High-Pass Filter — Remove Rumble

Apply a high-pass filter (HPF) at 20–30 Hz with a gentle slope (6–12 dB/octave). This removes inaudible sub-rumble that wastes headroom and causes problems on playback systems. Use a linear phase EQ to avoid phase shift in the low end.

Low-End Tonal Balance (20–250 Hz)

Use a bell curve for surgical cuts and boosts. Common issues: muddiness or boominess at 100–250 Hz — try a narrow cut of -1 to -2 dB. Thin or weak bass — try a gentle boost at 60–80 Hz. Never boost and cut the same frequency band simultaneously.

Key parameters: Q: 0.5–1.5 (wide curve) · Gain: max ±2 dB

Mid-Range Clarity (250 Hz – 4 kHz)

This is the most sensitive range — cut with a narrow Q, boost with a wide Q. Problem areas:

300–500 Hz → boxiness / muddiness → cut -1 to -2 dB, Q: 1–2
1–2 kHz → honky / nasal → cut carefully, narrow Q
2–5 kHz → harshness / sibilance → cut -1 to -1.5 dB, Q: 1.5–3

High-Frequency Air & Presence (5–20 kHz)

A gentle high shelf starting at 8–12 kHz with a boost of +0.5 to +1.5 dB adds air, openness, and perceived clarity. Use a soft shelf curve (low Q). Avoid boosting too aggressively — it will exaggerate noise and sibilance.

Parameters: Shelf at 10 kHz · Gain: +0.5 to +1.5 dB · Q / Slope: gentle (0.5–0.7)

Dynamic EQ — For Reactive Problems

A dynamic EQ (like TDR Nova) only cuts or boosts when the signal crosses a threshold — perfect for occasional harshness or resonances that aren’t constant. Set it to trigger only on the loudest moments so it doesn’t color the whole track.

Example: 4 kHz, cut -2 dB, threshold: -18 dBFS, ratio: 3:1 — triggers only when harshness peaks, not during quiet passages.

The Goal of Mastering Compression

At mastering, compression is used for glue (making the mix feel cohesive) and density (bringing up the average level). It is NOT for fixing dynamics problems in the mix — that should be addressed before mastering. Aim for subtle results: 1–3 dB of gain reduction at most.

Glue Compression — Key Parameters

Use a VCA-style compressor (fast, punchy) or an optical-style (smoother, more musical). Recommended settings:

Ratio: 1.5:1 to 2:1 — gentle, transparent
Attack: 30–80 ms — slow enough to let transients through
Release: 100–250 ms — or set to Auto
Threshold: set so you see 1–2 dB of gain reduction
Knee: Soft — smoother onset, more natural sound
Makeup Gain: compensate the gain reduction exactly

Multiband Compression — Use With Caution

Multiband compressors split the signal into frequency bands and compress each independently. Powerful but easy to misuse. Only use it if a specific frequency range (e.g., excessive sub bass peaks) needs dynamic control that broad compression can’t address.

A safe approach: 3 bands (Low / Mid / High) · Ratio: 2:1 per band · max 2 dB reduction per band · slow attack on all bands to preserve punch.

Parallel Compression

Blend a heavily compressed version with the dry signal (50/50 or to taste). This adds density and sustain without losing the punch of the original transients. Most compressors have a Dry/Wet or Mix knob for this. Set the compressor to a higher ratio (4:1 to 8:1) and blend in around 30–50%.

Why Saturation at Mastering?

Saturation adds harmonic distortion (even and odd harmonics) that makes a digital mix sound warmer, fuller, and more analog. Even a tiny amount — barely perceivable — can add perceived loudness and depth without increasing peak levels. It’s optional but often enhances electronic and hip-hop music significantly.

Tape Saturation — Warmth & Glue

Tape saturation compresses softly at the top, rounds off harsh transients, and adds even harmonics (2nd, 4th order) which are musically pleasant. Keep the drive very low — you should barely hear a difference. Aim for +0.5 to +1 dB of added density, not audible distortion.

Setting: Drive/Input: 10–20% · Tone: neutral or slightly warm · Output: compensate any gain added

Tube / Valve Saturation — Harmonics & Presence

Tube saturation emphasizes odd harmonics (3rd, 5th) giving a richer, more complex texture. Works well on electronic tracks that feel too “digital” or thin. Use even more sparingly than tape — 5–10% drive is often enough.

Clipping — Transparent Peak Control

A soft clipper (like Izotope’s soft clipper or JS Soft Clipper in Reaper) rounds off peaks gently before the limiter, reducing the limiter’s workload and allowing higher average loudness with less pumping. Set the clip threshold at -3 to -1 dBFS, use soft knee mode.

Understanding Mid/Side (M/S)

The Mid channel is what’s identical in both speakers (center: kick, bass, vocals). The Side channel is what’s different between left and right (width, stereo effects). M/S processing lets you treat them independently — the most powerful tool in mastering stereo control.

The Fundamental Rule: Mono Bass

Everything below 100–150 Hz should be in mono or close to it. Wide bass causes phase cancellation on mono playback systems (phones, clubs, etc.) and wastes headroom. Use your EQ or stereo imager to apply a low-pass filter on the Side channel below 100 Hz.

Width Enhancement

Use a stereo imager to widen only the high-mid to high frequencies (above 2–3 kHz). This adds perceived space and air without destabilizing the foundation. Never widen the entire spectrum — it will cause phase problems and lose punch.

Settings: Width below 150 Hz: keep at 0% or reduce · Width 150 Hz – 2 kHz: subtle, ±5–10% · Width above 2 kHz: up to +20–30%

M/S EQ — Advanced Tonal Control

Apply different EQ to the Mid and Side independently. Common uses: boost presence and warmth in the Mid (center focus) · add air and shimmer in the Side (stereo feel) · cut muddy frequencies from the Side only to tighten the mix without affecting the center.

Checking Translation

After stereo processing, always check your master on: Headphones (reveals phase artifacts) · Phone speaker / mono Bluetooth (real-world mono check) · Studio monitors (full range reference) · Laptop speakers (most listeners). If something sounds wrong on any of these, go back and adjust.

What a Limiter Does

A brick-wall limiter sets an absolute ceiling that no peak can exceed. It allows you to increase the overall loudness of your master without clipping. It’s the last plugin in your chain and the most critical — poor limiting destroys dynamics and introduces pumping, distortion, and fatigue.

Ceiling Setting

Set your limiter’s output ceiling (also called “True Peak Ceiling”) to -0.3 dBFS or -1.0 dBFS. Never set it to 0 dBFS — digital-to-analog conversion and MP3 encoding can cause inter-sample peaks to exceed 0, causing distortion on streaming platforms. Spotify and most streaming services require a True Peak maximum of -1 dBFS.

Lookahead

Enable Lookahead on your limiter (typically 1–5 ms). This lets the limiter “look ahead” and prepare for peaks before they arrive, resulting in much cleaner, more transparent limiting with less distortion and pumping artifacts.

Loudness Targets by Genre & Platform

Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube: -14 LUFS integrated
Tidal / Amazon Music HD: -14 to -16 LUFS
Techno / Club / DJ use: -8 to -9 LUFS
Bass House / EDM: -9 to -11 LUFS
Hip-Hop / Trap: -11 to -13 LUFS
Psytrance / Trance: -9 to -10 LUFS
Ambient / Cinematic: -16 to -20 LUFS
Pop / R&B: -12 to -14 LUFS

Monitoring with a LUFS Meter

Insert Youlean Loudness Meter 2 (free) after your limiter. Play the full track from beginning to end. The Integrated LUFS reading at the end is your number. Short-term LUFS fluctuates — only the integrated value matters for streaming normalization compliance.

Export Settings

Export your master as WAV, 24-bit at your project’s native sample rate (44.1 kHz for most music, 48 kHz for video/film). Do not use 16-bit until you need a CD master — always keep the master at 24-bit as your delivery format for streaming distributors.

File Naming Convention

Use a consistent naming structure so your files stay organized across projects and deliveries:

ARTISTNAME_TrackTitle_Master_v1_-14LUFS.wav
ARTISTNAME_TrackTitle_Master_ClubVersion_-9LUFS.wav
ARTISTNAME_TrackTitle_Master_CD_16bit.wav

Final Listening Checklist

Before calling it done, verify the following:

☐  No clipping or distortion anywhere in the track
☐  Mono compatibility — sounds good collapsed to mono
☐  Kick and bass are tight and clear on small speakers
☐  True Peak does not exceed -1 dBFS
☐  Integrated LUFS is at your target
☐  No sudden loudness jumps or drops
☐  Consistent energy and tone compared to your reference track
☐  Sounds good on headphones, monitors, AND phone speakers

Metadata & ISRC

Before uploading to distribution, embed your metadata into the WAV file: track title, artist name, album name, year, copyright, and ISRC code. Use Mp3tag (free, Windows/Mac) or MusicBrainz Picard to edit WAV metadata. Your distributor (FEIYR, DistroKid, etc.) will use this for streaming metadata, but having it in the file is professional practice.