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When I am in Cubase (LE 5) the music I make sounds really crispy, punchy, loud and everything. Then, when I export it to a 32bit .wav (44.1kHz) and play my music it sounds less punchy, loses some of the higher ends and also sounds a smaller tad quieter and also I feel like it loses some of the "stereo" feel making everything more "monoish".

I am using VLC to play the music.. other music sounds flaweless in VLC, so VLC shouldn't be the problem?

Is it my exporting, my DAW, the media player or something else?

4rantare wrote:When I am in Cubase (LE 5) the music I make sounds really crispy, punchy, loud and everything. Then, when I export it to a 32bit .wav (44.1kHz) and play my music it sounds less punchy, loses some of the higher ends and also sounds a smaller tad quieter and also I feel like it loses some of the "stereo" feel making everything more "monoish".

I am using VLC to play the music.. other music sounds flaweless in VLC, so VLC shouldn't be the problem?

Is it my exporting, my DAW, the media player or something else?

Are you mixing it down on the same speakers, in the same room as you are listening to it in?

JFK wrote:

4rantare wrote:When I am in Cubase (LE 5) the music I make sounds really crispy, punchy, loud and everything. Then, when I export it to a 32bit .wav (44.1kHz) and play my music it sounds less punchy, loses some of the higher ends and also sounds a smaller tad quieter and also I feel like it loses some of the "stereo" feel making everything more "monoish".

I am using VLC to play the music.. other music sounds flaweless in VLC, so VLC shouldn't be the problem?

Is it my exporting, my DAW, the media player or something else?

Are you mixing it down on the same speakers, in the same room as you are listening to it in?

Yep, using headphones on the same computer.

I tried Media Player Classic and it playbacks the music much better. could it be VLC that fails?

BTW using a pair of DT990Pro.

4rantare wrote: I tried Media Player Classic and it playbacks the music much better. could it be VLC that fails?

Maybe. Ive never had an issue with VLC though... I use Cubase 5 too BTW.

Did you bounce the song with the master hitting, or very nearly hitting 0db? If not then it will sound very thin and weedy when you A/B it with a professionally mastered track.

JFK wrote:

4rantare wrote: I tried Media Player Classic and it playbacks the music much better. could it be VLC that fails?

Maybe. Ive never had an issue with VLC though... I use Cubase 5 too BTW.

Did you bounce the song with the master hitting, or very nearly hitting 0db? If not then it will sound very thin and weedy when you A/B it with a professionally mastered track.

Well I made sure the output channel is not hitting red at any time (I guess thats 0 dB? -- I am a newb to producing, am self taught since february so I'm not really 100% into all terms ;D). I have some limiters and compressors on the master bus. However, in Cubase, with these FX on, it sounds exactly as I want it. Then when exported it sounds reaaally bland.

MPC sounds better but still not as it does in Cubase (even at same volume level).

Make sure VLC doesn't have an EQ turned on ;p

It goes into the red when it exceeds 0db.

It might be best if you post up an audio clip for us to listen to mate.

fragments wrote:Make sure VLC doesn't have an EQ turned on ;p

EQ was not turned on.

JFK wrote:It goes into the red when it exceeds 0db.

It might be best if you post up an audio clip for us to listen to mate.

Will do! and thx a lot for helping btw =)

Also sounds like the compressors are ducking strangley during 00:14 -> 00:28 (which they don't seem to do in Cubase) and also some crackling (not in Cubase... and the bus is not hitting red), it feels much more compressed than it does in Cubase (the same thing with the drop at 0:56). Also the snare and the kick does not sound as they do in Cubase (espc. the snare). Dunno really what happened to them... also the mix sounds rather strange from 00:14 -> 00:28.

I tried to do a "Export realtime" but my computer doesn't seem to handle that (CPU-wise-- could try doing it instrument by instrument though).
I don't have any spectrum/EQ analyzer, so don't know if my ear misses something really strange..

Hm maybe the bass is the problem? Sounds like thats whats working weird with the compressors. =/
Damn I'm such a noob lol... well any help would be brilliant!

Here is the track I'm working with right now (yea there is a snap in start but that's no problem just from compressor not kicking in yet):
Soundcloud

Nice one, I'll have a listen tomorrow when Im back home.

Switched the bass, added some stereo widening and remixed some stuff and now it sounds alittle bit closer to what it sounds like in Cubase. Actually the stereo widening did the most difference. :S

Well, still sounds abit too much compressed.. but here is what it sounds like now:
Soundcloud