Basic Mastering w/ Pro Tools le

[atatro]

Is there a way to turn up everything max volume, yet keep your mix, so the volume sounds like a normal volume for when you burn and listen to it on cd?

[dpd]

I've mixed a project in LE with NO mix buss compression or limiting and it has sufficient level. According to the Inspector plugin the peak levels were only reaching -3 dB or so.

If you want pro-mastered sound, go hire a mastering engineer. You can't get there using LE level equipment.

[atatro]

I don't need a pro sound, I just want to be able to listen to my mix on a burned cd without turning the sound all the way up to hear it at a normal volume.

[DAS]

There are a number of mastering/bus type compressors that will do this. Waves & Sony are two brand names that come to mind, but there are more.

[dpd]

Originally posted by atatro
I don't need a pro sound, I just want to be able to listen to my mix on a burned cd without turning the sound all the way up to hear it at a normal volume.

Believe it or not, you can get good volumes on the CD with out brickwall limiting and massive compression on the mix bus. I did just that on a demo CD of my son's jazz band all mixed in LE - no track normalization or compression or limiting used on the mix bus. Just keep working the levels and play around.

Then, if you want consistently loud volume (low peak to RMS ratio), you can add those plugs at the end. The good part is that you won't have to get over-agressive with them and trash the final sound.

Bob Katz' book "Mastering Audio" is a great read, BTW.