How To Master DJ Mixes Like A Pro For FREE // Audacity Tutorial

[@djcsharp8800]

The AUMultibandCompressor is on Mac, but on Windows I found that the reaxcomp is the a good one to use that has 4 bands. On the mac, the AUMultibandCompressor appears to be at the defaults, and so I ran it on a mac and go the details. The settings are then the following band1:topFreq = 200, band2:topFreq = 900, and band3:topFreq = 4000. Band1:threshold=-30db, Band1:Attack=20ms, Band1:Release=40ms. Band2:threshold=-32.5db, Band2:Attack=20ms, Band2:Release=40ms. Band3:threshhold=-40db, Band3:Attack=20ms, Band3:Release=40ms.Band4:threshhold=-42.5, Band4:Attack=20ms, Band4:Release=40ms. I hope this helps folks.

[@DJBlighty]

Thanks for sharing this info :)

[@xTheLostProphetx]

Thanks for posting, please could you tell us the other settings you used such as Gain for each band and the master?

[@fjaartaf]

this is really helpful. thanks

[@DashRiot]

THANK YOU

[@conormallon3115]

Can you explain what you mean by reaxcomp? I am on windows and the only option I am seeing is "compressor" which doesn't have any of the options you are explaining or thats in the video.

[@djsteviemitch]

Even after 2 years this is the best and easiest to follow explanation of editing mixes on youtube. Brilliant video, thank you.

[@DJBlighty]

Thanks, happy to help

[@chachoudj]

Hey the new limiter of Audacity latest update look completely different - would you know what setup I should set for big peak?

[@bazukaran]

Amazing Tutor man, Thanks A LOT. Its Too bad ii cant hear the audio of what your doing. it could bring this whole tutorial to another level and really make us understand exactly what you are doing. Thanks Again - Love It

[@DJBlighty]

Slight oversight on my part, hope it was useful regardless.

[@Bra1ndon]

1. Normalize everything to 0.0 2. AUMultiband Compressor everything (standard) 3. Select peak sections: Limiter (Hard Limit, 0.0, 0.0, -6, 10) 4. Normalize everything to -1.0 5. Limiter (Hard Limit) everything to -2.0 6. Normalize everything to -1.0 7. Limiter (Hard Limit) everything to -2.0 8. Normalize everything to -1.0 9. Limiter (Hard Limit) everything to -2.0 10. Normalize everything to -1.0 11. Limiter (Hard Limit) everything to -2.0 12. Normalize everything to -1.0

[@toshgiles]

Finally! So helpful, and actually the answers I needed. Thank you.

[@DJBlighty]

Happy to help

[@mxmulz121]

Great Tutorial, I got one more question though, the latest version of Audacity comes with the "Loudness Normalisation" , which has been added to meet the standards of the streaming platforms. Do you include that effect at the end of the mastering? Regards David

[@DJBlighty]

Yeah, that would be the same thing as you can adjust the volumes before applying it.

[@BboyCorrosive]

Thanks man, after a lot of collecting, I'm finally getting my act together to make some short mixes for mixcloud to have a go at getting out there a bit, maybe get some small bar shows or something, this will help a lot as I'm all vinyl so run into the loudness/quietness issue and was a bit stuck looking for the right filter to fix it per track

[@djxanderdls]

Nice tutorial bro. I just wish we could here the audio while you are doing the mastering. Anyway, I learned a lot. Thank you DJ Blighty.

[@DJBlighty]

Thanks Xander, glad it helped. That wasn't actually intentional, I didn't realise I didn't have the audio capture on, you should be able to get all the info you need visually from the waveforms though, but always best to check the audio as well whilst you're doing it.

[@djxanderdls]

@@DJBlighty Yes. Thank you.

[@chachoudj]

Can i export in wav too?

[@dimonwait]

Thanks man, you are literally the only one speaking about volume limits and why they matters after viewing 8 videos about how to record a dj set!

[@DJBlighty]

happy to help

[@mandar1n__]

Since the new Audacity update, everything kinda changed, would be cool if you could do the updated version of this recording :) loved the old version more and this video helped me always

[@EV-909]

I found that... effects tab, legacy limiter...

[@83rv]

Install an old version… I’m running the same version i had like 10 years ago. Tried a new version and swapped back to the old one 😅

[@PacketElf]

Thanks for the video it’s great! A question: how is your process of limiting and normalizing different that using a limiter with amplification on?

[@alonzojohnson4070]

I use audacity to record my mixes through the mic port. The quality is not that great. Will this improve the quality.

[@DJBlighty]

Yes, 100 times

[@IgnizerTrading]

Thank you! I use windows and there is no multiband compressor on audacity, which other option can be used?

[@DjDavidTimothy]

Hi mate what are you using to master these days as there has been many updates on Audacity and the multiband compressor has changed

[@BELTR.]

Great tutorial, man! Could you teach us, Windows users, how to use the Multiband Compressor? We can't have this same plugin you're using..

[@DJBlighty]

Thanks man. I don't have access to windows unfortunately. I'm an avid Mac user. I'm sure the plug ins are available. It's just a question of activating them, I had the same issue when I updated my version.

[@Geedeecee1]

Thanks. The AU Multiband Compressor does not display as a graph for me. It's a series of sliders with the headings Gain, Crossover Frequencies, Band 1-4. Any tips for how to set these?

[@stevelopez1693]

FANTASTIC tutorial! Question: if I were mastering a DJ mp3 mix to record onto CD or cassette (yeah I know!) is the process the same, or is it different since you mentioned that this was for streaming? I used Bias Peak for Mac back in the day, and it worked for me. Finding a replacement audio waveform editor to replace it has been difficult.

[@PNolan]

Best video I've found on this topic. Thank you!

[@DJBlighty]

Thanks, happy to help

[@larrycoffey806]

Watched this a few months ago. Mades no sense. DJed clubs/radio late 70s-mid 90s on vinyl. Retired, bought controller, learning digital. Masters sounded like s**t. Just watched again. Applied ur process to a mashup. Wow! Amazing difference. Thank you!!!

[@andyEFCmyatt]

Hi mate, can I ask how you recorded you set? Im struggling to compress and get my sets all sounding at the same level because I record from my REC OUT of my mixer and it keeps the recording levels the same throughout, however, there seems to be a difference in levels and I can't work out how to compress properly and get my set sounding constant. any help would be amazing, thanks

[@theenemyoftruth8552]

What ratio are you using in the compressor? And are you using make up gain?

[@alexhandshaw5021]

Big up for this !! Such a help, subscribed !

[@DJBlighty]

Thanks Alex

[@wobbles3906]

I cant follow your compressor step because we dont have a Multiband Compressor on PC. Can you show us recommended settings using the default compressor or at least a PC compatible plugin ? I have searched tutorials but I dont really understand in relation to what you are doing

[@DJBlighty]

Hi Colm, it will be there, you need to activate the plug in manually on newer versions of the software but is easily done, just a quick google search will show you how to do it step by step.

[@SilentAssassin90]

@@DJBlighty hey, the AU Multiband Compressor is only available on Mac's. Windows has a couple of other alternatives like GMulti etc. But I'm not sure what settings to apply there. Could you help us with what settings you would recommend for the Multiband Compressor ?

[@oxytocin6736]

@@DJBlighty I also would like to know same as the comment below

[@silverdoosan]

Cheers Blighty spot on mate my mix sounds Epic!

[@DJBlighty]

Happy to hear that :)

[@bodio_ua]

Thanks a lot for these tips! I'll try them and see how it works!

[@DJBlighty]

anytime

[@DjDavidTimothy]

Multiband Compressor has changed do you have the correct settings for the new look

[@MauricioFernandez-k7q]

Love the video and explantion. Would love an explanation on the multiband compressor so i can apply that step better.

[@DJBlighty]

I explain it in the vid?

[@Jacques.krause]

Only 3 minutes in and you already gained another subscriber. Quality content.

[@DJBlighty]

Thank you

[@austinroberson1314]

Can I do this to my entire mix after I export or do I need to do it one song at a time? I have a mashup with about 70 songs in it that I’m playing at my wedding reception and want to make sure I have good enough sound quality. I bought all the songs from iTunes (AAC)

[@Joe-DnB-Tambo]

Nice tutorial, do you have one for a vinyl mix

[@cgrcgr7432]

Great Video mate got a lot from this ...Do you do any drops or recommend anyone for Drops ???

[@Playboysnow]

Any tips if you have a mix that you recorded at a higher level. Let's say 3/4 of the max level on Serato? Same process?

[@DJBlighty]

For sure, as long as it's not peaking over 0.0db anywhere you're ok. I would probably half the increments I use in the video as you're already closer to peak volume though.

[@Playboysnow]

@@DJBlighty thanks for the feedback

[@petesky]

Great and very helpful. video mate. Cheers for that

[@DJBlighty]

Happy to help

[@RetroAmericano]

Thank you so much for this video. I wanted to ask because I have a little issue. I am looking to master a mix I did on a rig I know longer use. On that mix I have two portion of the mix that sit around -4 db. I saw you commented on a user who also recorded high and you said to use half the i increments used. To be more specific would that mean best to normalize at say -2.0 and Limiter on -4.0 while still doing roughly 4 rounds, or possibly other proper amounts? Or just do two rounds at the regular increments you provided? I did notice slight distortion in those areas doing the regular increments and rounds of normalization and limiting. I appreciate your feedback, and thank you for the video!

[@TheManInaHat]

where do you download the multiband compressor

[@remingtonjensen2231]

It’s an Apple only compressor

[@druthedj]

Just a quick one, when using the limiter, why not select all and set the limit instead of looking for the portions with the peaks?

[@DJBlighty]

Because it will take longer, it's only limiting the high peaks, the low ones won't be affected

[@curtisfreeman4551]

Amazing! Now I have to go and edit my last 20 mixes!

[@DJBlighty]

hahaha enjoy

[@SadiqakaSTH]

Absolute G for this one bro, appreciate the help!!

[@DJBlighty]

Happy to help!

[@jasabasenara8124]

You can't actually clip in the digital format. Clipping affected analogue, not digital. You have a float range. Bounce your mixdown in a 32-bit float and add limiters or compressor in the master with that.

[@DJBlighty]

That's not true at all, clipping is a big no, no. Digital or analogue.

[@jasabasenara8124]

@@DJBlighty learn the range. You will understand.

[@stam9354]

@@DJBlighty analogue clipping is used to distort signals in a pleasing way.

[@Positive_Tea]

No he means you recorded the mix in 32 bit float which can not be clipped. Nothing you do to that file can clip the waveform. It goes like 250db range. We have to worry about clipping when we bounce down to 16 bit. You have to make sure you're at - 1 before you do that!

[@Lilesy.]

In Audacity 3.6.4 on Windows, there doesnt appear to be an option to set a hard limit. Is there a work around for this please?

[@coalcocoalco]

thank you sooo much for this video it's the best out there

[@DJBlighty]

You're very welcome!

[@Ferszty]

Can you please make a video for Recording live mashup on decks and putting it through audacity for a quick basic song to upload to Soundcloud? The -1.0 has a lot of distortion and not sure how much limiter and perfecting for a 3min mashup?

[@erickcrvz]

Thank you!

[@rodrigotancredi7397]

wowwwwww!!! Thank you so much for this!

[@djdeezy1493]

Epic mate !!! life saver🥂

[@DJBlighty]

Glad it helped

[@tomelliott73]

How do you get the same multi band compressor as your using ? is there a alternative already built into audacity? I can only see a compressor and it does not seem the same.

[@HeavyweightDj]

same not an available effect

[@56z41]

Unfortunately there are only availabe on Mac

[@homebodytreat6203]

effect > add/remove plug-ins > select from drop down and click enable

[@DJBlighty]

Yeah, they are there guys, on newer versions of the software you have to enable them manually unfortunately. A quick google search will give you a quick step by step guide on how to do it.

[@marcrtaylor]

@@DJBlighty the one you are using is only available for mac.

[@travelhopper_TV]

I love your Job you are awsome

[@stefanprnsl5646]

Hi, I have the latest version of audacity bit can't seem to find any of the effects you're using in this video..

[@sionalunevans]

cheers for the tips! you welsh? where abouts you from?

[@barrakkila]

thanks for the info bro 👍🏻

[@jeffersonkaka1275]

Thanks for Sharing the Knowledge, Very Helpful

[@DJBlighty]

Glad to help

[@mtb_zen89]

this is excellent man - far more in-depth then any video like it i've seen before. just beginning to realize how powerful audacity actually is. what exactly is the multi-band compressor doing and is it a cleaner option than the limiter for cutting down the peaks? i've noticed before that limiters (audacity's as well as dj software's) can absolutely destroy quality files making it sound like a tin can. currently i try to keep my levels at -3dB (recorder, master and channel) but maybe i should be using more...

[@DJBlighty]

You have to be very careful with limiters. The multiband compressor is a bit more subtle than a standard compressor if used correctly & it can really brighten the eq and give a nice punchy/loud finish.

[@MrTiBeN11]

Thank you very much man, very insightful and all with a free tool :) I made some very conclusives tests :) It sounds !

[@DJBlighty]

happy to help

[@paulcarlton598]

Fantastic! That saves a ton of time.

[@DJBlighty]

Glad it helps

[@andrewkennedy5484]

how did you make that wallpaper saying your name and your logo on your tv thanks love your content

[@DJBlighty]

It's just my logo bro

[@andrewkennedy5484]

@@DJBlighty A right thanks mate can you please do a video on how you made it or got it

[@markgasparro]

Very helpful ! Thanks

[@DJBlighty]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kelseyw587]

Thank you so much!

[@DJBlighty]

Glad to help

[@michaelsinclair1509]

Appreciate it bro. Thank for the information.

[@DJBlighty]

You're welcome Michael. Hope it helps.

[@jpswerve182]

where and how do you find that Multiband Compressor from?

[@DJBlighty]

If it's not there you'll need to download the plug-in (A quick google search)

[@t4vi4]

So if my mix is all in the red zone , what would u recommend I should do ? I'm trying to post it on SoundCloud. Thank you in advance.

[@DJBlighty]

Start again

[@djzero7331]

Thanks a lot for this, great tutorial

[@DJBlighty]

Happy to help

[@dennisschreven2013]

Great stuff! One question though. After normalizing -1,0dB I got stuck with limiting towards -2,0dB. It does not seem to limit the full length of the set (1,5 hr). However, when selecting a smaller part of my mix it does apply the limiter. Thoughts? Thanks!

[@DJBlighty]

That sounds a bit odd. If the whole track is selected, whatever you do affects the whole area that is highlighted.

[@richardmaxim2708]

I really appreciate the help to get started posting my mixes. I did want to know if there was anyway to remove an unwanted sound that happened to get picked up (such as an element from another song that I am mixing)?

[@DJBlighty]

That's not possible sadly

[@Philerhall]

Hi guys, this is really useful but does anyone know why the bass or low frequency is lost when I’m recording in audacity thro Serato and tidal. Thanks in advance if anyone has any tips

[@shaun919]

Thank you for taking the time to make this very easy to follow tutorial :)

[@DJBlighty]

glad it heled Shaun

[@youme77324]

Gonna gonna! Thanks!

[@optifyoce7879]

your a legend mate thank you

[@DJBlighty]

Happy To Help

[@kostajotic581]

Thank you bro!

[@DJBlighty]

Welcome bro. Hope it was useful.

[@bashrazalas4873]

Can we get one for the newest update by chance?

[@EV-909]

I found that... effects tab, legacy limiter...

[@clui8]

@@EV-909did you find the multiband compressor by any chance?

[@EV-909]

@@clui8 yes, under apple effects...

[@clui8]

@@EV-909 oh I mean the GUI for multiband compressor changed from the old version. Thanks for the pro tip on the legacy limiter btw

[@SoundtripMIA]

@@EV-909 thank you!!!

[@dattrax7]

Thank you Sir!

[@DJBlighty]

You are welcome!

[@dizillian]

Do you offer mastering services for DJ mixes? I’m so busy and overwhelmed I feel like I have no time honestly

[@DJBlighty]

Email me: [e-mail]

[@giuliapiano]

Thanks for this tutorial. Very helpful. Question though, when mixing multiple tracks like if u have a track per instrument and maybe 2-3 vocals, do u compress and normalise per track, or export all of them as one first and normalise as one?

[@DJBlighty]

Bounce it all out to one file before carrying out this process. I always mix multi tracks no louder than -6.0db hope that helps

[@Kerviarris]

@@DJBlighty do you export it as a aiff, Wav, or mp3 first? Then master it?

[@drfrankenspine]

So, this was fantastic but I realized that I don't have a multi and compressor in the windows version of audacity. Is there one in particular you'd recommend for windows and what are the settings for this (band ranges, compression amount, etc)?

[@drfrankenspine]

Nevermind, I found the setting down below

[@hubbertfett]

@@drfrankenspine Can you say where to find this? thanks!

[@Uttarayan]

why not sharing ?@@drfrankenspine

[@jackedkerouac4414]

Concise and clear step by step tutorial. Thank you. My latest mix sounds more professional

[@DJBlighty]

Great stuff

[@iainmacpherson9005]

@DJBlightyTV Wondering if you could help me. There is a static buzzing hum underneath my mix. It is there at the beginning in the silence before the mix starts and when breakdowns get low enough it is audible. Infact it is audible all the way through just the louder parts mask it. Do you know what this could be? The usb device I use to record my mixes is about a decade old and has slight signs of a rusty color to it but not sure if this is the issue or something to do with audacity and the mix. I just followed this video step by step. Thanks.

[@DJBlighty]

Yeah, that sound is audio interference. Either a connection (wire) or hardware issue.

[@iam_djmeech]

Thanks 🙏 so much

[@niknik2685]

Great video thanks, only thing I'm struggling with is when you clip the start of your mix your track moves to .5 sec, mine doesn't. It splits/cuts the start but still stays at the 1 sec point.

[@DJBlighty]

Just trim it to the point you want it to start, it's a manual step :)

[@djallg6280]

Legend

[@DJBlighty]

Big Ups

[@seraphinashinnel5614]

How do I install audacity plugins Dj 😅

[@d.supreme5358]

Hey Blighty what if you do all that mastering work and save it then decide to use the amplify effect after wards would that pretty much undo all the work u did? Should you adjust the volumes first before mastering? I find that my mix was recorded low but I want to increase the volume on it overall....

[@DJBlighty]

Amplify is similar to normalise but won't control the peaks in the same way. Normalise means none of the peaks will go beyond the threshold resulting in a more consistent overall volume.

[@d.supreme5358]

@@DJBlighty ok great thanks appreciate it duly noted for next time!

[@ronydrod]

Thanks m8

[@rudyhernandez8462]

finally!!!!

[@jackpower5036]

Quality Tut mate thank you.

[@DJBlighty]

Hope it helps Jack

[@Jmacccccy]

Does anybody know what software I can use to make and save mixes?

[@Jmacccccy]

Free preferably

[@davidaguirre8204]

How do I know if I've overdone this process and I'm distorting?

[@DJBlighty]

You'll hear distortion & see lots of red on the analyser

[@kelliesemien-smith5874]

I was wondering if you would talk sbouy Broadcasting one day just the basics, Thanksgivings

[@DJBlighty]

Could you be a bit more specific please?

[@kelliesemien-smith5874]

What is broadcasting exactly’? What are your goals when u Broadcast? More listeners? Does it pay well. Is it stressful to come up With new mixes? How do you put your mixes togrther just wondering when are u coming back to YT miss your mixes DJ Blighty!!

[@cobe6178]

Make a short video where you use a pc compatible multiband compressor.. or at least explain that part in more detail so we can use the plug in by ourself

[@DJBlighty]

I don't have access to windows unfortunately. I can't imagine the plug ins being different, that wouldn't make sense. It's probably a question of finding & activating them, I had to do the same thing when I last updated.

[@LordanJauzon]

No EQ'ing?

[@DJBlighty]

I do all of my EQing on the mixer while mixing the tracks, I assumed that's what most DJ's do no?

[@ChuckBosse]

Thanks so much for an easy-to-understand explanation on mastering a mix. I just joined your channel. So, have you done any videos on editing a DJ mix where you need to correct some transitions that were bad? Instead of scrapping the whole 1.5 hr mix and starting again, I would like to be able to somehow correct those mistakes. I record out of RekordBox but after I listen to some of my sets, I am not happy with the transitions. So before putting them up on MixCloud I want to edit them. I've used Audacity for quite some time during my vinyl DJ years when I would rip my vinyl records to MP3. Audacity has come a long way. Thanks again, great work.

[@Avatar-the-name]

Acid pro is great for that... It's only for windows though....

[@DashRiot]

With that method u can also mix in chunks. Just dont change the bpm and volume before u reload that same song.

[@curtsk19]

How to do this on windows 😭

[@rurtkuzzel3902]

i digress to some extent on the polishing of turds. in my 20 plus years of experience i can firmly attest to you can polish a turd to some extent. i.e. dubstep...... jk jokes aside awesome tutorial :D

[@evianrave7683]

Why didn't you master this upload?

[@DJBlighty]

What?

[@evianrave7683]

@@DJBlighty the audio for this audio is inconsistent and if it has been mastered it would provide an easier listening experience. Mostly poking you because the content is about mastering.

[@juniormarrero9443]

Too many versions have come out since this video (2024) and effects are either no longer there with newer effects to take their place.

[@divineumandal4750]

❣️❣️❣️

[@Qvartz_Lite]

Welp, time to revive Polymarch

[@FrancisFurtak]

A lot of tweekin but never heard the master?????

[@TheTwangKings]

A guy who's teaching sound mixing can't even mix the sound on this video. Can anyone hear it??

[@DJBlighty]

Don't be that guy...

[@RicKeSports]

the noise in his h7 annoys me

[@DJBlighty]

I have no idea what a h7 is :S