LUFS - what is the best reference?

[Deleted User]

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jwmmakerofmusic

I just usually mix into a limiter. I remove the limiter and make sure the loudest section of the song peaks around -10dB before rendering the unmastered track. Then I pop the unmastered track into Logic Pro and let the AI Mastering Assistant work its magic. 😂

Honestly Logic does a better job at mastering than I ever did. Logic balances the EQ spectrum and masters the song around -14 LuFS with -1dB headroom automatically.

[Deleted User]

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JanKun

You should just enjoy the process without being over concerned with loudness especially if you only upload to SoundCloud or Bandcamp.
The only time you should be careful with loudness is when you are planning to distribute your music on the big streaming platform like Spotify. With their policy of reducing loudness to -14 LUFS, if you don't want them to mess up with your track's dynamic, all you have to do is ensure that your final master is louder than -14 LUFS. By how much, depends on you and the genre you're working on.
No one can tell you how loud you should mix and master, ignore anyone who does so, it is bullshit.As long as you don't clip, do whatever sounds good to your ears, it is your music.
For Hip hop, EDM or any kind of electronic, producers are looking for punchiness, which generally means loud tracks with lots of compression and limiting and less dynamic range.
Acoustic music is more focused on nuances and dynamic, so compression should be used more subtely to preserve the dynamic range to let the instrument "breathe". This often means quieter mix and master.

PS: if you're planning to release a full album, it is a good practice to make sure your tracks have similar loudness for the best listening experience

Tarekith

Completely ignore LUFS during the mix down phase, there’s no reason at all to even think about it. Just make sure you’re not clipping the mater channel, that’s the only thing you need to pay attention to during that part of the process.

richardyot

@Mountain_Hamlet said:
Do you mix to a target LUFS or do you mix and then adjust it afterwards for whatever platform you’re aiming for?

As @JanKun says mix the way you would normally mix, then you can optionally add something like Pro L2 on the master bus at the end and aim for a specific LUFs value (or within a range of values) at that final stage.

You should ensure that your final master is not quieter than -14 LUFS, but it can be louder (again just echoing what has already been said above). Personally I aim for just slightly louder than -14LUFS to maximise the dynamic range in the track and to keep the transients punchy, but you can go louder if you prefer a more compressed sound.

The main takeaway is that there is no benefit to making a "loud" master anymore, so just make the mix and master that's right for you, in terms of dynamic range and compression.

DMfan

@JanKun said:
You should just enjoy the process without being over concerned with loudness especially if you only upload to SoundCloud or Bandcamp.
The only time you should be careful with loudness is when you are planning to distribute your music on the big streaming platform like Spotify. With their policy of reducing loudness to -14 LUFS, if you don't want them to mess up with your track's dynamic, all you have to do is ensure that your final master is louder than -14 LUFS. By how much, depends on you and the genre you're working on.
No one can tell you how loud you should mix and master, ignore anyone who does so, it is bullshit.As long as you don't clip, do whatever sounds good to your ears, it is your music.
For Hip hop, EDM or any kind of electronic, producers are looking for punchiness, which generally means loud tracks with lots of compression and limiting and less dynamic range.
Acoustic music is more focused on nuances and dynamic, so compression should be used more subtely to preserve the dynamic range to let the instrument "breathe". This often means quieter mix and master.

PS: if you're planning to release a full album, it is a good practice to make sure your tracks have similar loudness for the best listening experience

@Tarekith said:
Completely ignore LUFS during the mix down phase, there’s no reason at all to even think about it. Just make sure you’re not clipping the mater channel, that’s the only thing you need to pay attention to during that part of the process.

@richardyot said:

@Mountain_Hamlet said:
Do you mix to a target LUFS or do you mix and then adjust it afterwards for whatever platform you’re aiming for?

As @JanKun says mix the way you would normally mix, then you can optionally add something like Pro L2 on the master bus at the end and aim for a specific LUFs value (or within a range of values) at that final stage.

You should ensure that your final master is not quieter than -14 LUFS, but it can be louder (again just echoing what has already been said above). Personally I aim for just slightly louder than -14LUFS to maximise the dynamic range in the track and to keep the transients punchy, but you can go louder if you prefer a more compressed sound.

The main takeaway is that there is no benefit to making a "loud" master anymore, so just make the mix and master that's right for you, in terms of dynamic range and compression.

This, exactly.
Also try measuring some tracks you think sound good to your ears and check their levels, you’ll most likely find them to be in the ranges previously discussed. Aim for something in that ballpark. Exact figures are not relevant, your music should sound good to your ears wherever you happen to listen to it.

Practice, practice, practice. It’s the bulk practice that will make you reach your desired goals, not that one shiny perfect track.

👊

/DMfan🇸🇪

SevenSystems

@DMfan said:
Also try measuring some tracks you think sound good to your ears and check their levels, you’ll most likely find them to be in the ranges previously discussed.

Also depends heavily on the genre I guess. Most of the tracks I listen to (mostly Psy Trance) just appear as a solid white block when loaded into Meow 😂

BillS

@richardyot said:

@Mountain_Hamlet said:
Do you mix to a target LUFS or do you mix and then adjust it afterwards for whatever platform you’re aiming for?

As @JanKun says mix the way you would normally mix, then you can optionally add something like Pro L2 on the master bus at the end and aim for a specific LUFs value (or within a range of values) at that final stage.

You should ensure that your final master is not quieter than -14 LUFS, but it can be louder (again just echoing what has already been said above). Personally I aim for just slightly louder than -14LUFS to maximise the dynamic range in the track and to keep the transients punchy, but you can go louder if you prefer a more compressed sound.

The main takeaway is that there is no benefit to making a "loud" master anymore, so just make the mix and master that's right for you, in terms of dynamic range and compression.

IMHO this advice is spot on. I am somewhat anal about mixing and mastering and Richard has summed it nicely

kirmesteggno

I try to make it as loud as > @SevenSystems said:

@DMfan said:
Also try measuring some tracks you think sound good to your ears and check their levels, you’ll most likely find them to be in the ranges previously discussed.

Also depends heavily on the genre I guess. Most of the tracks I listen to (mostly Psy Trance) just appear as a solid white block when loaded into Meow 😂

Somebody on the techno reddit analyzed this Jeff Mills classic that's always lauded for its dynamics:

😅

SevenSystems

@kirmesteggno said:
I try to make it as loud as > @SevenSystems said:

@DMfan said:
Also try measuring some tracks you think sound good to your ears and check their levels, you’ll most likely find them to be in the ranges previously discussed.

Also depends heavily on the genre I guess. Most of the tracks I listen to (mostly Psy Trance) just appear as a solid white block when loaded into Meow 😂

Somebody on the techno reddit analyzed this Jeff Mills classic that's always lauded for its dynamics:

😅

I'll try to top that next time I do a master in Trinity 😄

[Deleted User]

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DMfan

@Mountain_Hamlet said:
Cool. Thanks for all the responses. I’m not feeling so weird about how I’m approaching this now. Where I’ve been getting myself a little confused is in how to remaster the track for different LUFS levels while keeping the peak levels consistent. Obviously it’s not just about turning the master level up or down. I’ll just keep mixing it for what sounds right and worry about LUFS levels once I’m at a point where it really matters.

That would sum it up nicely. Good luck!👊

/DMfan🇸🇪

klownshed

You could also use reference tracks. Compare your mixes to commercial releases similar in overall sound to what you’re aiming for and also your other tracks to keep them consistent.

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