Mastering Session Set up

Mastering Chanel Set Up and Limiting

A huge part being able to make the leap to achieving great home mastering is utilizing
our analytical tools. This supports what we hear and to help us overcome several
concepts.

1. Doing your own mastering is hard because one gets used to hearing things a
certain way and that seems “right”
2. Lack of ear training to discern what is a problem frequency
3. Ear fatigue high frequency dulling over the short term (hours not years)

What we have covered to this point all help to keep our goal in tack as we head to
completion

Calibrating the listening environment (Sonarwoks or other means)

Monitoring at an appropriate level for flattest “hearing” across the frequency spectrum,

Utilizing reference Music properly as a relevant frequency destination or guide

Reference Listening Mentality

Here is the concept behind how I “USE” the reference tracks effectively.

Picking 5 helps normalize the similarities and allows me to overlook the

differences.

I become less focussed on the “production choices” like the atual snare or clap
sound, but more the way the song fits together and sits within the frequency spectrum

Quick listening of 3 - 5 seconds or so of each reference track helps set the

frequency relationships I'm trying to achieve, how the high end feels in relation to low
lows and low mids and everywhere.

I’m listening with a BIG picture mindset.

The canvas being the Frequency spectrum and how these songs fill the canvas and
relate to one another.

I’m advocating utilizing these reference tracks earlier in the process also, not JUST in
mastering and it's easy because once we have all edited bits level matched the
reference track fader allows us to place appropriately in a MIx scenario also.

When mixing the LUFS will be much lower, especially low when you have a headroom
mindset and proper gain staging - (My mixing class goes into detail)

Ultimately the level matched channel of reference music can be copied and pasted into
any working session and the fader level can place that LUF of those tracks wherever
needed to match a MIX you are working on.

Simply find the LUFS of the MIX and then bring down the fader on the reference music
to match. SInce the edited bits are already all matched at -10 the fader allows us to
level them as a group to wherever, like -24 or so (which is what a mix with about 10Db of
headroom will be showing on a LUFS meter.

A Mixdown, or Mix session showing about 10-11 dB headroom - See the True Peak
numbers. Shows about -24 to - 25 LUFS ballpark.

Mixdown showing -25.8 LUFS

The references are all set at -10 so lowering the fader and achieving a LUFS of -25 or
where you need allows us to USE in a mixing setting also.

References level matched to about the same Notice the Fader is down -15.6 to achieve
the level matching.
The technology behind LUFS and its ability to more accurately decipher how loud we
HEAR something and its ability to listen into a song and account for different
compression and limiting levels makes it an indispensable tool for comparison even in a
Mix scenario when we are working with two similarly compressed and limited pieces of
music. The relevance is still there and provides amazing insight into frequency
relationships.

The reality is that many people can’t afford professional mastering services so we
continue to take a look at some things to help achieve a better self master.
Today I will offer you the

SECRET TO A GREAT MASTER!

The number one thing needed for a great

master is. . .
A Great Mix!
The mix itself has a much greater impact on the final result than any mastering tool, tip
or trick.

Use the reference tracks to help guide the mix, we continue to utilize them to direct our
frequency and now loudness results. But Allow then to guide the Mix - FIRST.

Stay Diligent
With this in mind, we want to stay diligent about LUFS and level matching our references
to our mix and now master all through the mastering process. This gives our ears and
instinct the best shot at achieving what we set out to achieve

Render final mix

Just as we prepared our stems for mixing by exporting the files thus moving the project
along from the production phase, we will export the track for us to then Master in a new
session.

Export the master track (Set start and end)

Encode PCM - on
Wav or aiff
32 bit or whatever Bit Depth the Mix session is in ie: 24 usually
No dither because you’ll use the same the bit depth as the mixing session
Set up a mastering session
Bring the mix into a new session for mastering
Import the reference tracks
Pull in from mix session to retain clip gain and relative fader level for the mix
We can copy and paste the track from one project to another
** now bring the fader up to zero
Set main output master with ANALYTICAL TOOLS
Insert sonarworks
Insert LUFS Meter
Insert spectrum analyzer
I like SPAN - ​https://www.voxengo.com/product/span/

Here is how I set it Span making a few adjustments to the parameters. I did this by
looking at my level matched reference tracks and made adjustments to easily help me
see the low end that's relevant to my frequency target.

I increased the “Block Size” or resolution (4096 works for 44.1, if higher sample rate I try
8192

I slowed the “Average Time” or response down to 2000 (ms most likely is the timing
reference)

I adjusted the top (Range Hi) and bottom (Range Low) of what I look at. Ultimately
placing the top and bottom the screen right above and below my relevant viewpoints of
the reference tracks.

Here’s my settings
Izotope Tonal Balance Control
Basically this is a level matched frequency analyzer that allows you to overlay
another frequency spectrum to make it easier to see various differences.

I like the ”Average Time” at 3 seconds, also slowing it down a little.

For the main view I set as Fine, showing not just frequency Blocks but a smooth shape
across the entire frequency range.

This plug in shows me a Range for each frequency area, and an average which is
represented by the slight white glowing line in the middle of the top and bottom of the
snake looking bit.

They analyzed a lot of songs in various genres offering a view into the range and
average of many songs.

I feel like it gets more accurate when using my own set of reference tracks that are level
matched before analyzation.
I can choose a folder of tracks and Tonal Balance analyzes the folder and shows me the
curve.

Level Matched References make all Analytical tools more accurate

Setting up the level matched reference tracks as we covered previously, help us use the
analytical tools more accurately.

NOTE *** ​The Master Channel has now become our place to analyze holding nothing
but Analytical tools. No Processing, besides Sonarworks, LAST.

Prepare to add mastering plugins on the track being mastered

Our limiter will go on the actual track we are mastering as the Master fader is only
analytical in its plug-in usage from here on out.

Bring fader down to -2

This compensated for how we level matched the reference tracks where a 2 dB
is the average we brought down the references.
****We will bring back up to zero for final export and finished master

This helps put the track we are starting to master in the same ballpark as our reference
tracks. Think about it like this.

Our Reference tracks are Mastered and Limited, they have a limiter, so post limiter we
brought the level down using clip gain, a couple dB to match one another and show
-10LUFS level.

This level matching makes them more useful as a frequency guide, but we need to take
into account this level as we move to Mastering our song.

The “average” level the reference tracks were reduced is 2 dB so when mastering our
track we bring the level down 2 dB knowing that in the end we will achieve the “Average
Loudness” of the reference tracks.

SInce the limiter is going on the channel representing the track we are currently
mastering, the fader represents a post limiter gain adjustment, just like we did for our
reference tracks.

This is just for us to stay comparing apples to apples, level wise we will be reaching the
same LUFS as the average of our reference tracks in that we will still shoot for the -10
on the master fader LUFS meters, but our track fader has been brought down 2dB,
again. Just like our reference tracks have been brought down an average of 2 dB.

Set Up Mastering Channel - Overview

Channel Set Up
Mono Low end
EQ
(Usually this order for middle 4)
Multiband compression
Bus compress
Mastering parallel compression
Texture / Tape Transformer
(Almost always this order)
De Ess
Low cut filter
Limiter
Master checking utilities

WHY. . . . .

The first few Plug ins address “Fixing The Mix” (even though I am mastering I separate
out the processes:

Mono Low end

First reign in any odd low end stereo stuff that can mess with
compressors or other level based plug-ings

EQ
The MIX, making it better sounding as it passes through the rest of the
chain

Multiband
is often a repair tool as in something is sticking out frequency wise at a certain
place in the song, a multi can allow me to dial in a adjustment just for when it is needed,
also to me fixing the Mix
 Bus Compression
Pull the mix gently together, a gentle hug, Most often a “Mix” process so it sort of
depends on if someone else has already done some of this. Helps tuck a few louder bits
offering a slight amount of compression but letting the limiter have a bit more room to
work as hard as it needs to.

Mastering Parallel compression

This process works to subtly raise the level of the track, mainly in the quieter
parts and also has an ability to create a bit more feeling of rounder edges of the audio
and transients, sort of imparting a pleasing analog like quality.

Texture and tone

Often the texture and tone I am imparting here is a subtle shaping type thing.
Some additional rounding of the edges, going for a softer less pointy or harsh high end
and often this is a finish touch, and i'm just seeing if it contributes in a nice way, Not so
much the icing more like the extra little decorations bits like the sprinkles.

De-Ess
De essing in mastering plays 2 roles. It helps Smooth out and high end
discrepancies from parts of the songs hitting compressors harder or softer, or level
jumps when a loud long low end part is removed like a Kick drum.
And works to occasionally grab a couple Db’s that could otherwise trigger the
limiter, thus helping the limitier stay focused on the heavy lifting

Low cut filter

Safety net, making sure the sub and really low frequencies are not extending too
low and potentially causing distortion in the limiting process, and also helping maintain
a Realistic, translatable low end, in line with established - good sound.

Limiter
Last in the chain or processing our final level adjuster

Master Checking Utilities

After the limiter I sometimes have additional level meters and or final output
analysers for AAC, MP3 conversion. This way I can monitor the actual output of the
limiter. Remember the fader of the track being mastered is down 2 dB to compensate
for the average of the gain reduction we did to the reference tracks.