Should you compress the master track?

Audio compression on the master bus can have a drastic effect on the mix. Therefore subtle compression is better than aggressive compression. Adding a compressor to the master bus after the final mix can upset the balance you’ve already created. It’s best to mix into the compressor.

Should you limit before mastering?

Like I said, limiting should really be saved for the mastering phase. So if (like me) you tend to master your own material, still take the limiter off, bounce out final mixes (in 24 bit) and then bring those into a mastering session.

Should I use compression on the master bus?

Master bus compression – quite simply, the use of a compressor on the master or mix bus – can make a profound difference to the overall sonic quality of a mix, binding its individual components together into a cohesive, professional-sounding whole.

How many dB should my mix be before mastering?

How Loud Should My Track Be Before Mastering? If you want to send your mix off to get mastered, you should aim for around -6dB Peak, and anywhere from -23 dBFS RMS or LUFS to -18 dBFS RMS or LUFS average.

How much room should you leave for mastering?

Quick Answer. Headroom for Mastering is the amount of space (in dB) a mixing engineer will leave for a mastering engineer to properly process and alter an audio signal. Typically, leaving 3 – 6dB of headroom will be enough room for a mastering engineer to master a track.

Which instruments should be compressed?

The bass guitar and kick drum are usually the most heavily compressed instruments on a track. They provide the bottom end and usually anchor the song.

Should you record with compression?

Generally speaking, you should only record vocals with compression if you are confident that the settings on the compressor will produce the results you desire. It’s worth noting, that compression interacts uniquely with different vocals.

Should you compress every track?

It can be easy to get in the habit of throwing a compressor on every track because we assume we should. But not every sound needs to be compressed. If you want to highlight the aggressive parts of a sound’s transients or to tame its dynamics, compression makes sense.

Should I compress my stereo buss before mastering?

If you’ve already applied a fair amount of compression to the stereo buss while mixing, you may not need to use it again during mastering. Just by looking at the waveform, you should able to tell whether there are lots of peaks in the track; if not, you probably don’t need to add any compression.

How long should mastering compress release times be?

The result is smooth gain reduction which follows the music, as opposed to it kicking in and out randomly. Depending upon the tempo, typical mastering compressor release times might range from 300 to 800 ms or more. As you can see, there are no attack and release values that are ideal for every track.

What is the difference between equalization and compression in mastering?

As with equalization, the less compression you apply during mastering, the better the result. In fact, the quickest way to make your master sound like a demo is to overcompress it.

What happens if my track is too long for mastering?

Once your track has been limited by your mastering engineer, quiet delays and reverb tails become more apparent, and you don’t want to cut them off accidentally when you export your track. If your file’s too long, your mastering engineer can apply cuts and fades as necessary.