EQ Cheat Sheet: Frequencies for Every Instrument in Your Mix
Where every instrument's weight, mud, clarity and air sit, which frequencies to cut and boost, the right EQ move for each problem, and how to use the numbers without overdoing it.
What Is the Fletcher-Munson Curve? Equal Loudness in Mixing and Mastering
The Fletcher-Munson curve explains why your mix loses its bass when you turn it down and sounds better when you turn it up. Here is what the equal-loudness curves show, and how to mix and master so...
Mastering Compression: How to Check if Your Master Has Too Much Compression
To check if your master has too much compression, loudness-match it against a professional reference track and flip between the two. If the reference still sounds bigger and punchier at the same...
The Mid/Side Workflow I Always Wanted
Mid and side has never been a difficult idea, it has been a slow one. Two curves drawn at once, one click between them, a Smart Preset starting point calculated for each half separately, or borrowe...
What Is the Best Plugin for Visualising the Frequency Spectrum of a Song?
Plenty of free plugins draw a song's frequency spectrum. The best one tells you what it means for your mix. Here is how REFERENCE 3 compares with SPAN, FreqAnalyst, Insight 2 and Pro-Q 4, and how t...
What Are the Best Plugins for Mastering Electronic Music?
The best plugin for mastering electronic music for most producers is FASTER MASTER by Mastering The Mix, co-created with David Guetta and Nicky Romero. Here is what dance music needs from a master,...