Anybody got any good suggestions on the optimal mastering suite setup for hiphop tracks? I know there's a default one in there but (for one) the compression just seems wrong somehow, there's too much "breathing" in the bass and some of the frequencies just get drowned out. I usually have to fuck with it for a long time before I get it sounding good and in the end I'm still not satisfied with it.

Basically I'm just curious if anybody has some good suggestions for hiphop "mastering", fuck everything I said before this sentence .

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mastering is basically the manipulation of frequencies ... for hip hop
i would suggest rool off frequencies below 50 hertz to avoid bottom
end flutter, amp up 65 to 80 hertz ... depending on the instruments played
on the high end you may want to decrese frequencies above 15Khz so the
highs arent so crisp they stand out front ...
remeber in your mixdown every sound has a place .. be it left ..right .. in front
or behind the mix.
play with pan settings...put your drums "in place" in the mix .. if all your drums
are centered in the track it will sound a bit lifeless ....
mastering is all about listening ...
but all this is null and void if your not useing quality studio monitors

hope this helps ..

this frequency chart i posted over at seedless will help you along

frequency chart for mastering

www.seedlessstudios.com
reason experts
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can you gimme some suggestions on good (economy-class ) studio monitors. cause it's about time i got that shit going. my ghetto equipment is posing serious limitations.

well behringer makes a really good set (thats what i use b2031a truth) but there are plenty to choose from roland makes a really good inexpensive set
roland monitors the best advice i can give you about monitors is to purchase all your budget will allow there are the core of any GOOD studio
without them you really cant mix down or hear the subtle nuances of your music....

oh damnit im not supposed to post here .. im mean lmao

How do you pan in reason? (i don't mean left and right)

thats what panning is ....left and right ... be a bit more specific for me bro.
what are you trying to accomplish??

haha ok ya you're right.
what i meant was for example having your drums expanded to give the track that fullness, having the vocals perhaps centered (?) and then maybe some weird sample in the back etc...
you wrote that every sound has its "place" in the mix, so could you just elaborate a bit more on that?

sure ...

this is a big post
so i just posted it up
over at my house
and linked it here



sorry it took so long duke .. i fell asleep lol

ok excellent, thanks. i'll check this shit when i get home and perhaps continue this discussion.

cool man i can dig it