It was a habit when I was using Pro Tools, and I was missing that feature. I always think of the channels in groups because it helps to understand the song. For example, when you download a channels multitrack file and import it to your mixing project, it can be scary at first. Also, you can process the same kind of sounds together if you use those bus groups. For example, I always tend to compress the drums together to get the most energy out of them.

Therefore, I have to route all of them to a bus group. Having that group from the beginning is perfect for me. The bus routings are on the second page of the buses, so your primary bus names can stay the same. You can see it below:. Set the bus groups from the beginning of a mix project, and delete the unnecessary ones.

So this is why I put a VCA type compressor on the drum bus group. You can always tweak it to your liking, and I encourage you to do so because every song is different. But if you want energetic drums, this compressor will help you a lot. Sometimes I want a big, powerful sound from drums. When I want that, I use the Drum Crush bus.

It compresses the signal to hell and adds some distortion to make it even more powerful. I put there a compressor and an overdrive plugin, but you can always use its variations.

For example, if you have something like a tape machine, you can add it with your favorite settings on every bus group, so you can always reach them with just a click.

Then, you can start mixing with those plugins bypassed, and you can open them when you need. There is a stereo out bus; why would I use a mix bus? Good question. I use it for a couple of reasons. Also, make the Q range as broad as possible so the result is smoother and more consistent.

Compare your song to your reference and check for any frequencies that would benefit from an extra boost. A slight boost at around 8kHz using a high-shelf setting should add a little bit of brightness to your master; As well as one using a low-shelf at kHz for bringing attention to your bass sound. Saturation is an optional step that can give your sound extra perceived loudness and analog mojo by distorting the sound very subtly.

There are a few ways you can do this inside Logic. These are modeled after real analog units. There is also a feature in the Tape Delay plugin that will work. Under the Character section, note the Clip Threshold knob.

Dial it back very carefully to add some tape saturation to your sound, but keep it to a minimum. You may also download the free Saturation Knob plugin by Softube. This type of plugin can be used to enhance the overall stereo image of your audio.

You should go about stereo-widening very carefully as, if used incorrectly, it could throw your mix all over the place and make your bass sound weak , as well as cause phase issues. If you still decide to use it, just as with most things in mastering, keep it to a minimum. Load the Stereo Spread plugin and set your Lower Freq.

Keep the Lower Int. Set the stage to 4 or 5. Finally, a limiter will catch the loudest transients in your song while increasing its loudness to standard levels. Limiting is somewhat similar to compressing, but in a much more aggressive way: these plugins will squash any sound that exceeds the threshold , enabling you to have more perceived loudness without clipping.

There are two plugins for this job inside Logic: the Limiter and the Adaptive. With the first one, you will have to dial the release by yourself, as opposed to with the latter, which will automatically adapt the value based on your audio signal.

Both can do a pretty good job but the Adaptive one will sound more natural on most applications so we recommend going with it. After you load the Limiter plugin into your project, insert the Loudness Meter afterward so you can see your audio volume in Lufs. Basically speaking, it is the kind of metering used by streaming services and audio platforms to standardize levels.

What each platform does is automatically turn down the gain of any song that is louder than a certain value , so as to create a better experience for the listener. MSED is a powerful Mid-side processor. In includes a correlation and balance meter. What is Stereo Imaging? The ISOL8 allows you to solo various bands of your master.

At the top you can alter the bandwidth of 5 bands. The monitor section allows you to quickly switch between left, right, mid, and side. BL Waves offers a unique take on the frequency analyzer. You can change the angle of the graphic by clicking and dragging the display. Three window sizes, 3 modes, and 3 variable display settings allow you to customize your display.

At the bottom, you can switch between multiple model types and amplify or attenuate low order or high order harmonics. The Frontier is a powerful limiter. The release is input dependent with some control via the rotary on the bottom left, and the threshold has an auto make-up gain function tied to it. A softy-clip function introduces harmonic distortion. Top 10 Free Compression Plugins. Bittersweet is a popular free plugin that sounds great on a master or mix bus.

The mode section in the bottom left switches the processed signal from stereo, mid, and side. The GEQ adds harmonics to a signal when inserted. It is capable of a multitude of routing configurations including surround sound. Top 10 Free Equalization Plugins. The HPL2 processor is great for getting a new perspective on a mix. The only control you can affect is the output.

LoudMax is a simple but powerful limiter, similar to the Waves L1. The Link and ISP buttons add value to the limiter. Furthermore, I used a shorter but not too short release time. I used a medium lookahead to avoid additional distortion, but this will reduce your loudness. Lastly, I set the output level to Try out some of these great free mastering limiters:. My integrated LUFS is around , but you may want this at -9 or Based on our settings, this should be a problem.

Your mix and master will definitely vary, but the general signal chain, as well as some of the techniques detailed above, are very useful regardless of the track. Try this out for yourself and share your results with us! Have you mastered music using only stick plugins?

Logic offers many great plugins for mixing and mastering. Get a Free Mastered Sample of your Music. In the processing section, you can select which channel you want to affect.

Mastering in Logic Pro X Like a Pro – 6 Simple Steps to Perfection.Top 10 Free Mastering Plugins — Sage Audio

In this article, we focus on tools useful for those seeking to master their tracks at home. While we always recommend getting someone else involved at the mastering stage, the popularity of self-mastering is undeniable and there are lots of tools available to help you. We are also going to concentrate on plugins that are available in AAX format, as well as other plugin formats.

However, this plugin does much more than display phase information. The Width and Pan sliders allow you to check mono compatibility, centre stereo information and increase the width, with a dedicated phase meter that will let you know if you are in danger of over-widening material.

How wide is too wide? This plugin will help you tell the difference. With the first one, you will have to dial the release by yourself, as opposed to with the latter, which will automatically adapt the value based on your audio signal.

Both can do a pretty good job but the Adaptive one will sound more natural on most applications so we recommend going with it. After you load the Limiter plugin into your project, insert the Loudness Meter afterward so you can see your audio volume in Lufs.

Basically speaking, it is the kind of metering used by streaming services and audio platforms to standardize levels. What each platform does is automatically turn down the gain of any song that is louder than a certain value , so as to create a better experience for the listener. This value will vary depending on the service. Spotify , for example, normalizes everything to Lufs. The first thing to do after you load the plugin is to set the Out Ceiling value to -1dB.

This is a safety measure to ensure better playback of your song through different systems without clipping. Now, put the Loudness Meter side-to-side with your Limiter window and adjust the Gain knob until your audio is at to Lufs.

What dithering does is apply low-level noise to your sound, avoiding any data or quality loss. This is a tip that will also apply for mixing.

Be sure to bounce different versions of your track and test how they sound across different listening systems. For example headphones , earbuds , small speakers , and the car stereo. One of the major goals in mastering and mixing is to make sure your track sounds good across a wide variety of equipment and environments.

Sure, it is impossible to achieve a perfect result, but if you feel like your master is not sounding as impactful in your car stereo as it is in the studio , take a moment to adjust your parameters until you find a common ground. Even though Logic Pro will offer you a complete set of plugins , you can find some great additional free ones to aid you both in the production process and to take your masters to the next level.

Here is our selection:. Channel-strip plugin with built-in equalizer, compressor, tape saturation, and limiter sections. For example, I always tend to compress the drums together to get the most energy out of them. Therefore, I have to route all of them to a bus group. Having that group from the beginning is perfect for me.

The bus routings are on the second page of the buses, so your primary bus names can stay the same. You can see it below:. Set the bus groups from the beginning of a mix project, and delete the unnecessary ones. So this is why I put a VCA type compressor on the drum bus group. You can always tweak it to your liking, and I encourage you to do so because every song is different. But if you want energetic drums, this compressor will help you a lot.

Sometimes I want a big, powerful sound from drums. When I want that, I use the Drum Crush bus. It compresses the signal to hell and adds some distortion to make it even more powerful. I put there a compressor and an overdrive plugin, but you can always use its variations. For example, if you have something like a tape machine, you can add it with your favorite settings on every bus group, so you can always reach them with just a click.

Then, you can start mixing with those plugins bypassed, and you can open them when you need. There is a stereo out bus; why would I use a mix bus?

Good question. I use it for a couple of reasons. I used soft clipping distortion to add a greater perceived loudness. Top 5 Advanced Compression Techniques. The plugin gives you the option between natural and linear phase. Harmonic excitement is option, and can create a fuller sound. I like to boost the high frequency range on the side image to add width to the high-frequencies. This limiter was set with more subtle settings, but use more aggressive ones if needed.

Precision mode was great for achieve a transparent sound. Top 7 Free Mastering Limiter Plugins. Logic provides these meters. Perhaps you can relate!

Table of Contents 1. How To Prepare Your Mix es 2. Calibrate Your Mastering Level 3. Gain Stage Your Reference Track s 4. Set The Ceiling 5. Find Loudness 6. Problem Solving 7. How To Prepare Your Mix es There are many articles and cheat sheets out there that tell you things in absolutes like needing 6 dB of headroom and such. If you are confident in the sound of the mix then just bounce it down to a 24 bit wav file.

Then master the wav mix in a brand new session another day with fresh ears.