MASTERING Hacks To Wider Masters with these CUBASE Plugins

Introduction

This tutorial will guide you through mastering music using Cubase plugins, as demonstrated by Chris Selim from Mixdown Online. You will learn practical tips and techniques to achieve a professional sound in your music productions. By the end, you'll have a clearer understanding of how to use specific plugins effectively for mastering.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Mastering Session

• Open Cubase and create a new project.
• Import the song you want to master.
• Set your project sample rate (typically 44.1kHz) and bit depth (usually 24-bit).
• Create a new stereo output channel for mastering.

Step 2: Using EQ for Clean Sounds

• Insert an equalizer plugin (like Cubase’s built-in EQ) on your master channel.
• Apply a high-pass filter to remove unwanted low frequencies:
  • Set the cutoff frequency between 20Hz and 40Hz.
• Make subtle adjustments to mid and high frequencies to enhance clarity.
  • Boost around 2kHz to 5kHz for presence.
  • Use a gentle roll-off above 12kHz for smoothness.

Step 3: Adding Compression for Consistency

• Insert a compressor plugin on the master channel.
• Set the following parameters:
  • Ratio: Start with 2:1 or 3:1.
  • Threshold: Adjust until you see a gain reduction of about 2-4 dB.
  • Attack: Set between 10-30 ms for a balanced response.
  • Release: Aim for 100-200 ms for natural sound.
• Listen for a more cohesive track without losing dynamics.

Step 4: Enhancing with Saturation

• Use a saturation plugin to add warmth and character.
• Apply it lightly; a little goes a long way.
• Adjust the gain to bring out harmonics without distortion.

Step 5: Final Limiting for Loudness

• Insert a limiter plugin on your master channel.
• Set the output ceiling to -0.1dB to avoid clipping.
• Gradually increase the input gain until you reach the desired loudness.
• Check your track against commercial releases to ensure it stands up in loudness.

Step 6: Exporting Your Master

• Once satisfied with your mastering, go to the File menu.
• Select Export, then Audio Mixdown.
• Choose your desired format (WAV or MP3) and settings (44.1kHz, 24-bit).
• Ensure to include metadata if necessary (e.g., track title, artist name).
• Click on Export to save your mastered track.

Conclusion

You've now learned how to master your music using Cubase plugins. The key steps include setting up your session, using EQ and compression, enhancing with saturation, limiting for loudness, and exporting your final track. For further improvement, consider exploring additional mastering techniques and tools available in Cubase or online courses. Happy mastering!