Mix delivery targets
Session Setup & Gain Staging
01
Build the session. Set levels right.
- Import all stems into Nuendo. Name each track clearly.
- Set every channel fader to unity — 0 dB. Do not touch faders yet.
- Insert Neutron 5 Mothership on every stem track.
- Insert Visual Mixer on the master bus. Run the Assistant for a first rough balance.
- Set your focal element (the stem that carries the main listener attention) as Focus in the Assistant.
- No individual stem should peak above −6 dBFS on its own. Reduce via Neutron Input Gain if needed.
Suggested Plugins
Neutron 5 — Visual Mixer + AssistantiZotope
MixConsole — Faders & RoutingNuendo
Loudness Track (Project > Add Track)Nuendo
Target: each stem −12 to −6 dBFS · all DAW faders at 0 dB
Repair & Clean
02
Fix it before you mix it.
- 1 - DC Offset Removal — every stem, first. The waveform sitting above or below the zero line. Inaudible but wastes headroom, causes clicks at edit points, and upsets downstream processors. Nuendo: select clip → Audio → Process → DC Offset Removal.
- 2 - De-clip / De-noise / De-hum — any stem that needs it. De-clip: if a stem was recorded too hot and has flat-topped waveforms, use RX 11 De-clip to reconstruct the signal. De-noise: audible background noise (room, air, electronics) — use RX 11 De-noise. De-hum: electrical buzz at 50/60 Hz — use RX 11 De-hum. Apply all three subtly. Over-processing creates its own artifacts.
- 3 - Asymmetrical Waveform Fix — mono stems. Some signals (certain synths, processed sources, anything with natural asymmetry) push more in one direction than the other. This wastes headroom on the mix bus. Use Neutron 5 Phase module — hit Rotation Learn. It analyzes the signal and automatically applies a phase rotation to correct the asymmetry. No time-shift, no polarity flip — just corrects the waveform shape to center it. Apply per stem individually.
- 4 - Stereo Two-Mic Fix — stereo stems only. If a stem was recorded with two microphones into a stereo file, it may have two problems baked in: level imbalance between the two mics, and timing offset from mic distance difference. Use RX 11 Azimuth: hit Suggest — it analyzes the stereo file and automatically sets the correct Level and Delay values for both channels. Enable Adaptive Azimuth Alignment if the offset drifts throughout the recording. Enable Adaptive Matching if the level imbalance shifts over time. Run this before anything else on any stereo two-mic stem. Confirm the fix by collapsing to mono — the low end should remain full and solid.
- 5 - Low Cut (High-Pass Filter) — every stem that doesn't need low end. Cut below 80–120 Hz on any stem that doesn't carry sub or bass content. Cleans up low-frequency mud, reduces phase build-up, and frees headroom on the mix bus.
- Solo each stem after all steps above. Listen clean before moving to Stage 3.
Suggested Plugins
1 - DC Offset Removal (Audio → Process)Nuendo
2 - RX 11 — De-clipiZotope
2 - RX 11 — De-noiseiZotope
2 - RX 11 — De-humiZotope
3 - Neutron 5 — Phase module · Rotation Learn (mono asymmetry fix)iZotope
4 - RX 11 — Azimuth · Suggest (stereo L/R level + timing fix)iZotope
5 - Low Cut / High-Pass FilterNuendo or iZotope
Target: zero DC offset · zero clips · no hum · asymmetry corrected · stereo aligned · low end clean
Tonal Shaping & EQ
03
Give every stem its own frequency space.
- 1 - Set your reference view first. Open Tonal Balance Control 2 on the master bus before touching any EQ. For experimental and electronic music there is no fixed target — use it as a map to see where energy piles up or is missing. Goal: intentional distribution, not genre conformity.
- 2 - Start from the emotional peak — not the beginning. The densest section has the worst masking problems. Solve EQ there first. The rest of the track will follow.
- 3 - Identify each stem's frequency territory. Solo each stem and locate where it lives before touching anything. A single electronic stem can span the full spectrum — know what you have first.
Region Range Common problems Sub / Bass 20 – 120 Hz Muddiness around 80–120 Hz, clashing fundamentals Low Mid 120 – 500 Hz Boxiness, mud buildup, masking of other elements Mid 500 Hz – 2 kHz Honky resonances, nasal coloration Upper Mid 2 – 6 kHz Harshness, presence conflicts between stems Air 6 – 20 kHz Sibilance, digital harshness, or lack of openness - 4 - Check and resolve masking. Enable Masking Meter in Neutron 5 EQ — set one stem as sidechain reference, the other as target. It shows exactly where one stem is masking the other. For constant conflicts: apply a static EQ cut on the less important stem. For conflicts that only happen at certain moments: use Neutron 5 Unmask instead — route the masking stem as sidechain and it applies 32-band dynamic attenuation only when the conflict is active. More transparent than a compressor. In experimental music, who wins a frequency conflict is a creative decision — make it consciously.
- 5 - Stereo stems — check Mid/Side EQ. For any stereo stem, switch Neutron 5 EQ channel mode to M/S. Mid = center content. Side = wide content. Cut mud from the Mid without touching the width. Boost air in the Side without pushing the center forward. Use this only when the stereo stem has a clear imbalance between its center and wide content.
- 6 - EQ rules. Cut narrow, boost wide. EQ before compression if a stem has strong resonances. Do not EQ a stem that is already sitting correctly — leave it alone.
Suggested Plugins
Tonal Balance Control 2 — on master bus, reference onlyiZotope
Neutron 5 — EQ + Masking Meter (static conflicts)iZotope
Neutron 5 — Unmask via sidechain (dynamic conflicts)iZotope
Neutron 5 — EQ in M/S mode (stereo stems only)iZotope
Studio EQ / Frequency (surgical cuts)Nuendo
Target: every stem has clear territory · no unintended masking · stereo stems balanced center vs. wide
Dynamics & Compression
04
Control movement. Add glue.
Compression Settings by Frequency Band
- 1 - Transient-heavy stems — Neutron 5 Transient Shaper, before the compressor.
- · Attack: increase for punch and presence · decrease for softer onset
- · Sustain: increase for body and density · decrease for tighter feel
- · Envelope Mode:
- · Precise — fast staccato sources
- · Balanced — most electronic sources
- · Loose — sustained or textural sources
- Apply light compression after for level stability only.
- 2 - Focal element — use Neutron 5 Density.
- · Upward compressor: boosts soft parts, leaves loud parts above threshold unaffected
- · Range: controls how much upward compression is applied
- · Learn: auto-sets multiband crossover points
- · T/S mode: applies Density separately to transient and sustain
- 3 - Sustained tonal layers and atmospheric stems — minimal compression.
- · Ratio: 1.5:1 to 2:1
- · Gain Reduction: rarely above 2–3 dB
- Heavy compression removes the dynamic character that makes these elements work spatially.
- 4 - Neutron 5 Clipper — peak reclaim after compression.
- · Soft clipping with 4x oversampling
- · Use multiband to target only the spiking frequency range
- Use after compression, not instead of it.
- 5 - Mix bus glue — Group Channel compressor. Route all stems through a Nuendo Group Channel. Use Ozone or Nuendo for character options (vintage, tube, tape).
Control Value Ratio 2:1 Attack 30–50 ms Release Auto Knee Soft Gain Reduction Target 1–3 dB max
Suggested Plugins
Neutron 5 — Transient Shaper (before compressor on transient stems)iZotope
Neutron 5 — Compressor · Auto ReleaseiZotope
Neutron 5 — Density · T/S mode (focal element)iZotope
Neutron 5 — Clipper · multiband (peak reclaim)iZotope
Ozone — Vintage / Tape compressor (mix bus glue)iZotope
Nuendo Compressor · Soft Knee (mix bus glue alternative)Nuendo
Target: Gain Reduction moves with the music · bus compressor 1–3 dB Gain Reduction · dynamics intact for mastering
Space & Width
05
Build the room. Place every element.
- 1 - Reverb and delay — FX Send Channels, not inserts. One short/tight send for closeness, one long/diffuse for depth. Sync delay times to project tempo. Multiple stems share the same space — the mix feels like one world.
- 2 - Low-frequency and sub elements — mono or near-center.
Content Keep mono below Why Sub / kick fundamental 80 Hz Wavelengths too long to carry stereo info. Cancels completely in mono. Bass elements 120 Hz Standard crossover point. Safe for all playback systems. Low-mid heavy elements 200 Hz Dense low-mid content — use cautiously, can narrow the overall mix. - 3 - Sustained tonal layers and atmospheric elements — widen with Visual Mixer. Pads, textures, drones, and harmonic layers are natural candidates for width. Use Neutron 5 Visual Mixer Width per stem in real time while seeing the full mix picture.
- 4 - Focal element — center, minimal reverb, controlled width. Center or near-center. Low reverb send level. Not fully mono but not aggressively wide.
- 5 - Mono check — after every width decision. Collapse master to mono. Play the emotional peak. Anything that disappears or gets thin has a phase problem from excess width or stereo delay. Fix width or panning on that stem.
Suggested Plugins
Nuendo — FX Send Channels (reverb and delay routing)Nuendo
REVelation / RoomWorks (reverb sends)Nuendo
MonoDelay / PingPongDelay (delay sends, tempo-synced)Nuendo
Neutron 5 — Visual Mixer Width (per stem width control)iZotope
StereoEnhancer / Imager (additional width shaping)Nuendo or iZotope
Target: sub/bass mono below 120 Hz · atmospheric layers wide · focal element centered · mono check passed
Automation
06
Make it breathe over time.
- Focal element — write volume rides phrase by phrase. Even out loud and soft moments.
- Reverb sends — increase on phrase endings, pull back on dense sections.
- Emotional peak = loudest, densest moment. Automate everything to reinforce it.
- Clean fade on the outro.
Suggested Plugins
Automation Lanes — volume, send level, any parameterNuendo
Clip Gain — pre-fader level ridesNuendo
Target: emotional peak = loudest moment · focal element even · clean fade
Reference Check & Print
07
Verify the numbers. Then export.
- Play the full track from start to finish. Check Integrated LUFS, True Peak, and LRA in both meters against your targets.
- Run RX 11 Streaming Preview — use the built-in presets per platform. Listen for codec artifacts or harshness not audible in the WAV.
Platform Playback Target Codec Bitrate Notes Spotify −14 LUFS OGG Vorbis 96 / 160 / 320 kbps Louder than −14 LUFS gets turned down. Quieter stays as-is — no boost above −1 dBTP. Apple Music −16 LUFS AAC / Lossless 256 kbps AAC Offers lossless tier (ALAC). Lossy streams at 256 kbps AAC. Normalizes to −16 LUFS. YouTube −14 LUFS OPUS 128 / 160 kbps OPUS is efficient but can introduce harshness on bright or dense mixes. Always check this one. Tidal −14 LUFS AAC / Lossless (FLAC) 320 kbps / lossless HiFi tier is lossless FLAC. Use Lossless (None) preset in Streaming Preview for this tier. Amazon Music −14 LUFS AAC / FLAC 256 kbps / lossless HD and Ultra HD tiers are lossless. Standard streams at 256 kbps AAC. - If preview reveals problems, go back to the relevant stage and fix. Do not patch with a limiter on the output.
- Export: File → Export Audio Mixdown → 32-bit float WAV · 44.1 kHz · stereo interleaved · no normalization · no limiting on the output bus.
- Save and archive the Nuendo project before the mastering session.
Suggested Plugins
SuperVision — Loudness + Phasescope + Correlation modulesNuendo
Insight — Loudness + Levels tabs on master busiZotope
RX 11 — Streaming PreviewiZotope
Export Audio MixdownNuendo
Target: −18 LUFS integrated · ≤ −3 dBTP true peak · LRA 8–14 LU · 32-bit float WAV out