You end a combination.
Contained in the DAW it slaps — punchy, broad, energetic.
You export it… and all of a sudden it sounds flatter, quieter, and fewer thrilling.
Excellent news: you didn’t think about it, and also you didn’t all of a sudden overlook find out how to combine.
It is a quite common technical + perceptual drawback, and it normally comes down to some fixable points.
Let’s break down why it occurs — and find out how to stop it.
1. Achieve Staging: The Silent Vitality Killer
Inside your DAW, many issues are working in your favor:
- Floating-point audio
- Headroom that forgives dangerous habits
- Plugins reacting properly even when ranges are scorching
After export, that security web is gone.
What usually goes flawed:
- Combine bus peaks too near 0 dB
- Plugins internally clipping however not exhibiting it
- Group buses summing hotter than anticipated
Whenever you export, these tiny overloads flip into actual, audible flattening.
The right way to repair it:
- Hold your combine bus peaking round -6 to -3 dB earlier than export
- Keep away from pink lights wherever within the sign path
- Don’t depend on “it sounds superb” — depend on clear acquire circulate
💡 A quieter export with intact dynamics will sound larger than a scorching export that’s pressured.
2. Inter-Pattern Peaks: The Hidden Clipping Downside
Your DAW meter could say every thing is ok — however your exported file can nonetheless clip.
Why?
Due to inter-sample peaks.
These happen when:
- Digital samples reconstruct into analog waveforms
- Peaks seem between samples, not on them
- Streaming platforms or converters reveal them
End result:
- Lack of punch
- Refined distortion
- Decreased readability — particularly in transients
The right way to repair it:
- Depart true peak headroom (goal for -1 dBTP)
- Keep away from brickwall limiting proper at 0 dB
- Don’t chase “max loudness” on the export stage
💡 Many “small sounding” exports are literally over-limited, not under-mixed.
3. Dither: Usually Blamed, Hardly ever the Actual Concern
Dither is without doubt one of the most misunderstood components of exporting.
The parable:
“My combine sounds worse due to dither.”
The truth:
- Dither solely issues when lowering bit depth (e.g. 24 → 16 bit)
- It provides extraordinarily low-level noise
- It does not flatten your combine or kill punch
Frequent errors:
- Dithering a number of instances
- Dithering when staying at 24 or 32 bit
- Assuming dither adjustments loudness or tone
Greatest apply:
- Use dither as soon as, on the closing stage
- Don’t use it when you’re exporting on the similar bit depth
- By no means use dither to “repair” loudness issues
💡 In case your export sounds weak, dither is nearly by no means the explanation.
4. Loudness vs Punch: The Notion Entice
That is the most important psychological situation.
Contained in the DAW:
- You’re used to the sound
- You’ve been listening loud
- Your ears are tailored
After export:
- You play it quieter
- You evaluate it to mastered tracks
- You hear much less impression
So that you assume: “The export ruined it.”
In actuality, what’s lacking is distinction, not loudness.
What truly creates punch:
- Transients that breathe
- Micro-dynamics
- Clear low-end
- Area between hits
Over-limiting removes these — making a observe technically louder however emotionally smaller.
The right way to repair it:
- Don’t grasp whereas exporting except you realize why
- Evaluate at matched quantity
- Concentrate on punch, not LUFS
- Let transients survive the export
💡 A observe might be quieter and nonetheless really feel a lot larger.
A Easy Export Guidelines
Earlier than exporting, ask your self:
- Does my combine bus peak under -3 dB?
- Are there any hidden clippers on teams?
- Am I leaving true peak headroom?
- Am I exporting louder than vital?
- Am I evaluating at equal loudness?
If the reply is “sure” to the great ones — your export will translate.
Last Takeaway
In case your combine sounds smaller after export, it’s normally not:
- Dangerous mixing
- Dangerous plugins
- Dangerous ears
It’s virtually all the time:
- Over-stressed acquire staging
- Hidden peak points
- Loudness bias
- Misplaced dynamic distinction
Repair these, and your exported tracks will sound simply as large — if not larger — than what you hear within the DAW.
