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How can you prevent over-compressing your mix during mastering?

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If you are a music producer or engineer, you probably know the importance of mastering your mix. Mastering is the final stage of audio processing that enhances the overall quality, loudness, and consistency of your mix. However, mastering can also introduce some unwanted side effects, such as over-compression. Over-compression is when the dynamic range of your mix is reduced too much, resulting in a flat, lifeless, and distorted sound. How can you prevent over-compressing your mix during mastering? Here are some tips to help you avoid this common mistake and achieve a balanced and professional-sounding master.

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Simon Morrison

Founder at Healing Stream Institute | Founder & Chief Audio Architect at Morrison Studios

1 Use a reference track

One of the best ways to prevent over-compression is to use a reference track. A reference track is a professionally mastered song that has a similar genre, style, and sound as your mix. By comparing your mix to a reference track, you can get a better idea of how much compression you need and how loud your mix should be. You can use a reference track in your DAW or with a dedicated plugin, such as Reference by Mastering The Mix. Make sure to match the levels of your mix and the reference track, and listen to both on different speakers and headphones.

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Paul v/d Heever

Audio Visual Specialist @Debut Productions | Sound Tech and Production Educator | BA(Hons) - Music & Sound at University of West London
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Make use of a reference track within the same scope and genre as the one being mixed/mastered. Different genres have different frequency responses and characteristics. These subtle changes in frequency can result is various different results both in compression metering, and subjective perseption.

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2 Use a metering plugin

Another useful tool to prevent over-compression is a metering plugin. A metering plugin is a plugin that shows you various aspects of your mix, such as the peak level, the RMS level, the LUFS level, the dynamic range, and the frequency spectrum. By using a metering plugin, you can monitor how much compression you are applying and how it affects your mix. You can also check if your mix meets the loudness standards of different platforms, such as Spotify, YouTube, or iTunes. Some examples of metering plugins are Youlean Loudness Meter, iZotope Insight, and Waves WLM Plus.

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3 Use a multiband compressor

A multiband compressor is a compressor that splits your mix into different frequency bands and applies compression to each band separately. By using a multiband compressor, you can control the dynamics of your mix more precisely and avoid over-compressing the whole mix. For example, you can compress the low frequencies more than the high frequencies, or compress the mid frequencies less than the side frequencies. A multiband compressor can also help you balance the tonal characteristics of your mix and make it more consistent. Some examples of multiband compressors are FabFilter Pro-MB, iZotope Ozone, and Waves C6.

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4 Use a limiter

A limiter is a compressor that prevents your mix from exceeding a certain level, usually the 0 dBFS level. By using a limiter, you can increase the loudness of your mix without clipping or distorting it. However, a limiter can also cause over-compression if you set the threshold too low or the release too fast. To avoid this, you should use a limiter sparingly and carefully. Start with a high threshold and a slow release, and lower the threshold gradually until you reach the desired loudness. You should also use a true peak limiter, which prevents inter-sample peaks that can cause distortion. Some examples of limiters are FabFilter Pro-L, iZotope Ozone, and Waves L2.

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Paul v/d Heever

Audio Visual Specialist @Debut Productions | Sound Tech and Production Educator | BA(Hons) - Music & Sound at University of West London
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Using a limiter increases the loudness at the cost of inducing more distortion into the mix. A great way to avoid adding too much distortion is the conduct a Null Test. Once bounced, invert the phase of the mastered track and play it alongside the mixed( Version without the Limiter). What is left would be the distortion added in the track to make it louder. Use your discretion to hear if you have subsequently added too much distortion by reducing the dynamic range.

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5 Use your ears

The final and most important tip to prevent over-compression is to use your ears. No matter how many plugins or tools you use, you should always trust your ears and listen to how your mix sounds. Over-compression can be subtle and hard to notice, especially if you are used to hearing loud and compressed music. To avoid ear fatigue and bias, you should take frequent breaks, listen to different genres of music, and get feedback from other listeners. You should also listen to your mix on different devices and environments, such as your car, your phone, or your headphones. If your mix sounds clear, dynamic, and balanced on all of them, you have probably avoided over-compression.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Simon Morrison

Founder at Healing Stream Institute | Founder & Chief Audio Architect at Morrison Studios
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Review the objective(s) of applying compression during mastering: ? Does the overall dynamic range need to be reduced? ? Is there low level content that needs to be enhanced? ? Are there transients / peaks that need to be attenuated to improve the balance? ? Would accentuating a specific element in the mix improve the listening experience? Consider clipping versus compression when attenuating transients / peaks - the result is typically more transparent. Consider saturation versus compression to enhance low level content, accentuate elements in the mix, and soften transient content. Perform frequent level-matched A / B comparisons between the mix and master. Listen for changes in transient content, bass, vocals and lead instruments.

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How can you prevent over-compressing your mix during mastering?

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1 Use a reference track

2 Use a metering plugin

3 Use a multiband compressor

4 Use a limiter

5 Use your ears

6 Here’s what else to consider

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