Most of these tools can accomplish the same thing. In the end, setting up a workflow that you can remember and not get distracted from, is what counts for the most. Since my last Mastering sessions, I have bought two more metering plug-ins that of course promise ever-more useful ways of getting the right mix balance, but haven't used them on a real session yet. I like TC Electronics metering a lot too, but forget why I had to shunt it aside in favour of NuGEN Audio for awhile - it's here somewhere in the forum as I wrote about it at the time. The calibration notes provided above, are quite useful regardless of metering choice, of course, and I always use some variant on the Bob Katz system.

I've bought WAY too many metering plug-ins, but probably the one I've found the most useful is ISL from NuGEN Audio, as it seems to have the easiest-to-follow metering for use at the pre-mastering stage of a final mix, in terms of finding the right balance between peaks and averages. Otherwise it will too go through any processors existing on the master bus. Needless to say that the reference track's output has to be different than the mix (master) one.

I Import the files in DP and turn the track's fader down until they sound equally loud. When I need to compare my mix to a reference track I just play the reference (mastered track) at -8 to -12db depending on how hot the mastered track is. This way you 'build' a connection between what you see on the meter and what you actually hear in your room (level wise). When I mix ITB, I just put the meter plug (Dorrough) last on the main bus and take care so the RMS level is -16 to -10 db and peaks at -8 to -4db depending on the type of music. I calibrated my monitors to 80db SPL once and since then I enjoy mixing with no worries on how loud or quiet my mixes are.

The best practice is to calibrate your system monitors once, according to the K-System.įor speaker level calibration all you need is a sound level meter and a calibrated pink noise.Ĭalibration pink noise files (look for Pink noise Lt, Rt and stereo files) from Bob Katz' site :

Izotope insight makes track louder