Mastering — Zacoon Protocols

Session Setup & Import

Get the mix into a clean, full-resolution session with the chain in series.

01

Project specs: Project > Project Setup > Record File Format → Sample Rate 192 kHz, Bit Depth 32 bit float.
Import the mix: File > Import > Audio File onto a stereo audio track.
Verify the input file: 192 kHz, 32-bit float, peaks at or below −3 dBTP. If it peaks hotter than −3 dBTP, re-bounce the mix quieter — don't fix it here.
Insert Ozone last, on a post-fader insert slot — drag the pre/post-fader separator in MixConsole so Ozone sits below it — so the limiter and dither land after the fader and the chain stays in series.

Plugins

Nuendo

Project > Project Setup File > Import > Audio File MixConsole inserts (post-fader)

Target: 192 kHz / 32-float session, mix imported, file peaks ≤ −3 dBTP, Ozone last on a post-fader slot.

Critical Listening & Referencing

Set up an honest, loudness-matched A/B before touching a single control.

02

Get a clean reference source: use a lossless file — purchased WAV/FLAC (Bandcamp), a CD rip, an Apple Digital Master, or Qobuz/Tidal lossless. Do not use YouTube or streaming rips — they're lossy and already loudness-normalized, so you'd be A/B-ing against codec artifacts and a fake level.
Load it in Ozone: click Reference in the I/O panel, hit the power button to enable playback, then + to import (up to 10 tracks; wav/aif/mp3/aac/flac).
Loudness-match the reference (Ozone has no auto-match): use the reference Gain control to bring it to your track's level, then A/B. Optionally enable Replace Input with Reference to read its level on the input meter.
Gain-match your own edits: turn on Gain Match in Ozone's header — it auto-compensates output level when you bypass a module, so every move from here is judged at equal loudness, not "louder = better."

Plugins

iZotope

Ozone — Reference (I/O panel) Ozone — Gain Match (header)

Target: a lossless reference loaded and loudness-matched for A/B, with Gain Match on so all later edits are judged at equal loudness.

Corrective EQ

Small tonal corrections only. Subtractive first.

03

Move size: tenths of a dB, hard ceiling ~2–3 dB. A move bigger than 3 dB → go back to the mix, don't fix it here.
Cut before boost: notch resonances out rather than boosting around them.
Filter mode: Digital (linear-phase) for surgical cuts; Analog for broad musical tone.
Channel mode: set to Mid/Side when needed — e.g. tighten lows in Mid, lift air in Side.

Plugins

iZotope

Ozone — Equalizer → Global Filter Mode (Analog/Digital) + Channel Mode (M/S)

Target: nothing moved more than ~3 dB; cuts favored over boosts.

Compression (Glue)

Gentle glue, not squash.

04

Control	Set to	Why
Ratio	1.5:1 – 3:1	Stays transparent; higher starts to sound worked
Gain reduction	≤ 2–3 dB	Loudness comes from here, not the limiter
Attack	Slower	Lets transients through — punchier
Release	Slow/smooth or timed to tempo	Avoids pumping

Watch the GR meter: keep it 1–3 dB. Back off the moment it pumps or flattens.

Plugins

iZotope

Ozone — Dynamics (single-band) or Vintage Compressor

Target: ≤3 dB GR, no pumping, transients intact.

Multiband / Dynamic EQ only if needed

Use only to tame one misbehaving band — usually low-end build-up.

05

Target the problem band only — bass pump/boom usually lives 60–200 Hz. Don't touch the rest.
Dynamic EQ for one surgical frequency (acts only when it spikes); multiband compression for a whole band.
Keep gain reduction ≤ 2 dB — this stage re-balances fast, so go light.

Plugins

iZotope

Ozone — Dynamic EQ (surgical) Ozone — Dynamics, up to 4 bands (broad)

Target: one band tamed (≤2 dB GR); rest of the mix untouched.

Saturation & Color optional

Add harmonics for warmth or small-speaker translation.

06

Mode	Adds	Use for
Warm / Tube (even-order)	Octave harmonics (2×, 4×)	Reinforces the fundamental → warmth, fuller low end
Analog / Tape (odd-order)	Midrange harmonics (3×, 5×)	Phones/laptops can't play sub-bass → ear infers it from these → bass survives

Pick the mode, drive lightly, and use Mix to blend it parallel.
Multiband: aim it at one band — e.g. odd-order on the low band only for bass that translates on small speakers.

Plugins

iZotope

Ozone — Exciter (modes + Mix, multiband) Ozone — Vintage Tape

Target: subtle warmth/translation from a light, blended amount — or nothing.

Stereo Image & Mono Check

Shape width where it helps, then prove it still holds up in mono.

07

Adjust width per band — widen highs/air, keep low frequencies (bass/kick) centered and mono-solid.
Measure width via M/S energy: set Ozone's I/O meter → Source: Mid/Side, Type: RMS. The gap between Mid and Side levels is your width number — smaller gap = wider. Loop 8 representative bars and read where the meter rests, not the peak flicker.
Watch the correlation meter resting average over the same loop — not the transient spikes. +0.5 – +0.7 = healthy wide-but-mono-safe; near 0 or negative = very wide / phase risk; +1 = mono/identical.
Collapse to mono and listen. Confirm nothing important disappears or hollows out. Fix at the mix if it does.

M/S gap	Example reading	Width
~8 dB	Mid −12 / Side −20	Narrow / centered
~4 dB	Mid −12 / Side −16	Moderate
~1 dB	Mid −12 / Side −13	Very wide

Plugins

iZotope

Ozone — Imager (multiband + correlation) Ozone — I/O meter (Mid/Side · RMS)

Nuendo

SuperVision (correlation / phase)

Target: width confirmed via M/S gap + correlation +0.5–+0.7; bass centered; mono check passes.

Limiting — True-Peak last processor

Brick-wall the peaks and set the ceiling. Limiter is last; nothing after it but dither.

08

Control	Set to	Why
True Peak	On	Catches inter-sample peaks
Ceiling / Output	−1.0 dBTP (−2 for Spotify/lossy)	Headroom for encoder overshoot
Gain reduction	1–3 dB max	Loudness came from the comp, not here
Mode	IRC 1 or IRC 2	Protects transients (good for electronic)

Push the Maximizer Gain up until the GR meter reads 1–3 dB; stop when it dulls or fatigues.

Plugins

iZotope

Ozone — Maximizer → Mode (IRC), Gain, Ceiling, True Peak

Target: true-peak ≤ −1 dBTP, ≤3 dB GR, no distortion.

Dither & Export (192 kHz / 24-bit)

32-float → 24-bit is a word-length cut, so dither once at the very end.

09

Preview the encode: before rendering, audition lossy translation in Ozone → Codec Preview (AAC/OGG/MP3) and fix anything that breaks.
Dither: add Lin Dither as the last post-fader insert, after Ozone (Inserts → Mastering → Lin Dither), set to 24-bit. Make sure no other dither is on (Ozone's, export dialog).
Export: File → Export → Audio Mixdown → Sample Rate 192 kHz (no resample), Bit Depth 24 bit, WAV.

Plugins

iZotope

Ozone — Codec Preview

Nuendo

Inserts → Mastering → Lin Dither (post-fader, 24-bit) File → Export → Audio Mixdown

Target: one 192 kHz / 24-bit WAV, dithered exactly once.

Mastering Workflow