We're onto mastering in our step by step mixing hip hop tutorial, and this week we'll be adding our mastering chain to make things loud, punchy and powerful.
We'll be using:
- Linear phase EQ in mid/side mode to tighten up the low end
- Multi-band compression to squeeze the dynamics and glue the mix together
- Mid/Side EQ to widen the sides
- Parallel limiting to add even more loudness without squashing the peaks
- Slight stereo imaging to create a wider mix
This video ended up being about 35 minutes long so I cut it up into two parts. Check out the first part here.
If hip hop isn't your genre of choice, you'll still learn a lot of valuable tricks for mastering your mixes.
My multi-band compression preset I always start with is borrowed from Ian Shepherd, the Jedi mastering engineer behind Production Advice and many of the Meterplugs plug-ins like Dynameter, Perception, and Loudness
Penalty.
And in fact, I have an exclusive hour-long video with him on mastering your mixes from your home studio that you can get as an exclusive bonus inside the new and improved Step By Step Mixing System.
Get exclusive access to Ian's Expert Interview normally only available to our Insiders.
Here's what you'll learn from the interview:
- What to think about when you master your mixes from your home studio
- How to approach multi-band compression during mastering
- How to set the threshold on your limiter
- How to make your master louder while keeping the mix dynamic
- How to know when to use EQ during mixing vs mastering
- How to master for different formats like broadcast radio and sync libraries
Check it out here and get some invaluable tips for mixing your tracks and mastering your mixes.