How to level up your mastering in 2024 with these 1% improvements!
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- Опубліковано 21 січ 2024
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Hello, I'm Nicholas Di Lorenzo, Studio Owner, Mixing and Mastering engineer at Panorama Studios.
I'm an Italian-Australian born and raised in Melbourne. I've been a creative professional for 10 years managing some pretty awesome projects for artists, labels and producers all around the globe.
What motivates and drives me?
My family,
Good food,
Great coffee.
You can find me on many platforms:
Instagram: / panorama_mastering
Facebook: / panoramamastering
Twitter: / panoramamasters
Kit: kit.co/Panorama_Mastering
Perfect vid mate. When you mention what you're listening for that's when i learn the most. The amount of value on this channel is crazy. It's like having an audio mate that tells you his tricks
I picked up that clipping first thing from you a little while back and its been working great! i even use the de-clip module to determine the value. So smart!
Really great knowledge thank you for sharing
Thanx for really nice insight into modern mastering .
this channel is top tier thank you
Glad you enjoy it! Thanks!
Amazing info as usual!!! My greatest resource hands down ..
You're welcome!
Thanks! Learning so much from you. You´re the best
Happy to hear that! You're welcome!
Love your channel
What type of sorcery is this?!! You are an audio wizard. I learned a lot in such a short time. Thank you Nicholas!
Subscribed,fire content
Great video! I can't believe you're not charging for this as course content! Legend!
This is great, thanks man!
Glad you liked it!
thank you so much bro, watching from JAMAICA.
the clipper section in this vid is actual sauce
There’s a bit more clipping uncovered in future vids ;)
Another class video, well done mate. Certain mastering engineers would charge money for a detailed explanation of their process, so thank you!
Thanks mate! My pleasure!
You cannot see it from there, but I applauded your final A/B here. Sheesh. Thank you for this video!!!
good stuff man
Thanks bud!
Def my favorite channel. You are the GOAT IMO.
You think you could do a vid (if you haven’t already) on how you use/setup the meta plugin?
Thanks mate! And I got you; here you are !
ua-cam.com/video/VhwCemsObNg/v-deo.htmlsi=aLLogMnTWy8-vB_b
Super work sir, new subscriber here!
Learning how to use the clipper in the master chain has been a complete gamechanger for me.
I normally use one just before the limiter to make sure the GR on limiter remains consistent throughout the loudest parts.
And sometimes, I would use it the start of the chain, especially when I wanna add some compression. Compressing ( with tempo-synced release) after just a bit of clipping creates a very consistent, punchy, dynamic and glued sound, and I just loveeee it!
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Wow yeah interesting concept. Need to try it for myself sometime!
you're a master at mastering
Great video, love your stuff. Just to clarify, the God Particle is doing multiband compression on this song, right? Because you also talked about it not needing compression earlier in the video. BTW, I still use your Dyn-One preset sometimes, would love to see more on that plugin if you ever feel inspired.
You're correct, I probably left out and should have spoken through why I was hitting it as much as I was... (ANOTHER VIDEO TO COME!)
Awesome walkthrough. I think we have fairly similar approaches, though some different choices in tools (and I find I don't need to do as much simple math, I just work through that differently). Clipping early definitely can be an interesting sound. Have you experimented at all with soft saturation in place of it? Also, just out of curiosity...you work in PT which doesn't handle metadata or DDPs at all. How do you handle those tasks for your clients, or are you just sending back files and letting them handle it with their aggregator/label/whatever?
Hey ! Harmonics I haven't experimented with on the front end; because the use case for the clipper is to simply set a fixed peak ceiling to feed into my chain;
I use Hofa DDP for al the metadata tasks;
God Particle meters are awesome, I really came to appreciate them over this past year. Between that and Tonal Balance Control it's never been easier... I like GP around 110% or so too. Cheers!
Man this is so funny! Everything you said about God Particle is exactly what I say when people ask me how I use it. I love the meters and especially the mid band. I dial in with the Weiss EQ.
Rx De clip suggest option is nice place to increase or decrease clip...
Nice video...
You're welcome!
I like how you're doing it. You're like me very accurate. One thought on the "clip before doing other moves approach" is that say the Clipper is at the end of the chain the way you set it up it would probably sound 99% the same because the loudest transients would still be the kick and the snare. But either way has its benefits. Clipping at the beginning means that following compressors can work a bit more relaxed not being stressed by the loud transients and maybe bring better results. Actually I often use 2 clippers. And don't forget that Tape for example does soft clipping, too. So not only a plugin which says is clipping does it.
Definitely that saturation trick will help with the kick intelligibly on a laptop or cellphone speaker. Pretty sure same trick can be achieved with ff saturn too.
Spot on; it makes it all pop!
Thanks
Welcome!
brilliant
thanks mate!
Another great approach here.. Is there a reason for not having linear phase on the Dynamic Saturator ? And have you ever tried to use the build in 3band EQ on God Particle instead of the Sontec ?
No not in-particular; I should probably look deeper into how the Lin Phase mode affects the overall sound of this plugin!
I have tried to use the built in 3band EQ on god particle; and it's good but the fixed EQ points can sometimes leave me at a loss, so I use the sontec so I can tweak as appropriate;
Would love to see the entire process of how this track was made..from its rawest form up until now.
I also put the standardclip as my first plugin
Good trick!
Hey mate, some great tips here! Don’t you find the GP to be super phasey and mess up the centre image? I liked it when I first got it but found it to be doing weird things once I dug a bit deeper 😅
Wow, very interesting trick with Michelangelo eq! I wonder, do you do album mastering, and is there any chance of you making a video about it? Maybe explaining a difference between mastering a single vs an album?
Possibly! That's something I think would be fun to share!
any reason you prefer the sontec eq over the god particle eq knobs? haven’t checked out the god particle video you mentioned yet (which i’m about to do) so you probably explain it there but wanted to ask here in case. great video btw, pretty new to the channel and really enjoying your stuff!
More flexibility I can switch the centre frew if I need to
Would clipping both at the start, as you would normally, and at the end, to knock off like only a handful of single peaks by a db or so (any rouge ones that have been caused by subsequent processing) be useful? Or would the final limiting basically achieve a good enough result?
Possibly; but I haven't been pushed into a corner where any rogue peaks from subsequent processing have caused me such an issue (Yet)
@@panorama_mastering Ah ok, interesting to know. I don't master much (only my own stuff), so I've never really been in a position where exploring that made sense either. Was just wondering if there was a reason not to do it, or if for some reason the processing post clipper introduces the odd random peaks somehow, it would be an option to double up clippers. Sounds like if it was ever needed it would be fine, just unlikely to be needed. Ta!
Hey, first at all, thank you very much for the insight. My progress in understanding and sucessfull masters are insane after watching a lot of your vids.
I use reaper and have No audio editor usefull like yours, any ideas of a VST or some other possibilitys to get the scalings?
My second question is, do you put your plugins direct on the masterbus in your mastersessions?
Props and respect, you are a great one.
What Vari-Mu hardware are using? It's amazing how much mastering has evolved, at least for Electronic Pop. I remember sitting in on mastering sessions years back with some heavy hitters r.i.p, and if you got beyond one eq and a compressor it was radical. This is not a dig about one being better than the other, and I'm not even sure who or what drives these sort of trends and changes. My mix techniques have certainly radically changed over the years as well due to changing times. Is it the listener, label, dj, producers, or engineers, or perhaps all the above that set the pace? I know this may not be your target audience so to speak, but would be good to see you approach something that is less EDM for shits and grins. Thanks for video, always informative, for even a vet like me. The learning never stops! 👍
certainly; I work on heaps of rock, indie and metal! I'd be more than happy to work some of that into a future a video!
Mastering is a fun journey
Damn right; expect another video where I turn this completely on it's head with a different approach for a different track!
Very good content! I want to know how dynamic range and loudness -6.3 and -22.7 are calculated to get -19.4？？THX！
Me too!
I was wondering if anyone caught that. If you raise the level +6.3dB you’ll end up at -16.4. Not -19.4. He made an honest mistake…
He actually says -16.4 a minute later in the video.
At 11:50 i start hearing „Haitian Buddha, Haitian Buddha“:
To the „make kick slap“ part, Spiff would be an interesting alternative imo.
What song is this btw? Is it K-pop ?
i need that snare
One other question - the God Particle applies an EQ curve just by turning it on (thx to your video for that) - so aren't you basically applying the EQ curve twice by adding the Sontec?
Yes the God Particle applies the curve anyway. And the 3 knobs aren't an EQ, they are push/pull sliders that feed the multiband compressor. He likes the way it sounds which is the main thing, but it's not how this plugin works.
Hey!
The god particle has a response curve; you're absolutely correct, but the EQ module in it; is a series of two shelves and a bell; here's the time marker where I rebuild them in pro-q3
ua-cam.com/video/35JnlSXmJ1k/v-deo.htmlsi=HulU3eAlmxEToq_P&t=258
What's the difference between a limiter and a maximiser? Still trying to get my head around that.
have you tried Plugin Alliance Lisa EQ?
Spectral visualization and photoshop style editing is rather useful btw. I generally despise looking at waveforms because of how vague they are.
What is the danger with MS processing? I rely a lot on Mid Side processing in mastering, EQ Saturation Compression and even Limiting, but in small doses (1DB Max per process). I like to start with Mid channel monitoring and processing only to be sure about how my master will sound on Mono devices, and then bring the sides and make adjustments to the sides only to shape my full stereo master. This way I have full control over how it sounds in Mono AND Stereo. This often results in a noticeable seperation between the Mid and Side channels when monitoring. To glue everything back, I will process in stereo with Saturation EQ and Dynamics, creating a stable stereo image again with depth, L-R correlation and movement. Yet I hear everywhere to avoid MS as much as possible. Any clue how this method would be harmful ? Thank you !
At the end of the day, if it sounds good, it is good. But, the danger comes from the fact that Mid/Side (more correctly, Sum/Difference) processing is largely a mathematical process while stereo image is a psychoacoustic process. They're not exactly the same thing, and there are always trade-offs. That doesn't mean "don't do it", but it does mean that you have to be careful that whatever benefit you hear is actually worth the trade-offs that you can't avoid. The other big thing is that it seems like all the advice/tips/tricks online (especially for mixers and producers) are about making things sound crazy wide. When I do S/D processing in mastering, it's more often to reign those effects in. Mono devices, despite their prevalence, can be hard - there are decisions that the mixer can make pretty early on that will alter the balance in mono that you just plain can't fix in mastering. Trying to do it very often incurs far too many trade-offs - you NEVER have full control over both at the mastering stage.
Because too much ms usually often might sound bad, if it sounds good then it is good, usually it changes the mix alot, and things that are hardpanned become louder, balances change. and as a producer I wouldnt particularly appreciate that, if i did i woulda done ms processing in the mix already, as it is a very specific sound, and personally very rarely found that type of processing good sounding in any scenario
Some great explanations here from the responders!
Mid-Side processing is fine; but just make sure you're working with a linear-phase set-up for this so the matrix POST EQ/processing sums back the stereo field accurately;
At 33:17 you mention using a separate maximizer module for true peak limiting. Can you explain why that is? What's the down side of simply turning on true peak limiting on the original maximizer module?
Great video btw!
Thanks for watching!
Not sure why; I blind A/B'ed and found I could pick out the TP limiter when applied separately rather than turning on the module;
My hypothesis is that because TP limiters use an oversampled signal to trace a more accurate read; having a more accurate read across THE WHOLE signal of limiting made it work harder; in opposition to just the few peaks remaining after the fact;
You can check my video on the ballistics of TP limiting to understand a bit more
ua-cam.com/video/70bqdkej9KU/v-deo.html
I get -16.4 from 6.3 - 22.7 ? I'm missing a number
The math during the Waveform Stat Setup is still confusing to me. Can anyone clarify please?
You at the end: You can listen how much warmer it sounds … Me: It sounds awfully harsh and overcompressed 😮
Lots of plugins , remember: every plug in degrades the sound In way, and can make it better, so the degradation is worth it. But if u can make it sound amazing with just 3 or 4 plugins. For me is the way to go. Actually I do otb mastering. And is totally different story.
I completely agree; and I do OTB mastering too.
Every plugin processing the sound in by affecting one of the four pillars of audio fidelity; Frequency Response, Dynamic Response, Harmonic Response, or Noise;
As long as your conscious of how when and why; you're all good!
so ozone stabilizer is just a rip off of Gulfoss? - also great vid! thank you for sharing
-4 LUFS? That's straight MONEY territory
Amen!
You're saying that you're hard clipping, but StandardClip says its on Soft Clip Classic mode. So is that a mistake, or do you recommend using the Soft Clip Classic for this? Cheers
good question! id like to know too
Lol It’s a funny distinction to have to deal with when explaining. For Standard clip the response curve set at “minimum” is hard clipping and ramps into “soft” by increasing the percentage
Hey Maximus, not a mistake;
When the response curve is set at 0%(minimum) it's hard clipping)
@Jonnyoh4731 got it spot on
@@panorama_mastering Ahhh. You learn something new everyday. Appreciate it!
it feels so complex to understand what the guys telling, Its my humble request to make this content a little beginner friendly, I expect such cause I believe you are great at your craft.
Noted
oh my lord :o....
you have massive forearms.
congrats
Cheers
Aren’t you just buying into the loudness wars? What’s the upside?
I thought this was very good
Thank you!
All the haters in here probably already failed on the new years resolutions
The only haters which cut me deep are those who don't like my air drumming, I honestly can't help it; doesn't matter the style of song; I just get into it.
@@panorama_mastering I would call it your signature move
-6 lufs??
yeah spotify would turn that down -9db
That vocal is what my nightmares sound like
The content is good but it feels like someone told this guy once that he needs to air drum in between talking to look busy and like he's actually into it but it looks so unnatural and a bit cringey
hey hey hey.... I love my air drumming. and sometimes I get sucked into the beat and want to pretend I know how to drum ;) let a man shamelessly groove!
@@panorama_masteringclassy response!
Air drumming is based AF. Feeling awkward about other people have fun is the true cringe here
This says more about you than it does about him Dick
Such an odd criticism… do you remember to have fun when working on music?
Nope. Lots and lots of overthinking. And the result is just OK. That's not enough ... at least if you talk about the 1%. I am not convinced.
Boo to this comment
I disagree. Most of the explanation is just putting the thought process out into words.
In real time these would be snap decisions made really fast without thinking too much. But, when you have to explain the actions, and why you do them, they suddenly come across as “overthinking” and theorizing. Even though it isn’t.
@SonicWizards hit this on the head!
And it's something I struggle with in my video's being able to clearly and succinctly compartmentalise my thoughts;
If you go through to the stem mastering version of this track; you'll see the FULL start to end transformation;
@@panorama_masteringman, I feel you there. That’s the toughest thing with making UA-cam videos on these subjects. I mix and master in complete flow state (sure that’s the case for you as well), and this is just impossible when you’re explaining things at the same time. Nevertheless, you’re doing a great job. And I get exactly the same weird comments by people who aren’t even close to that level, professionally. Much love and support from Berlin!
If a song is easy to listen to you know it was hard to make