Collider

Mastering to me is just like getting your tune checked by a second set of ears in a different environment. I have not ever had a tune mastered though so it is only my thoughts.

Generally people would take the limiter off the master and send a version with 3-6db of headroom to give the engineer room for enhancements. But sometimes people set the limiter up so it is a creative part of the tune and therefore might send it with limiting already applied.

I feel like the first option is the best though as you are giving the engineer room to do whatever he feels the tune needs, possibly getting more enhancements for your money spent. There is much more than just limiting that can be done. Multiband compression/de-essing, saturation, mid side processing(which i think can make a huge difference in the size of a mix), eqing and the many combinations of these can give different results.

I have spent a lot of time pushing my tunes into a limiter trying to get that loud energetic sound. It might seem obvious but how balanced the tune is going into the limiter will have a big affect on how it comes out the other side. A not so balanced tune breaks up and becomes thin and harsh very quick but with a well balanced tune you can drive it pretty hard and it still holds together. Its such a struggle though and the best thing you can do to better yourself is to a-b a-b then a-b some more with tracks you love. cheers

That would be sick! Shot guyss!

also the track referencing thing was gold, got me thinking how could do that in logic and kind of figured a way not quite as good as theirs but still it works.

This whole track referencing thing though. I have been obsessed with it for a long time now. what usually do is just sit there analyzing tracks taking notes of rms, frequency curves and stereo width when bored. then when im working on tracks i try get similar results in these meters.

Then when I get a decent sketch going i will load a pro track that is a similar style to do comparisons and it is always a frustrating moment to say the least, my track never stands up. Then i start trying to alter all these sounds i have processed to hit harder or differently to match the pro track more.

Anyway would yous recommend actually having the pro track in from the get go. building your kick to hit similar and your snares working your way through the beat then so on until you have the sketch there that should be less of a let down hopefully and then getting more creative after that. like referencing every step of the way instead of ten steps in and being disappointed.

Big ups hopefully they might be able to chime in fingers crossed.

hey man, first of good on ya for posting a topic its so easy to just lurk and not put anything out there. tunes sound pretty tight man, think i like high noon and savage the most.
That feeling when you get a mean beat going then go listen to a professionally released track tho ae, crushes any little bit of pride you had and now that mean beat is not so mean, your not alone with that man haha. Anyway great work N3ptune