Mastering: Guide

Music Production Biz
Mastering
Guide
Everything you need to learn to master your own music
INTRO
First of all, I would like to thank you for purchasing my products. It keeps me motivated
to deliver the highest quality content possible.
Second, keep in mind that if you don't help yourself, none can. Becoming a great music
producer takes commitment, hard work, and dedication. Therefore, reading this ebook
without putting it into practice won't get you anywhere. You will probably forget
everything the next day.
If you have any difficulty understanding a specific topic, please don't hesitate to reach
out and contact me:
through Instagram DMs: musicproductionbiz
or via email: education@musicproductionbiz.com
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BEFORE YOU START, KNOW THAT ...
PLUGINS USED IN THIS EBOOK

For the infographics, I use random plugins screenshots, but you can achieve any trick
using the EQ, compressor, distortion plugins you already own. You can do a fantastic
job using your DAW stock plugins.
AN EBOOK FOR BEGINNERS & ADVANCED

In music, the same effect can be achieved in multiple ways. My goal is to help both
beginners and advanced producers understand what I am talking about. So, if you can
recreate the same trick more efficiently, then do it.
USE WHAT YOU NEED

Remember, every mix is different, and every sound is distinct. Every processing is
context-dependent. I am trying to give you as many tools as possible to fix your songs.
But, it doesn't mean that you will need to use all these tips and tricks on every master.
Only use the ones that can help you fix what you are working on.
THESE ARE ONLY GUIDELINES

In addition, not every track sounds the same, so take the knowledge with a pinch of
salt. And remember, when it comes to mastering, every producer can have their own
approach and workflow to reach the final result.
TABLE OF CONTENT
1/2
THE WORKFLOW COMPRESSOR
WHAT IS MASTERING? OVERVIEW
THE MASTERING STEPS PARAMETERS
THE MASTERING CHAIN IN MASTERING
MASTERING TIPS SETUP GUIDELINES
PARALLEL COMPRESSION
PERCEIVED LOUDNESS EQ OR COMPRESSOR FIRST?
OVERVIEW
PEAK VS. RMS LIMITER
DYNAMIC RANGE COMPRESSOR VS LIMITER
PEAK VS. TRUE PEAK PARAMETERS
LUFS IN MASTERING
AUDIO NORMALIZATION EXAMPLE AVOID FAST DISTORTION
OBJECTIVES SERIAL LIMITERS
EQ DISTORTION
OVERVIEW OVERVIEW
FILTER TYPES VINTAGE TAPES
CORRECTIVE EQ MULTIBAND EXCITER
ADDITIVE EQ
POST EQ
DYNAMIC EQ
EQ TIPS & TRICKS
TABLE OF CONTENT
2/2
OTHER SOLUTIONS
STEREO MODES
L/R & MID/SIDE PROCESSING
MULTIBAND PROCESSING
MULTIBAND STEREO SHAPERS
BONUSES
ANALYZERS
COMPRESSING THE MIDS
FIXING A MUDDY MIX
LOUDER MASTER
MASTERING CHECKLIST
MASTERING COMMON MISTAKES
SPEAKERS LEVEL
TEST THE FINAL MASTER
THE LO-FI MASTER CHAIN
THICKER MASTER
THE WORKFLOW
In this chapter, you will have a rough idea of the mastering process before diving
deeper into the details.
This chapter contains four sections:
What is Mastering?
The Mastering Steps
The Mastering Chain
Mastering Tips
THE WORKFLOW
WHAT IS MASTERING?
Final Mix
Master
M a s t e r i n g i s t h e p r o c e s s o f p r e p a r in g a t r a c k t o b e c o m p e titiv e w ith
others on the market.
Y o u t a k e t h e f i n a l m i x s t e r e o f ile , a n d y o u m a k e s u r e t o :
A - Fix “subtle” mixing mistakes
B - S e t t h e o v e r a l l t o n e a n d c o lo r
C - I n c r e a s e t h e p e r c e i v e d lo u d n e s s
THE WORKFLOW
THE MASTERING STEPS
A - LOOP THE BUSIEST SECTION

Find the busiest part of your track, the section with the most instruments and sounds
(chorus or drop), and loop it. Most of the time, if you fix and master this section, the
rest will sound great.
B - LISTEN
Start by listening to this section, and take notes of what needs to be fixed and what
needs to be enhanced.
C - THE PROCESSING CHAIN

Now, it's time to process the track to reach your goals. The mastering chain depends
on the material you're working on.
D - REACH THE TARGET LOUDNESS

The final processor in the chain will be the limiter. It's used to reach most streaming
platforms' standard target loudness (LUFS). You don't need to match 100% of their
regulations, but you must find a middle ground.
E - SOUNDCHECK
Check your master on every sound system available: phone, laptop, headphones,
wireless mono speaker, car ...
THE WORKFLOW
THE MASTERING CHAIN
As for the mastering chain, each track is different, and the effects
selection and order change from one situation to another.
OVERVIEW
You may not need all of the processing touched on in this guide on
every mastering chain.
Ask yourself: why do I need this processing? How could it improve

TIP 01
my track?
TIP 02 Less is more !!!
THE WORKFLOW
MASTERING TIPS
COMPARE MIX & MASTER

You want to make sure you are improving things. Always compare the master to the
mix. Volume match them helps you make objective decisions. Loudness can easily trick
your ears and make you perceive anything louder as better.
REFERENCE
Always use professional reference material to calibrate your ears. Compare your
master to another successful track of the same genre and key to understand what
your track is missing.
DON’T RE-MIX
Mastering is not mixing. If you find yourself with a bad mix that needs to be fixed, go
back and mix it again. All you can do when mastering is fix subtle mistakes.
FRESH EARS
If you mix and master your own track, try to take a break from it, and then come back
a few days later with a fresh perspective. Always master after you wake up for an
optimal listening experience.
LESS IS MORE
As said earlier, each tool you use must have a purpose. If you’re happy with the stereo
image, you don’t need to use an imager. If you’re satisfied with the frequency balance,
don’t use an EQ ...
PERCEIVED LOUDNESS
In this chapter, you’ll learn the difference between the most common loudness terms
and their uses.
This chapter contains seven sections:
Overview
Peak vs. RMS
Dynamic Range
Peak vs. True Peak
LUFS
Audio Normalization Example
Objectives
PERCEIVED LOUDNESS
OVERVIEW
In the digital world, 0 DB is the absolute ceiling. If the signal goes above that, it gets
hard clipped, the meters turn red, and you get irritating digital distortion.
Why, when having two tracks with the same 0 DB peak level, does one appear
louder than the other?
And the answer is: they don’t have the same perceived loudness.
Perceived loudness is not mainly affected by the peak level but by two other factors:
A - RMS Level
B - Frequency Content
For instance, compare a soft flute to a heavily distorted guitar. Even though both can
have the same peak level on the meters, the heavily distorted guitar will still be
perceived as louder, and that’s because of all the harmonics it has, the exciting top
end, and the heavy compression.
PERCEIVED LOUDNESS
PEAK VS RMS
PEAK
Peak is the loudest part of a signal. So you can have a very quiet signal, but at one
moment, you get that spike in the waveform that hits louder than the other parts of the
signal.
RMS
RMS is the average level over time. You measure the peak levels over a period of time,
and you calculate their average. So that’s why you can have two signals peaking at the
same level but still have different RMS levels.
For instance, these two waveforms have the same peak, but the second one is more
consistent in volume. As a result, its average RMS level is higher, and thus, it’s perceived
as louder.
HOW TO INCREASE THE RMS LEVEL?

To increase the RMS level, you have to compress the dynamic range.
PERCEIVED LOUDNESS
DYNAMIC RANGE
Dynamic range is the distance between the loudest and the quietest part of a track. It’s
the emotional relationship between hard and soft notes in music.
The dynamic range depends on the music style and genre. For instance, classical
music is very dynamic and emotional with a wide dynamic range. Whereas metal
music is compressed, limited, and distorted with a smaller dynamic range.
When mastering, you must compromise between the dynamics created while mixing
and the average RMS loudness you want to reach.
The main tools that affect the dynamic range are the compressor and the limiter. In
terms of volume, they will reduce the distance between the loudest and the quietest
parts, resulting in a smaller dynamic range, a higher RMS level, and a louder overall
master.
In this guide, you will discover how compressors and limiters work. You will also learn
the difference between peak and true peak and the standard LUFS for most leading
streaming platforms.
PERCEIVED LOUDNESS
PEAK VS TRUE PEAK
You often set your master limiter to 0 DB in your DAW, and the track sounds great. But,
once you upload it to Soundcloud or any other streaming platform, you get unwanted
distortion.
This distortion is due to the digital to analog conversion of the signal before being
played back.
The analog signal's highest point is the True Peak, while the highest digital sample is
the Sample Peak. Since a digital signal has to be converted to an analog signal to be
heard, the True Peak is higher than the Sample Peak. Therefore, if your digital signal has
a 0 DB Sample Peak level, after conversion, the True Peak will be higher than 0 DB, and
thus, you end up with red meters and distortion.
To avoid that, use the True Peak option on your master limiter, and instead of setting
the ceiling to 0 DB, set it to around -0.3 DB True Peak. This way, you make sure you’re
safe, and distortion won’t happen after the digital-analog conversion. If your limiter
doesn't offer True Peak options, set the ceiling to -0.5 DB to stay safe.
PERCEIVED LOUDNESS
LUFS
As for today, the standard unit of measurement for perceived loudness is LUFS
(loudness units relative to full scale). It was mainly introduced to set broadcast
standards, keeping the perceived volume of the different shows and adverts the same.
This is called loudness normalization, and it stops the listener from constantly reaching
for the remote to control the volume.
The music industry followed the same model. Nowadays, many leading streaming
platforms such as Spotify, Youtube, and Apple Music are normalizing music to keep the
playback at a consistent volume.
All you need is an LUFS metering plugin, place it at the end of your mastering chain,
and monitor the LUFS loudness of your track.
Please note that you don't need to follow these rules perfectly, but it's wise to keep
them in mind while pushing the final limiter.
Platform Loudness
Spotify -14 LUFS
Youtube -14 LUFS
Apple Music -15 LUFS
Soundcloud -10 LUFS
Amazon Music -11 LUFS
* VALUES ARE UPDATED NOV 2020 AND CAN CHANGE
PERCEIVED LOUDNESS
AUDIO NORMALIZATION EXAMPLE
To explain how audio normalization works, I will show you what happens when you
upload a track to Spotify.
A - BEFORE NORMALIZATION
Upload to Spotify 2 different master versions of the same track:
DYNAMIC VERSION OVER-COMPRESSED

- 14 LUFS -7 LUFS
B - AFTER NORMALIZATION
To normalize levels, Spotify will keep the dynamic version intact because it already
matches their standard loudness but will turn down the over-compressed version by
-7 LUFS.
Here’s how the waveform will be played back on Spotify after normalization:
DYNAMIC VERSION OVER-COMPRESSED

- 14 LUFS -14 LUFS
RESULTS
As you can see, after Spotify's normalization, the over-compressed version lost peak
levels to match the Spotify standard loudness. As a result, the dynamic version will hit
harder than the over-compressed one. This encourages artists to make their music
more dynamic and less compressed and starts setting an end to the "Loudness War."
PERCEIVED LOUDNESS
OBJECTIVES
In brief, the biggest part of the mastering process is to use all the available tools to
increase the track's perceived loudness without harming the original mix.
With that being said, you will have to:
A - Use dynamic tools to increase the RMS level
B - Use EQ and saturation to set the color, enhance the main frequency bands that
make the track stand out and generate harmonics that make it fuller and fatter.
When it comes to the LUFS target, you have to find a middle ground between all the
different streaming platforms loudness you'll upload your music to. You don't need one
master for each, just one that can fit most of them. Try to check the LUFS used by
others. It doesn't have to be the same as the streaming platforms target.
EQ
In this chapter, you’ll learn how EQ works and how it’s used in mastering.
This chapter contains seven sections:
Overview
Filter Types
Corrective EQ
Additive EQ
Post EQ
Dynamic EQ
EQ Tips & Tricks

EQ
OVERVIEW
A s i m p l e w a y t o l e a r n h o w E Q w o r k s is b y c o m p a r in g it to y o ur m ix e r
volume fader.
O n t h e o n e h a n d , a m i x e r v o lu m e f a d e r a llo w s y o u t o c o ntro l the le v e l o f

t h e w h o l e s i g n a l . S o , i f y o u in c r e a s e t h e f a d e r le v el b y 1 DB, a ll the
f r e q u e n c i e s w i l l b e 1 D B l o u d e r . T h e ir v o lu m e r e la t io n s h ip s ta y s inta c t.
O n t h e o t h e r h a n d , a n E Q a llo w s y o u t o c o n t r o l t h e le v e l o f a s p e c if ic
f r e q u e n c y a r e a . F o r i n s t a n c e , y o u c a n in c r e a s e t h e b a s s a nd k e e p the
h i g h f r e q u e n c i e s u n a f f e c t e d , a n d v ic e - v e r s a .
I n m a s t e r i n g , y o u d e a l w i t h t h e f in a l s t e r e o W A V f ile , w he re , f o r the m o s t
p a r t , m u l t i p l e i n s t r u m e n t s p la y a t o n c e . A n d s in c e y o u d o n’t ha v e
a c c e s s t o t h e i n d i v i d u a l t r a c k s , y o u c a n u s e a n E Q to c o ntro l the
i n t e n s i t y o f a s p e c i f i c i n s t r u m e n t o r f r e q u e n c y b a n d : b a s s , v o c a ls ,
c y m b a l s , l o w s , m i d s , h i g h s .. .
Bass Low Mids Mids High Mids Highs
Kick Pads Vocals Violin Cymbals

Sub Bass Top Bass Keys Top Percs Noise

Toms Snare Guitars Flutes Air

... ... ... ... ...
20 Hz 150 Hz 500 Hz 2.5 kHz 8 kHz 20 kHz
EQ
FILTER TYPES
HIGH PASS (LOW CUT)

It rolls off everything below the center frequency.
LOW SHELF
It lowers or boosts the volume of everything
below the center frequency.
BELL
It boosts or cuts the volume of a specific
frequency band.
NOTCH
It rejects a specific frequency band by creating a complete dip
around it.
HIGH SHELF
It lowers or boosts the volume of everything
above the center frequency.
LOW PASS (HIGH CUT)

It rolls off everything above the center frequency.
EQ
CORRECTIVE
I t ’ s a l w a y s b e t t e r t o s t a r t b y g e t t in g r id o f p r o b le m a t ic f re q ue nc ie s a nd
i r r i t a t i n g r e s o n a n c e s . Y o u w a n t t o m a k e s u r e t h e s e f re q ue nc y b um p s
w o n ’ t t r i g g e r a n y d y n a m i c p r o c e s s in g t h a t c o m e s a f te r it in the c ha in.
C o m p r e s s i n g t h e t r a c k b e f o r e f ix in g t h o s e f r e q u e n c ie s c a n m a k e thing s
worse.
I n a d d i t i o n , t r y t o r e d u c e t h e in t e n s it y o f a n y in s t r u m e nt jum p ing to o
m u c h i n t h e m i x b y t a r g e t i n g it s m a in f r e q u e n c y b a nd . C o ntro lling the
l e v e l o f c e r t a i n s o u n d s c a n b r in g o t h e r s o u n d s t o lif e . De a ling w ith tho s e
m a s k i n g p r o b l e m s i s e s s e n t ia l f o r t h e c la r it y o f t h e t r a c k .
H e r e a r e s o m e c o r r e c t i v e E Q e x a m p le s :
Dipping some low Dipping an irritating Lowering high

mid frequencies mud resonance that is frequencies
around 300 Hz jumping too much in harshness with a high
the mix shelf
EQ
ADDITIVE
A t t h i s s t a g e , t r y t o e n h a n c e t h e t r a c k , s e t t h e o v e r a l l to ne , a nd b o o s t
w h a t y o u t h i n k t h e t r a c k l a c k s : s u b , lo w - m id s , h ig h s . . . T ry to f ind tha t
s p e c i f i c f r e q u e n c y b a n d t h a t le t s t h e t r a c k h it h a r d e r a nd inc re a s e s its
perceived loudness.
H e r e a r e s o m e a d d i t i v e E Q e x a m p le s :
Adding low sub Adding mid clarity Adding high

weight and power to around 2 kHz to frequencies top air
the track using a low enhance the vocals for more brightness
shelf
EQ
POST
P o s t E Q i s u s e d a t t h e e n d o f t h e c h a in b e f o r e t h e f in a l lim ite r. It a llo w s

y o u t o m a k e s o m e f i n a l m in o r t w e a k s b e c a u s e s o m e f re q ue nc ie s c a n
s t i l l a p p e a r o r d i s a p p e a r a s y o u ‘ r e p r o c e s s in g t h e f ina l m a s te r w ith
compression, saturation ...
EQ
DYNAMIC
D y n a m i c E Q i s n o t a t r a d i t i o n a l E Q . T h e c u t s a n d b o o s ts a re no t s ta tic .
T h e y c h a n g e d e p e n d i n g o n t h e t a r g e t e d f r e q u e n c y b a nd inp ut le v e l.
T h i s E Q t y p e c u t s a s p e c i f ic f r e q u e n c y a r e a o n c e it jum p s a b o v e a
c e r t a i n l e v e l ( t h r e s h o l d ) . O r t o b o o s t a p a r t ic u la r f r e q ue nc y o nc e it f a lls
below the threshold.
W e u s e D y n a m i c E Q w h e n w e d o n ’ t h a v e a s t e a d y f r e q u e nc y is s ue .
F o r i n s t a n c e , l e t ’ s s a y y o u h a v e lo w - m id m u d d in e s s e v e ry tim e the to m s
h i t . U s e a d y n a m i c E Q t o f ix t h a t p r o b le m s o t h a t t h e E Q re a c ts o nly
w h e n t h e t o m s h i t . W h e n t h e t o m s a r e s ile n t , t h e E Q is b y p a s s e d , w hic h
h e l p s y o u p r e s e r v e t h e l o w , m id - b o d y .
O r , l e t ’ s s a y y o u a r e h a p p y w it h t h e m ix b r ig h t n e s s , b u t y o u ha v e ha rs h
h i g h f r e q u e n c i e s e x c e s s e v e r y t im e t h e c r a s h h it s . In tha t c a s e , if y o u
u s e a t r a d i t i o n a l E Q t o c u t , t h e m a s t e r w ill s o u n d o k w h e n the c ra s h hits
b u t d a r k w h e n t h e c r a s h f a d e s o u t . H o w e v e r , if y o u u s e a d y na m ic c ut,
t h e E Q o n l y w o r k s t o f i x t h e p r o b le m w h e n t h e c r a s h h it s . W he n the c ra s h
f a d e s o u t , t h e E Q f i l t e r i s b y p a s s e d , a n d y o u p r e s e rv e the o rig ina l
frequency balance.
EQ
QUICK TIPS & TRICKS
Listen carefully before touching your EQ
Each EQ decision must have a purpose
Use pro reference tracks to calibrate your ears, and balance the track
If drastic adjustements are needed, go back to the mixing stage to fix them
For transparent results, use narrow Q to cut, and wide ones to boost
COMPRESSOR
In this chapter, you’ll learn how compression works and how it’s used in mastering.
This chapter contains six sections:
Overview
Parameters
In Mastering
Setup Guidelines
Parallel Compression
EQ or Compressor First?
COMPRESSOR
OVERVIEW
Threshold
A c o m p r e s s o r i s a t o o l t h a t h e lp s y o u c o n t r o l y o u r s ig n a l le v e l o v e r tim e .
I n o t h e r w o r d s , i t ’ s a n a u t o m a t ic v o lu m e c o n t r o l t h a t re a c ts to the inp ut
s i g n a l a n d c h a n g e s i t s v o lu m e d e p e n d in g o n t h e w a y y o u s e t the
parameters.
T h e m o s t c o m m o n t y p e o f c o m p r e s s io n is d o w n w a rd c o m p re s s io n.
W h e n e v e r t h e i n p u t s i g n a l r e a c h e s t h e t h r e s h o ld le v e l, the c o m p re s s o r
r e a c t s a n d r e d u c e s t h e l e v e l b y a c e r t a in a m o u n t .
COMPRESSOR
PARAMETERS 1/2
THRESHOLD
The threshold is the input level that determines when compression starts. When the
signal falls below the threshold, compression stops, and the signal moves unprocessed
(P.S. it also depends on the compressor knee).
RATIO
Ratio, the amount of gain reduction on the signal that exceeds the threshold. For
instance, if the ratio is 4:1, and the signal exceeds the threshold by 4 DB, their output will
be 1/4 x 4 = 1 DB. Therefore, 3 DB of gain reduction.
The threshold level and ratio affect the amount of compression. You get more
compression when you lower the threshold or increase the ratio.
ATTACK TIME
The attack is the time it takes for the compressor to reach maximum compression
once the signal exceeds the threshold.
RELEASE TIME
The release is the time it takes for the compression to completely stop once the signal
falls below the threshold.
The attack and release affect the volume movement. The way the gain reduction
works. Check the gain reduction meter to have an idea of how the volume is bouncing.
COMPRESSOR
PARAMETERS 2/2
KNEE
The knee lets the compression start as the signal approaches the threshold with a
progressive ratio. For instance, if the threshold is -10 DB and the knee is 6, compression
will start at -16 DB but with a lower ratio.
LOOKAHEAD
The lookahead lets the compressor analyze the signal a few milliseconds ahead to
have more control over the transients.
MAKE-UP GAIN
Make-up Gain, or output gain, helps you volume match the input to the output and
compensate the gain reduction applied.
It's important to volume match to make sure you have improved the signal.
COMPRESSOR
WHY DO YOU NEED A COMPRESSOR IN MASTERING?
A - INCREASE RMS LEVEL

When you compress the dynamic range, you raise the RMS level, welcome quiet
sounds more in the track, add volume consistency, and enhance the perceived
loudness.
B - AFFECT THE PERFORMANCE

You can make a track hit harder or softer, depending on the vibes you’re going for.
For a hard-hitting master, you need more transients to come through and an
aggressive compression. If that’s the case, use a slow attack and a hard knee.
For a softer feel, use a fast attack to tame more transients and a soft knee for a gentle
transparent compression.
C - ADD THE SAME DYNAMIC MOVEMENT

When you compress the master, you’re basically compressing all the sounds at once.
As a result, they all start to go down and come up the same way and with the same
curve. Sharing that same dynamic movement helps the sounds glue together. To
shape that movement, focus on how the attack and release times interact. The
compressor type you use will also affect that movement because each has different
curves and behavior.
COMPRESSOR
MASTER COMPRESSOR SETUP GUIDELINES
Here are some safe guidelines that may help you set your master
OVERVIEW compressor parameters. Use this as a starting point, and tweak
from there.
RATIO Somewhere between (1.5 : 1) and (2 : 1)
Turn the threshold down until you get around 2 DB of gain

THRESHOLD
reduction
Set them by ears by focusing on the main sound in the section. For
ATTACK & instance, in an EDM drop, focus on the kick and make sure it
RELEASE TIMES doesn’t sound worse when tweaking the parameters. In a pop
chorus, focus on the vocals.
COMPRESSOR
PARALLEL COMPRESSION
Parallel compression is based on blending the original

OVERVIEW
uncompressed signal with another over-compressed one.
You over-compress the signal. You create all kinds of artifacts

using a very high ratio, a low threshold, a fast attack, and a fast
release. Then, you mix that compressed version with the original
dry signal.
THE PROCESS
To mix the compressed and the original signals, you can either use
the Dry/Wet option on your compressor or use a parallel return
track if the mix knob is not in the compressor plugin.
It’s a very controlled way to add compression without sacrificing

THE BENEFITS the transients of your signal. It allows you to add details and bring
up the quiet parts while still sounding smooth and transparent.
COMPRESSOR
EQ VS COMPRESSOR: WHICH ONE COMES FIRST?
Instead of using one EQ, we will split the process!
BEFORE COMPRESSION
B e f o r e c o m p r e s s i o n , y o u h a v e t o f ix t h e
problems by cutting problematic frequencies.
I f y o u c o m p r e s s f i r s t , t h e c o m p r e s s o r w ill
increase the problems.
AFTER COMPRESSION
After compression, enhance the sound. Boost
f r e q u e n c i e s y o u t h i n k t h e m a s t e r is la c k in g . If
y o u b o o s t b e f o r e , t h e c o m p r e s s o r w ill f ig h t
against your boosts.
LIMITER
In this chapter, you’ll learn how a limiter works and how it’s used in mastering.
This chapter contains five sections:
Compressor vs Limiter
Parameters
In Mastering
Avoid Fast Distortion
Serial Limiters
LIMITER
COMPRESSOR VS LIMITER: THE DIFFERENCE?
Original Compressed
Limited
OVERVIEW
A c o m p r e s s o r r e d u c e s t h e s ig n a l le v e l b y a c e r t a in a m o unt d e te rm ine d
b y t h e r a t i o o n c e t h e s i g n a l e x c e e d s t h e t h r e s h o ld .
W h e r e a s a l i m i t e r w o n ’ t l e t a n y s ig n a l g o a b o v e t h e t h re s ho ld . Y o u c a n
f i n d b r i c k w a l l l i m i t e r s w i t h r a t io ( in f : 1 ) a n d o t h e r s tha t a re a t le a s t
(30:1).
I n o t h e r w o r d s , a l i m i t e r i s a c o m p r e s s o r w it h a c o n s id e r a b ly h ig h e r
ratio!
LIMITER
PARAMETERS
CEILING The ceiling is the peak level audio can’t surpass
INPUT GAIN The more you push it, the more limiting you get
The lookahead lets the limiter analyze the signal few milliseconds
LOOKAHEAD ahead in order to have more control over the transients, and avoid
clipping
The release is the time it takes for the limiter to stop once the
RELEASE
signal falls below the ceiling
Auto-Release is an adaptive release time that depends on the

AUTO-RELEASE
input signal
LIMITER
IN MASTERING
The limiter is the processing that will have to most drastic effect on
your master. All you have to do is keep pushing the input gain until
you reach your target loudness level without distorting.
OVERVIEW
Always make sure not to squash the signal and kill all the
dynamics already created while mixing.
Set the ceiling at a -0.5 DB peak to ensure no distortion occurs

TIP 01
after audio conversion on the different streaming platforms.
If True Peak is available on your limiter plugin, use it to avoid that

TIP 02
type of artifact.
LIMITER
AVOID FAST DISTORTION
You often try to reach the loudness of other tracks on the market, but you face one
main obstacle: distortion.
In fact, the loudness war affected many productions and mixing decisions. One of
them is the choice of the kick and bass sounds and the way they’re mixed.
Actually, distortion comes from the sub frequencies. They reach a limit where they can’t
be pushed more without distorting.
If you're looking for higher LUFS levels on your master, check out these tips:
These are some tricks you can use, while producing and mixing,
TIPS
that allow you to push the limiter some extra dbs before distortion:
TIP 01 Pick short kicks (1/8th note in length).
Pick a bass sound with top frequencies so that you can lower its
TIP 02
level and can still be audible on small speakers.
Sidechain. Set the right sidechain between the bass and the kick. It
TIP 03 has to be exaggerated to the point where the bass almost fades
out when the kick plays.
LIMITER
SERIAL LIMITERS
OVERVIEW This trick consists of having two limiters in series:
The first one to tame the loud peaks, and make the waveform
STEP 01
more consistent.
STEP 02 The second one to add more loudness.
This way, instead of having one limiter with hard settings and doing
RESULTS all the limiting, you will have two soft limiters working in series. This
helps you to add some extra input gain before distorting.
DISTORTION
In this chapter, you’ll learn how distortion works and how it’s used in mastering.
This chapter contains three sections:
Overview
Vintage Tapes
Multiband Exciter
DISTORTION
OVERVIEW
Distortion is all about changing shapes. When you drive the input, instead of going
above the ceiling into the red, the waveform is shaved off, its shape changes, and new
harmonics are added to the signal. The most basic example is a sine turned into a
rounded square. But, if the input is more complex (more notes or different waveform
...), the distorted output gets more complex.
When they say distortion, all you can think about is heavy metal
guitars, but in fact, distortion can range from subtle saturation into
heavy amp guitar fuzz.
OVERVIEW
In mastering, all you need is subtle saturation and a bit of soft

clipping to:
A Limit the signal by shaving off the transients and the spikes
Add harmonics to the sound and in c r e a s e the

B
perceived loudness
C Make the track warmer, thicker, and denser
DISTORTION
VINTAGE TAPE SATURATION
M o s t m o d e r n s o n g s a r e m a d e in t h e b o x , m a k in g t h em s o und p re c is e ,
digital, and cold.
T o m a k e y o u r t r a c k s s o u n d w a r m , e x p e r im e n t w it h ta p e e m ula tio n
p l u g i n s . T h e t a p e n o n l i n e a r it y w ill a d d s u b t le s a t u r a t ion to y o ur m a s te r.
I n a d d i t i o n , i t r o l l s o f f s o m e h a r s h h ig h f r e q u e n c ie s a nd a d d s lo w - m id
warmth to your track.
T h e s e i m p e r f e c t i o n s a n d u n p r e d ic t a b ilit ie s a d d e d t o the s ig na l s o und s

warm to the ears.
DISTORTION
MULTIBAND SATURATION
Saturation helps you increase the perceived loudness of your track

OVERVIEW without messing with the dynamics. It excites the track by
generating upper harmonics. You get a fuller and thicker master.
Take your time to experiment with all the saturation types on each
TIP 01
band before taking the final decision.
Multiband saturation helps minimize intermodulation. You will be

TIP 02
able to add harmonics but still, preserve the clarity of your master.
OTHER SOLUTIONS
After breaking down the most common processing, let’s explore some other
techniques and modules that can help you fix some problems and enhance your
master :
Stereo Modes
Left / Right & Mid/Side Processing
Multiband Processing
Multiband Stereo Shapers

OTHER SOLUTIONS
STEREO MODES
Most modern plugins have a built-in routing matrix that allows you to process a
specific part of the signal. They are meant to give you more control over the audio.
STEREO
In stereo mode processing, you affect both channels equally at the same time.
LEFT / RIGHT
You can decide which channel to process. For instance, you can EQ the left and leave
the right channel intact.
MID / SIDE
You can decide which part to process. For instance, you can compress the mids and
leave the sides information intact.
OTHER SOLUTIONS
L/R & M/S
L/R
Each stereo mix has left and right channels. Nowadays, most plugins have L/R
processing, which allows you to process each one separately or target a specific
sound that was panned while mixing.
For instance, if you want to affect the hihats that are on the left, use the plugin in L/R
mode instead of stereo mode, and pick the L channel to affect it without processing
what’s on the right.
M/S
Each stereo mix has mid (center) and sides information (wide). Many plugins,
nowadays, offer mid/side processing possibilities to give you more control over your
signal.
This will help you fine-tune the stereo balance in your track.
OTHER SOLUTIONS
MULTIBAND PROCESSING
Multiband processing helps you affect a specific frequency band,

leaving everything else unprocessed.
This gives you more control over your master and helps you
process a specific instrument or band.
OVERVIEW
For instance, let’s say you want to compress the vocals in the
master to make them more consistent. You can use multiband
processing to compress the mid-frequency band where the main
vocal energy lies. In fact, you may affect other sounds, but it will
mainly compress the vocals.
The filter crossovers - used to separate bands - manipulate the

signal, decrease the audio quality, and change the phase
TIP
relationship. So make sure to use multiband processing only when
it’s necessary.
OTHER SOLUTIONS
MULTIBANDS STEREO SHAPERS
In mastering, you can use stereo tools to find the right balance
between the mid and sides information.
Multiband Stereo Shapers help you shape the stereo image of a

OVERVIEW
specific frequency band.
Adding some width on certain bands can open the track and
make it sound bigger.
Check your track in mono to make sure phasing doesn’t have

TIP 01
much impact on your track.
Mono everything below 150 Hz to add focus in the low end and
TIP 02
make sure there are no phasing issues in that area.
If the sub-level decreases in mono, take a step back and fix the
TIP 03
bass sound used in the production/mixing session.
BONUSES
Analyzers
Compressing The Mids
Fixing a Muddy Mix
Louder Master
Mastering Checklist
Mastering Common Mistakes
Speakers Level
Test The Final Master
The Lo-Fi Master Chain
Thicker Master
ANALYZERS
VISUAL CONFIRMATION
N e v e r h e s i t a t e t o u s e a n a l y z e r s w h e n m ix in g a n d m a s te ring yo u r t r a c k s .
E v e n t h o u g h y o u m u s t r e l y o n y o u r e a r s f o r t h e f in a l d e c is io n, the s e
p l u g i n s h e l p y o u g e t v i s u a l c o n f ir m a t io n o f w h a t y o u 'r e he a ring .
T h e y a l s o h e l p w h e n c o m p a r in g y o u r t r a c k t o a r e f e r e nc e .
Y o u c a n u s e t h e m t o c h e c k lo u d n e s s , p h a s e , f r e q u e n c y c o nte nt, s te re o
image.
R e m e m b e r , n o t e v e r y o n e h a s a c c e s s t o h ig h - q u a lity s p e a k e rs a nd
t r e a t e d r o o m s , s o t h e s e t y p e s o f p lu g in s c a n c o m e in h a nd y .
COMPRESSING THE MIDS
FOR A BIGGER MASTER
This trick consists of compressing only the mid part of the signal
and leaving the sides' information unprocessed.
OVERVIEW
It helps you achieve two main things:
A Make the mid more consistent for a more focused master
A f t e r u s i n g t h e m a k e u p g a in t o c o m p e n s a t e f o r t he
B c o m p r e s s i o n a m o u n t , y o u w ill g e t lo u d e r s id e s , a n d
thus a wider overall master
You get a wider track without squashing the signal and losing the
RESULTS
focus of the mid elements.
FIXING A MUDDY MIX
WITH A MULTIBAND TRANSIENT SHAPER
I f y o u f e e l l i k e y o u r m i x i s m u d d y , t r y t h is s im p le t r ic k .
U s e a m u l t i b a n d t r a n s i e n t s h a p e r a n d a p p ly t h e p r oc e s s ing b e tw e e n
2 0 0 H z a n d 5 0 0 H z . T h i s b a n d t e n d s t o b e m o r e c o m p re s s e d tha n o the r
b a n d s d u e t o t h e c o m p r e s s io n a n d s a t u r a t io n u s e d w hile m ix ing the
individual sounds.
A l l y o u h a v e t o d o n o w i s s lig h t ly r e d u c e t h e s u s t a in a nd a d d s o m e
a t t a c k t o t h e b a n d , b u t d o n ’ t o v e r d o it .
T h i s m a k e s t h i s b a n d m o r e d y n a m ic a n d h e lp s t h e w h o le m ix b re a the .
LOUDER MASTER
WAYS TO INCREASE PERCEIVED LOUDNESS
This three effect processing increases the perceived loudness and makes your track
compete with others on the market. Loudness is not only about the volume fader and
the peak level found on the mixer meter. It's also about the dynamic range & the
frequency content.
COMPRESSOR
Add a compressor to increase the RMS le v e l a nd
w e l c o m e t h e q u i e t p a r t s i n t h e m ix .
MULTIBAND EXCITER
A d d a m u l t i b a n d e x c i t e r t o g e n e r a t e h a r m o n ic s w it h o ut
m e s s i n g w i t h t h e d y n a m i c s . It a d d s f u lln e s s , d e n s ity ,
and brightness.
LIMITER
Add a brick-wall limiter to reach the target LUFS
l o u d n e s s . D o n o t s q u a s h t h e s ig n a l a n d d e s t r o y t he
d y n a m i c s c r e a t e d w h i l e m i x in g .
MASTERING CHECKLIST
BEFORE RELEASING THE TRACK
MONO COMPATIBILITY
Make sure the track keeps its impact in mono, especially the low end.
AVOID CONVERSION ARTIFACTS

Make sure the track sounds good after converting to other audio format (ex. wav to
mp3). Roll-off everything above 18.5 kHz and set the master true peak to -0.3 DB to
avoid unwanted artifacts.
OVER COMPRESSED/LIMITED
Make sure the master is not over-compressed / limited. Do not abuse the gain knob
on the final limiter for extra LUFS.
FREQUENCY BALANCE
Ensure your track has the correct frequency balance using reference tracks, analyzers,
and your ears.
UNWANTED DISTORTION
Make sure there is no unwanted distortion unless you're distorting the track on purpose.
TESTING
Test the to ensure the master sounds right on most sounds systems.
MASTERING COMMON MISTAKES
STOP DOING THIS
LOUDER IS NOT BETTER

Loudness is essential to compete with other tracks on the market. But it's not only
about loudness. It's about how your track hits and its impact. So don't sacrifice your
track low end or punch by shaving off the transients for extra LUFS.
NOT EXPERIMENTING
In mastering, you never know how a boost at a specific frequency will sound or how
this type of saturation could affect your track. So experiment to come up with unique
results.
NOT THINKING BEFORE PROCESSING

Reading articles, books, and watching tutorials is a great to learn the essential
guidelines. But when working on music, you don't need to apply all the knowledge you
learned on every track. So before reaching into specific processing, try to ask yourself if
your master needs it. Everything should be on purpose.
IT'S NOT MAGIC

Mastering is not magic. It's only about this 10% left working on your track to prepare it
for release. You need to understand that mastering can never fix a bad produced track
or mix.
DON'T USE PRESETS

Never use presets on your master unless you know what you're doing.
SPEAKERS LEVEL
TWO HEARING LEVELS
Always stick to two hearing levels, and keep going back and forth between them while
mastering.
LEVEL 1
The first level should be loud enough to hear and feel the bass frequencies. This is
essential to ensure the bass is working well and is not messing up the whole master.
LEVEL 2
Set level 2 in a way that allows you to hold A conversation in the same room. This one
will be less tough on your ears, help you spend more time working on the track and
focus more on the mid and high frequencies.
TEST THE FINAL MASTER
REFERENCE SYSTEMS
Once mastered, you will have to test your track on as many sound systems as
possible. These are all the possible systems that your listeners will use:
SMALL SPEAKERS
Make sure the track low end is still audible on small speakers (laptop, phone) and that
the mid and highs don't sound harsh and irritating.
MONO SPEAKERS
Test your track on mono Bluetooth speakers to make sure phase cancellation is not
having a massive impact on your track.
HEADPHONES
Headphones can be a great tool to reference and listen to your track in an isolated
environment without cancellation and outside noise.
CAR
Make sure your track low frequencies don't destroy the mix on bigger sound systems.
I highly recommend testing your master on as many sound systems as possible

before releasing it. If you're lazy, at least try the track in a car and on mobile.
THE LO-FI MASTER CHAIN
COMPROMISE THE QUALITY FOR THE VIBES
The goal is to sacrifice the audio quality in exchange for vintage warmth. This
mastering chain works well on lo-fi chill tracks and vintage house tracks.
DIGITAL DISTORTION
Reduce the bit depth and sample rate, thus degrading the audio
quality.
VINYL DISTORTION
Emulate tape-style saturation, and generate vinyl crackles noise.
EQ
Roll-off the high frequencies and the very low sub (< 35 Hz). Make
sure to add resonance at the filter cutoff to emulate vintage EQ
behaviors.
SOFT CLIP
Instead of a limiter, use a soft clipper to limit the master and add
loudness and fullness.
THICKER MASTER
MID RANGE BOOST
O u r e a r s a r e v e r y s e n s i t i v e t o m id f r e q u e n c ie s . T h e s e f re q ue nc ie s he lp
the signal cut through the speakers.
A d d u p t o + 1 D B b o o s t a r o u n d 1 . 5 k H z u s in g a w id e b e l l f ilte r to ins ta ntly

get a thicker and more present master.
N o w , i f y o u r m a s t e r a l r e a d y h a s e n o u g h m id f r e q u e n c i e s , b e c a re f ul no t
t o o v e r d o i t . T h i s t r i c k d e p e n d s o n t h e m a t e r ia l y o u ' re w o rk ing w ith.
T h e r e f o r e , e x p e r i m e n t a n d t h e n d e c id e w h e t h e r it w o r k s o r no t.
OUTRO
I hope you have read and practiced all the knowledge provided in this ebook. I want
you to know that I appreciate the time and effort to achieve your dreams and goals. I
wish I have played a small part in your growth.
Thanks again for supporting our products. If you would like to learn more, make sure to
follow us on social media, and feel free to visit our website, where we provide high-end
products that can help you learn and make music with ease.
VISIT NOW

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or via email: education@musicproductionbiz.com

PLUGINS USED IN THIS EBOOK

AN EBOOK FOR BEGINNERS & ADVANCED

USE WHAT YOU NEED

THESE ARE ONLY GUIDELINES

THE WORKFLOW COMPRESSOR

WHAT IS MASTERING? OVERVIEW

THE MASTERING STEPS PARAMETERS

THE MASTERING CHAIN IN MASTERING

MASTERING TIPS SETUP GUIDELINES

PERCEIVED LOUDNESS EQ OR COMPRESSOR FIRST?

PEAK VS. RMS LIMITER

DYNAMIC RANGE COMPRESSOR VS LIMITER

PEAK VS. TRUE PEAK PARAMETERS

AUDIO NORMALIZATION EXAMPLE AVOID FAST DISTORTION

OBJECTIVES SERIAL LIMITERS

FILTER TYPES VINTAGE TAPES

CORRECTIVE EQ MULTIBAND EXCITER

EQ TIPS & TRICKS

L/R & MID/SIDE PROCESSING

MULTIBAND STEREO SHAPERS

COMPRESSING THE MIDS

FIXING A MUDDY MIX

MASTERING COMMON MISTAKES

TEST THE FINAL MASTER

THE LO-FI MASTER CHAIN

This chapter contains four sections:

The Mastering Steps

The Mastering Chain

A - Fix “subtle” mixing mistakes

A - LOOP THE BUSIEST SECTION

C - THE PROCESSING CHAIN

D - REACH THE TARGET LOUDNESS

Ask yourself: why do I need this processing? How could it improve

TIP 02 Less is more !!!

COMPARE MIX & MASTER

This chapter contains seven sections:

Peak vs. RMS

Peak vs. True Peak

Audio Normalization Example

HOW TO INCREASE THE RMS LEVEL?

Spotify -14 LUFS

Youtube -14 LUFS

Apple Music -15 LUFS

Soundcloud -10 LUFS

Amazon Music -11 LUFS

* VALUES ARE UPDATED NOV 2020 AND CAN CHANGE

DYNAMIC VERSION OVER-COMPRESSED

DYNAMIC VERSION OVER-COMPRESSED

- 14 LUFS -14 LUFS

With that being said, you will have to:

A - Use dynamic tools to increase the RMS level

This chapter contains seven sections:

EQ Tips & Tricks

O n t h e o n e h a n d , a m i x e r v o lu m e f a d e r a llo w s y o u t o c o ntro l the le v e l o f

Bass Low Mids Mids High Mids Highs

Kick Pads Vocals Violin Cymbals

Sub Bass Top Bass Keys Top Percs Noise

Toms Snare Guitars Flutes Air

... ... ... ... ...

20 Hz 150 Hz 500 Hz 2.5 kHz 8 kHz 20 kHz