Making my song louder

[Saga Musix]

It seems that the value I am using, which seems optimal for OpenMPT is 176 in the ini.

Well, that is what you perceive as optimum, and not what is the optimum for sharing songs (which you don't do anyway). In that case it is of course always preferred to use RC3, but since most people have probably set this to 128, the best is to leave it as it is.

[Saga Musix]

Some additional information: With the next release, there is going to be a new mix mode, which is designed to be more compatible with other trackers. It's basically the same as mix mode RC3, but with soft panning disabled (this is forced, as it creates a completely different stereo spectrum) and slightly lower mix levels. This will be the default mix mode for MOD/S3M/XM/IT (you can't choose the mix mode for MOD and S3M, actually).

[LPChip]

Which mixmode will the MPTM format use? RC3?

[Saga Musix]

Which mixmode will the MPTM format use? RC3?

Yeah, since we don't really have to care about compatibility there.

[LPChip]

Aight.

[Atlantis]

Being a purist I absolutely hate to say this, but look for a limiter plug-in on KVR which, basically, reduces any volume above the threshold to the volume set by the threshold, after which you can increase the average volume. So if your limiter has a threshold of -6 dB, anything over this will be 'limited', or reduced down to this volume, giving you a smaller dynamic range overall but a greater average volume. This is the basic idea behind mastering - to make things louder by decreasing the peak volume, while increasing the average volume. That being said, mastering is one of the last things you sould be looking at and there are tons of techniques of increasing the average level of a mix, compression being one of them. Just work on making your songs sound good - not loud...

Btw, LPChip, I can't believe you still have me quoted in your sig.

[Saga Musix]

Classic Limiter is a simple but effective limiter. I'm not sure where you can get it since the Kjaerhusaudio website seems to be gone, but I bet there are other sources as well.

[LPChip]

Hey Atlantis! Great to see you here after so long. Yeah, I love quotes enough to keep them for some time. (Jojo knows all about it. He even refused to me the signature limit long enough for me to keep a quite about him in it Which was outdated actually)

I use Buzzroom BuzMaxi for a limiter, which I think works really well Very easy to use and very powerfull in what it should do.

See: http://www.x-buz.com/BuzMaxi3.html

[Atlantis]

Wait till you try the Waves L316 or L3-LL... I'm still scared running my mixes through them they're that good. I know they're expensive and all but I'll keep trying before buying... I'll also try your suggestion when I actually have a mix worth of compressing.

[LPChip]

Please let me know what you think. Especially if the waves one still is far superior, I'd like to know about that.

Thus far, I haven't found a limiter this good, but I haven't bothered seeking past the free ones either.