What makes a good mastered track?

Audio Mastering is the final step of the mixing process. It’s what happens to a song before it gets released to the world. Mastering a song is simply using tools like EQ, compression, saturation, and limiting to accomplish these three things: To make the track louder (not just in volume, but also in PERCEIVED volume.

What do pros use for mastering?

I use a combination of analog and digital processing. I generally master in Pro Tools with analog outboard gear. Some outboard gear I use include my Neve 8816 summing mixer, an API 2500 hardware compressor, and a Revive Audio MSL compressor. I’ve also recently been using a pair or Warm Audio EQ’s.

What level should a mastered track be?

-14 LUFS
How loud should your master be? Shoot for about -23 LUFS for a mix, or -6db on an analog meter. For mastering, -14 LUFS is the best level for streaming, as it will fit the loudness targets for the majority of streaming sources. With these targets, you’re good to go!

How do you know if a track is mastered?

If your song holds up in every area and no single track, except the ones you are “lighting” intrudes, it’s a good bet that the finished product has been mastered correctly. Everyone has an idea of what they want the finished product to sound like and in music, egos abound. If a song is correctly mastered it shows.

Can you mix and master your own music?

Most music professionals will tell you that you should never mix and master your own music. I believe that under certain circumstances, it’s perfectly fine to mix and master your own songs. Yes, even if I make a living as a mixing and mastering engineer.

How a master EQ should look?

Widen the stereo image: Add a touch of high shelving at 8 kHz or higher. Reduce muddiness and tighten up the overall sound: Add some low shelving at 200 Hz or lower. Tighten up just the low end: Reduce frequencies below 75 Hz. Add more definition to vocals: Make a slight cut in the 500–1000 Hz range.

What equipment do you need to master music?

Here’s the basic hardware you need to master music: A Computer (preferably a quad core or faster) An Audio Interface (which contains a mic preamp and instrument cable inputs) Studio Monitor Speakers & A Sub-Woofer.

What should true peak be?

The True Peak value should never, ever, be higher than -1dBTP — and there is a valid argument to keep it below -3dBTP. Note that this means either ‘minus one’ or ‘minus three’ decibels, not ‘minus point-one’!

How big of a difference does mastering make?

A good way to visualize this is like this: recording and mixing is 70 to 80\% of how good your songs going to sound and mastering is the last 20 to 30\%.

Is it possible to Master your own tracks?

This tutorial was first published in July 2008. Mastering your tracks can be a bit of a minefield and is often seen as the domain of the professional. However, if your tracks are just for demo purposes, a DJ set or even use on the net, you may want to tackle the job yourself.

How do I add an un-mastered track to my project?

Start by adding a stereo track to accommodate your un-mastered track. This should be an exported or recorded version of your entire mix-down. For best results this should be in the highest bit rate possible. For example, if you original project was recorded at 24 bit then this should also be at 24 bit.

What is the best way to master a song?

If you can even get close to the best, it’ll be way better than most of the mediocre stuff out there. Here’s a quick summary: Export your mix session with at least 3dB – 6dB of headroom (i.e. Peaking at 3dB – 6dB below digital clipping). Import 2 – 3 commercial reference tracks that are similar in style and composition to the song you’re mastering.

How easy is it to Master your own mixes?

It’s SIMPLE. It’s not easy, mind you. It takes good ears and a lot of practice. But it’s SIMPLE. In fact, you can master your own mixes at home in just 14 easy steps. In this article you’re going to learn what mastering is, why you should get your songs mastered, and how to master a track in your own home.