Signal flow<\/h2>\n
Let’s just dive right into it \u2014 here’s a good starting point for a digital mastering path in your DAW:<\/p>\n
Source \u2192 EQ \u2192 Compressor (2 dB gain reduction) \u2192 Clipper \u2192 Limiter (3 dB gain reduction)<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n This signal flow may not make any sense to some of you, but it’ll soon become clearer as we go through this mastering guide.<\/p>\n The takeaway here is that to make something louder<\/em>, you need to reduce<\/em> the dynamic range. That said, the more dynamic range a mix has, the louder it may be on streaming (check out this article<\/a> if you’re interested in learning more on this).<\/p>\n In mastering, we usually use VU meters that give us RMS<\/strong> (root mean square) readings of our master. In essence, VU meters give us a good indication of the average levels of our master. A good inexpensive meter to consider getting is PSP’s TripleMeter<\/a>.<\/p>\n A few things to note about VU Meters:<\/p>\n 0 VU is relative<\/strong>: The digital value of 0 VU is defined using the meter calibration control. The reason for this is to allow scaling for different target levels.<\/p>\n 2.<\/strong> Target levels<\/strong>: In the mastering world, there are general reference points in respect to target levels. For PSP TripleMeter, you can calibrate 0 VU by clicking PSP VU 3<\/strong>. This will surface the ‘back’ of the meter.<\/p>\n Below are rough target levels for some common genres:<\/p>\n Because 0 VU is relative, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re clipping even if you surpass it. If you’re only touching the 0 VU mark occasionally, you have a dynamic master. If you’re going over 0 VU and into the red occasionally, you have a louder but less dynamic master. And if you’re slamming the red, you have a compressed master with less dynamic range.<\/p>\n Now that you know about signal flow and metering, it’s easy to create a reusable mastering template in your DAW. All you have to do is set up and save a master track with plugins in this order:<\/p>\n That’s it for this entry \u2014 next, let’s cover EQ basics.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n Explore royalty-free one-shots, loops, FX, MIDI, and presets from leading artists, producers, and sound designers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
Metering<\/h2>\n
![\"signal-flow-metering-psp-triplemeter-01\"](\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/signal-flow-metering-psp-triplemeter-01.png\")
<\/p>\n![\"signal-flow-metering-psp-triplemeter-02\"](\"https:\/\/splice.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/signal-flow-metering-psp-triplemeter-02.png\")
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Creating a mastering template<\/h2>\n
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