Is it a good idea to use"Boost11" (or a compressor) on the master out while still in the mixing process?

Or is it better to only apply afterwards before exporting the final mix?

Legion's exactly right: insert the effect but leave it bypassed until you're done (or nearly done) with the mix, periodically popping it in just to see what it's going to sound like compressed. Having it on during mixing can be confusing and might even lower the quality of your mix.

Damn you people..

Agreed - there are no rules. To quote Joe Meek - "if it sounds right, it is right".

I'm just offering what I think is the most valuable mixing tip I learned. i.e. turn your tracks down.

I still disagree though - if you can't get a reasonable mix without a limiter, then there's something wrong with your mix.

It's like making a good Margherita - if you put loads of Tequila in, you'll need loads of Triple Sec & loads of Lime Juice. Then you'll need a pint glass to drink it out of.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing with a pint of Margherita though...

Still, nothing prevents you from having it on at all times during tracking if you don't want to be interupted by lowering track volumes between each take if you get angry with the meters at the master bus bursting wildly into the red...

Thers no rules/there are no rules

Anarchists...

if you can't get a reasonable mix without a limiter, then there's something wrong with your mix.

I can, but i dont wont reasonable, i want loud noise for 4 minutes and 58 seconds. The Wall of China Sound
Cj
Edit, who defines resonable. Every listenr has different needs and expectationns

Absolutely - but most listeners prefer more natural dynamics in even the most full-on music. e.g. you want your cymbals to take it that wee bit higher, rather than just fizzling against a glass ceiling.

By reasonable I mean you're not overloading your master bus before you're ready to to do dynamics processing.

If you get the naked mix as sweet as possible, then when you go for your Wall of China Mastering preset for that solid oblong waveform, it'll actually be better & louder than if you try and master something that's had the dynamics squished already.

dynamics squished already.

i odnt think you guys are getting it. Its not squished. its non destructive and its on the master bus, not on the track your recording. your track recording levels will still be the same. If you set a limiter to -0.01, it wont squish nothing under it, i just keeps it from the occasional overs you get. Itds not going to stay on there the whole song. Its just a precaution. It wont have any effect on tyhe track im recording. If i record a track with a peak of -3 and a RMS of 12, it will still be recorded that way with or without a limiter set to what i set it at on the master bus. Its on the master, not the track. This will NOT affect my recording that guitar track or bass or drum track.
Cj

We were talking about mixing - now I realise you're talking about recording, I understand your post about tracking vocals on top of 60 backing tracks so that makes sense.

I'm talking about mixing in response to gsacks with the advice that if your mix is too hot without a limiter, you should first look at lowering the individual track levels.

It's a common practice in most pro studios to "mix into" the 2 bus compressor. Many pros strap a comp on their mix bus for the sound it gives them, to "glue or gel" the mix together. I see this all the time on modern mixes. As a mixer, you want to know how your eq and FX settings change your sound when going through the comp on your "2 mix" bus.

ORIGINAL: LixiSoft

It's a common practice in most pro studios to "mix into" the 2 bus compressor. Many pros strap a comp on their mix bus for the sound it gives them, to "glue or gel" the mix together. I see this all the time on modern mixes. As a mixer, you want to know how your eq and FX settings change your sound when going through the comp on your "2 mix" bus.

I couldn't agree more! This is standard practice. Also, a great reason to have a nice external 2 channel or stereo compressor to run your mix thru, then record back to a stereo track.