I dislike having to get off the couch to turn up volume knob on the receiver.

aside from the aesthetics of getting your mix louder, there are lots of ways to "make it loud":

1. higher low passes/lower high passes on individual tracks, and the mix as a whole, especially low pass.
2. layered compression: track, bus, master. will sound smoother than one compressor smashing the crap out of everything, which means more overall peak reduction without pumping or even accidentally increasing dynamics.
3. multiband compression.
4. gain/volume envelopes - even out dynamics.
5. gates - cut out stuff you don't want to or can't hear.
6. EQ - use parametric EQs on individual tracks and dip fundamental and resonant frequencies. find these with a frequency analyzer like voxengo SPAN.
7. track balance - turn up different tracks at different times to keep the sense of dynamics (i.e., loud guitars during chorus, loud drums/bass during verses, loud solo during bridge, etc.)
8. arrangement - less can be more. don't think of the mix as a static set of tracks, look at it over time, both macro (drop second guitar in verses) and micro (don't let bass notes sustain under the snare).

always perform these operations while listening to the full mix. A/B against your professional target "loud" track (turning down the pro track so it's at the same level as your track, volume-wise) and listen critically - what sounds thin or weak when you really pay attention? do the same in your mix, then give yourself a 5 minute break. come back and see if you can tell a difference.

finally, realize that many professional tracks that are victims of the loudness war don't actually sound good, but you don't care because the music is awesome. (see audioslave, self-titled album).

If you are using sonar producer, it comes with a plug in called Boost 11. As the previous posts have mentioned, this WILL kill your dynamics if you over use it. The red on the waves on the left represent how much of the song is affected. The waves on the right show the output. You will notice it's a very uniform volume which can definitely be a bad thing depending on how much you use.

When you are done with your track, you would export it to 1 stereo track and apply it there. This might be stating the obvious, but you need to mute everything else, and make sure the stereo track is the only thing you are working with. Again, this is when you are completely done with the mix, editing, etc.

Jonsey asked WHY do you want it loud.... 

I'm asking does it need to be loud. Many times, the answer to that is No.

Don't go loud just to be loud. 

Keeping the dynamic range to me is more important than loud. You can always turn up the volume.

An overly compressed and squashed song is still squashed when it's turned up, but a song with dynamics really comes alive when it's turned up. 

Tread lightly on those compressors and limiters.

mike_mccue


I dislike having to get off the couch to turn up volume knob on the receiver.

Rig up a servo device on the knob with a cable to your couch. Similar to that cable used in photography. Make it as heavy duty as possible. You don't want any sound to spill out on the floor.

When I developed cleaner mixes with properly miked amps and correct EQing, also with the introduction of a better audio interface, I found my mixes to be much louder. hence I only use About -6db threshold mastering compression with ozone 3. Mixes are plenty loud.   Also, I mix down my songs without any mastering. Then open it up again as a stereo track to add limiting and ozone. That way I can go back and undo or redo the mastering.

In the past I was only achieving "black sabbath" volume, compared to "system of a down" volume..... That was my reason for Needing loudness.

While Limiting (I hope is done with discipline if an ME doesn't do it), it's not really necessary at all. Most keep saying just turn up the volume; however, "I don't wanna touch every single slider - or do the trial and error thing (which perhaps involves math)." (However, do document!)

This is why Sends are are best friends. More often you hear when they're used when tracks share effects to alleviate CPU load (ie: Delays, Reverbs, etc.), but they can be used to boost/cut the volume as well as EQs.

I'm listening to a track with 3 sends (Volume + 2 EQ) with the volume decreasing when off, but increasing when on and I never touched a track slider (The master is @ -.3dB).

Without those Sends the peaks (Master VU) don't touch or just barely touch -18dB (The kick goes over, but that's fine); however, with them on - Volume alone pushes this to -12dB, with EQ 1, it goes to -8dB, with both on, it's about -2 or -1. (-6dB = 0 with the VU measurements)

As far as the tracks themselves, they're pretty low which is why the overall track is low without the sends.

AAMOF, these sends before they became sends were on my Master Track. I still have FX on the Master; however, using sends helped alleviate some of the Master Track's weight. And given their purpose, why neglect them? Simply don't.

So, yes, you can have a track (or tracks) "bumped up" in volume, but routing through a send is much more preferred by me at least than Limiting. In fact, if Volume sends are used (and make sure you tell the ME this) then, less limiting may be applied which means more dynamic headroom.

Again, I could be wrong about this, but when you do something wrong for so long, you do think it's right. I always Limited my tracks until I read up on dynamic preservation and all that comes with it (on here and else) and will now no longer do this. I'm not saying that it might not be needed; I am saying it isn't nor should it be the end all be all - especially if used incorrectly.

Bit liked when I said that "every knob isn't a volume knob." This is when I didn't understand compressors (I'm still experimenting) but the same can be said for/when Limiting as that is not a volume knob either.

Track Volume sliders. Master Fader, Automation and Volume sends.

I agree with "non-mastering" a track. However, you may want to master so the ME can have a reference. Yes, I understand about self-mastering being too close to a tune. However, as Danny and others have said: "How it should sound and not how you think it should sound." He also said that compromise isn't a bad thing and a great ME can give a track what it needs without totally obliterating what you want.

This also means not letting egos (for lack of a better term get in the way.) I also know that Mixing and Mastering are to different things, but compromise needn't elude either function. "Cut as opposed to Boost," yet, don't do too much of either. Which is the sole reason for the LW - compromising dynamics for loudness, but many perceived these to terms to be synonymous.

Looking at this classically - (as classical is often referred to as the most dynamic genre) the piano is the most dynamic instrument out there. AAMOF, it's full name name evokes dynamics - pianoforte - soft and loud. And if you think about it, when someone bangs on it constantly the instrument - or at least the output - is getting crushed. Not too pleasing, is it?

If pianists can get by without playing fortississmo (crushing the sound or instrument) ... then, producers can get by without limiting tracks (prior turning them over to the ME) Of course, if the piece calls for a reasonable amount of fff (Automation is this nowadays); however, you can play a fff, without crushing the track.

Could you just imagine if Beethoven said to be heard (famous), I have to be louder than Mozart; therefore, he bangs out his symphonies? Of course, live play can only go so far on it's own, but I really don't think these two and the others during there time, made this into a LW. Would they fall victim to the LW war today? (Note: I do not mean to provoke a discuss, but if you're interested, feel free)

Whether or not you listen to classical music fervidly or just know familiar tunes from the encompassing umbrella of this genre, this is something to think about. These composers not having the technology we do today, is not the point because LWs exist within live play as well as recorded music and what's ironic is, the only option you have is turning the volume up or down (sans a sound person to handle that and/or all the intricacies).

If you are going to use a Limiter, be very careful, but be aware that there are more ways to increase the volume.

Bonus points for anyone who can answer why I bolded what I did?

IMO, if someone can't be bothered to turn a volume knob in order to save music from destruction, I can't be bothered to much to make any music he likes. If everyone would do the same, then everything would be at the same appropriate levels with good dynamics. I don't remember getting up for every song back in the day before this all started and constantly adjusting the volume knob, mostly because the music we listened to was created by professionals with good sense who did what was right for the music.