First Attempt Mastering in Cakewalk - Levels from master question

[cldmrqs]

Hi all,

This may have been covered before, but I didn't find anything. Maybe someone can shine in why my output bounce is 6 dB lower in the final file. I will try to explain what is happening. Meanwhile, I have found a workaround which could help explaining what is going on, maybe.

So, I'm mastering 8 songs in a Cakewalk session, each one imported on its own track and spread across on the timeline. I have one instance of Ozone 10 (EQ) on each track. Each track goes to the master output (bus set at 0, input, output etc). I have one instance of Ozone ( limiter) there, plus my Youlean Loudness pro meter after that. I set my levels etc so that I read, say -11LUFS roughly.  All is good.

I bounced each tracks via Export as a wav file. Then, I measured the levels of the bounced files in Youlean and I get pretty much a -6dB loss in levels. I am puzzled why. It is as if I do lose 6dB somewhere in the process going thru the master fader.

OK, here's the work around now. I rerouted all the track outputs directly to my I/O instead of the master and placed an additional copy of my limiter instance (used on the master before) after each Instance of the track EQ and bounced again, and now the levels in the export files are good and identical to what I am metering in the session.

What am I missing ?

Hope I can get feedback on this. Thanks

 

Claude

[cldmrqs]

Hey Lord Tim. Thanks for the follow up.

Nup, the Offset is off, there is no automation whatsoever on the master and yes the output of the master is going to the interface. The strange thing I realized taking the picture is that the True peak is .1. It is supposed to read -.9. I don't measure that in the session and the output is not clipped ever.

if I re-import the affected bounce, same result in the metering. It is not exactly 6dB as stated, because I am measuring LUFS but there is a noticeable difference. (see side by side pics). Does it help ?

Attached pictures.

[cldmrqs]

I tried quite a few things, check all options, gain match off, inputs and outputs at 0, exported different ways, etc, etc, and it appears that as soon as I use the Ozone limiter on the master, I do get the 5-6dB loss. Metering is good but export is wrong. Weird !!

Otherwise, same limiter (exact copy of) added on the track and going thru the master without the limiter, all is good. Very strange. So it's not the master in cause. Might be something I miss. Next is to try a different limiter I guess and see what happens.

[Michael Richards]

22 hours ago, cldmrqs said:

Hey Lord Tim. Thanks for the follow up.

Nup, the Offset is off, there is no automation whatsoever on the master and yes the output of the master is going to the interface. The strange thing I realized taking the picture is that the True peak is .1. It is supposed to read -.9. I don't measure that in the session and the output is not clipped ever.

if I re-import the affected bounce, same result in the metering. It is not exactly 6dB as stated, because I am measuring LUFS but there is a noticeable difference. (see side by side pics). Does it help ?

Attached pictures.

Somebody help me. I don't have the cluster of 4 output and input gain and pan sliders, the stereo button, or the output 1+ button on my Master dialog box.

Also, my mixes are painfully low, but are peaking out in Cakewalk. What am I doing wrong.

Thank you, Michael

[57Gregy]

If I understand you correctly, set this to All.

 

[Michael Richards]

Well now, this is embarrassing. I always select All on Display on the bottom left, but my brain failed to compute the All on the top of the page.