Master Mi

Thx for the info. So I will keep the 320 kbits/s and give the retrograde MP3 player to some only retro gaming & NES OST listening retrocore nerds.

So the 192 kbits/s in the submission rules are just the minimum requirement - can be always higher - but never below that rate? And you remixer guys always use the highest possible bitare for your tracks/submissions? I wonder 'cause I have a lot of remixes (some of them are from OCRemix) which have a bit rate far below 320 kbits/s (most of them are 192 or 128 kbits/s). And a higher bit rate means a higher density of information, so a higher size (and perhaps a higher quality) of the file, right?

Just have found out that the limiter of my DAW works pretty well - maybe I forgot to stop and play the song again after activating the limiter the first time. According to the screen in my Mastering Suite of my DAW it seems that the limiter can handle signals which are up to 15 dB over 0. My remix starts with 4 Layers (Electric Bass, 2 Power Chord guitars, percussion) which should actually start at the highest possible volume. Within the whole track there will lead in 2 further main layers (one after about 1/3 of the track and the other one after about 2/3 of the track) which make the master volume a bit higher (about 3 further dB for each further layer). So, what should I do if I want to turn up the volume of this track (it's a rock/ metal track) everytime it plays right after (for example) an orchestral & peaceful track but blessed with a much more decent volume? Shall I keep the starting master volume of the metal track really 6 dB below the 0 mark to end right about there at the points with the highest volume in the track? Or does it make more sense in this case to begin the track at master volume level +/- 0 and leave the rest of the track (and higher volume levels during the rest of the track, so at least 6 further dB) to the limiter? Or would you rather begin a bit below 0 try to keep the master volume at the same level during the whole track by lowering the volume of each layer for about 0,5 to 1 dB at the points where the additional layers lead into the track?

Just have found out something really important when it comes to the exporting of soundtracks at different bit rates. I had a big problem that I could solve some days ago. I had exported a remix of myself at the highest bit rate in my DAW (320 kbits/s). In the Windows Media Player there was no problem - played the file properly - the same with 2 MP3-Players - played the file without problems, too. But another MP3-Player totally fucked up the song with loads of scratching noises. No matter which sound drivers I had used for exporting it was always quite the same mess - except of different noises at different points of the track. Tried a lot of different thing to find out the reasons of this problem - in the end I had thought that the MP3 player and its software had some problems to read this MP3 file correctly - as it seemed I haven't been that wrong with this. As it seems this MP3 player was not able to read and handle the dense of informations at such a high bit rate which must have caused the scratching noises among the whole track. I exported the same track with the same settings at a lower bit rate (192 kbits/s) - and this time it totally worked on this MP3 player - no strange noises and absolutely clear sound like in the WMP and my DAW. Took some time for me to find out, that the highest bit rate don't have to be the best bit rate - but perhaps this information can help somebody. If there's something more to know about this topic please share your experiences and informations.

Can somebody help me? I'm looking for the posting in which the rules of submitting a song are explained.

So - I've uploaded the new version with the clean electric guitar and some insignificant changes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyGxxLrkKiY https://soundcloud.com/master-mi/lufia-2-tyrant-breaker-master-mi-remix-working-title-version-12wav @ timaeus222: Don't worry - I'm pretty happy with Magix Music Maker (cause I haven't worked with too many other DAWs yet) - but there were still a few bugs in there that fucked me totally up. @ MindWanderer: I already have an (electronic) instrument with an "essential flavor" (of an electric guitar in this case) in this track - for example the high lead at point 2:36 - sounds a bit like an electric guitar but it's a modified electric piano with a guitar amplifier - sounds pretty well at this point of the track but it was not the right choice at the point where the "real" electric guitar (that I was trying to improve all the time) leads in at 3:19 @ Jonathan!: Thanks for your offer to help me. But for my first own remix project I want to do it by own so far. Maybe in future when my DAW & music production skills are at a higher level I will be more openminded relating to some teamwork I think. The idea with the organ isn't too bad - but not for this remix. There is another remix of the Sinistral Battle theme I've made last year which had not the best sound quality (just used remastering tools on this cause I hadn't had the biggest DAW and music production skills at this time) - but with my new instrument collections and my acquired knowledge I think I will overwork it someday. And I think an organ (and the new lead synths) could fit in there pretty well. What do you mean with "In my opinion, you basically need a guitar sound for rhythm." I already have 2 power chord guitars for the bass line.

So, I guess I'll have to work with those old fossils without touching the rusty levers. ;D But just another question - just imagine you habe 2 layers in your track - both at volume 100 % (optimal loudness) - and at a certain point of the track a 3rd layer should lead into the mix (same volume/loudness). How would you lower the volume of these 3 layers in this case - is there a special rule like 100% * 2/3 = 66,66 % of loudness for each layer to keep the loudness at the part the 3rd layer begins at 100 % without reaching clipping? Or is it just less 10 % for each layer at this point where the 3rd layer leads in by the rule of thumb?

Yep, I guess my limiter is not the best - actually I haven't had the feeling that my limiter even tries to make slightly clipping layers at least a bit more smoothed. :DD But if we shouldn't move the fader for remixing then what's the purpose of this tool?

Thanks for the info. If I use the master fader then just the master fader - and in a decent way - so if one single instrument makes the overall loudness of the track a bit over the bar (clipping) I don't want to configure alle the instrument settings/volume again - I just put down the master volume some dB down - I guess this shouldn't be the problem. Isn't it like turning just the normal volume up and down just by using the master fader - or is it more like a compression? @timaeus222: I don't like to use a limiter 'cause it would change the dynamics of the song (especially the single notes which get too loud and the limiter modifies). To keep about 10 dB below 0 during the whole track and do the normalizing stuff afterwards seems to much more efficient to me that prevents also clipping in a perfect way. And you can work much faster - don't have to change every single setting all the time - and in the end you know, that every song has the same loudness (could be quite hard the fight for the last dB if you do this just by ear).

Hahaha, don't troll me, dude. :DD No, it was just this one remix I'm currently working at which is (at the highest possible master volume) far too silent (after exporting) compared to other remixes (my own as well as others). I'm still not really sure what's the real reason for this phenomenon - but I 've got at least a solution for this. In the export settings I used the option "Normalizing" - and I got a file which had the perfect loudness - no matter how high or low the master volume setting of the track was. Even if it was at - 40 dB or - 3 dB - with Normalizing the whole track gets always the same optimal loudness - and after using the normalizing option the volume was quite perfect compared to the volume of other tracks. And some people say that the normalizing doesn't effect the dynamics of the soundtrack - so it might be indeed perfect to get the best volume for a track. =))

Excellent work, dude - love it! \m/

I just want to know if you have the same problem with your DAWs. The master volume of my DAW rises with adding more layers to the track (even if they're at the at the same volume level in the mixer the master volume goes up) and goes faster close to the clipping point without being loud (loud = good volume level). So I'm obviously some kind of limited with a certain number of layers (and settings) per soundtrack if I want to have a good/high volume without clipping in the exported version - although my DAW is designed to have an unlimited amout of layers. What's the background behind this phenomenon? Is this some kind of a limitation to prevent the normal users with the standard versions of DAWs from creating professionell soundtracks with more layers or is this quite normal? ---------------------- PS: I could solve the problem via "Normalizing" in the export options.

Just downloaded this one - cause the soundcloud file came without any sound. The remix contains some pretty nice elements and variations of the lead. Totally like the beginning (maybe a lil bit too much volume and distortion). The lead seems to be the problem in the track. Concerning to the really powerful bass the flute-like lead is a bit too weak, bugging and gets lost in the track. Maybe try a more powerfull lead (maybe with an additional bass tone row within at the same lead synthesizer) together with somethin' panning/pad-like. You can also try to make the remix faster and use some more percussion - for example right after 0:23. This would be really nice for such a massive fighter remix.

Yep, I have already listen to this guitar setting in the whole song - sounds pretty nice - will upload a new version soon. Unfortunately my DAW is not in the list - maybe you can add some more for the choice of DAWs. For my remixes and Soundtracks I work with following DAWs: - Magix Music Maker - Magix Music Studio (Both are from the DAW Makers who made Samplitude Music Studio and Sequoia - some pretty expensive, professional German products with a large basis of high quality instruments, synthesizers, fx & music production tools etc. - pretty nice all-in-one-solutions.)

Yaaay, I 've got it & have solved the problem with the guitar, dude! I had thought that the problem with the guitar sound has to do with the Release of my basic electric guitar or the Overdrive of my Vandal SE Guitar Amplifier. But the real problem was the delay of the electric guitar - so just have cut the delay out and got a pretty nice clean rock guitar sound. I guess that's what you mean with the distortion and the instability in tone. Have an ear on this, man: https://soundcloud.com/master-mi/lufia-2-tyrant-breaker-clean-e-guitar-without-delay-testwav Guess I can go on with this amazin' shit without buying Shreddage (I'm still not sure if works as an vst plugin with my DAW - they say it only works with Kontakt/Kontakt Player).

Yeah - of course you have shown me those amazing remixes with Shreddage/Shreddage 2 - I'm sure the Chrono Trigger Remix was one of those. Besides do you have you listened to my other guitar at the critical part of my remix? https://soundcloud.com/master-mi What do you think would be the better choice? My E-Guitar oder my Acoustic Guitar (exept the one high messed up note at the beginning? Which one sounds better?

My DAW could'nt find (or implement) the dlls in the programm data, program files or document files of the Kontakt 5 or Native Instrument Stuff. Besides Kontakt 5 Player ist just Demo-Content and is temporally limited per Session. Even Indepence didn't seem to work although it's from the same Producers of my Software. I've tested this out with Freeware-VST and most of them worked absolutely well, others completely not and some not quite right. But I won't bother with that Demo & Freeware-Stuff too much and will rather save for Shreddage - it sounds absolutely amazing - just have listened to this amazing Chrono Trigger remix made with Shreddage. https://soundcloud.com/isworks/shreddage-2-corridors-of-time Meanwhile I will try to get a good sound with my vst guitars and other settings or I'll make some progress on my other 2 remixes I'm working at the moment. One's a soothing remix with Piano, Drums that give a nice underwater feelin' and Pads that underline this atmosphere (it's called "Donkey Kong Country - Aquatic Anthem" - will upload a working title version of this soon) - so I don't have to bother with the guitars in this case. =))

I had installed Kontakt 5 and the free instrument library today but I couldn't do anything with it - and there seemed to be no possibility to put the instruments via vst in my DAW. So I deleted Kontakt 5 and this stuff later on. But I have uploaded another one of this critical part - but this time with an acoustic guitar of my DAW as a basis. It fucks up that one single high not in the beginning - but the rest of the part sounds not really bad. https://soundcloud.com/master-mi/tyrant-breaker-acoustic-guitar-testwav Have an ear at it - tomorrow maybe. :DD

Yeah, but the problem is, that I don't own Kontakt 5 Player or Native Instruments. (or is Kontakt 5 completely free without being just shareware and already contains some nice electric guitars?) For the short guitar part... could be that you can't listen to it 'cause I've "just" uploaded the extracted electric guitar part. Maybe in some hours it's possible. Can you listen to the other versions at my Soundcloud profile - both, WAVs and MP3s? https://soundcloud.com/master-mi

Yeah, so I guess I will save some Buckazoids for Shreddage 2 if I don't get any good results with my electric guitars and Vandals - but I'll try a lil bit before I give up with those. Do you know ift Shreddage can be used as stand alone program if it doesn't work with my DAW? Besides I've extracted the layer of the electric guitars in the end - it begins with a single high tone series and gets an additional bass line with a similar electric guitar setting after the first seconds leading into a long main part with a high tone series and a bass tone series of the same electric guitar, ending with an additional electric guitar the pops in with a slightly higher volume (which I will fix later, maybe). https://soundcloud.com/master-mi/lufia-2-tyrant-breaker-e-guitar-testwav (will delete this after a few days/weeks) The beginning sounds pretty scratchy and awful high - but the following main part isn't too bad I think and has at least some glide effects cause of the minimal delay and hall reverb settings I guess. How would you change this to make this sound better? (I've also tried some acoustic & lead guitars instead of the electric guitar as a basis - but these totally peg up at the highest note in the beginning - unfortunately.)

Have some self-made presets for my guitar amplifier but I still can't get right into these sounds - maybe I have to try some other settings in there - or maybe I have to buy some guitar VSTs with higher quality like Ministry Of Rock. For the guitar playing styles... What do you think? Do these obvious pros do those guitar effects just within the choice of notes in the midi editor or do they do it rather with the special functions like pitch bending etc.?

Guile Theme goes with everything. So for me I totally like this short one. I think a calm orchestral version also fits Guile as well as a pretty heavy beat. I've thought about making a theme like Guiles with a smooth flute like in this Remix of Star Tropics - I guess it would totally make this theme. =))

@ Neblix: I use Magix Music Maker - it's the lil bit lower priced version of Sequoia/Samplitude (which is pretty tough with about 2500 bucks (Euro)). It guess it's not so famous at the global market (maybe) but I decided to take this one which has much more solid basis of functions and a lot more instruments and synthesizers compared to the standard version of Fruity Loops oder Cubase Elements which are nearly the same price section. Just bought some of the extra instruments here (which are actually pretty good stuff) - but at the third of the download price by buying some very cheap previous versions of the Music Maker where these instruments have been already included. http://www.magix.com/de/hidden-extras/zusatzinstrumente/

You mean the FX/Equalizer panel up there in the mixer? (audio next to it is just the recording function for the live input of real instruments and voices) http://magazine.magix.com/de/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2013/04/open-vst-via-mixer.jpg No I haven't done this yet in my newest uploads - but i've tried it once and it makes the master volume about 30 dB louder without FX/EQ settings - but the same goes for the exported version.

So, Pitch Bending is actually the Midi Editor Controller Function for the bendings and vibratos you do with guitars? =)) Thanks for the LFO hint - have some other synthesizers that work with that stuff, too.