More Pop More Style! Works In Progress Teaser

[kwvp]

[Hunts]

Hey, payback? When is the first no pop no style going to be available for public download?

[payback3000]

[VMNP]

So you could always like buy one.

[dave_van_damn]

Sorry for going off-topic here, but going back to our discussion on compression...

Here's my friend's track which I recorded and have just mixed. (You can listen to it here ) I added some compression to the drums but aside from that nothing else. As you can see there are lots of spikes and I'd like to make the overall track louder. When I use the compressor on Audacity, the volume pumps up and down and the difference between the high and low peaks doesn't really change much. Any idea what I can do to make it louder but at a consistent level (ie no spikes)? Should I compress it once it's mixed or assign a compressor to a bus in Reaper (I have no idea what I just said...)

Many thanks guys and sorry for hijacking the thread but I guess it may be of help to some people working on their covers.



EDIT - or should I just hard limit the track by -6dB and then normalise it? Will this reduce the quality more than a decent compression job.

[payback3000]

[kwvp]

Yep, not sure it needs making any louder. For me the bass drum's a bit quiet - comes through better on decent headphones, but assuming the drums are all on one track maybe play around with the EQ or possibly some compression just on that bottom end. The problem I always have is in not getting everything sounding too boggy down there though. :/
Similarly bass guitar sounds a bit quiet to my ears. Maybe bring that up in the mix a bit?
Maybe that'll help fill out the sound if that's what you're after.

Just my very non-expert humble opinion though..

[dave_van_damn]

Wow, thanks for the positive comments guys, really appreciate the input!

payback3000: Thanks for clearing that up about the spikes. I've definitely noticed that older pre-millennium CDs sound quieter and as you said they probably look similar too. But you're right, I've been looking at post-Loudness Wars wavs and thinking "why aren't mine like that, what am I doing wrong?". Well if brickwalling will damage the dynamic range I'll just leave it as it is! Thanks again!

kwvp: Actually the drums are spread out over 3 tracks, one for kick, one for snare and one for tom and cymbal however each mic picked up a bit of everything so I've tried to EQ as much out as possible without making things flat. Had a bit of a problem with the bass - it copies the guitar track (which i also EQd to remove bass) but its difficult to make out. If I turn the bass off the difference is vast but when its on it just sounds like the low-end of the guitar coming through when actually its a bass guitar.