waves c4 question

a plug -in i have owned for a while but never really used , however i recieved an album of hiphop to mix, today , that the music producer ( who worked on an mbox and maybe an 002 ) has the c4 over the master output this isnt something i ever do , apart from maybe inserting an L2 for a little level gain ( i am using a HD3 accel rig ) i want to remove it but it makes such a huge difference to the mix that i am in quite a quandry as to what to do any one uses the c4 i'd like to hear thier thoughts i dont have to start untill monday but i need to make a choice then thanks all

If the producer wants a potential fan to listen to more than 15 seconds of the song before spitting out the disc or changing stations, than he'll agree to take it off in favor of a more traditional form of 2 buss compression.

I have to agree with tribase. . . It would best for you to work as you work usually. . . We have been using Waves for years now. . We have a deal. . . I like the Renaisance compressor accross the 2 buss. For some reason people increasingly seem to think they are mastering engineers. . . I would say it's generaly wise to leave that job to them. . Leave the c4 & do what you do. Good luck with the project.

Maybe I''m reading your original post wrong, but you say the C4 "makes such a huge difference to the mix". I take this to mean a positive difference - I mean, if you meant it made a negative difference, then you would just toss it. If it makes a positive difference TO YOUR EARS, then why not just leave it? Sure it's not the way you normally work but why not just take the approach of leaving it there and virtually pretending it's not there? If it's not hurting anything ...? On the other hand, if it impedes you on your mixing job down the line, then that's a different issue. Like maybe, due to the things you're going to do, the positive effect you hear now might be eroded. That's just a bypass button away from being your call at any stage of the procedings.

But mixing "into" a c4 is not a dude approach. . . Remember he'll be eq'ing into it . .? Not wise. Could get v messy.

I personally love the C4 over the mix buss for hiphop. His settings are probably extreme, so if you back off a bunch, it will sound much more subtle but still add some punch. I start with the "Basic Multi" setup, then reduce the range to about 3dB max compression, and turn the EQ all the way off. Set the threshold so its just touching the compressor--the gain reduction meter should just be dancing around a bit. If needed at the end, Ill add a little low end EQ from it, maybe a little top too. But yeah, its a good idea to find out if its gonna get mastered, and how. If its going to a top notch place, Ill leave most Mix Buss stuff off the master. If its gonna be a half-assed mastering job (which I see more and more with hiphop), then Ill do alittle C4 and L2 just to get it a bit closer to how I want it to sound. good luck. MT

I seen lot's of producers,engineers that usein multicompresssor like c4 or L3 on there mix bus its a "premastering" process that some use it all the time & some never just be your self until the producer say somthing else ...

Are you sure it's not to add a litle sparkle to a quickly done rough mix? Maybe to make it a bit more impressive to someone? I usually throw a Master X or L2 over the mix bus when I'm doing rough mixes to turn em up a bit, but never use anything over a real mix. I can't master, so I don't even try. Iain

thanks guys most helpful and informative my gut feeling is that i want to remove the c4 but it means a lot more remixing of the album as it sounds totalydifferent without in a kind of undefinable way, i cant quite decide what it is actually doing it's interesting to hear some people are using it for hip hop anyone else? as usual this place is invalueable