Once you have recorded and mixed your track you will at some point need to master your hard work for distribution. There are several powerful mastering tools available you can use to finalise your masters, of which we have gathered in this article for you to check out. Below are several mastering products we suggest if you are in the market for some new mastering tools. Check out our reviews, tips and tutorials produced by The Production Expert Team and our industry partners below.

All-in-one Mastering Suites

Applications that combine all the processes necessary for mastering have become very popular over the last decade. Such suites make it possible for users to shape the tone of their material with EQ, glue the dynamics with compression, adjust the stereo image, check against reference tracks, meter and, most importantly, set loudness. The following products are great examples of all-in-one mastering suites. If you are serious about mastering the following should be on your radar.

Meters For Mastering

Without proper metering, your mastering process will be as tricky as trying to hit a moving target in the dark. Meters help us deliver our music to specific loudness targets. If you don’t use meters or indeed use them correctly, you run a risk of your masters sounding too compressed, which can destroy the vibe of your music. Below are several powerfull meters you should consider using the next time you master a project.

Compressor Plug-ins Great For Gluing The Sound Of Masters

Compression plays a big part in the job of mastering. Small amounts that rein in the dynamics is often referred to as applying “glue” to the mix. This glue helps to solidify the sound of a track and can provide a pleasant sense of vibe and interest while working at gently keeping rogue peaks in check. There are many great compressor plug-ins on the market today you can use for mastering, below are a select few we love and suggest you try for yourself.

Tone Shaping EQ Plug-ins Great For Mastering

What would mastering be like without an EQ? Your masters would sound almost identical to the mix without at least some small degree of tone-shaping. Often mastering engineers use EQ to help one track sound closer in tone, style and presentation to other tracks in a playlist. Other engineers like using EQ to add sheen or weight to mixes that sound thin or gutless. Whatever your reasons for using EQ in a mastering application, we can all agree that without EQ mastering would be a pointless exercise. Below are several EQ suggestions we love using when we master our material.

Outboard Processors For True Analog Mastering Vibe

Studio outboard gear is often a key component in getting masters to sound and feel purposeful. Below are two examples of great-sounding EQ outboard units that you can use to add interest and colour to mixes quickly.

Limiters Great For Mastering

Limiters reduce peaks in waveforms preventing them from passing the digital ceiling. The results of limiting reduce the dynamic range of a mix thus increasing perceived loudness but if too much limiting is applied punch and detail can become lost. Below are several examples of mastering plug-ins that work very well in a broad range of mastering applications.

Mastering Tutorials

Having all the tools at your disposal to master a track is one thing, knowing how and when to use them is something else entirely. Below are several tutorials on mastering produced by The Production Expert Team and our partners that aim to help you understand how to get the most from this vital stage of audio production and to help you feel more confident in your abilities when mastering.