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Author Topic: Mixing Into A Limiter  (Read 7623 times)

Lydian

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Mixing Into A Limiter
« on: May 08, 2016, 02:35:11 pm »
I'm not going to lie. I have a VERY bad mixing habit. For some reason, I can't really get my mixes to sound as good if I don't mix into an ozone preset.

Go ahead and bag on me all you want lol. I feel like this is limiting me but I'm not sure how. I've never really understood why people advised to not mix into a limiter. Is it because they make it so that you can't see your peaks?

Why is it advised that people don't mixed into limiters? Could someone please name me reasons why I SHOULDN'T mix into a limiter that way I can actually understand it for once and stop doing it?
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hennyhuisman

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Re: Mixing Into A Limiter
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2016, 04:29:37 pm »
It's not a bad habit, there are tons of producers that mix into a ozone preset or some mastering chain. As long as you shape your mix in a way that benefits that preset than why should it be wrong? Perhaps it´s just the extra loudness that preset gives you what you perceive as good?

Personally i mix without any plugins on the master channel and try to make it sound as loud and as good as possible with no processing. I just don't like having a mastering preset colouring my sound before i start mixing. In the end i just add what's needed. Most of the time I only do some minor EQ adjustments and add a tiny bit of compression to gain some extra loudness and cohesion with a limiter in the end. I'd also like to add that in my experience most heavy processing is best done in the mixing stage and not on the master channel.

I think it's just a matter of taste and what suits best in your workflow.
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Mussar

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Re: Mixing Into A Limiter
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2016, 04:46:59 pm »
The biggest argument against it is that it does not provide you with an accurate representation of what is coming out of your speakers. When you are trying to make proper mixing decisions, you want to have your speakers to match as 1:1 as possible so you only fix what is present, not what is added.

If you're unable to get a good sounding mix WITHOUT slapping on a mastering chain, that's probably a sign that you're perceiving louder as better like henny said - which is a natural human response. If you pulled down the volume fader on your master to peak around where it did before ozone, how would it sound?

At the same time, there are arguments to be made for mixing into a mastering limiter. SeamlessR has said he applies a mastering chain as soon as he considers the main section of the drop or chorus of his song to be "complete" because through experience he has found that to achieve the mix he desires a standard premaster level balance would not achieve the same result as when it's slammed into Maximus as hard as possible to become Da Fattest Sausage. So if you're making like gnarly bass-heavy Brostep, it might be better to start with Ozone on (or try to put it on as fast as possible).
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manducator

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Re: Mixing Into A Limiter
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2016, 07:54:45 pm »
Henny and Mussar both know what they are talking about.

Mixing into a limiter or mastering chain doesn't have to be a bad habit.It gives you an idea of the end result.

I did evening school about audio production and the teacher learned us how to do it and the results weren't that bad. But I just can't get used to this way of workflow so I don't do it anymore but there are some people who get good results with it.

The big disadvantage is that when you change the setup of your mastering chain, it will alter the sound of the final mix. So you have to be pretty sure about that mastering chain. If you mix into a limiter and you change the release afterwards, for instance the outcome will be different, defeating the purpose of this technique. It's a kind of working the other way around, having your mastering chain ready before you start to mix. Not necessarily bad but not my way of working.

Usually, when you take off the mastering chain/limiter, your mix sounds less good. Imagine that someone else (pro engineer) masters your music and he has no clue of your mastering chain. He will probably contact you to say the mix doesn't sound good.

If you're the only one working on your music and it sounds fine for you, just do it!
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Marrow Machines

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Re: Mixing Into A Limiter
« Reply #4 on: May 09, 2016, 05:05:50 am »
if you want your things to sound louder, you have a volume knob on your interface


just crank it at varying levels (consider ear protection)

then, you can slam it as loud as you want (but it does alter the characteristics of the sound)

Listen to the people who have already commented in this thread...
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Miles Dominic

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Re: Mixing Into A Limiter
« Reply #5 on: May 09, 2016, 07:19:47 am »
I dont mix into a mastering chain, but hey, jts all about the end result. If it sounds good, its good.
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attila

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Re: Mixing Into A Limiter
« Reply #6 on: May 13, 2016, 12:17:30 am »
At the end of the day, whatever works works, but it's definitely a habit I'm gonna get out of now that I'm learning mastering. I'll still flick a rough mastering chain off and on to check my drum transients and stuff, but it screws with the mix overall too much.

Still keep a stock ableton limiter at 0 on my master to catch any rogue sounds before they blow my monitors though
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