Boosting your confidence, not just your EQ
Whether you’re new to mastering, or have been mastering for a while, here are some essential notes and tips to help you refine balancing and tonal shaping effectively.
1. Start with a Well-Mixed Track
Mastering can’t fix a poor mix, so always ensure your mix is balanced before moving to this stage. Check that individual elements aren’t clashing, and avoid excessive EQ boosts in the mix that might cause harshness or muddiness later.
2. Use Broad, Subtle EQ Moves
Avoid drastic EQ changes—mastering requires gentle adjustments to refine rather than reshape the sound. Try wide Q settings for smooth tonal corrections rather than surgical cuts, which are best handled during mixing.
3. Reference Professional Masters
Compare your track to industry-standard reference masters using level-matched playback. This helps you identify whether your low-end is tight enough, your highs are clear without harshness, and your overall tonal balance aligns with professional tracks.
4. Beware of Overcompression
Compression should glue the track together, but excessive compression can kill dynamics and introduce unwanted pumping. Start with low ratios (1.5:1 or 2:1) and adjust attack/release times carefully to preserve energy while controlling peaks. If your plugin or hardware has the ability to A/B settings this can be helpful so you can hear and feel what the change is doing to the audio.
5. Monitor Across Multiple Systems
Always test your master on different speakers, headphones, and even consumer devices like smartphones and car stereos. A well-balanced track should translate consistently across all playback systems.
***note: You should always do your primary work on one main system so your ears learn the sound of those speakers and the sound of the room they are in.
