Re: Do I need an L2? Acoustic question


Nate Najar wrote:
So my mixes for my own music usually don't end up too loud. There's a
lot of dynamics and a lot of peaks and I usually preserve most of them.
That means of course not much compression and that which is used is
subtle. Of course the overall volume isn't as loud as some releases
(keep in mind I've asked some radio programmers about my releases and
they all say they haven't noticed any problem with the volume compared
to other cd's). The music is jazz type music, all acoustic, and i play
the acoustic guitar.

So I'm doing mixes for a friend of mine who respects how i hear things
and likes how I've mixed some of my own releases. They sound more like
the older jazz records he enjoys listening to. We all know most of the
current studios are recording jazz artists in the same manner they
record rock music.

So I sent him mixes of 2 songs last week to see if I was on the right
track. I told him it was about 90% where i would do it if it were my
own release. It needs a very little eq and limiting on the mix bus
plus the fades and so forth need to be done. He called me today to
tell me he really liked what i sent him and said "i know you said it's
about 90% done and i really like everything you've done, but when
you're all done with the whole record will you be able to add that
final sheen to it?"

None of the records he's done lately have ended up at big mastering
houses. The studios that record him do the mix, then they L2 it on pro
tools and add fades and stuff for a master cd. I've seen them do it.
I got the drives from the tracking engineer for this project and he had
an L2 on the mix bus. So I'm pretty sure that's what the sound is he's
hearing- that tightening of it. But he is aware of loss of dynamics on
modern records, etc....

So I'm wondering if i need to get an L2 and gently hit the peaks with
it on the mix bus, if that will tighten it up to add the "sheen" (his
description) he's used to. My normal process is to use the waves ren
compressor with a 1.5 ratio so it's barely hitting and then follow it
with the digi limiter, once again barely hitting with longer attack and
release. It just lets me get a little more volume with slightly less
peaks (and the way the cd was tracked, it could stand to have a lot
less peaks! Everything was miked WAY too close). I've never used an
L2 and don't know what it sounds like compared to other processes.
This particular project is a jazz sextet- rhythm section plus archtop
guitar (with amp), vibes and tenor.


Nate

(refering specifically to the hardware L2, not a software plugin)

L2 is a digital "look ahead" hard limiter.
The main advantage to an L2 is that it's got a decent pair of A/D
converters and they are closely integrated into the limiter's action.
So the levels can be set very closely to FS if that's what you want
to do. This is great for the volume wars in Pop/Rock and is prone
to abuse. When overdriven the effect is nearly the same as hard
clipping, without actually hitting FS. In other words, there's no
ratio control. When the threshold is reached that's where the
peaks are stopped, period.

In a Jazz scenario I'd consider having a more traditional type
limiter or compressor ahead of an L2 if one was being used.
I'm not an expert in Jazz but I don't believe it lends itself to
the volume wars at all. Dynamics is really where it's at and
you'll be doing the project a favor by using a fairly conservative
approach, even if you are taking steps to have a "loud" mix
compared to traditional standards.

I think the "sheen" you refer to is not a function of final limiting.
I'm thinking more like the added high end EQ possibly combined
with some compression, or soft (softer than the L2) limiting.

rd

.

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