Quote:
Originally Posted by Bubbagump
Keep in mind a brick wall limiter is a broadband device. If anything else causes a peak... all other elements are reduced as well
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actually, thats not how a brickwall limiter works at all. it only works on transients that are over the threshold and doesnt touch the other material.
the ME will also tell you that the tracks have to be mixed to allow for "radio loud" mixes, he cant simply squash peaks to get there through compression or limiting without destroying the mix.
EDIT: but i do agree that the mix should always be done "for the mix" -- but if the client wants a competitive sound, then the achievable levels of that mix must be taken into consideration. i dont play into the loudness war in terms of getting everything blistering loud, but even to get a -12 RMS mix, you cant have a snare popping several db above the rest of the track. or if you do, the ME is just going to compromise the rest of the mix to squash that snare down when you ask why your master is so soft compared to all the other things you listen to.
the mix should be musically and artistically "for the mix", but technically for the desired result. i love an extremely dynamic mix, but for a rock mix trying to get signed or played on the radio, its just not competitive -- so it has to be mixed with the final goal in mind. thats why there are album mixes, radio mixes, tv mixes, etc done for singles.