how to avoid background hiss

[rachmiel]

a question for mixing/mastering masters:

how can i avoid getting a background hiss when i create ambient-ish pieces with many layers? i'm very careful to record each layer with the proper levels. but when i put them altogether, the hiss often emerges. this is especially true for pieces that use long legato subtle lines with lots of distortion and/or noise. i don't mind the noise, but i do mind the hiss that accumulates. converting to mp3 makes it worse.

should i *not* master/compress? (this tends to make the hiss louder, along with everything else.) should i use noise reduction? (my problem with this is that it seems to reduce the edge, which i want to keep.)

or should i make the hiss into a "feature" ... a kind of noisy crackle layer.

thanks,

rachMiel

[Freemind]

For a start, try reducing the frequencies that makes the hiss sound. I suggest you to use a parametric EQ, and star cutting off some hi-mids frequencies..Unfortunately, there is no other way to reduce the hiss, if you don't "cut" the edges...