How to make a song louder in mastering

More info: http://productionadvice.co.uk/how-to-make-a-song-loud/

Make a song loud using mastering compression, EQ and limiting - a video tutorial.

If you're interested in the multiband compression eBook, there are more details here:

http://productionadvice.co.uk/multiband-compression-for-mastering/

- and the plugins I'm using are by MeldaProduction

http://productionadvice.co.uk/mastering-plugins/

Category:

Music

Tags:

• louder
• Song
• make it louder
• master
• How-to
• compression
• loudness
• limiter
• mastering
• mixing
• tutorial
• music
• Sound
• Better

[yanidy]

Why don't you use the logic pro EQ, compressor and limiter? Aren't they goood enough?

[masteringmedia]

@yanidy The MeldaProduction plugins are my favourites (so far) which is why I use them for the video, but you can use Logic's built-in plugins too. The phase-linear EQ in Logic is good, but the multipressor doesn't sound as good as the MeldaProduction one to me.

[mrdjeazy]

i have sent atrack to a label and they said they like ot and are whilling to sign but it needs to be louder, in the mix down stage do i have to keep the output at 0? is there any way i can get more out of the mixing stage? if not i find in mastering that limiters and multi compressors are really effecting the quality of the track? do compressors in teh mix down stage effect the overal loudness potential of the track?

[masteringmedia]

@mrdjeazy Sorry, way too many questions to answer here ! Go to my site and look for the free mastering with plugins e-course - there's a banner a little way down on the right hand side. Loads more info there.

[TheFatCampCrew]

The EQ, compressor and limiter you are using are obviously not logics standard. So, where did you get them?

[masteringmedia]

@TheFatCampCrew They are by MeldaProduction - click the "Show more" button under the video and you'll find a link.

[Jamesmsv]

Man, that 'commercial release' is one of the worst examples of professional mastering i've ever heard. Your guy's track sounded so much better, although you did a really good job of replicating the tricks, especially that saturation addition. I just can't believe people listened to the reference track before release and decided it sounded good!

[belizedahype]

great vid. point came across well

[CropCircle18]

Dynamic range...its a good thing!

[CropCircle18]

@godmuratviolin Thats Logic Express, not Pro.

[godmuratviolin]

how to put the logic icon in gold and not silver ?

[TheCapnbooboo]

Slow ass stupid video, get a life, waste of yt space

[bootr0s]

@SkyFilmography hey, why dont you make succinct and informative video for to marvel at then ;D



[HireAStudio]

This is fantastic. Brilliant views and opinions. So fair. Great video. Straight to the subscribe button.

[MarkSauderMusic]

Thanks Ian, I sub =)

[roadtonever]

Thanks for sharing this! I've been looking for techniques to bring up volume a bit yet not make a mess of a mix.

[videosongman]

Brilliant video! I love how you analyze the tracks "needs" as opposed to just straight out copying the commercial track (I like Brandons track better becuase it was more transparent; however, one can argue that for club music loudness the commercial track is more "appropriate" because we have already been condition to the Overlimiting and distortions of today.

I learned a lot about how to make "compromises" towards my goal in mastering from this video! Thanks. Please make more vids!!!

[SkyFilmography]

what a twatty video, gonna check out your website but you certainly take a lonnnnng time to just say EQ and GAIN helps match levels of another track

[masteringmedia]

@Segmentrecords All I mean by "potential for loudness" is that some songs sound loud because of their musical content and the way they are mixed. It's easier to get these songs to sound loud - and maybe if it's not easy, the song *shouldn't* be made too loud...?

[Segmentrecords]

Really interesting video but i dont get what you mean by potential for loudness, i am finding that my masters are coming out too loud and that when i compare them to other peoples everything is just too loud but when i turn the levels right down the overall level is too low

[ipassenger]

Great video. Thought the readers track sounded much better than the commercial release but like you said the commercial release had been done with that extreme loudness in mind from the off.

Wasn't sure how you were going to get the grit back in at the end but a bit of distortion worked really well, i was thinking maybe some mid freq boost but i think that would have probably caused more problems than it solved. Thanks.

[DrAudioBot]

@masteringmedia I hear ya ;-) and of course saturation should be used with A LOT of caution :-) but in this type of music it's not that sensitive and in my experience saturating the sides is less sensitive because it will most likely not touch the kick or other hard hitting, centered elements. Because Melda's built in soft sat is really musical and almost never "sharp" I always feel on the safe side of things. This technique sometimes replaces the "other" side gain boost. Cheers

[masteringmedia]

@DrAudioBot You're absolutely right - although I'm not sure it would be the right thing to do for this song. I actually had a section talking about the stereo width, but edited it out - too much for one video ! I'm cautious about saturation in general, but sometimes it can be a nice effect.

[DrAudioBot]

Thanks for the video. I noticed the reference track"seems" louder because of the wideness as well. In case of brandon's track a bit of a side boost would have brought up the synth more and support a louder feeling...

I use Melda plugins as well and in such a case set the EQ to "sides" mode and give it a little edge by turning up the soft saturation (which sounds great and is absolutely aliasing free - purely adds harmonics) and/or give it a little high end boost.

Thanks