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MODERN MASTERING MASTERCLASS – MASTERING IN THE BOX

WITH ABLETON LIVE 9 – COURSE NOTES

RULE #1: There are no Rules!

RULE #2: The rule is that there is always an exception to the
Rule!
Rule #3: When in doubt, leave it out!

EQ / Equalisation:

EQ is often where I like to start with Mastering as it sort of makes sense

to say that in order to have tonal balance, we need the right EQ
adjustments.

I am pleased to say that one of Live 9's greatest improvements is the

new version of EQ Eight! It is also a collaboration with Cytomic, the
same crew that developed the famous Glue Compressor Plugin. It now
has a much more mastering friendly algorithm and is a nice transparent
and accurate EQ for our mastering tasks.

• EQ has many uses in mastering applications and I'm sorry to say

that there are no rules – only general trends
• For mastering, we should always work in the highest quality
possible and that's why I suggest always making sure that the EQ
is set to 'Oversampling'. To do this simply right-click on the EQ
and select Oversampling at the bottom. This setting causes EQ
Eight to process at high sampling rate and consequently allows for
smoother filter behaviour when adjusting high frequencies. But...
If you are struggling for CPU power, you may not like this setting.
You can also set this as the default setting so that you never have

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to think of this again!

• Listen to the track you are working on a few times and compare
with similar reference tracks and make notes of what frequency
regions seem different. The spectrum meter will help with this.
• No amount of EQ will solve a bad mix – especially the bass or low
frequencies!
• EQ cuts are in general more musical sounding than EQ boosts.
• If you find yourself wanting to make boosts or cuts of about 3dB or
more, perhaps this is a good sign that you should go back to the
mix (if possible of course). Some dedicated mastering hardware
EQ's only have 6dB of gain control for this very reason.
• If EQ is not working, perhaps Multiband Compression will work
better on the problem region. Perhaps a combination of both will
be ideal. Think about other ways to treat the problem.
• To find a source frequency set a narrow Q setting and a high gain
and sweep through the frequency band until you pin point the area
that is disturbing you. It is easier to hear sharp boosts than it is to
hear cuts. Once you find the problem frequencies, experiment with
some EQ cuts... Try different bandwidths or Q settings to see what
has the best effect.
• Most speaker systems including big night club PA's do not produce
frequencies below about 30Hz. Audio below this has a high amount
of energy and can make the compression and limiting work
unnecessarily hard, since these frequencies are too low for most of
us to hear anyway. Below 30 Hz is considered sub-sonic, so
applying a High pass Filter at around 25 to even 40 Hz is common
mastering EQ practice and is well worth doing. This will take some
of the strain off the compression and limiting and allow for a
perceivably louder master.
• Compression can remove some of the air and sizzle from your mix
so sometimes adding a bit back in with EQ in the 15 to 20 kHz
range is desirable. It can add that nice air feeling to the track.
However, some mastering engineers also like to make an EQ cut
above about 18kHz as it is usually above this point that few
humans will hear due to hearing degradation with age. Others
argue that even if we can't hear it, it still adds a psychoacoustic
type air so you need to decide for yourself if it is worth it or not.
• If you like the tonal curve that you have made, but perhaps find it
a little too intense or still not enough, then try adjusting the
excellent scale percentage parameter. A great way to increase or
decrease the intensity of your shaping curve with a single mouse
movement!
• Use the audition mode function to hear what a specific band or
region is doing. A great way to pinpoint control and help with
decision making.

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COMPRESSION:

COMPRESSION GENERAL TIPS:

• Less is more!
• Experimentation is the key to knowing what you can do...
• Compressors can also be used for tonal shaping – different Attack,
Release and Ratio settings can achieve a wealth of different results.
• All of these settings are sometimes useful in mastering.
• In very general, faster Release times will create a more pushing
mix and will reduce the dynamic range. Slower Release times will
be more musical and will effect the track as a whole.
• If you think your track is already sounding nicely melded together
between the instrument parts, then perhaps you do not need a
compressor at all, especially with a more acoustic genre of music!
• Sometimes 2 compressors are better than 1! For example two
compressors with mild ratios of 1.5:1 or so could sound more
natural and musical than one compressor with a ratio set at 3:1...
• The EQ section of the Compressor can be a great way to get better
results for your music. For example a High Pass Filter on the side
chain signal from about 200Hz and below can yield better results,
especially if the track has a strong pumping bottom end. This will
relieve the strain on the compressor and it can sound more natural
and less pumpy, since it is not always being driven by the low,
powerful kicks and bass.
• Use the side chain input monitor to help tune the side chain
settings:
• Compression can be creative!
• Subtle settings might be best if you wish to keep the artist's or mix
engineers original intentions.
• All of the points given here are purely a guide and you should
always use your ears to decide what is best – as there are always
exceptions!

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COMPRESSOR (GLUE):

Based on the classic bus

compressor from a famous
1980's mixing console. It is
legendary for a glued
together sound. Since
Ableton has teamed up with
Cytomic, this is a real leap
forward in processing
quality for them. Just about
all of the leading plugin
manufacturers have come
up with a SSL G Type
Compressor model now and this one is up there with the most successful
I think.

• Select Oversampling mode for optimum quality! (Set as default

once again if you have processing power to spare).
• Don't always think that just because of the name that the Glue
compressor is always the best choice for mastering applications.
• Yes, it is very good at applying a subtle shaping of the overall track
and literally gluing it together.
• I find – like a lot of processing – that it would be better, for
example, to use 2 glue compressors to achieve a more compressed
and potentially louder sound than to make one glue compressor
work harder.
• For example, you could set a fast attack and a fast release time to
even out any transient peaks and then follow up with a nice
balanced and even low ratio compressor. This will give a nice even
sound. However this would not be a great idea if the track were
already quite flat or lacking dynamic range... Only if there are
evident big transients.
• General idea for Glue compression is to use a mild ratio e.g. 2:1 or
less (1:2 to 1 is not uncommon for this type of compression.)
• Adjust the Threshold to achieve a small amount of reduction (no
more than 1 to 3 dB for this type of compression).
• A slow(ish) attack time – this varies greatly between different
compressors but on the glue compressor somewhere around 3, 10
or 30ms.
• A slow release time – again this varies greatly between different
compressors – but on the glue compressor a setting of 0.8, 1.2 or
A (Auto Release).
• There is no real need to activate Soft Clip mode (unless we use it
for a different purpose – see chapter 11 of full course). This mode
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is only really useful if we are trying to tame very loud transients. It

sets the Glue's output level to -0.5 dB. The soft clipper is not
transparent and will distort the signal when active, adding a
particular colour. So, only activate it if this distortion type colour is
something that you desire!

COMPRESSOR (STANDARD):

I suggest looking at the standard compressor as being a slightly more

flexible and versatile compressor than the glue compressor. The glue
compressor certainly adds its own certain character and charm, which
can indeed be the desired effect when mastering, but often you need
something that is more adaptable to a specific task... This is when we
want to use this compressor...

For example Parallel compression can be an excellent way of bringing

out the drums in a master.... However Parallel Compression is an
extreme heavy compression that we want to mix with the original signal
to gain some serious oomph! For this, we want a ratio of higher than
around 8:1 and we also need a compressor with an amount or wet / dry
control to make things easier.

Try:
• High Ratio (greater than 8:1.)
• Low Threshold setting (we want a lot of reduction – severe is good
here! -21dB or more.)
• Very Fast Release time (a few milliseconds!)
• Medium to Slow Attack time (20 to 100 milliseconds to allow the
initial transients through.)
• Adjust the Dry/Wet signal to add the desired amount of heavy
parallel compression. Sometimes just a touch is all you need.

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Another type of fairly drastic compression used in mastering is to use a

very fast release time, a mild ratio and a medium to slow attack time.
This is good to add strength or impact.

Try:
• Medium to Slow Attack time (e.g. 30ms.)
• Very Fast Release Time!
• Adjust the Threshold to get a slight reduction (1 dB or so.)
• A ratio of between 2 and 4:1.

This type of setting should allow the peaks to pass through without being
squashed – e.g. the attack of the kick. You may want to use a
compression like this when you want to really accentuate or enhance the
transients of the drums. The “Fffwwwoooomph” of the kick for example.

Final things to mention are:

• Use Peak mode for treating more transient (short peak material) –
this is more aggressive and precise and works well for limiting
tasks.
• Peak mode is ideal for ironing out sudden or sharp peaks in the
waveform.
• Use RMS mode when you are more concerned about the body of
the track as this mode causes the compressor to be less sensitive
to very short peaks and will compress only when the incoming level
has exceeded the threshold for a slightly longer time.
• RMS type compression is more representative to how people
perceive loudness and is therefore perhaps better for mastering
applications. It is generally considered the more “musical” choice!

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COMPRESSOR (MULTIBAND):

There used to be a thought among mix engineers that mastering always

meant using Multiband compression. The thing is if the mix is good in
the first place, there should be no real need for Multiband Compression!

Multiband functions just like single compression, except we can adjust

each band separately and have more control over each frequency band:
Low, Low Mid, High Mid & High (typically).

You might use it in the following situations:

• Carve out or reduce problem areas. In this case you don't want to
add make up gain. Similar to an EQ cut but effects less of the
tracks harmonics so can be a better way!
• Add more body to a certain region e.g. the bass or the low end. If
the bass needs more weight and body, a multiband might be the
perfect tool of getting it to come out more.
• Use the solo function to tune and to hear what you are doing to
each band!

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STEREO WIDTH:

Live does not have a Stereo Width plugin as such and,

although you can use the Utility plugin to add more
width to the sides, this is less than ideal for mastering.
In chapter 7 of the full course, we get creative and build
our own custom Stereo Width plugin.

• In simplest form, extra width can be achieved with

the Utility plugin – increase the Width above 100%
and we are effectively adding more signal to the
Sides. At zero percent of course the signal will be
monophonic. Just the Sum of the Left & Right
signals will be heard (L + R = M)
• There are other ways we can achieve Stereo width with more
forgiving and impressive results. Using Mid Side EQ and even
Delay can provide for some powerful Stereo Enhancement.
• When dealing with Stereo processing, it is a good idea to always
cross reference the track playing in mono to make sure that all
elements can still be heard well.
• Extreme stereo width enhancement or adjustment can sound very
unnatural and can also introduce a lot of phasing (especially in the
low frequencies) so be wary of this at all times.
• There are also important Stereo width considerations when
mastering for vinyl. Of course we look at this in the Mastering for
vinyl chapter.

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REVERB:

There are some cases when a track really sounds great with a spot of
mastering reverb on it... Although not often! If I were to use Reverb in
the mastering chain I would probably be thinking that the track is very
bland and dry and lacked some coherence or unification between the
parts... Or it is a little lifeless.

Things to remember with Reverb:

• Be very subtle 1 to 10% wet.

• Make sure to high pass filter the reverb so as not to muddy up the
bottom end of the track.
• Keep relatively short reverb times – around 1 second
• Experiment with keeping the signal dry and just adding some early
reflections to give a more instant effect on the transients of the
audio and to keep the resulting sound fairly clean but still somehow
more unified together.
• It is also important to remember that reverb alters the perceived
width or stereo image, so make sure that remain mindful of any
stereo width processing when you apply it.

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SATURATOR:

Ok, so a
Saturator can
be a nice way of
adding a special
‘excitedness’ or
omnipresence
to a waveform
but it
essentially
maps the
incoming audio
signals to new
output levels and introduces clipping as a result. Therefore it can
produce distortion if not used carefully and distortion is very rarely a
desired effect when mastering. It achieves a unique character sound by
a process called ‘Waveshaping’. The grid in the middle shows the type
or waveshaping curve and we can select a range of different curves for
very versatile results. You may have heard of the wonders of Analogue
Tape and this is because when you feed it hot levels, you create a
pseudo type of compression, which is known as tape saturation. It is
basically a distortion effect without clipping. People often associate
Saturation plugins with adding analogue warmth and this is why. I think
it’s a great effect but only if not over done – it sounds harsh and brutal if
you really bump up the drive…

As far as the controls go, the main things to consider are:

• Consider only subtle usage in the mastering realm as this character

can really tarnish a well-balanced master. So, lower Drive dB
settings are wiser.
• The Soft Sine & Medium Curve are more subtle and therefore
possibly better for mastering applications, but Hard Curve and
Analog Clip are worth a look too.
• If you want character, experiment with this for sure.
• Try mixing small amounts in with the Wet/Dry amount and
experiment with more drive and a lower percentage of wet mix (for
example).
• It can be used to increase the presence of a frequency region by
adding harmonics to dull or lifeless tones. It can therefore be used
to create classic Exciter style effects or even enhance the bottom
end for extra punch! (we of course look at this in detail further on
in the full course).
• The Saturator has 2 built in filters to further customise it’s sound.
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To try this, activate the Color button. The Bass knob controls the
1st filter and determines how much the Saturator effect is increased
or decreased for the very lowest frequencies of the input signal.
• The other 3: Freq, Width & Depth control the 2nd filter and function
more like an EQ, with the Depth control behaving like an effect
amount.

LIMITER:

Before applying any limiting, our main mastering

work should already be done. The track should be
sounding balanced and not over compressed or too
dull or bright. Now, we can look at limiting to start
increasing the overall loudness. Limiting is
important but don't leave it to do too much. It is
true that we need to use limiters to compete with
current loudness levels but don't go overboard and
squash the life out of your well-balanced track!

• Loudness does not always equal better!

• Set the limiter output to -0.1 to -0.3 to be
certain that the signal is capped and that no clipping will occur. A
slight safety buffer.
• Keep an eye on your RMS level and also the RMS level of your
reference track(s)
• Increase the limiter gain until you reach a similar loudness (RMS
level) as that of your reference track. Ask yourself, does it sound
OK? Does it still have it's natural dynamics? Has it lost anything?
If it has, then perhaps you have overdone it and you may need to
make adjustments to the rest of the chain.
• Shorter Lookahead times allow for greater compression but with an
increase in distortion. So if using a lot of boost/gain, set a longer
Lookahead time (6 ms).
• The limiter will be the last audio modifying process in the mastering
chain aside from applying dither when we export or bounce*.

*Remember that there are alternative ways of achieving a loud master in

Ableton Live 9, than simply using the Limiter at the end of the Mastering
Chain. See chapter. 11 of the full course titled: ‘Loudness Trick –
Alternative to Limiting’. After all, Mastering is about finding what suits
your music the best and there is always several different ways of
achieving things.

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MID SIDE EQ / MID SIDE PROCESSING:

MID / SIDE EQ: Mid side EQ is a wonderful way of tailoring and

sculpting audio... fundamentally mid is the signal that is in both
channels (mono) and the side is the signals that differ between left and
right.
Mathematically:
M=L+R (Pan both L&R to centre)
S=L-R (Pan both L&R to centre and phase invert one of them)
The Side is what you will hear when you set the utility width amount to
200%.
Mid is what you will hear when you set the Utility width amount to 0%.

So, this means that with mid side EQ we can adjust the frequencies in
the mid differently to those of the side. This is great for things like
rolling off stereo bass and making it more central or adding some nice
sparkle to the sides. Perhaps there is too much hi-hat or sizzle going on
at the sides. Then, we can make a High cut on the side EQ.

OR, another possibility is to, for example, try gently boosting the low-
mid and the high frequencies in only the Sides channel. This will
enhance the space of your track without muddying up the mid
frequencies. Try this combined with a cut of the low-mids on the mid
signal (especially if you find your track a little muddy). Or, a similar
thing could be achieved by cutting the mid frequencies slightly of just
the Mid signal. The options are pretty much endless.

Make sure that Hi-Quality mode is enabled!

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PUTTING TOGETHER YOUR OWN CUSTOM MASTERING EFFECTS

RACK:

So now we have pretty much all of the tools in our arsenal of mastering
goodness, why not put all of our processes together to make a really
powerful mastering channel strip. Then you can use this custom rack for
all of our future projects and really keep some consistency between your
masters and improve faster!

To create a Rack anytime in Live, all we have to do is select what we

want in it (hold down SHIFT to select multiple effects) and then press
Apple/Command G on MAC or CTRL G on Windows.

Of course it may need to be changed over time and it should be but

having a solid basis for mastering and knowing how it effects your music
or waveform is a really really good start and means that half the thinking
work will be done for you.... Now all you have to do is tweak some
knobs and use your ears... The fun part!

One more thing... just because I am an experienced mastering engineer,

it may not be the way you like to do things. There is no real right or
wrong way. So, by all means adjust things as you see fit... Insert fancy
plugins or don't include half of it... It really does not matter, as there are
no hard and fast rules in mastering....

In fact there are as many methods of doing things in mastering, as there

are mastering engineers!

Changing the order of the Mastering chain can have a huge effect on the
outcome so you always need to think about what you are doing and what
you want... for a simple example: If you apply compression before EQ,
you will bring out or make stronger any tonal imbalances of the track, so
it may be a good idea to apply the corrective EQ before the compression.
This way the compressor will not be working on things that are not
desired. On the other hand you may find that you like EQ both before
and after the Compression as it is often felt that compression can take
something away from the timbre of the track – particularly the highs.

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