Loudness is still an issue in contemporary music, though it has been stamped down by new limitations enforced by streaming and broadcast companies. All the way, seeking to retain the nuance and dynamic range that makes music music.
Tricky, huh? We are going to do some more comparison to our reference tracks here; load the MultiMeter onto the Stereo Output, and listen to the loudest section of your reference tracks one by one. Note down the value it will change over time so find an average value or note down a range e. Do this for all 3 reference tracks and compare the values, this will give you an indication as to how much squash or compression is acceptable for the genre you are working in, and what the loudness level of your master should look like.
For example, heavy rock tracks will typically feature a lot more compression and therefore be a lot louder , than say, a 20 minute free form jazz odyssey,.
Phase shift is a natural by-product of EQ and is something you can get away with on individual tracks, but it can cause problems for the master. Not only does the Linear EQ look great in black, it has a higher resolution than the standard EQ, giving you the ability to make finer adjustments — important in mastering. You should use the Linear EQ to make small adjustments based on your notes, but try not to boost or cut any more than 3dB. If you need to make more severe adjustments, you should consider going back to the mix.
This is especially the case when the frequency you want to tame is quite dynamic. For example, certain notes on a bass guitar might create unwanted boosts in the low end, but only when that note is played. If you are finding the mix has too much dynamic range, that is, certain sections are much louder or softer than others, you may wish to apply a little compression to the track. Of course, let your ears be the judge here, but these are some pretty universal guidelines for using compression in mastering.
Applying compression to the mix can help tighten up the dynamics of your track, allowing you to employ more limiting to bring up the loudness in your mix. Multi band compressors are exactly what they sound like, compressors that operate in several bands, split across the frequency spectrum. Whilst traditional compressors apply compressors across the entire frequency range, multi band compressors allow you to isolate particular areas of the range that are particularly dynamic.
For example, you might have an overly dynamic mid-range, where guitars, vocals, and keys are all fighting for the same space, and as they come together, they make the mid-range honky, nasal, and fatiguing.
The Multipressor has 4 bands, which you can tweak as desired by dragging the lines that designate the band boundaries. This is because we have an overly dynamic low end, where certain bass notes, when combined with the kick drum, are pushing through louder than others.
As with a regular compressor, you have access to controls such as ratio, threshold, attack and release, to fine-tune the compression to your needs. You also have the ability to solo or bypass a band, so you can hear it in isolation and listen to the applied compression.
At the top of the GUI, you will see a blue band moving as the compressor works. This demonstrates the gain reduction applied by the compressor. The first thing we are going to do is set the Output Ceiling to This gives us a little bit of a safety net. When it comes to digital audio, overloads are something you want to avoid like the plague.
Whereas analog gear can overload and create a subtle distortion that is often desirable, digital distortion sounds like fingernails on a chalkboard. Or rubbing polystyrene together. Or a poorly played violin. Or, a polystyrene violin scraping across a chalkboard.
We do this because although plugins are extremely quick, they are never infinitely quick. Even computers need time to process. So, to be extra safe from overloads, give yourself a little safety net. This basically filters out anything below 20Hz, which is below our hearing range anyway, and prevents anything weird from happening to your speakers. This is an important part of mastering, as you need to be able to determine whether your limiting is creating any negative artefacts such as distortion or over-compression.
Now, turn up the gain until your loudness matches the notes you made when you compared your references and your mix. When you mixed your track, you worked in the stereo field using pan, panning instruments left and right and creating space for each of them. Well, you can play in this field in mastering too, using stereo widening tools. Understanding how signals flow in the DAW can drastically affect the behaviour of your plugins and how you use them.
The very quality of the mix is predicated on how well balanced the elements are in the sound stage. One of my favourite pieces of advice is to watch the stage! Your goal is to make sure you position the elements in the stage for the benefit of the mix as a whole. NOT for the benefit of the individual track. Resist the urge to dive straight into plugins. Use them only to resolve issues that arise in the balancing process. This is the natural next step after fader work. Panning is one of your most important tools in the mixing process.
Again, think carefully about your sound stage and pan your tracks in a way that best compliments the mix as a whole. Here is an article I wrote to help you understand stereo and how our brain decodes that information. Try bussing all instrument groups early on in the process to simplify your thinking and enable you to work holistically when mixing instead of diving into too much detail out the gate. If the vocals pop in and out of the mix, use a compressor to tame the variations in volume.
Keep your use of these effects intentional. That moment when you start doing things for the sake of it, adding candy here and there without any real purpose, is the same moment you need to stop. At this point just commit and bounce. Unlock a bundle of free resources to help you create and release your music. Music Production. Table of Contents 1. Gain Staging 2. Balancing 3. Panning 4. Bussing 5. Problem-solving 6. Committing 1. Gain Staging If you know me, you know I am hot pun excused on the issue of gain staging.