With Izotope RX, I align the phase of any track I master before introducing any processing - otherwise, some of my processing will read peaks incorrectly, causing clipping, distortion, aggressive levels of compression, and more. I simply use the phase module, hit suggest, and export the aligned version.
Some engineers use EQ Matching to hear how their master would sound like another track - but this gives us the wrong impression, especially since each track will naturally have varying frequencies, and won’t match exactly. Instead, listen to your reference for 15 seconds, then return to your master.
Don’t listen too long or your ears will get too accustomed to the reference track.
True-peaking limiting ultimately causes more problems than it fixes - it reduces inter-sample peaking distortion but also reduces the impact and clarity of transients. Instead, use oversampling and lower the output of the limiter to -0.5dB. This should reduce any unwanted clipping while still keeping transients intact.
If you want your snare and kick to be aggressive, use a clipper before your limiter - it introduces white noise whenever it’s triggered, making the kick and snare sound more present and forward. Odds are a clipper will have a better sound on transients than a limiter, so use it first, and then limit for the best sound.
If you don’t want your master to sound aggressively compressed by your limiter, try using 2 in series and splitting the processing between the 2. This works even better when using limiters with different algorithms - letting you find the exact combination that results in the best sound.
Ultimately, you’ll get a louder master without the need for noticeable peak attenuation.
Master bus compression is very rarely needed - unless you're mastering for vinyl or some other format in which the dynamics need to be controlled leave peak down attenuation to your clipper and limiters. The only exception is low-level or upward compressors and m/s compressors which dynamically widen the stereo image.
For a driving and focused master, use a mid-side EQ to attenuate the low frequencies from the side image - in turn, making the lows more mono. This will keep the kick and the bass centered, resulting in less low-end phase cancellation, and a more driving and centered sound.
Center the high-pass filter around 80Hz to start, but adjust as needed.
Let’s face it — trying to create professional mixes without the correct knowledge, tools, services, and network is like playing a concert with a broken instrument to an audience of no one.
That’s where the Sage Audio membership comes in — the membership gives you everything you need to create professional mixes consistently.
The membership is the secret to your success — it’s the difference between the 1,929,999,999 of poor-sounding mixes and the .00000002% of mixes that make people say 'WOW!"
There are 7 unique value-points included in your Sage Audio membership.
Let’s go over each one so you can decide if the membership is right for you.
1. Sage Audio University
SAU Flagship Mixing Course: 23-video in-depth mixing course that reveals the little-known secrets of mixing and matches the needs of the new music industry.
SAU Flagship Mastering Course: 19-video in-depth modern mastering course that dives into every nuance of making professional-sounding masters.
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SAU is designed for every experience level, ranging from budding mixing engineers to advanced engineers. The techniques and concepts taught can be applied to any DAW to create industry-leading mixes without expensive software or plugins - and free plugin alternatives are suggested throughout each course.
Each SAU course includes Start-to-Finish session walkthrough lessons for multiple genres so you can follow along with your preferred genre.
SAU Certification Document, which can be downloaded and showcased on your website and social channels.
The Sage Audio private 1-on-1 Mentorship gives you direct access to us for advanced mixing feedback, in-depth discussions, and customized guidance that's tailored to your specific needs.
Unlimited private access to us for advanced mixing feedback, where we provide detailed suggestions for improvement.
Unlimited private access to us for in-depth discussions to help you improve every aspect of your mixes and masters.
Customized guidance that’s tailored specifically to your needs.
Fast communication so you can improve your skills quickly.
Unlimited professional mixing feedback directly from us so you can consistently improve your skills and create professional mixes.
Mixing feedback is invaluable, and the Sage Audio membership gives you continual direct access to us for real-world feedback so you can improve every aspect of each of your mixes while you're in the process of mixing.
50 free mastered songs per year with your own dedicated professional mastering engineer so you can get all your mixes sounding like professional songs.
You get your own dedicated Sage Audio mastering engineer to create custom masters that are specific to you and sound exactly how you want.
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All masters are delivered as commercial, industry-standard high-resolution 24-bit HD WAV masters so they will sound clean and clear on every platform.
The Sage Audio community is a tight-knit community of passionate audio engineers who can provide you with additional real-world mixing feedback, meaningful discussions, networking, collaborations, and more.
Access 700+ in-depth Sage Audio mixing and mastering videos - curated and organized into categories so you can easily take a deep dive into all aspects of audio engineering with thousands of hours of concise, expertly crafted Sage Audio videos to continually improve your skills at your own pace.