mastering tips

[zbornak78]

i know that this has proably been discussed before, but i was wondering if anyone had any tips on getting maximum volume on cd. i am using syntrillium's cool edit pro and had heard of people normalizing everything WAY above max until just about everything is clipping and then backing the volume back down about a tenth of a decibel or something. is this really work? does it sound like total ****? any help would be appreciated.

[xstatic]

No it does not work. The people that do that get a loud product, but don't have the ears to hear the pumping they have added, nor the loss of signal clarity. Loudness maximizers can be great tools, but only when used moderately and appropriately. It is also important to use good EQ's and mutiband compressors. Remember to check mixes in mono also. Make sure there is no drstic changes when doing so, especially in the low end (proper phasing etc....) .

[TeeCee]

Mastering Tips != (Does Not Equal) High CD Volume. High CD Volume != Good Sound. How much too quiet is your music for your tastes?

[DigitalBrad]

You should check out the Waves Mastering Bundle. It has L2 which works extremely well for leveling and limiting.

[zbornak78]

thanks digitalbrad! i am just learning about all of this and want to make sure that my stuff sounds as close to professional as possible, but i don't want to make any awful mistakes. i really appreciate it.