The thing is, you just need to learn to use your ears and pick your tools based on that. Sometimes, you may only need to add a limiter to get the job done, whereas other times you may need different plugins. Each mix is different, which is why the mastering tools need to be picked and tweaked according to each unique situation.Įverything depends on the audio material you have and what you want to achieve with the mastering. There is a broad range of VST plugins that can be used for mastering: brick wall limiters, single band compressors, multi-band compressors, equalizers, stereo enhancers, etc. A lot of producers and professionals say that mastering should be left to the professionals. So if all that sounds a little too familiar, I recommend checking out some of my guidelines for mixing electronic music. Your song needs to sound balanced and as good as possible before moving into to the mastering stage. Keep in mind that mastering goes hand-in-hand with mixing. After mastering, your song should be ready to go public. Mastering is the final step in music production.

Mixing and mastering pdf