1. > > Should i lower the track faders or the master fader when the master is > clipping? Ive heard both on this actually so now im a bit confused :) > ...or should the master always be at 0db no matter what? > > does it really matter if the master fader is at -5db when the mixing is > done? ( the input of the master channel is of course clipping now)... > > One guy told me that this would infect all of the inserts on the master as > well as the limiter.....one other told me that it dont! [::] Keep the master fader at 0db, unity, and adjust your individual track faders. No individual track or master out should clip. > 2. > Lets say that i have the master fader at -5db and then add a limiter to > the > track with a ceiling of 0db, then the master would be at -5db at the end, > and if i then increase the master fader > to 0db then i have the same volume as if i had the master at 0db all the > time......is this the wrong way to do? [::] By the same rule above, you should never clip on the master out either if mixing digitally. Clipping here is 0dBfs so you simply have filled all the bits. If you are using a limiter to keep from clipping you are on the wrong track. > 3. > and which of these methods are best when i should dither a song? does it > matter? one guy told me that the master should always be at 0db when i > should dither...(at least if i used a 3rd party dither) [::] Someone else should comment on this one to be exact, but once again usually dithering is done at the mastering stage and at this point you may have ultimately reached 0dBfs, but either way don't dither until the end of what you are trying to do. If you are going to send the tracks off to master also don't dither. They will do it for you. If you are going to dither do it as the last step in the mastering stage. > 4. > How high should the input be on the master track before i add the limiter? > could it be way below 0db? [::] A limiter shouldn't have to be used on the master out but it can be as a last approach to ensure you don't go over 0dB. A better approach would be to not put a limiter the first time you bounce and if you ever see that you have hit a spot where you are at 0dB go back and fix it in the mix. This is a technique that can totally squash your mix and kill the dynamic range, which you have probably already done if you are limiting individual tracks before they hit the master outs. > 5. > How important is it to achive the most gain possible from my softsynths? > there are different opinions here also im afraid :( > > some people say that it doesnt matter at all and others tell me to get as > much as i can until the track VU almost clip..... [::] Set one of the instruments in your song as the one that you will correlate all others too, say maybe the kick drum. Then simply mix everything around it so that they are all balanced and things sit correctly. > 6. > Should the master track NEVER clip no matter what? can this damage my > card? [::] It won't damage your card. This is telling you that you have used all available bits for amplitude and you can use no more to describe the sound. pfokus ----------------------------------------------------------------- LUG Group Buy for Serato's Pitch n' Time LE until June 14th! See http://logic-users.org/groupbuy/serato for full details