Mix Note 108 / Mastering New
Sequence the record, not just the songs
Individually balanced masters feel inconsistent when played together.
The move
Audition transitions in album order and adjust perceived level and spacing deliberately.
Do this- Listen in the intended album order.
- Adjust perceived level and spacing.
- Check each ending into the next opening.
Listen for this.
Listen through the quiet ending into the next opening.
Know when to back off.
Matching every song to the same integrated LUFS can undermine intentional contrast.
Match loudness when you compare. If the original serves the song better, undo the change.
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Keep working.
040 / MasteringYour peak meter can miss intersample peaks.Sample peaks do not necessarily capture the highest reconstructed signal level.041 / MasteringYour loud master can get turned down.Loudness normalization can reduce a loud master without restoring dynamics lost to limiting.046 / MasteringGain stage for the processor.Nonlinear processors can change character as input level changes.
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