Mastering question for you all, help please

Hi Bobernaut - What I would do is to start a new blank project, add 11 Audio tracks and then import one .wav file to each of the Audio tracks. Position each .wav file in the Track View so that they follow one after the other in the order of the planned CD. Then select all the Audio Tracks and then "Bounce to Track" (Edit / Bounce to Track). That will create a single track containing all the .wav files. Then just select the composite track and Export. Then set up another blank project with one Audio track. Import the composite .wav to that track and then master it. Then Bounce to Track the mastered .wav and export the resulting Track. You will then of course need to slice the mastered exported .wav back into individual tracks.

If this is your first time mastering, a bit of advice. Stick with it! Mastering is probably the biggest ordeal of the recording process. Don't get frustrated because many of us even on a pro level, have had to really work hard to get the finished result. Patience is the key. And you will find plenty of info about how to do this final step right here in these forums. If you have not already, I would search through the forums for any posts on mastering. I use X1 myself so I am noit to familiar with Syudio and what you tools you have in Studio as far as mastering qaulity. Some people prefer to master outside of Sonar. Just a word of encouragement. One more thing, it doesn't hurt to have another fresh pair of ears critique your progress from time to time. Just make sure it is someone who you trust that will give you an honest opinion. And beware of listening fatique! Mix and Master for a while, if you still don't have what you want, walk away for a while. On average, I go by what a hearing specialist told me. I try to master for about 3-4 hours. After that point the ears are fatiqued and you are not hearing what you think you are. Many of us have spent several hours mixing that one song that just is not coming together. We finally feel we have it, only to come back the next day, play the track, and say to ourselves,"What was I thinking. This sounds terrible!"
     I wish you luck, HANG IN THERE! STAY POSITIVE!

Hi Bob

I suspect you created the 11 Audio Tracks and then imported each song to each track but put them to all start at bar 1. What I was suggesting was to do as you did on the single track - place each song to start one after the other. In other words, import the first song to Audio Track 1 to start at bar 1. Let us assume that this song finishes at bar 98. So, select the second Audio track, position the cursor (ie. the 'play' line that runs down the screen from the top to the bottom) at bar 99 and then import the second track. So, you now have Song one starting on Audio Track 1 at bar 1 and the second Song on Audio Track 2 starting at bar 99. You then have one track following on from the other. (You could of course import each song to each Audio Track at bar 1 and then simply drag each song to its correct position - the result is the same!).

Now, a quick trick! BEFORE you import any tracks, position the cursor at bar 1. Then go to Insert / Meter-KeyChange. Set the Beats per Measure to 1 and the Beat Value to 32. What a lot of bars you now have! Why do this? As you said when you were using just one track for all the songs, you dragged each song to their position. With a time signature of 1/32 you can move the songs very precisely to where you want them.

So, why use 11 Audio tracks when you can, as you found, put them all on one? Try it my way and then listen to each track, one after the other. I bet you will find that several tracks are mixed totally differently to the others and sound out of place. This is particularly true of volume level. One of the first steps in Mastering is to get all the tracks to the same volume level. So having used 11 Audio tracks, it is simple to go to the mixer and make the adjustment now BEFORE you combine the songs into a single track. And of course you can also add compression, limiters and so forth at this stage, before making the final adjustments after you have brought all the tracks together (ie. Select all and then Edit / Bounce to Track).

I hope this is clear. I had a bit of trouble trying to post a picture but have now worked it out! Please see next post. If you are still unsure what I mean, please email me:
 
malcolm_brown@msn.com
(there is an underscore character between 'malcolm' and 'brown') 
Best Wishes
Malcolm
 

Wow, I don't know where to start Malcolb-to thank you that is! You are on my credits page for the album for sure-that's a done deal. If I can somehow assist you sometime (doubt it though, unless you need a shredder (guitar)), please let me know.
 
Anyway, thank you for still being out there and answering questions for me.
 
You are correct in your assumption that I imported that way. This is one of those things that a person just wants done, but, it must be done correctly, at least in my book. With what you have told me, including the free quick trick-which I will certainly attempt to do, I will now be able to get this thing done (hope and pray).
 
 I really can't thank your efforts enough in creating the picture for dummies like me. I know that takes alot of extra effort that most people just won't do for free. Maybe, just maybe, with the picture and advice, I will pull this off.
 
It will take a day or two for me to try this and then I'll get back with you, I hope, might try your email if that's alright. I know I will have at least one more question pertaining to the "splicing" that you mentioned in your first answer.
 
Nothing more I can say for now, except, once again, thank you so much!
 
bob

That I am certain to do. Again, many thanks!

whole album in the same way, that is, EQ, limiting and compression

Each song will need different Eq, compression and limiting settings to it. There are no one settings for all in mastering. Your ears will tell you what to use and what settings to set them to
 
Cj