Loudness mindset: streaming normalizes everything (Spotify ≈ −14, Apple/AES ≈ −16, YouTube ≈ −14 LUFS), so there is no benefit to crushing. Aim for the best sound with the most dynamic range you can keep. Use your ears, not a LUFS target. Keep limiting to roughly 2–3 dB or less, true-peak ≤ −1 dBTP.
Session Setup & Headroom
01
Get the mix into a clean session with room to work.
- New project at
192 kHz; import the final mix onto a stereo audio track. - Confirm the imported file is the highest-resolution bounce (
192 kHz / 32-bit float) — not a converted or pre-dithered version. - Verify the mix still has its
−3 dBTPheadroom; if it's already near 0, request a quieter bounce rather than fighting it. - Trim heads/tails loosely — leave room so you don't clip a reverb tail or an attack; fine fades come later.
- Insert one instance of your mastering processor on a post-fader output slot so all processing stays in series.
Plugins
Nuendo
Add Track → Audio / Import
MixConsole inserts (post-fader)
Target: 192 kHz / 32-float session, mix imported clean, ~3 dB of headroom intact, chain in series on a post-fader slot.
Critical Listening & Referencing
02
Decide what the track needs before touching anything.
- Load 1–2 reference tracks you trust in the same lane (electronic / experimental).
- Gain-match the reference to your mix so loudness bias doesn't fool you, then A/B repeatedly.
- Note specific issues: tonal imbalance, harsh bands, low-end weight, width, dull/over-bright top.
- Write a short plan (3–4 moves). If the mix needs large EQ or heavy compression to compete, that's a sign to revisit the mix instead.
Plugins
iZotope
Ozone — Referencing
Ozone — Master Assistant (second opinion only)
Target: a short, specific game plan and a gain-matched reference loaded for constant A/B.
Gain Structure
03
Set a sensible working level into the chain.
- Set input/working gain so the chain isn't starved or pinned — aim for comfortable mid-scale metering with peaks well below 0.
- Keep transient response intact: louder later sections should still read louder than intros on the meters.
- Enable gain-match / auto-gain comparison so processed vs bypass is judged at equal loudness.
Plugins
iZotope
Ozone — I/O gain & Gain Match
Nuendo
SuperVision (level)
Target: stable working level into the chain; bypass comparisons are loudness-matched.
Corrective EQ
04
Fix tonal balance with small moves. Less is more.
- Work mostly subtractive: cut problem resonances before boosting anything.
- Keep moves tiny — tenths of a dB up to ~2–3 dB max. A move bigger than 2–3 dB means the mix should be revisited.
- Use linear-phase (Digital) mode for clean surgical cuts; use Analog mode for gentle musical tone.
- Consider Mid/Side: e.g. tighten low end in Mid, open air in Side — without unbalancing the center.
- A/B against flat at matched level after every move; if it doesn't clearly help, undo it.
Plugins
iZotope
Ozone — Equalizer (Analog / Digital, M/S)
Nuendo
Studio EQ (surgical cuts)
Target: balanced tone achieved with small, justified moves — nothing over ~3 dB.
Compression (Glue)
05
Gentle bus compression for cohesion. Not to squash.
| Control | Starting Point | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Ratio | 1.5:1 – 3:1 | Keeps it transparent; higher ratios start to sound worked |
| Gain Reduction | ≤ 2–3 dB | Most loudness should come from the comp, not the limiter |
| Attack | Slower | Lets transients through — punchier result |
| Release | Slow / smooth, or tempo-timed | Avoids audible pumping; keeps it musical |
- Dial in only 1–3 dB of gain reduction; back off if it pumps or flattens.
- Make up level with output gain and A/B matched — the comp should add glue, not change the balance.
Plugins
iZotope
Ozone — Dynamics (single-band)
Ozone — Vintage Compressor
Target: cohesive, still dynamic — ≤3 dB GR, no pumping, transients preserved.
Multiband / Dynamic EQ only if needed
06
Only when one band misbehaves.
- Identify the single problem region (often low-end build-up) and act only there.
- Prefer dynamic EQ for surgical, level-dependent control; multiband compression for broader band control.
- Keep it subtle — the master should still clearly relate to the flat mix. If you're reshaping heavily, skip it and fix the mix.
Plugins
iZotope
Ozone — Dynamics (up to 4 bands)
Ozone — Dynamic EQ
Target: one problem band tamed; overall balance still reads as the original mix.
Saturation & Color optional
07
A touch of harmonics for warmth. Easy to overdo.
- Choose character: even-order / Tube / Warm for warmth & low-end body; odd-order / Analog / Tape for edge and cut.
- Drive lightly and use the Mix/blend control to keep it parallel — you're seasoning, not distorting.
- A/B matched: any added grit should make it sound better, not just louder. If unsure, leave it off.
Plugins
iZotope
Ozone — Exciter (multiband, modes)
Ozone — Vintage Tape
Target: subtle added warmth/density that survives a matched A/B — or nothing.
Stereo Image & Mono Check
08
Shape width where it helps. Prove it holds in mono.
- Adjust width per band — widen highs/air, keep low frequencies (bass/kick) centered and mono-solid.
- Watch the correlation meter: stay mostly positive; brief dips are fine, consistently negative is a phase problem.
- Collapse to mono and listen. Confirm nothing important disappears or hollows out. Fix at the mix if it does.
Plugins
iZotope
Ozone — Imager (multiband + correlation)
Nuendo
SuperVision (correlation / phase)
Target: wider where intended, bass centered, correlation mostly positive, mono check passes.
Tonal-Balance Check
09
Confirm the full spectrum before limiting.
- Compare your tonal curve to the reference / genre target; correct anything drifting with a small final EQ move.
- Sanity-check on a second system (phone speaker, earbuds, car) — especially bass and top end.
- Confirm the master still clearly relates to the flat mix — an enhancement, not a different song.
Plugins
iZotope
Ozone — Tonal Balance (target curves)
Target: spectrum tracks the reference; translates across systems; faithful to the mix.
Limiting — True-Peak last processor
10
Catch peaks and set the ceiling. As little as possible.
- Place the limiter last in the chain. Nothing processes after it (except dither).
- Enable True Peak detection; set ceiling to
−1.0 dBTP(use−2 dBTPif optimizing for Spotify / lossy encodes). - Push gain in gently — aim for only ~1–3 dB of limiting. Stop the moment it dulls or fatigues.
- Pick a limiter mode that protects transients (IRC for electronic); adjust character to taste.
- Don't chase a LUFS number — the platform will normalize. Dynamic range wins.
Plugins
iZotope
Ozone — Maximizer (True Peak, IRC, Ceiling)
Target: true-peak ≤ −1 dBTP, ≤~3 dB limiting, no audible distortion or fatigue.
Dither & Export (192 kHz / 24-bit)
11
Reduce to 24-bit with dither exactly once.
- Apply dither once, as the last thing in the chain (after the limiter). Use either Ozone's Dither or Nuendo's export dither — never both.
- Set dither target bit depth to
24; a light/medium amount is plenty going to 24-bit. - Export Audio Mixdown: sample rate
192 kHz(no resampling), bit depth24-bit, WAV/AIFF. - If you also need a 16-bit version (CD), make it as a separate export with its own single dither pass.
Plugins
iZotope
Ozone — Dither (MBIT+)
Nuendo
File → Export → Audio Mixdown
Lin Dither (alt)
Target: one 192 kHz / 24-bit dithered master file, dither applied exactly once.
Quality Control & Delivery
12
Last checks before the file leaves the room.
- Listen to the exported file start-to-finish (not the session) — clicks, distortion, bad fades, abrupt tails.
- Re-confirm true-peak never exceeds the ceiling and integrated loudness looks sane (don't over-optimize to a number).
- Final mono / phase check on the rendered file.
- Verify quieter sections stay quieter than the loud sections — macro-dynamics preserved.
- Confirm file name, sample rate, and bit depth; archive the session and the master.
Plugins
Nuendo
SuperVision (LUFS / True Peak / LRA)
Target: clean, peak-safe, mono-compatible 192 k/24-bit file, archived and labeled.