FL Studio Mixing / Mastering Question

[SoggyWaffulz]

Hey everyone. I've always wondered something about this program, and I'm hoping someone here knows the answer to my question.

While mixing and mastering the track, it's important to keep the finished product below +0db in order to avoid clipping, this is obvious.

But while doing so, I'll always look at the meter at the top of the screen first since that's just easy to do. I'll notice that the audio levels are in the red, which would indicate clipping -- though I don't HEAR any clipping.

Upon further investigation, all of my audio levels (in their respective insert slots on the mixer) are below the clipping limit. Combined, they are still at around -2db on the master track. This leads me to believe that the limiter on the master track is noticing clipping and automatically reducing the audio levels to -2db.

What I've started to do to compensate is lowering the gain level in the default Fruity Limiter to match the limiter ceiling.

I've started to notice a cleaner, more clear sound while still keeping the volume levels pleasantly high.

Is this what I should be doing? I've never known the proper way to mix my track, and I believe this contributes a lot to my tracks sounding too harsh or muddy. I just never think my tracks sound good.

Edit: Also, is -2db the industry standard, or is it just the Fruity Limiter default? Could I get by with a -1db cap or higher?

I'd like for my tracks to eventually sound clear, clean, vibrant and loud.

[YoshL]

usually people do away with the fruity limiter immediately i think

[Coolboyrulez0]

I prefer to not use the Fruity Limiter but rather a Mastering VST such as iZoptope Ozone or TRacks.

[Ohaider]

Lol i redline it every song with no audible clipping.
Just do it by ear.
If you're going to get into mastering though, Ozone.

[Frank Munoz]

I end up keeping the limiter half the time,
but I also through in the default "Fruity Compressor" onto every thing.

I also need help with mastering/ lvls/ etc.
One day I'll ask Eli for tips but I'm too lazy to actually do it ;<

[midnghtraver]

Originally Posted by YOSHl

usually people do away with the fruity limiter immediately i think

+1

I compress my instruments individually.

All of my tracks are in the red, and I've never had a problem with clipping.

As other people said, if you're really serious about mastering VSTs check out any of Izotope's software.

[SoggyWaffulz]

Originally Posted by midnghtraver

+1

I compress my instruments individually.

All of my tracks are in the red, and I've never had a problem with clipping.

As other people said, if you're really serious about mastering VSTs check out any of Izotope's software.

I also compress everything individually. I just figured there was a reason Fruity Limiter was attached to the master track by default. If I don't compress every other track on the mixer board, the finished product is imbalanced and very quiet.

So from what I can gather from the replies in here, red doesn't mean crap. Got it. Lol.

[midnghtraver]

You should do File > New project from template > minimal > empty

It'll just start you with a sampler and remove the limiter on the master.

[StoneMcKnuckle]

Originally Posted by Coolboyrulez0

I prefer to not use the Fruity Limiter but rather a Mastering VST such as iZoptope Ozone or TRacks.

Definitely seconding this. I only recently started looked into oZone and it did a world of difference for the final mix, but if you don't have it or anything like it you can keep the mix at around -6dB (on a clean master channel), export as .wav, import it into any audio editor and hard limit->normalize until all the unnecessary peaks are gone and you end up with a nice, loud mix that sounds practically exactly the same as what you had in FL. This is obviously overly convoluted and pretty much works exactly like a compressor, but you have a much clearer view of what you're actually cutting away.

tldr version; definitely try oZone.