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Recording motif xf in cubase in 32 bit float

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Chopin123
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Hallo
They recommend to always record in cubase in 32bit float ,very wide dinamic range and never clips. So this has to be done while recording , I was wondering if in order to do that I also need to change some recording settings in motif xf?

 
Posted : 17/11/2014 10:56 pm
Chopin123
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Topic starter
 

If a song is made only on motif xf ,so no external instruments and no vocals, does it make sense to give it to proffecional mastering engineer and pay?
Since it's all coming from motif can I do in cubase 7.5 mastering section as much as he can in his studio ?

 
Posted : 18/11/2014 2:32 pm
Bad Mister
Posts: 12303
 

They recommend to always record in cubase in 32bit float ,very wide dinamic range and never clips. So this has to be done while recording , I was wondering if in order to do that I also need to change some recording settings in motif xf?

No.

If a song is made only on motif xf ,so no external instruments and no vocals, does it make sense to give it to proffecional mastering engineer and pay?
Since it's all coming from motif can I do in cubase 7.5 mastering section as much as he can in his studio ?

A professional mastering engineer, I've met a few in my many years in the recording business, have a very special set of skills gained through years of experience. By the nature of their job they listen (critically listen) to thousands of mixes a year. And are a walking resource of what is happening in music at any time. A mastering engineer, much like a recording engineer is a very unique job that requires specific knowledge/skills, while almost anyone (especially musicians) can easily replace a mix engineer, the mastering engineer and recording engineer are two people who can significantly impact your result. If the recording engineer poorly records some particular thing, the mix and mastering engineers may have difficulty overcoming it.

Names like Bernie Grundman, Bob Katz, Bob Ludwig are stars of the mastering world. Asking can you do what they do... Well, even I like to "think" I can do what they do. But I humbly know (better) that what a mastering engineer can do is often above what I myself can do. When I was a young musician, trying to learn everything I could about recording... The producer paid extra (yes you used to have to pay extra to attend the mastering session) the mastering engineer taught me a lot about what he referred to as "ear level" - a sort of concept about making the mix sound "on average" like current music trends... Which change decade to decade. Their job is unique, and a good mastering engineer can "make" your project. Sometimes they cannot fix flaws made by the record and mix engineers -which in your case is, probably, you.

Experience is the one thing you cannot take a shortcut to...

No one has probably ever created the perfect mix, and it is unlikely that anyone will. So since you are doing the project, you might as well go ahead and master it yourself. The top mastering engineers use tools like WaveLab (one of the top Mastering programs). Sure you can get a copy. But much like any industry standard program - it takes time and, yes, experience to get the most out of it.

Like Photoshop for photographers or Excel some people have deeper skills with these type of programs, and that is to be respected. I highly recommend that you go ahead and finish your project all the way through mastering... In fact, do several mixes and then take a few days off, come back and listen to them with "fresh" ears. Then take it around to people you trust and play it for them. Trust me, you will learn a lot.

A top mastering engineer is likely easily able to the job better, but only because that's what they do! This will be your first. (Pray that you do not get it perfect the very first time... Because then you have no where to grow and get better 🙂

Good mastering engineers are worth the money, and good ones will be honest with you about what they hear and what they can fix (and more importantly, what they cannot). It is true that some things cannot be easily undone. I do not want to discourage anyone from trying, not at all. I just want to put into perspective that doing your own recording at home is what it is. There are something's experience will teach you not to do again...

For example, you mention 32-bit floating point... True almost impossible to distort signal at that setting... But careful, just because in theory you have headroom for days doesn't mean that the sound cannot get "harsh", "cold"... These are the things experience will teach you.

When your first project is mastered and released, that's when your first experience notch can be added to your belt. And expect to get better as you do more and more projects. A professional mastering engineer may have literally thousands of notches on that 'experience belt', and that's why top recording engineers send their stuff to top mastering engineers.

If you know someone in the business, ask.

Hope that is helpful. Go for it, you have nothing to lose, and you can always have it professionally mastered at a later time.

 
Posted : 19/11/2014 10:11 am
Chopin123
Posts: 0
Eminent Member
Topic starter
 

Thanks very much Bad Mister!!

 
Posted : 19/11/2014 4:18 pm
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