Apple Logic Pro /LogicExpress Discussion

going back to the original question.... There is actually a function 
called bounce in Logic. Bounce was slang term used by engineers in the 
days of limited tape tracks, but Logic uses that term to create a "mix 
down" of all or part of a piece in Logic.

to see the overall level, you can just play it through in logic, and it 
will show you its highest peak reading in the meter. you have to click 
on the meter to zero this out in fact. it works on every track. You can 
manually adjust things to get -3db to -6db as Pete said. I just slap a 
limiter (UA's precision limiter) across the master, and have it output 
-1 db. But I am not sending to a mastering house.

Regarding analog summing, I would like to see the link to that test. 
Extremely few people are going to buy a Trident desk and huge reel to 
reel tape deck. But there are other things like the Dangerous summing 
buss, and some of its clones. There are also the poor man's approach to 
those things, like using Vintage Warmer or Duy Tape plug ins, or even 
playing back the mix through speakers and recording it in a room, then 
blending some of that back in.



-----Original Message-----
From: pete_buchwald <pete_buchwald@yahoo.com>
To: Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sun, Aug 9, 2009 8:49 am
Subject: [Logic_Cafe] Re: Mastering on one track

 






Andy,



The standard "mastering" method is to boun
ce your mix down to a stereo 
track aif. or .wav, with the peak level being between -3 and -6 dB.    
One way to achieve this by selecting all faders in your Mixer window 
(click-drag to highlight all except the master fader, leave that at 0), 
then adjust the faders.   Play your mix at the loudest section, and 
watch the master fader meter, make sure it stays in the black, around 
3-6 dB.



The other way to bounce your mix and keep it with some headroom (the -3 
tpo -6 dB) is to put your adaptive limiter plugin on the master channel 
strip, which is probably a better idea for more minor adjustments in 
overall peak level.    On the plugin, I think the bottom knob sets the 
max limit of dB, set that to your desired peak level.



Once you've bounced your track, to either two mono aif/wav files (left 
and right) or stereo interleaved.   You can try your hand at mastering, 
in the free Waveburner application that you got with your Logic 
purchase (Applications/Waveburner).



Or you can pass this file off to your mastering engineer.



An interesting blindfold study was done as a part of the "Shane 
Wilson's Guide to Mixing"  where they took their Pro Tools mix, and 
used different methods, analog/digital to convert that multi-track mix 
into the two track stereo mix.    His preferred method was to send four 
stereo stems (drums, bass/guitar, vocals, keys) to a=2
0Trident analog 
mixer, and then to half inch tape.    Then he'd record the tape back 
into Pro Tools for his digital .wav version.     Of all the methods for 
summing to the stereo track, the "in the box Pro Tools" seemed by far 
the weakest to me, even when you discount the inherent problems on 
creating a fair blindfold test of this nature.



I hope this helps,



Pete



--- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, "Man Parrish" <realnyc@...> 
wrote:

>

> Hi Andy..

>

> I'm not sure what you mean by "bouncing" your tracks first.

> Of you mean recording all of your virtual instrument tracks before 
you mix down to master, then that is a good idea, and mostly depends on 
the strength of your computer. I always do a "save-as" mysong/mix so I 
don't mess with the original in case of changes or mess ups,  etc

>

> By mixing virtual tracks down, you free up your processor to use 
some of the more powerful mix down tools (like additive compressors and 
3rd party mastering suites)

>

> You also record them to disc, so at a later time, you don't have 
to remember your virtual instrument or sampler settings. And the tracks 
are ready to go, if you send your tracks elsewhere for a remix.

>

> I reciently had a problem, where I needed to fix a mix. I bought 
an 8 core mac and everything else (lik
e my sample drives) stayed the 
same. But when I switched machines, my Kontact sampler couldn't find 
the sample locations that were from my old mac. Stupidly I didn't write 
the sample tracks to disk, Pr the names of the samples, so I lost a key 
sample to a remix I did..  Fustrating after 2 days of searching my 
drives!!

>

> Hope this helps, if you were referring to something else, please 
let me know and maybe I can help!

>

> Best of luck!

>

> - Man Parrish

>

>

>

> --- In Logic_Cafe@yahoogroups.com, Andy Brook <bbgrove@> 
wrote:

> >

> > I'm learning so much from the macProVideo tutorials - thank 
you for

> > recommending them. I'm on mastering at the moment and the 
tutorials

> > use a single stereo track. This is probably a stupid 
question, but do

> > I first bounce the various tracks in my song before mastering?

> >

> > I'm sure that's what I should do, its just that I haven't 
actually

> > been told to do that so maybe there is another way of doing 
it.

> >

> > thanks in advance

> >

> &gt; Andy B

> >

>