Mix Note 100 / Mastering New
The reference needs a bypass route
A mastered reference passes through your bus limiter and sounds misleading.
The move
Route the reference directly to monitoring or bypass the processing on its path.
Do this- Route the reference to monitoring.
- Avoid processing it through your mix bus.
- Match its perceived playback level.
Listen for this.
Match perceived level before comparing tone and punch.
Know when to back off.
Watch for duplicate routing that plays the reference twice.
Match loudness when you compare. If the original serves the song better, undo the change.
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Keep working.
101 / MasteringDither belongs at the final reductionRepeated bit-depth changes make the delivery chain harder to control.102 / MasteringCheck the encoded versionA lossless master behaves differently after lossy conversion.103 / MasteringDon't master only the chorusA loud section sets the chain, but the verse pumps or turns brittle.
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