Amount of Pro master track space versus mine

Hello again, and thanks for reading this, I appreciate it! I recently tried to post a similar question here but I can't find it, so if this is a repeat for you, I apologize.
 
I was playing around with mastering the other day and had pulled a professionally mastered track into the template and then put mine in below it-you know, for referencing.
I noticed some things when I did this.
 
The pro track took up nearly all of the track lane while mine took up a little more than half.
The pro track had tons of narrow spikes all over the place while mine was closer to a semi-solid block with some much shorter spikes.
 
The pro track showed that it was heavily clipping (red) right from the start of the tune and all the way through it. Mine does not show any clipping at all.
 
My main question here is, what are they (pros) doing that I am not doing in order to take up the entire track lane? I mean, that from the very bottom of the lane up to the very top, there is information but not in a solid block.
 
The pro music style is similar to mine-heavy everything.
 
I have tried to load a picture of this to show you but it isn't taking for some reason-can't you use imgur for this?
 
I would be happy to upload a picture if someone tells me more about how to do this, but I imagine the legends around here know exactly what I am talking about with the spikes and blocks.
 
I would greatly appreciate any information that you can give me on this question.
 
Thank you for your time and I am looking forward to learning more about this from you all.
 
bob
 

There are all kinds of techniques to raise the vol, but if you are doing home stuff you can get close.  The ideas above are good.  If you really want to get it loud you will need to go into each track and find the "best" means to raise each track, then remix, then go back and limit/compress/vol automate the entire mix.  And have a good ear and tools and monitoring system so you catch any unwanted distortion.  That is good work, if you get paid for it. ;-)
 
It is probably best to just raise your own files close.  Your example of being 1/2 the height of a commercial pressing means you aren't mixing hot enough. Get that louder and your limiting/etc. on the entire track will sound more natural and less strained and louder.  I'd rather get 90% there and have the song sound like I want but a little less loud than loud and bad.  Get it loud enough and let your listener use their vol control when they go from Metallica to your song.  That is what it is there for.
 
 

http://imgur.com/a/0pfWa
 
http://imgur.com/a/EGovd
 
Okay, now let's see if this works!
Thanks for your advice guys, I will give it all a shot, but I have a couple of questions still-
 
Hopefully, you are now able to see the "clipped" screen shot. Is this clipped-massively-as it appears or am I not measuring this correctly? I thought that going into the red, especially this much, was an end-of-the-world thing in the music biz and no one ever did it... This record is platinum I would guess (not Metardica).
 
Also, I am sure that I was probably using the T-racks Classic Clipper on this one. Is the misuse of this plug possibly causing some of my problem? Is that why I don't have the big spikes-because I cut them off? I don't know if that's a visible thing and I never thought to LOOK at it, just hear it. Thanks decumpian, for this idea.
 
AT, if I mix hot, aren't I going to have to do some clipping to achieve that? Also, I appreciate your advice on finding the "best" means...-makes sense.
 
Thanks Bristol J, tlw, and dlion16. I am going to give all your ideas a try.
 
 
I hope you guys can see the pictures this time, it would help, wouldn't it?
Looking forward to your wisdom-lay it on me! And many thanks!
 
bob

What I see looking at the image is:
TOP: normal recording,  RMS nice and loud not overly compress some dynamics and headroom
Bottom- Over compressed track, no dynamics, not very loud 
 

Hi everyone and thanks for everything, I appreciate it. A couple of things-
 
I loaded up something from about 1 year ago when I was just sort of trying out different things. I actually probably picked a pretty bad master and just stuck it in there for comparison. I knew I had better so I went back into the archives, so to speak, and found more recent one's and they do fill up the track pane. However, I still do not have the same dynamics ( I think that's right), as the pro tune. They (spikes/peaks) are much better but I am still lacking in overall dynamics, meaning, I don't have very distinguished peaks and lows (if that's right). It isn't a sausage, as they call it, but not as similar to the pro song as I would like to have.
 
So, while your advice is wonderful, which it is, I am wondering what causes the ups and downs (spikes and lows) and how do I get them? Is it that I am not compressing well? Is it something which is accomplished in the recording? All of my stuff is heavy from start to finish and I actually am trying to make it that way, is that why it all looks almost the same? Because there are no dynamics really?
 
I wish I could figure this out and I would be a fairly happy person. I sure hope some of you understand what I am trying to say here. I think my songs sound pretty good and balanced and I have taken very good care to record as cleanly and as loudly, but not too loud, as I should. I feel as if I am missing something that might be simple and that maybe I didn't go to school that day and missed it.
 
By the way, no comment on the pro clipping screen capture? Why is the pro song in the red if it isn't clipping? Hope someone takes a crack at it.
 
 
And once again, thanks for all your replies, I am putting them all to use.
 
bob

bobernaut
 
By the way, no comment on the pro clipping screen capture? Why is the pro song in the red if it isn't clipping? Hope someone takes a crack at it.

I don't see any clipping, I see the track maxed out though to 0db which is common with most masters.
You can clearly see there still some nice transients. The spikes are what is causing the meter to reach 0db
In the comparison shot side by side. you mix looks like its been compressed quite a bit.
If this just your mix and not your master, I would go back and remix it. Remove some compression.
the wave appears to be extremely fluent with no spikes at all (no dynamics popping through).
If this is your master than its apparent the master is not loud enough. Even if it is your master, you should still be seeing some transients.
 
Another thing to consider is your zoom of the Wave form. In order to completely compare to signals exactly, the Zoom on the vertical needs to be exactly the same. So as long as you didn't mess with the zoom on your track settings this is what I would conclude (what I stated above).

Of course your musical arrangement will also have something to do with the dynamics of the music.

If you don't play with any variation in volume you won't get any peaks or troughs showing either.

The peaks and troughs are the dynamics created by an interplay of the various parts of your arrangement. No change in level you won't have dynamics.

This can of course be created as the others have suggested by using compression and or limiting in the wrong way and in the wrong place, eg a track instead of the master or vice versa. Or wrong compressor settings. You could change attack to be a bit slower letting more of the signal in early before compression just as an example.

But back to my point it's always to make sure that you're arrangement isn't too full all the time. When your musical parts have room, occupying various non competing frequencies you'll have less need for heavy handed manipulation allowing you to get a good mix just using the faders and then using the other tools to polish the sound. HTH

If your mostly using heavy distorted guitar then that can quickly max out a soundscape. 
Big fat synths can do the same. And it might be all low end energy which will also put you at 0 with no room for the higher frequencies to cut through. 
So no matter what the style of music you still need to balance out the frequencies. 
And notice you were using compressors when you might not have needed them. 
Less is best  until one gets a handle on their mix.