LOGIC PRO X - Mastering Assistant

[@giabgr]

I think the idea of the loudness compensation button is so that you can bypass and unbypass without being influenced by the volume boost that processing applies. So you can hear if it really does sound better - and not just louder.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

That’s absolutely right and most succinctly put; sorry I didn’t make that clear. Huge thanks.

[@chrikiband]

Excellent explanation as always. Very informative, right keywords used while covering the subject. What I really like about your vids is when you briefly link up a piece of information to give the big picture of the subject you re covering. Your vids are straight to the points. Never skipped parts of your vides, thanks for sharing your vids✌️👍

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Thanks so much. Delighted to hear the videos are proving helpful. 🙏

[@grrdjf]

Amazing as always, Jono. In short: yes, please, like everyone else in the comments is saying, more about mastering. 🙏🏻 And: to be fair, you covered the Adaptive Limiter for MusicTech, and you touch on it in Ep 66 (“Mix Volume Considerations”). But: I’d certainly love to hear any further thoughts you have about it! In any event: thanks so much for sharing your insight.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Thanks so much. Absolutely, more to come on Mastering.

[@about_schmidt]

Very good explanation of the functions of the mastering plugin. I really like the mastering plugin because it showed me what was not optimal in my mixes. After that I was able to re-evaluate and correct my mixing decisions much better. Very useful.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Absolutely - either as a processor in its own right, or a useful mirror/track analysis tool, it definitely asks some interesting questions of our mixes.

[@motomuso]

I agree and I use it to check my high-end hearing loss; lost to years of playing in loud bands. Please protect those ears folks.

[@DidierSajnoWebDesign]

Your channel is so dynamic and exciting I’m going to spread the luf! 😂 Thanks so much for explaining the dark art of mastering along the way.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Thank you, glad it was helpful. All you need is LUFS... ;)

[@petermassa2716]

Love the transparency in your explanation Jono. Mastering Assistant just does what it does. I also like to use it in conjunction with Phat FX to add some of the Bass enhancer before the mastering assistant and a little Vintage VCA via Logic's compressor just after.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Sounds good Peter! Many thanks.

[@carlmcnear1096]

I am so glad that I found your channel. Thank you for this information. You cleared up a lot of questions I had as well as some frustrations with recording. Thanks again!

[@jonobuchananmusic]

You’re most welcome. Great to have you with us!

[@shourjo77]

Hey Jono, as soon as Mastering Assistant released, my first thought was that I couldn't wait to see your video about it. As usual, it's an absolute treasure! Thank you for these incredible tutorials, it's still hard to believe that they're so easily accessible. Much love from India!

[@jonobuchananmusic]

You're very welcome!

[@georgemildringo]

Keep going Jono, these videos are absolutely superb! Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge so clearly!

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Thanks George!

[@jezharris]

Nice one Jono, thanks for all of these fantastic videos. Always loads of really useful info, delivered so eloquently! And thanks to Will! Love this channel.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Thanks so much Jez!

[@normjones6916]

It takes the room out of the equation, I always get it to analyze the whole track :)

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Whole track analysis thoroughly recommended - I agree!

[@Hammerman48]

I’ve already found the Mastering Assistant useful. Great new tool.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Great to hear it’s doing good things for you. Thanks!

[@angusbabb4913]

love your presentation Jono ,brilliant as always!!👍👍😊

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Thanks Angus!

[@gianni1646]

I’m one minute in and, it doesn’t need mastering! 🌟💕 Okay. I’ll watch the rest of the video…. 😉 Gianni❤

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Hi Gianni. This is very much a video about how Mastering Assistant works rather than the aesthetics of mastering, or the need for it in this particular case. I will very rarely (in fact, I suspect never!) use this channel to say 'do this, or this is needed'; rather, I'd hope that people will choose to interpret and use whatever they've found helpful however they choose.

[@gianni1646]

@@jonobuchananmusic I was trying to be funny. Because the loops you used were my kind of music. I appreciate your tutorials and look forward to them. ❤️

[@matthewbushkes420]

This is so very helpful, just started making my own music with my new M1 Mac. Lots to learn but this this will guide me to the better mindset. On a separate note is there a video about the order of plugins in the stereo out. Example your EQ is at the bottom, how does the position affect the output sound?

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Glad it was helpful. There sure is! Here you go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qoDVdGmOod6LpZI

[@andrew6889-p5c]

Really helpful. Since it was released, I have used this on everything I have done. I have mixed feelings about it. I don’t like how a lot of what it is doing is hidden. Is it doing compression? I can’t see it. Is it doing adaptive limiting? Who knows? On the other hand, for an amateur I don’t have the time or headspace (or skills) to carefully master something. I was putting the adaptive limiter on the output track (yes, you did do a video on that). Now I use this and I “think” it sounds better. So I appreciate the ease of it. Maybe that’s who it is designed for? Maybe nobody doing “serious” work is going use this, but a bedroom musician who puts songs on Spotify now had a “decent” and quick option.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

I think all of that is completely fair and accurate, Andrew. There’s no doubt that MA is capable (highly capable, in fact) of applying some extremely effective ‘general’ mastering techniques to audio and giving it the hype, bump and lift we associate with final-stage processing. And for hobbyists or those looking for a quick solution at the end of a long day before sending off reference mixes which they want to have ‘pop’ in the ears of whoever is the recipient, it’ll do a great job. Will dedicated mastering engineers use it? No. But that doesn’t mean it’s not of value to huge numbers of music-makers.

[@peterwaringofficial]

That makes much more sense now, thank you! One question though.. what advice would you give regarding compression at the mastering stage, please?

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Hi Peter. I'll make another video (at least one, in fact!) about Mastering, as there are too many variables to be able to offer concrete advice about compression at the the Mastering stage, per se. As always, personal taste is the biggest factor in how you want to tackle Dynamics processing but much also depends on the volume of your mix, the genre in which you're working... and so on. This is definitely a topic I'll happily address in a future episode.

[@peterwaringofficial]

@@jonobuchananmusic Perfect! Looking forward to it, thank you 👍

[@ConorLambertActor]

Thank you Jono for another great video, you explain things so clearly. I am currently mastering audio for a short film and would love to hear some of your tips on mixing when using varied sources such as sfx, music, dialogue, ADR etc. in Logic Pro. Thanks again!

[@jonobuchananmusic]

This is something I’ll happily make a video about sometime - thanks for the suggestion. The short answer to your question is that dialogue always has to ‘win’; whilst music and SFX are an essential part of the sonic fabric of any production, you only have to look at feedback given by any audiences that say they can’t hear the dialogue to realise that those other elements must be subservient to the words in the final mix. So volume automation and side-chained compression, with the dialogue gently ducking the level of the music and SFX, are both techniques which should prove useful. But that’s before we even discuss frequency content!

[@ConorLambertActor]

Thanks so much I look forward to seeing your workflow tips and tricks! I found myself putting together 3 different mixes for my short film -dialogue, sfx, and music and exported them into FCPX as I edit the movie files myself it would be brilliant if there was a way of editing in FCPX and Logic simultaneously so I could mix and match sound and pics on the fly! @@jonobuchananmusic

[@gianni1646]

Hi Jono. This is a bit off the subject but are those loops recorded in Atmos? I’m listening with Apple Air Pods and the high hat sound is coming from just above my left eyebrow and about 3-inches from my forehead. Pretty cool! 😁🔊

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Aha! It's possible - I definitely find my AirPods like to make their presence felt with different aspects of mixes from time to time.

[@redguitar6062]

For different I-LUFS standards is it simply a matter of playing with the mix volume and dailing back the loudness in the Mastering Assistant or is there a way to set the required LUFS limit like in Ozone?

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Good question. I haven’t found a way to set a LUFS limit within Mastering Assistant, so it’s definitely about regulating volume coming into the plug-in. That said, if you need a ‘quick fix’, using the Gain plug-in (in the Utility folder) in the top slot of the Inserts on the Stereo Output track, will let you do exactly that without having to go back to every track of your mix to make output level adjustments (which can get messy if your mix is heavily reliant on Volume Automation). I hope that helps.

[@redguitar6062]

@@jonobuchananmusicCheers Jono. The gain plugin has been my workaround since MA came out. Great minds and all that ... 😃

[@galefraney]

Excellent video!!

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Thank you so much!

[@frits-barth]

Thank you very much, Jono! A very clear presentation!I have been able to use the mastering assistant once before my Mac Studio crashed. Apple promised me a new Mac Studio but I am still waiting... Before that I used Izotope's Ozone and that works well for me but I am certainly going to try the mastering assistant and compare the results with the masters which Ozone delivers. Thanks again!

[@jonobuchananmusic]

I’m so sorry you’re still waiting BF. I hope the situation gets resolved very soon. And yes, when you get the chance, I’ll be interested to hear how you think MA measures up against Ozone, sonically.

[@frits-barth]

I will certainly reflect on that.

[@frits-barth]

Hi Jono! Although the Mastering Assistant is a powerful tool I must say I prefer the Ozone mastering plugin. A couple of years ago I started with Ozone 8 and recently I bought Ozone 11. Using Ozone makes it possible to tweak a lot, something which is lacking in the Mastering Assistant. But hey, the Mastering Assistant is free and Ozone is rather expensive… 😊

[@rockerfromthebackstreets]

Hello ok, I have mastered the Mix with the Assistant, I have also bounced down a mix performed my own master, then used assistant to master my master, I have also used an Adaptive limiter after this to bring the sounds to -1db as noticed the Assistant does not always do this, your thinking jeez! so you have four Masters to listen too try it lol, one other thing know one mentions Dithering when bouncing down?

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Lots to unpack here! But try not to make maximum volume your primary concern. As I mentioned in the video, streaming platforms will simply turn down the volume of tracks which are louder than other tracks on the platform (and they'll also turn up the volume of tracks which are quieter), so aim for choices which sound good rather than ones which are visually hitting the meters hard. I'm happy to look at dithering and to tackle mastering, conceptually, in another video. Many thanks for the suggestion.

[@mikestewart5946]

Thanks!

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Thank you so much, Mike. Hugely appreciated. 🙏

[@KOZGERFWAD]

Thank you very much, Jono! Question: I may be 🤪but did you happen to mention the meaning of the LUFS LETTERS - “M S I” that are present on the interface?

[@jonobuchananmusic]

All of these relate to different time periods of LUFS analysis. M (momentary, the shortest), S (short-term, usually the last 3 seconds) and I (Integrated). The last of these covers the average LUFS level for the entire duration of the track and is the one most streaming platforms use to measure the level of tracks across their service.

[@KOZGERFWAD]

@@jonobuchananmusic Wonderful! Thank you!

[@ianyoung8003]

Hi Jono, thanks for this, I learnt some new things about Mastering Assistant. A question: I notice you leave your existing mastering chain in place and add Mastering assistant at the end of the chain. I thought the idea was to forget the Adaptive limiter, exciter, Multipressor etc and to simply use only the Mastering Assistant in their place? No need for all the other plugins. Or am I missing something? Thanks again.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Hi Ian. It’s a good question. This video is very much a ‘how Mastering Assistant works’ rather than a best-practice video about Mastering. That said, many Mastering engineers do layer up resources to achieve an optimum master. So, you’re absolutely right - MA has been designed to be a one-stop-Mastering solution which can be the only plug-in on the output chain if you like. But I suspect others will use it in combination with other resources in the output channel. I hope that all makes sense! I will make videos about Mastering in future, to focus far more on a musical and best-practice approach.

[@ianyoung8003]

Thanks Jono@@jonobuchananmusic

[@MrSkunky2009]

Always such in depth Insight Jono !!!

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Thanks. Glad it was helpful!

[@shaundarley4108]

?? Question: It appears you're 'mastering' the project straight after mixing it without bouncing it to a 'simple' stereo audio file first. I know a little knowledge is almost always dangerous, and I have little knowledge, but, I understood a common practice is to mix the track with the stereo output no more than around -6.0 db and then bounce the project with the settings as: PCM - wave - 24 bit - 44100 - interleaved - no dithering before mastering. For those of us with the pointy hats at the back of the class a simple run through the mixing to mastering process just to be able to 'burn' an old fashioned CD or maybe publish our work to a digital platform without making ourselves look completely stupid would be life changing. Fingers crossed....

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Hi Shaun. You're absolutely right. Best Practice (note caps!) is that you should always view the Mastering stage as a discrete, separate one from the mix process. And, as such, bouncing mixes of your tracks before Mastering is an excellent idea. I would aim for closer to -3dB as a target volume for your 'unmastered' mixes to ensure maximum resolution going into the mastering stage. Otherwise, yes, the specs you've suggested are right, unless you're writing tracks intended 'for picture', in which case 48kHz (instead of 44.1kHz) is the norm. Apologies for jumping straight into Mastering Assistant on an open project. In truth, this does happen too. Often, busy composers seeking to get a cue signed off at the demo stage, or looking to add some extra weight and power late in the day when they want the 'boost' of Loudness, Stereo Width and a character-enhancing EQ solution, will flick processors like this on and then enjoy them so much that they stay on until their track is finished. But whenever you're taking Mastering more seriously, the method you've suggested is certainly correct and optimal. This is definitely a topic to which I will return in future episodes.

[@shaundarley4108]

@@jonobuchananmusic Thank you for responding; your instruction and feedback is hugely appreciated by a Luddite brought up on tape. I’ll use the target of -3.0 db at the mix stage from now on but I assume using -14.0 LUFS as a target/limit in the Mastering Assistant stage will ensure all my finished pieces are of a similar volume. Thanks again.

[@Waldo_Ilowiecki]

A very useful plugin. I use it sometimes to show the client what we are approaching. However, you don't know what's inside that box of zeros and ones. I'm a bit of an old-school person and grew up with external devices. I have confidence in them. However, I prefer to do the final mastering on hardware: Manley Massive Passive Mastering and on Manley Stereo Variable Mu. I made myself a present for my 60th birthday 😅.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Agreed, Mastering Assistant is great for getting quickly into something ‘in the right ballpark’. But the all-Manley hardware chain is a beautiful thing, so I’m not surprised it’s become your preferred Mastering choice!

[@motomuso]

New subscriber here. I like yer style.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Delighted to have you along for the ride! And many thanks. New episodes here every Wednesday and a new Short every Saturday.

[@smigglychalmers]

In my dream of dreams, you produce my album Jono 😂

[@jonobuchananmusic]

I’m flattered, thank you!

[@AdrianLesher]

Somewhat important: The Valve, Punch and Transparent options do not work with Intel Macs.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

That is indeed important to know. Many thanks Adrian and sorry to hear that's the case. The only 'official' minimum system requirement is Ventura 13.5 or newer. Which OS are you running?

[@AdrianLesher]

@@jonobuchananmusic Sonoma 14.5, 2018, 3.2 GHz 6-Core Intel Core i7

[@jonobuchananmusic]

@@AdrianLesher That's really frustrating. Are there other features in Logic 11 which your machine isn't able to access?

[@michaelneal900]

looks like as much work as just doing it with the already available tools.

[@gianni1646]

That’s what I’ve been thinking. But it seems like everyone is touting it or Ozone 11.

[@jonobuchananmusic]

Hi Michael. If speed of result is a priority, there's no doubt that Mastering Assistant is faster. Remember, the Auto EQ will create a tonal shape at the analysis stage, leaving you with a dial to engage as much Dynamics processing as you like, a single button for Excitation and another dial for Stereo Width enhancement. And you're done! But as always, I'd advocate taking your time and comparing MA with the more traditional ways in which Mastering in Logic can be applied, to make the best-sounding results for your tracks. And do remember that those tools haven't been taken away; if MA isn't for you (which would be entirely fair), you can continue to use the mastering tools of your choice.