Top 10 Mastering Mistakes to Avoid

Join veteran Groove3 instructor Larry Holcombe for a video course on the tricky subject of mastering. If you've started to get your feet wet in the mastering domain but still aren't sure of the best process(es), you're in the right place. It's certainly possible to do more damage than good if you don't know what you're doing, and this mastering course aims to mitigate that from the start with 10 common pitfalls many fall into when attempting to master early on. From specific limiting strategies and ordering of plug-ins to thinking outside the box, these 10 tips will save you countless hours of mistakes and help set you on the path to success. These mastering videos are designed for those new to the subject of audio mastering.

Videos

• Don't Overload Any Single Limiter Pt. 1 (06:56) - First, we investigate how to use exaggerated limiter threshold settings to find transparent attack and release times that suit the program material.

• Don't Overload Any Single Limiter Pt. 2 (02:35) - Next, we demonstrate using a limiter alongside a clipper to transparently shave off transients, reducing the load in the final limiter.

• Don't Bring Out Over-Compressed Side Information (09:40) - We create a custom mastering compressor in mid/side mode next, which allows us to bring out an upfront midrange coupled with an uncompressed, smooth side band to ensure we don?t change the balance of reverb and delay tails.

• Avoid Heavy Static EQ in Mastering (02:49) - We discuss avoiding heavy static EQ in mastering, as any broad tonal problems should instead be fixed in the mix process.

• Don't Introduce Widening Before Limiting (06:49) - Learn how to set the limiter first to ensure you don't distort side information. Having the limiter set first means we can add stereo widening without the balance being changed once the limiting is added later.

• Don't Solely Rely on Static EQ (07:02) - Discover how to bring out punch and transients by re-balancing with dynamic EQ. This allows us to both correct frequency issues and also affect the groove of the track.

• Don't Solely Think as a Mastering Engineer (04:35) - We investigate using automation to introduce macro dynamics for added excitement to a master in this video. This allows us to somewhat transcend our role as a mastering engineer.

• Embrace Unity Gain (05:28) - Learn how to use LetiMix?s GainMatch plug-in to maintain unity gain. This allows us to hear processing without being tricked by increased loudness.

• Limiting Before Clipping (05:16) - We discuss placing clipping before limiting in this video, which results in more transparent limiting.

• Be Aware of Your Listening Environment (06:49) - Finally, we discuss some more general tips, including monitoring tracks in different listening environments, taking your time when mastering, and also using reference tracks.