Manual moves when mastering

Look at a premaster as a static entity, and you’ll miss out on easy opportunities to enhance sectionto-section emotion and dynamics… but don’t forget to go easy!

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First, volume. Small level changes at different points in a song can have a huge effect on the track’s impact to the listener. Does a chorus section need bumping up by 1dB? Use clip gain or automation to do just that.

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If an overly harsh or bloated sound jumps out of the mix on occasion, first remove the issue with an EQ plugin, then use automation to switch on the device only at the areas when the sound occurs. This way, you won’t affect the other elements unnecessarily.

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In terms of stereo, how wide do different sections of the track need to be? Perhaps the backing vocals in the chorus could pop out of the sides a little more – in which case, chop out that chorus section, place the audio on another channel, and gently boost width with a M/S encoder or mid-side EQ.

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In dance and electronic music, a build-up must create tension, but the drop that follows it must also have maximum effect. Subtly automate volume or EQ to expertly refine the transition between build and drop, and maybe bump the drop section up in level to make it all hit home.

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Subtle changes in processing can also help you balance the weight of different sections. For example, raising your parallel compression aux by 0.5 to 1dB for the chorus will blend in a fraction more density for that attention-grabbing moment.

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When dialling in these changes over the course of a song, be aware that you shouldn’t be ‘producing’ or changing the mix at all – only refining the premaster to make the song as good as it can be, while still retaining the producer’s original intention.