Mastering music can definitely be challenging - especially when you only have stock plugins. Fortunately, modern DAWs give you more than enough flexibility to create some great sounding masters without the need to purchase additional software.
At the same bit rate, we found that the MP3 file format resulted in less deleted signal especially when exported with a joint-stereo setting. Additionally, MP3’s are typically more accessible and supported by devices and operating systems, making it an easier and more reliable to format to share.
The Valhalla Supermassive is a truly versatile and impressive reverb. The fact that it can be used on so many instruments and sound different each time speaks to how well it was designed.
Equalization is an incredibly influential part of mastering - the slightest change to an EQ curve can have intense consequences for the entirety of a recording.
As more and more productions are moving away from established studios, and toward home studio production, artificial reverb has become increasingly important.
Mastering for streaming services has changed how we prepare masters for distribution. The process of loudness normalization ultimately alters the loudness of a streamed track, varies from platform to platform, and needs to be kept in mind when preparing a master for various streaming services.
Regardless of the genre that you’re working on, these plugins are crucial to establishing a professional sound.
Free: ReelBus v4 by ToneboostersCheap: Kramer Tape by Waves Audio ($49.99)Expensive: Tape by Softube ($99.99)
Check out the Top 6 Free Mastering Compressor Plugins. These plugins will improve the quality of your masters.
What plugins are worth your time and which ones are not? Should you spend hundreds of dollars on one plugin or another?
Let’s cover 10 recording mistakes to avoid. We’ll look at each common mistake in detail and explain why they should be avoided.
Metal spans an incredibly expansive field of sub-genres, but some of the fundamentals remain the same when it comes to a great sounding record.
When preparing a mix for mastering, your output should be peaking around -3dBTP without the use of limiters, excessive bus compression, or any other form of mastering used on the mix. Additionally, it’s best to export your mix with the same sampling rate and bit depth as the original recording.
Saturators have become increasingly important over the past couple of decades.
Mastering a song can be difficult, but breaking it down into steps can keep things simple.
