audio-design multitrackstudio Manuale Utente
6 Mastering and Mixdown
6.1 Mastering
Traditionally the multitrack recording is mixed-down to a stereo tape recorder. This stereo recording is then
'mastered', which usually means that EQ and (multi-band) compression is applied. When mastering for
vinyl, EQ and compression had to be applied to keep the needle from jumping out of the groove.
Using MultitrackStudio, mastering after mixdown-to-stereo does not make sense, as all the settings
involved in the mix are stored in the song file and can be recalled at any time. You can add effects to the
mixer's Master section and use them for mastering purposes. Typically an EQ, a Compressor and a Master
Limiter effect will be used. The Master Limiter should be the last effect. If multiband compression is required
a Band Effect with compressors can be used.
When mastering a couple of songs that belong together (a CD for instance) it is very important that the
songs sound 'the same'. They should be equally loud, have the same tonal balance etc. MultitrackStudio's
songlist feature can be very convenient for this job. Using a songlist you can audition your CD before
actually mixing the individual songs down to stereo.
The song can be mixed down using the Mix Down menu's "Mix down to audio file" option.
6.2 Preparing MIDI Tracks for mixdown
Before you can mixdown the song, any MIDI tracks using an External MIDI Instrument should be recorded
to one or more audio tracks. To do this you should:
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Connect you synthesizer's output to your Audio In Device. If the synth is on your soundcard you can
probably set up the soundcard to record the synth using the Audio Input Control (the input to use is
often called "What U Hear" or "Record Master").
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Switch the MIDI track(s) to playback mode. Mute all other tracks.
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Add a new audio track and switch it to record mode.
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Start the transport and stop it when the whole MIDI track has been played.
You can now use the audio tracks instead of the MIDI tracks. To make the audio tracks sound just as loud
as the original tracks did adjust the Volume fader while switching between the tracks using the Solo or Mute
buttons.
6.3 Offline Mixdown
This Mix Down menu's Mix down to audio file option
can be used to mix down the current song to a single
audio file. The Start and End boxes determine the part
of the song that is going to be mixed down. The down
arrows next to the boxes can be used to load marker
arrows next to the boxes can be used to load marker
positions. The Sample Rate box can be used to make
the audio file's samplerate different from the song's
samplerate (eg. to mix down a 96 kHz Song to a 44.1
kHz file). The Noise Shaping button can be used to
apply noiseshaping to the dither signal.
Any MIDI tracks using an External MIDI Instrument
should be recorded to audio tracks before mixing down.
An additional Include Varispeed button is visible if the Pro Plus edition's VariSpeed setting does not equal
zero. This button can be used to apply the VariSpeed's effect to the file. Speeding up a song slightly to
make it a bit catchier is a widely used trick.
The Mix Down menu's Playback mixed down file option closes the current song, and loads the audio file
created using the "Mix down to audio file" option in a new song. You can browse for an audio file if there's
no mixed down file available (i.e. in case the "Mix down to audio file" hasn't been used since opening the
current song).
Mix Down to file window