The BIGGEST Mastering mistake (and how to FIX it) + HUGE Announcement💥

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[@Ashishsangeetkar]

The colour changing t shirt is crazy 😂🙌

[@armenhovhannisyan5505]

is that just a thing now? I like it.

[@SIBIRIAKoriginal]

yeah. I always wait for it.

[@fernandaboabaid4144]

Dom got master video editing skills as well 🤌

[@crs_]

U still love the effect 😂

[@martinlarrivee5081]

What kind of magic is this?

[@ElectronisoundsAudio]

THANK YOU for this explanation! 😁👊

[@mrfleamino9350]

Thank you 🙏

[@henrykdandyk6164]

Thank you so much!

[@TaybieStreams]

Thank you!

[@-______-______-]

Always love your content Dom. I'll look at your mastering course now for sure.

[@stevu]

Can't WAIT to start the courses, very excited. Thank you Dom!! ❤🙏

[@DomSigalas]

Hope you enjoy them as much I did making them ❤️

[@stevu]

@@DomSigalas this was very much needed since I'm a new Cubase user 🙏🙂‍↕️

[@8Music]

Thanks Dom

[@GuyVignati]

You’re the best Dom, as always. Thank you 🙏🏻

[@cubaseman1487]

You are awesome. Thanks for this trick :)

[@drummerhk4761]

Thank you for this Dom! I always manage to learn something new every time I watch any of your videos and you truly are a source of inspiration 👍

[@Ghostlyn-nd8hk]

What a great! Tutorial Dom! Thank you! A lot of what you said is well pointed out. Thank you again!

[@nzprojects]

Great video. Thanks for sharing. 🎶🎸☮

[@urniurl]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and in an easy to understand way.

[@wallbangersplace9873]

Mastering Class. Bravo. Looking forward to this. Value 4 value. I will support this course.

[@DomSigalas]

Thank you so much my friend ❤

[@hopekandle6707]

boom💥💥💥💥 my problem is now solved ....thank you mr Dom🙏🙏🙏

[@matthewfritz]

Dom, MASSIVE thank you on the courses. I just signed up on the Mastering in Cubase one and dropped a comment inside on the intro. I'm looking very forward to this and am grateful for the opportunity to learn from you in detail :)

[@francisjutras3651]

Miss my home studio right now!!.. Why I listen it just before going to bed 😂 As always, you rock Dom! Thank you so much! I got to get your masterclass asap!! And yeah, the effect on your shirt is really cool!

[@Rogers2850]

Merci beaucoup, thank you.

[@DomSigalas]

Avec plaisir

[@SIBIRIAKoriginal]

Daaaam, Dom!

[@magicalmaybe7651]

Great advice. I love the idea of automation to remove the crest factor on big peaks.

[@D.Angelopoulos]

Hello master... once again THANK YOU... and I say it again every time you make me richer...

[@astralmooncat_jyro_Tenshi]

Makes sense, a good effect Fx chain and good sound selection combined with soft clipping and compression works great

[@jeffschwisow]

Okay, Dom, you had me at "I just released a new course..." Just enrolled and I'm looking forward to working through the course as I master one of my own tracks that I just finished mixing. Super excited, mate! 🤜💥🤛

[@d.m.ebeats9013]

The Crest factor or dynamic range is something I never knew about till this particular mixing engineer on KZbin called Baphometrix totally break down how control the Crest factor,within your mix and and not your master and he blew my mind 🤔🤔,he used clippers,saturation,eq to raise the RMS in the mix at the end he got to -6 lufs without using a mastering limiter on the master🙏 then he concluded that if your dont take care loud transients in the mix and how they sum up.then a mastering limiter will never get that done properly hence you cant get a loud mix.

[@happyshadow]

yeah that series was life changing

[@SchibbiSchibbi]

Couldnt agree more. Baphometrix clip to zero during mixing stage really is game changing

[@callumbourne]

Not the exclusive age old photo!! 😂 I am about to begin mastering my first project I have been recording since 2021 and I have found your cubase videos so invaluable and helpful every step of the way! I bought your 80s drum kit a while back but will try to purchase some more of your stuff when I can because I can’t thank you enough in words for how much you have helped me during this process! You’re awesome 🎉

[@ZIZZOWORLDMUSIC]

I just watched this to be asked to join for the courses, but the actual problem wasn't fully disclosed.

[@artysanmobile]

Because you didn’t understand, you mean.

[@mrmorpheus9707]

You are an Amazing teacher among teachers

[@DomSigalas]

Thank you my friend ❤️

[@meganekkoi3282]

This helped me fix the problem with my too loud stabby psybass being the source of my bad mix.

[@jamesbastani4295]

Hi Dom Thanks for all the videos. Can you post some of the commercial projects you’ve done that you are proud of?

[@DomSigalas]

Definitely music for National Geographic/animal planet and films that I’ve scored :)

[@deamhub]

I liked even before watching

[@lahattec]

Thanks Dom. How about some videos on how to master for TV?

[@DomSigalas]

Very good idea!!!

[@DL-1]

I wish i had your skills Dom.

[@DomSigalas]

That's why I make these videos ❤️

[@antoinemontmory]

Thank you Doctor Dom, very good video ! Is it possible to make a video where you create a loud track, mastering it loud with the Cubase LE DAW and recording with the minimum tools ? Low budget for a high quality project ?

[@MichaelLenz1]

Dear all this problem causes the snare, because sum of snare from overheads and room mic channels makes drum loud, so what you can do is to find proper balance or compress the area around 210hz. The same effect does the parallel compression bus with kick, it multiplies kick and snare too and makes it very dynamic and fat. Use limiter on kick and snare tracks to have better mixes

[@soorajshad2100]

Dom love your content❤ Watching you from Pakistan.

[@jabulanimahlangu6863]

Hi Dom I hope you are doing well, we love all your videos, can you show us how you set up Cubase preference to make Cubase work smoothly. with fewer dump files

[@MrMikomi]

Contact Steinberg support. They should be able to help.

[@jorgedejesustejedavaldez5283]

Okay Where We can have one about Mixing pop music, and Pop Production Course? Really nice with this one. Congratulations for you and God Bless!

[@RichieSelmo]

16 Minutes and NO fix explanation at all? course sale only

[@artysanmobile]

I can’t imagine what you watched. You looking for paint by numbers? There’s tons of those on KZbin.

[@wilkopiano]

I get peaks with electric bass playing style fluctuations a lot. So to compensate i don’t just record one bass track i record di bass and mic the amp with two separate gain stages so if he stabs the bass i can refer to the quieter track to avoid distortion. Not always a luxury depending on field recording equipment input channel capacity of course.

[@nilespeshay1734]

Find whatever works for you ofc, but +typically+ you'd solve that with a compressor. (Generally, an opto.. like an LA2A clone...)

[@manizoonthemix6879]

How are you doing I like what you are doing great work 🎉🎉🎉

[@compingharry]

Time for the Steinberg Overall Mastering Plugin 😉, like with the vocal chain plugin...

[@geoffswan1254]

Nice one Dom. Channeling your inner Tom Lubin with the colour-changing shirts?

[@Ein-Stuck]

Wave Observer by Press Play is a great tool

[@niozikpro5812]

Amazing explanation . . . This is the reason why I bought hardware with transformers on it. As you mix into it the peaks are shaved off for you. Alternatively passing the individual tracks through transformers as if you tracking or recording also help you get really loud. I really had to buy it to understand how transformers affect the peaks. I was not understanding only watching youtube videos. It was an handson approach for me. Transformer on, peaks shaved nice and sound is full. Transformer off peaks are going everywhere and nothing loud. Guess all that explain why pro gear with transformers are still loved . . .

[@DomSigalas]

So true. Analog gear have this amazing ability to shave off transients in a graceful way❤️

[@jloiben12]

When the crest factor is as bad as that, I’d just go back to the mix engineer and be like fix it. While that can be addressed in mastering, that’s a major mixing issue. But if you are to fix that type of crazy peak issue, I think the best approach is manual clip gaining. There are a ton of ways to do this but I find RX super useful for doing this because of the tools in that program make it so much easier to do

[@DomSigalas]

That would be my first course of action. But the reality is many people produce and mix their music themselves and cannot necessarily do a better job- or can simply not afford mixing.

[@jloiben12]

@@DomSigalas All fair

[@gcruishank9663]

Great info! Do you have your PSR set to +4.0 Ref Level and 0% Time Smooth?

[@vkm.official]

Awesome sauce, as usual. Too tall? Brickwall. 👍

[@xtian1]

Interesting. So you mix and master with your eyes rather than your ears. Good to know.

[@brainrussell6811]

I Started mastering pretty young... maybe 12 or 13. It's a Hard habit to break. Relationships and marriage sometimes help, or sometimes increase the need for mastering.It's illegal in my home cumtry... thus my leaving to the great nation of Whatwashingon D.C. Long live Pizza Parlors!

[@NiclasKarlssonguitarswe]

A somewhat offtopic question but how do you connect your Kemper to your RME? Is it digitally (spdif) or via the analog outputs into the preamps? Brilliant video as always!!! 😎🤘🍻

[@AndiPicker]

I often find on a rock mix that I'll have a PSR around 17 - 18 on the drum buss and about 13 on the mix pre limiting, and 11 - 12 post. It's a great check. Incidentally, 20 years as a mastering engineer - what moisturiser do you use dude?!? :-)

[@schpeidermann]

Didn't understand a thing because I was looking at the colour changing shirt all the time...XD

[@irosdiaries]

😂😂😂

[@MELOPSMUSIC]

Are you using a clipper ? I think it s better than a limiter because it doesn t alter dynamic. Also you can solve the problem track by track, or groups. Better before the mix file

[@HappyMixingStudio]

I would like to ask if the course includes audio files for practice?

[@SchibbiSchibbi]

So well explained video. Thanks

[@lynnwalker9650]

Fatso is great for musically taming those peaks. The UA Fatso plugin is great, but the hardware (ELI or UBK) is better.

[@simonr344]

Snare drums are always the culprit, for me

[@DomSigalas]

Indeed, they are 90% of the time

[@SevenSinsChoppers]

What is best way to tame the snare peaks to tighten up the crest factor? Turning it down makes it sound weak in the mix.

[@DomSigalas]

@@SevenSinsChoppershere are a few pointers: 1. Make the rest of the instruments more assertive and rich (compression, saturation- it depends on the music) 2. Add a bus compressor to your snare and drum bus 3. Don’t rely on the snare peaks. Try adding parallel compression to the drum bus so that you can give body to the drums without raising the transients. This will be perceived as a louder and bigger drum sound overall. Just the transients don’t help- we are evolved to perceive something as loud if the loudness has duration 4. Clip your drums if the music calls for it before you go into mastering. Just a few things but that’s why I decide to make courses for these sorts of things :)❤

[@bobomark4136]

I am surprised the course not using wavelab..

[@MarcoS-pw9px]

Why not a clipper as first plugin to cut the peaks?

[@DomSigalas]

Dry good question! The reason is clipping is a very aggressive process- and the difference is audible. What I show is transparent- you will not be able to tell the difference. Reserve the clippers for later in the process after you’ve massaged those transients so they have to work less with fewer audible artefacts :)

[@MarcoS-pw9px]

@@DomSigalas okay 😊 thanks for the quick response 👍

[@arijitduttaofficial]

Hi... Is there any 3rd party alternative to wavescope?

[@MuckiMusic]

How do you make that shirt color effect ??

[@beastyb4386]

Do you have Mixing courses?

[@dennytom83]

The compressor gain reduction meter picture on your TShirt is highly out of dynamic control. You should take extra care to use a multiband compressor to take out those colour changes 😂 Just kidding 😂. Very informative and useful advice for every sound engineers out there. Highly appreciated 🎉

[@DomSigalas]

❤️❤️❤️

[@knoxharrington9981]

While I appreciate Dom's insight, this "crest factor", as it's being referred to, is not necessarily a "bad or wrong" thing. This depends entirely on the music, which we are not hearing. If anything, this lets us know that the dynamics have been maintained and the mix was at least not brick walled (over compressed or limited on the master bus), which is a very good thing. This will at least enable the mastering engineer to work with it. It may or may not be a bad mix. I have encountered both experiences, where visually, it appears whatever is causing the peaks, might be problematic. I would contend that judging a piece of music simply by the graphic, before even hearing it, is at the very least odd, with the possible exception of it being brick walled, which would require remixing in most cases.

[@Dmyra]

so basically use a brickwall limiter on the drums, with a max 3db reduction, am getting this right?

[@mrmorpheus9707]

Is there a 3rd party plugin out there that does this too? Or only cubase

[@tresporros]

where can I find a link to your credited work (Mastering)? I tried on your webpage but no avail...

[@jenstornell]

I use Bitwig and should need Course 4: Mastering theory and workflow in general 😅

[@g.d.4304]

is there a plugin alternative to supervision for non-cubase users? i need that wavescope

[@qezc0000wxad]

I want to buy your IBT class, but I'm not sure about what some plugins you listed are. can you list them here ? THX

[@MrDominikez]

Dom, even within the audio clip, could the peak of the same audio be manipulated by zooming and with the pencil as well? Or better, how do you do it from the outside with the brush tool? In principle I think the two ways of processing it would be very similar. Best regards Master😉.

[@DomSigalas]

I would always suggest doing this with the pencil tool as I show on the video :) check out my video about gain staging where I go into detail about this ❤

[@McEnroe911]

Great video. Can you recommend a metering plugin like the one you are using for non-cubase users? I've just searched but couldn't see one.

[@DomSigalas]

You know what? You’re absolutely right. The Wavescope especially seems to be very unique to Cubase and Wavelab. YouLean meter would be the closest thing. If I find a better one I will post back. Otherwise Hawkeye from SPL is great as well as Decibel from Process Audio I think!

[@McEnroe911]

@@DomSigalas ok thank you! I’ll look at those

[@sekritskworl-sekrit_studios]

WAIT!!!.. Dom, @13:30 are you saying to bounce the tracks after brickwall limiting? OR... Are you telling us to MIX INTO the brickwall limiter?

[@the_free_west]

what if the mix sounds good looking all spikey?

[@JaayleeMusic]

🎉😊

[@joseramonmtz]

Hi Dom, how can I contact you in regards to possibly mixing and mastering some tracks for our band?

[@phil-2550]

Dom on your Mastering in the Box Masterclass...Are you using Wavelab at all or is it just pro plugins within Cubase ? Much Thanks !

[@DomSigalas]

It’s in Cubase but the techniques can be used in any DAW :)

[@Chiefmonks]

I would suggest using a clipper instead of a limiter (i was watching Panorama Mix & Master youtube channel) 😎

[@DomSigalas]

I wouldn’t suggest a clipper at this stage at all. It’s not “wrong” but it’s a way too drastic and audible process. If you follow this strategy you can add clippers later and they’re going to process with more transparency later on. This works on every music genre, if you start adding clipping to certain genres of music you’re asking for trouble :)

[@Chiefmonks]

@@DomSigalas I was born for trouble! 😁 I mean at the mastering stage as a first insert to narrow down some peaks only so you can increase the overall loudness for further signal processing in mastering, just like you described near the end of your video.

[@DomSigalas]

@@Chiefmonks hahahaha -if it sounds good on your material. Go for it!

[@waliddeui6725]

Why you didn't do that with a clipper? the t-shirt is sick

[@DomSigalas]

I wouldn’t suggest a clipper at this stage at all. It’s not “wrong” but it’s a way too drastic and audible process. It’s like going for a hair trim and the hairdresser also dyes your hair. :) If you follow this strategy you can add clippers later and they’re going to process with more transparency later on. This works on every music genre, if you start adding clipping to certain genres of music you’re asking for trouble :)

[@waliddeui6725]

@@DomSigalas thanks

[@franb9692]

Why not using a clipper instead of a limiter ?

[@DomSigalas]

I’ve answered this on several comments so here it is again :) : I wouldn’t suggest a clipper at this stage at all. It’s not “wrong” but it’s a way too drastic and audible process. It’s like going for a hair trim and the hairdresser gives you a Color dye as well 😀If you follow this strategy you can add clippers later and they’re going to process with more transparency later on. This works on every music genre, if you start adding clipping to certain genres of music you’re asking for trouble :)

[@franb9692]

Ok that's clear :) Thanks a lot Dom!

[@MR_Cellarpop]

Even with the 40% off I think it is to expensive. Is it possible to pay per month, like 4-5 months?-Best/Mathias

[@DomSigalas]

Hi Matthias, I will look into this option for sure- it requires some platform setup on my side to enable this but whatever I can do to help I will do it :)

[@mikezubiena]

I never got an email 😔

[@SvenFabriceFriedrich]

👍

[@victordorosario9251]

Super i like it

[@kontemplatemusic2189]

The biggest mistake in mastering is the changing colours of the mastering engineers tshrt

[@crambesdamien]

Do i have to put brickwall limter in the mixbus or in the masterbus ?

[@DomSigalas]

If you’re still in mixing stage then take those peaks before you get into the mastering stage :) if you’re mastering then add them first thing in your chain :)

[@crambesdamien]

@@DomSigalas Thank you so much

[@crambesdamien]

@@DomSigalas how much the release of the brickwall limter you put on ?

[@diegoalejo15]

Having a PSR average of 8 db in a pop song is a good number?

[@DomSigalas]

Yes it’s a pretty good place :) but it depends on how loud you want the track to be.

[@diegoalejo15]

@@DomSigalas between -8 and -12 lufs is perfect for me, thanks Dom!

[@daddydanny5588]

How did u change yr shrt color 😂

[@TAMALnTRIP]

Excellent tutorial as always... but wait a minute! Am I doped or what...your t shirt is really changing color? Seriously?

[@NoSurrenderMuzik]

Doms t shirts always change color 😂

[@MrRichard1280]

Yeah I had to look harder too.

[@robshrock-shirakbari1862]

@@TAMALnTRIP flexing his video editing chops!

[@TAMALnTRIP]

@@robshrock-shirakbari1862 yeah! He is a Smooth criminal 😉

[@HeadGardener]

I can't find the PSR meter in Wavescope - can anyone help?

[@DomSigalas]

It’s a different meter- just load it and add it in SuperVision :) it’s called loudness meter

[@HeadGardener]

@@DomSigalas Thanks Dom I have loaded the Loudness meter in SuperVision but there is no PSR or Loudness Ratio section.

[@DomSigalas]

@@HeadGardener ohhhh it’s the loudness ratio meter you’re looking for!

[@HeadGardener]

@@DomSigalas Thanks again - there is no loudness ratio meter in my version of SuperVision in Cubase 11.

[@DomSigalas]

@@HeadGardeneraaah I see- this was introduced in 13 if I’m not mistaken

[@CarloFilingeriMusic]

🤯This video changed my life... 😃

[@armenhovhannisyan5505]

and his shirt color

[@irosdiaries]

@@armenhovhannisyan5505 😂😂😂

[@fadumastudio5542]

Your Tshirt😂

[@wilkopiano]

Interesting how you mention the superstar mastering engineers have less cleanup to do. Surely they shouldn’t be paid superstar wages then😂 Like superstar DJs who press play versus production musicians who play all the instruments

[@peterpeper4837]

I am the Alpha and the Omega ! Are you God? No, I am the Crest Factor

[@DomSigalas]

Hahahahahaha 😂😂😂

[@irosdiaries]

😂😂😂

[@hazeentertainmenthiphop]

This is not only SCAM...but it is SHAM!

[@artysanmobile]

Maybe it’s you. Dom imparts real info but this is not a “do this and you’ll be famous” snake oil demo. There’s plenty of that out there if you like it.

[@Amazology]

Please reduce the frequency of your use of the word "most". It's off-putting.

[@paulmisty8998]

16 minutes talking → not a single info.

[@DomSigalas]

I bet you didn’t really watch the video then 😝

[@Amazology]

This is a valueless video. Promotion promotion promotion only. Very sad, very disappointing - likely the course is too.

[@11000038]

10 minutes in and nothing! 1 million words. Nothing! Yawn.