• SONAR
  • Mixing and mastering
2013/08/14 21:54:21
Bflat5
Anyone know of a video online or DVD that covers mixing and mastering with Sonar?
2013/08/14 21:59:46
bapu
Sonar in and of itself does not have anything specific/unique to the art of mixing and mastering.
 
Yes, maybe a knob or two might look different on a Sonitus/ProCHannel EQ/Delay compared to say Waves or UAD or Fabfilter etc. but the concepts might more of what you need? If so, try watching and reading anything you can.
 
But please be aware (as I am sure you are) one video and/or one book will not make you a pro mixer or ME overnight. 
2013/08/14 22:31:31
M_Glenn_M
I've been looking for the -Just do it like I want it-button in Sonar for some time now.
2013/08/14 22:47:16
michael japan
Into the Lair by Dave Pensado on youtube covers many things. He doesn't use Sonar but you will learn a lot.
2013/08/15 09:41:07
jonny3d
check out "Groove 3"              http://www.groove3.com/str/access-it-all.html
2013/08/15 12:31:55
CJaysMusic
You would go about mixing and mastering in Sonar, the same as you would mix and master it in any other program platform. Each song/project will need different things done to it. no 2 songs will need the same exact levels and effects. 
 
So train your ears and learn how to use your plugin effects and/or hardware effects and you can mix and master in any program. The program doesn't matter.
2013/08/15 13:22:42
konradh
The hardest thing for most people is this: they can hear something is not right but they don't know what to fix.  For example, you often hear the advice about boosting the EQ and sweeping the frequency until you hear the bad thing.  You are supposed to note that frequency as the place to cut.  In real life, when you boost like that, almost every frequency sounds horrible if boosted significantly.  And, as we've discussed on another post, EQ can be deceiving.  For example, I had a female vocal that sounded too hard and loud every time the note was around the E above Middle C (approx 330hz).  The answer, however, was not to cut 300-400 Hz, but to cut around 2.5K.
 
Similarly, you can understand what everything on a compressor does but still have trouble getting the sound you hear others get.
 
What would be helpful would be examples in which someone played a mix or track, talked about it, and then showed specifically what was used to correct various problems.  For maximum value, this would consist of various tracks and songs that had different characters.  Tutorials on a single song are interesting but limited in value.
2013/08/15 14:26:32
CJaysMusic
Yea, the best thing is to attend a mixing and/or mastering session and see how the engineer deals with things and issues. But note there are different issues with each song, so there are no step by step instructions.
 
Cj
2013/08/15 15:49:37
jonny3d
konradh
The hardest thing for most people is this: they can hear something is not right but they don't know what to fix.  For example, you often hear the advice about boosting the EQ and sweeping the frequency until you hear the bad thing.  You are supposed to note that frequency as the place to cut.  In real life, when you boost like that, almost every frequency sounds horrible if boosted significantly.  And, as we've discussed on another post, EQ can be deceiving.  For example, I had a female vocal that sounded too hard and loud every time the note was around the E above Middle C (approx 330hz).  The answer, however, was not to cut 300-400 Hz, but to cut around 2.5K.
 
Similarly, you can understand what everything on a compressor does but still have trouble getting the sound you hear others get.
 
What would be helpful would be examples in which someone played a mix or track, talked about it, and then showed specifically what was used to correct various problems.  For maximum value, this would consist of various tracks and songs that had different characters.  Tutorials on a single song are interesting but limited in value.


I agree... I have often wanted several bass tracks ..in different styles ...before and after...with the many different approaches..
Like a DI bass with an mic'd amp   - compressing - eq etc.  Sooo.. in MY room I can hear the same before and after references to get a better idea of what I should be listening for..doing and not doing .. and then maybe I'll have a better perspective on when I should be satisfied ..and of course extrapolate this to kick ..snare ..gtr..whatever


2013/08/15 18:01:16
Wouter Schijns
The Vintage Channel (VC 64) plugin has nice mastering presets.
Blending this to your mix can be a start.
Then Sonitus or LP64 multiband can help, specially to boost bass while keeping it smooth.
(only enabling 1 or 2 low bands with a nice preset)
Free mastering plugin (left this awesome guy a donation).
http://www.terrywest.nl/utils.html   (at bottom list download the 'After' plugin).
Easy add clarity, body, punch or NYcompr with just 1 knob.
 
Here's a professional mastering engineer at work:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53oGeuTZ6IY
© 2026 APG vNext Commercial Version 5.1

Use My Existing Forum Account

Use My Social Media Account