Get LOUDER Mixes and Masters (Perceived Loudness)

[@LETTMusic]

Another good video. One of the reasons why boosting the mids helps perceived loudness is the Fletcher Munson curve. I think it's a concept every producer needs to be cognizant of. The louder you crank the volume, different areas of the frequency spectrum hit our ears proportionately louder. It's why things like snares and hi hats can get absolutely blown out of proportion at loud volumes. Studying up a bit on the Fletcher Munson curve can help both in mixing decisions and for mastering. In an ideal scenario, you want your music to sound best when played loud, not sound worse.

[@SeanDivine]

👍

[@CHMPro]

Mam your mix still has PUNCH, ORIGINAL TONES and all but it's LOUD. wow. Thank you. I'm gonna try this. Just 5 years into music production, struggling with loudness so this is a treasure.

[@SeanDivine]

Glad to help! Let me know how it turns out 🙌

[@omarr2423]

Divine is the G.O.A.T ... the T is for teacher.. Lot's of guys will claim to "know" stuff and post on youtube to gain a following in the hopes of getting a placement. You can tell that Sean genuinely loves to pass knowledge on. Thanks alot bro. You the best.

[@justinwright8822]

greatest of all teacher

[@ATOMOCDOG]

JJP said the magic is in the midrange. he was right..... helped me a lot. thanks for all your great videos Sean

[@lawinter1949]

Great tip with the mid range focus I will use that one for sure! The thing I would add to this though is to use a hard clipper on all your busses instead of or in addition to a bus compressor. The clipper will let you push a tracks perceived loudness while getting rid of unneeded transients that most people can't even hear in a transparent way.

[@bavingeter423]

This is actually great advice

[@michaelduff2382]

Been doing this lately and it's crazy how if you dial in the clipper settings correctly it doesn't change the sound of your mix at all but it allows you to push the limiter that much harder

[@bavingeter423]

@@michaelduff2382 I know exactly what you’re talking about, I do it too

[@henrybatchem4617]

No definately not a hard clipper dude those things sound mank. Use a bit of compression with a slow attack and ratio of about 3:1. Then use a soft clipper which will clip anything which the compressor doesnt compress above 0db

[@stillgotyourmom]

@@henrybatchem4617 which clipper wld you recommend?

[@Defayo]

I can't stress this enough... YOU ARE THE MAN!

[@ilya6355]

I like how balanced your mixes are

[@SeanDivine]

Thank you :)

[@TheEncouragementKid]

same

[@abdulmuhammad5054]

I think I asked you this the other day on Instagram. Good looking out.

[@zachpitt9249]

Everytime i watch your tutorials i feel like im experienced and confident engineer! 😊

[@SeanDivine]

Happy to hear that!

[@blackburn5033]

The music is really good I love the mix of guitar, brass & piano! Just wish the piano notes went a bit higher :) Thanks for the tips Sean

[@SeanDivine]

🙏🙌

[@blaqyung8393]

Divine masters I'm waiting......🇿🇦

[@nertilavretodanielmustafa]

You are the best for mastering 🇦🇱🇦🇱👌

[@SeanDivine]

🙏

[@mnmdaproducer]

you answer question that always stuck in my head. Tks alotttttttttttt

[@SeanDivine]

Happy to help

[@DreErdna]

Great video as always, Sean! Gonna try using more mulitband. The song is 🔥!!! Your rapping is improving (different flows & complexity) & I love the lyrics on the hook! Happy New Year!! 🎊

[@SeanDivine]

Thanks Andre 🙏 Happy New Year!

[@SlayerDarkRaver]

Great video! I only really dont like using multiband limiting, its so easy to get a thinner master with that. But thats just me. Also would love to see how you controll all the peaks within the mix, which for me is really where you get that loudness. Overall really great and informative video ❤

[@BorisDiRocco]

that's so cool plugins Sean, thanks again!!, great tutorial!

[@MusicWithMukul]

Hi Sean, Man you have earned my respect! Love from India. Thanks for posting such useful content. One question.. Do I need to use all the five ways together or few will get the job done?

[@SeanDivine]

Not necessarily. No rules but I'd certainly recommend giving them all a try!

[@Swishmb]

That mushroom plug-in was insane! The GW as well. The SSL bundle looks great but I’d only really reach for one or two of them off rip.

[@GrecoMEMOIREMusic]

Drum strip is a fun way to experiment with the drum buss!

[@victornoagbodji]

These were great tips ! Thank you so much 🙏

[@beatsxkd]

Yooo this one a solid for the books! A lot of helpful info given out 💎!! Thank u!!

[@africanrevolution3551]

thank you sir!! Dope tutorial...as always..hope you have a tutorial on how to use a multiband limiter

[@andrewamicarelli]

I think these are relatively well known approaches but to hear your reasoning of why you choose specific settings is helpful. Thanks for sharing!

[@MrFedemoral]

Man this made the difference for me, THANKS!

[@Droppin_Deuces_On_Ya]

Sean can you do a video on how to record vocals remotely? Whats the best way to record a friend in a different location? We both have similar gear but I'm moving away soon...

[@randyjulian4237]

Thank you so much man this is exactly what I needed to see

[@StratsRUs]

You are SO inspiring.Thank you ! I like the L3-16

[@Ferrosounds]

Thank you @Saun this is needful

[@masonthomassax]

You're a genius dude

[@dopesnare]

Fantastic as usual. I'm gonna going to have to watch this a few times. Good stuff.

[@evansinstrumentals]

Great video, Sean. You're a great teacher.

[@SeanDivine]

Appreciate that! 🙏

[@duckyMTB]

thanks so much brotherrrr

[@cratecult]

this song is so sick!!!

[@SeanDivine]

thanks :)

[@mistabradley_]

I've never seen that infected mushroom plugin actually used before lol, but honestly now I may need to give it a shot. Thanks for the vid!

[@JayeKingMusic]

Great insight!!

[@TheHonestTruth]

this was awesome man. Thanks. Sean. Btw man. I used to follow u on Soundclick ages ago haha. Good to see you've done well man.

[@SeanDivine]

Appreciate that man!

[@TheHonestTruth]

@@SeanDivine Not a problem. Funny story.. I found your soundclick page through the online forums of gearslu&*z. Heard your futuristic Timapani-hit/ orchestral sounding beats and knew I just didn't have the "it" factor . lol But all worked out nonethless. Happy new Years and again, Well done. P.S. "Faded" is dope af when u actually relate to your lyrics..

[@Darksagan]

Great video. That hook is catchy asf.

[@SeanDivine]

Thanks :)

[@mrc_543]

Sean, I know I've thanked you already on another video, but just seriously... I'm a secondary school music and music tech teacher in England. I've played music since I was 4, I've written music since I was 14, I have a degree in music performance and I've been using logic since I was 18 (I'm now 31). I have gained more skill and knowledge in a few hours of binging your videos than in a 3 year uni course and hundreds of hours of trying things myself. Just seriously, thank you so much for your content! I guess my big question now is the million dollar question.... how do you get more people to check out a video? Thanks to your content, for the first time ever, I've been able to mix and master a track which actually stands up alongside others in the industry and achieved an integrated LUFS (which I knew nothing about before your vids) of -11. I deemed the track good enough to even make a lyric video and post on KZbin, and in nearly 24 hours has had a measly 13 views from 😂. Perhaps a video request/suggestion could be how to effectively promote a hip hop/rap song? Sorry for the long ass comment, but you have literally changed my life as a musician! 👊

[@SeanDivine]

Appreciate the kind words and glad to help! The short answer to your question is consistency, in my experience. It takes a while to build an audience... if you're posting music / videos that people are interested in, they'll share it with others and keep checking back for your latest releases.

[@Hipox13]

Thank you! You deliver great quality learning content

[@Avidince]

Welcome back Sean💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽

[@LloydMajor]

Thank you for the valuable class!

[@keimaari]

this was great man thanks so much

[@drum877]

Nice mix man

[@SeanDivine]

Thanks!

[@achonl]

You are the GOAT

[@SeanDivine]

🙏

[@guvnabeatz9884]

Great video as always Sean, just what I needed before getting down to mix and master a whole two albums, kinda had the nerves so I came looking here for some structural guidance so I get put into perspective.

[@NETAAAMUSIC]

Thanks!

[@jaimesproduction5027]

Love the content bro ❤️❤️

[@ZanyPro]

Great video Sean 🔥👍🏾💯

[@defmike617]

Thanks Sean.

[@SeanDivine]

🙌

[@mikegmusic]

You could do similar work with dynamic eq also like pro q3, thank you for always dropping quality content ❤️

[@Thiagocandido1995]

Tdr nova

[@LukeIcardMusic]

Thanks!! Subscribed!!

[@SeanDivine]

Welcome Luke!

[@punkemogeekrock]

Great tips! Thanks!

[@punkemogeekrock]

2 questions if I may. 1. Do you ever check for LUFS at all or do you just match by ear regardless of where you may fall on the meters? 2. When your doing things to bring out the perceived volume of the mids/hi-mids (using FF Pro MB and L3 Multimaximizer) how do you keep your balance mix intact or do you just mix through it from the start thus avoiding that issue?)

[@ferowofficiel4289]

Hey nice video Sean i learned something new today about producing 💯💯could you also make tutorials about mixing/mastering with Izotope Plugins? (Nectar, Neutron & Ozone)

[@vincenttripi4700]

Hey, Sean. I have a pretty deep voice and I can't seem to get my vocals to come through a mix without making it harsh, typically from boosting the high frequencies. Then it becomes a headache trying to de-ess. Using a Rode NT1A mic. Any tutorial or tips on mixing deep voices would be greatly appreciated. As always, you make grade A content, thank you.

[@SeanDivine]

Hey Vincent, I feed the EQ with the high end boost directly into a deesser - waves deesser and sibilance are by far the best out there for this IMO to keep things bright and smooth. kzbin.info/www/bejne/eHTVl5aVd91gma8

[@zachpitt9249]

Hey vincent i think the solution to your problem is to parallel compress your vocal to sound thick and on your face and cut through the mix

[@kahyui2486]

Try a plugin called Gem Dopamine. It excites the high end without making it sound harsh. Download the demo

[@MIHAO]

thanks sean

[@darkcharmrecords]

Excellent

[@Enice43]

very helpfull thank you

[@Al3x_Original01]

hello, my name is alex I love your videos, I'm Brazilian and I learn a lot from them, even though I don't understand your language. congratulations for your videos and if possible activate the translation in portuguese for us to understand you better thank you

[@primonobeat]

very good video man, new sub!

[@Enfluentz]

Dope!

[@OzmosisStoopid]

🔥🔥🔥🔥Yea It's time to bring the music with the brand you nice much love... Salute 💯

[@monkey-business47]

Thx you

[@precisionsoundworksstudio]

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 Excellent tips! 🙌🏻

[@predragstancic1972]

Interesting topic and therefore i have a question : How do we use Fletcher-Munson Curve to get most out of the mix in terms of loudness to how people percive the sound ? Its difficult to shape it to that exact frequency and db curve and have it still sound optimal and good, but could we use it to improve and get some compromise and reach for louder mixing and mastering using it ?

[@stamecec2003]

kkkkkkkkkkkkkkk i like the song sounds great

[@jeremyg2245]

Hey Sean, great video as always. Random question: I saw how some of the plugins you were using have oversampling functions. Before you bounce/export the finished master do you find it necessary to utilize oversampling to avoid aliasing/unwanted distortion, especially when using so much saturation and analog emulation? Without being 100% sure of what it actually does, I experiment with it and tend to think it makes my mixes sound clearer in a subtle way. Just curious about your opinion if you have one!

[@SeanDivine]

It's worth experimenting with. In my experience, any differences are extremely subtle and it's not always the best option. As with any of this stuff if it sounds good to you, use it!

[@influencebeats5701]

thank u so much.

[@kingholyan]

lit song bro

[@Elpharaohsace]

Your channel is awesome man 👻😈👻

[@SeanDivine]

thanks :)

[@ProdbyDaveOfficial]

Appreciate you G

[@GloveBunniesVideos]

I got to say... that's a dope couch.

[@truvybzentertainment8201]

Nice video

[@hvr9263]

Nice production

[@SeanDivine]

thanks!

[@lX-NDR]

your videos are awesome

[@SeanDivine]

thanks Redna 🙏

[@CAASIforYOU]

Thank you for making this video! Sometimes I want to hear more punch and impact. Does it make sense to have studio monitor volume really high but mixing with peaks hitting very low? Does that change how I hear the output material?

[@SeanDivine]

I wouldn't recommend high monitor volumes, ever... unless it's for very short periods. Ear fatigue and hearing loss are real!

[@LeGaLdeadparliament]

the song is great! can I take a listen to it in full? thank you!

[@SeanDivine]

Thanks! It’s called “Faded” (by me) and it’s on all digital platforms.

[@YoItsOO]

What would be a good alternative for the mike-e EL9? Thx for the good info!

[@williamramey9309]

cant get my beats loud. and I know about the loudness penalty, they sound rockin' in fl studio, then by the time its uploaded to youtube, sounds all quiet and tinny, everyones beats on youtube, and peoples videos in general sound louder than mine on youtube

[@godefxrecords]

Love your stuff bro - tru knowledge and game changing mixing advice.. question I started using Slate Digital plugins and it changed everything for me Jus a sweet analog clean sound that I been looking for and I was wondering. What do u think of them, cuz I don’t think I’ve ever seen you talk of them or used them ? Your thoughts Sean ?

[@SeanDivine]

I don’t use them currently - it really doesn’t matter what plugins you use though! As long as they work for you and get the results you want 🙌

[@truthfanatic1244]

Greetings Sean, will you be doing a Mixing and Mastering walkthrough for "Ways To Live"?

[@SeanDivine]

Possibly! :)

[@truthfanatic1244]

@@SeanDivine Also Sean I have a podcast on Spreaker called the “Righteous Rap Academy” and I think it would be dope to have you on as a guest to discuss your musical journey. Let me know what you think.

[@scaz2181]

Do you do all 5 of those things per mix or do you choose 1 out of those 5 things? Thanks for the vid I appreciate it

[@SeanDivine]

I often use all of them (not always a multiband limiter) - no rules though!

[@contraspower6302]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@petegunns9275]

Track is dope like how it sounds also in the chain where do you put the bus compressor or set it up thx👍🤔

[@EvuTv237]

Hey Sean !!! I'm a very big Fan from Africa, Cameroon. I would like to know if you could explain the difference between Mono, Mono/Stereo and Stereo plugins. When to use or choose one from the other. 🙏

[@SeanDivine]

It ultimately controls the input / output signal of the plugin instance. Meaning, if you select the mono version, wherever you place it the signal will leave it in mono. Mono / Stereo will accept a mono input and process in stereo. I almost always use Stereo (sometimes mono / stereo) as it gives you the ability to process with stereo effects throughout your entire chain.

[@stevea9984]

Hi Sean. Thanks for the videos. I'm trying to understand - If you boost the mid range with eq, isn't that boosting the 'actual loudness' rather than the 'perceived loudness'? And after all, aren't mastering engineers aiming for a higher number of LUFS or Integrated Loudness rather than a perceived volume?

[@Tolen]

Hey Sean I’d like your opinion on something! I understand why getting a master done by someone else if I’ve mixed the song would be better (ear fatigue or fixing mistakes or even new ideas) but utilizing these techniques, could I do my own masters like this? What would you think is the best way to go about this is my question. Like I have more control in the mix project and mastering that way with these techniques but theres also the benefits of getting fresh ears to master my song. Whats your input on this?

[@SeanDivine]

It comes down to personal preference. Nothing wrong with hiring outside help to stay objective... At the end of the day, if you're getting the results you want mastering your own music, stick with it!

[@steviebuoy320]

Thanks a lot Sean great tutorial. I don't have the plugins that your using. Could i get the same results using logic pro x stock plugins ? and which ones would replicate the ones that your using in this tutorial ? Thanks

[@SeanDivine]

Hey Stevie, here’s some ideas to get your wheels turning… Compressor on low ratio / in parallel, all the Vintage EQs have saturation models on the output control, stock MB Comp for mids, reference masters directly in the arrange window with solo active :)

[@steviebuoy320]

@@SeanDivine Thanks very much for your help mate. Are you applying these to the mix or the mastering ?

[@filmreif3941]

Would love to see a video about everything you did with the voice track on this one! Great work!

[@ngwarahmusicafrica5901]

kudos

[@finatic8523]

Are you putting the Pro-MB on the master bus for the whole mix or the mix bus for the vocals?

[@yaroti]

👏👍🏻thanks

[@MixedByS]

Can you do a mixing breakdown of a wave trap vocal

[@QuelinOfficial]

is it you singing on the song?

[@SeanDivine]

It is

[@arastu1774]

So since i use fl studio im a bit confused about the bus channels i don't know when he used the plugins on master channel and when on bus channel

[@numfade7045]

Just the video I needed. Any alternatives to that ssl compressor? I have uad, fabfilter and isotope plug-ins

[@MattGarwood777]

There’s a bunch. Catch it on one of their sales and I think the Plugin Alliance Townehouse Compressor is the best out there. So much weight and in this application it’s just amazing

[@proverbalizer]

Cytomic the glue is a beast bus compressor. And their free trial policy is cool...

[@musiccasino8266]

Wow

[@aleksandrosofficial]

But, the real question here...as it seems are you adding these to master channel? Like saturation, bus compression? What exactly are you tweaking in this video, lyrics? Melody? Cant be on master no?

[@SeanDivine]

This is all being done on the stereo (master) bus with the exception of the GW Voice Centric (lead vocals)

[@aleksandrosofficial]

@@SeanDivine Right right okay, thank you. So you can just add saturation on the whole track? Is that common? Ive been living in expression you do not really add much of mixing or mastering effects on master. But on the other hand, what would you add on it then.

[@TheMagicManHRV]

quick question brother..if you use the dynamic eq to compress the mid range and make it loud as you have demonstrated I can easily put on my master buss just an L3 limiter without the bands right?

[@SeanDivine]

Yes, that will work... although not the exact result as what I've shown here

[@LINDZ]

Can we see full mix and master of this song?

[@SeanDivine]

I'll see what I can do!

[@LINDZ]

Still waiting!

[@radiomaganeen]

what is the best software to adjust the mic in live streaming?

[@Cas_Beatz]

Impusher mutes the whole sound when i load it in master channel