

Hope that helped a little. More specific questions can get more specific answers.


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Matt Finley #17948 03/25/09 02:44 PM
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And Quantize command only works on MIDI tracks.

Mac #17949 03/25/09 04:55 PM
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Every little bit helps, Thanks


HI , I'm new here and I love BIAB
Darren Patrick #17950 03/25/09 07:19 PM
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Sure.

What makes you ask? Are you having a problem?


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Matt Finley #17951 03/26/09 05:02 PM
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No, I'm not having a problem. I have just seen this term before in other programs and didn't see a good explanation as to what it did or why I should use use it. In fact there are many things that are new to me with Realband. It will take a lot of experimenting to figure it all out but I am very happy with what I have been able to create so far. I wished that I could have had this when I was a kid. With most of the projects I have done so far, it is usually the bass that gives me the most headache. I always have to reduce the first two sliders down on the ten band eq, some more that others. I just wasn't sure if I needed more or less volume to raise each slider for each track or raise the gain in the mastering stage.


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Darren Patrick #17952 03/26/09 05:12 PM
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Hi darren, just a note for the last post. You say you need to push down the first two sliders on the bass? Do you have a subwoofer or something, or an amplifier attached that boosts the bass? Because you are talking about very low frequencies (especially the first slider) and as far as I could hear, there is not much wrong with the realtracks frequencies, nor I can imagine the VST plugins would be giving that problem. You could compress the bass a bit and make it easier to control its volume, but an EQ seems to be something that one would only do as an artistic variation...


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abaudio #17953 03/27/09 08:59 AM
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All I have is a pair of Samson Resolve 65a active studio monitors hooked up to an alesis io2 2 channel interface. The mix actually sounds really good and it doesn’t appear to need any adjustment when sitting in front of the computer, but when I put the cd in my vehicle I have to turn the bass way down, I'll compare it to a commercial cd and the bass is much louder. I just finished another Biab song. I purchased a set of songs from Norton music an recreated the song “Singing the Blues” using real tracks. You can listen to it at http://www.soundclick.com/dpatrick


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Darren Patrick #17954 03/27/09 11:18 AM
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You can learn to mix on anything and learn to overcome the limitations of your equipment and room acoustics, but it takes time, skill, and good ears.

Practice making different mixes and listening to them on everything: car speakers, cheapest computer speakers, headphones, boombox, etc. and learn what works. In your case, it's possible that either your monitors do not reproduce bass well so you mix too much in, or your acoustic space absorbs bass and you mix too much in. Don't rule out the possibility your car stereo has some sort of EQ set to boost bass, or your car's treble speakers are blown...


BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
Matt Finley #17955 03/30/09 05:58 AM
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Darren, I listened to those two songs on your site. The first one has a lack on the bass, not only the bassguitar, but as well for the kickdrum. The second one has a firm kick, abit too firm if you'ld ask me. The bass guitar is a bit harder to judge because of too much of kick that covers up the bass notes. But for both mixes I would think it must be your monitors or the accoustics as Matt allready mentioned as a possibility. The question is, coming from this conclusion, how did it happen that one song lacks of something that the other has a bit too much of (at least in the kick). It seems to me that you used two different methods. Maybe nr one was created in BB where you can only have one EQ for all instruments, so cutting all base for the audiotracks inside and used the seperate EQ's in RB for the second song? Just a wild guess...


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