The CORRECT Order for Effects in Your Mastering Chain (...and Mix Bus)

Is there a "right order" for processing and effects in mastering? Justin Colletti says yes. He unveils his own chain for mastering, sharing how and where he places his limiter, EQ, compressor and more.
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#mixingengineer #masteringengineer #musicmastering #audiomastering #musicproducer #musicmixing #musicproduction #audioengineer #mixingeffects #musiceducation #masteringchain #masteringeffects #mixbus #sonicscoop #justincolletti #soundtoys #musicmixing #mixingmusic #musicproduction #audiomastering #masteringmusic

[@SonicScoop]

What do your mastering and mix bus chains look like? Full Courses: ►🔊Mastering Demystified: MasteringDemystified.com ►🎛Compression Breakthroughs: compressionbreakthroughs.com ►🎧 EQ Breakthroughs: EQBreakthroughs.com ►🎚Mixing Breakthroughs: mixingbreakthroughs.com

[@DaveWalker-j3u]

I have to say brother, you deserve your flowers. I used to teach Music Technology (A Level) here in the UK and now I'm a freelance music producer. Sonicscoop was regularly passed onto my students with articles to read and research for their mixing and production education. Your content is a service to the world of all things audio. Justin - you are incredible. Thank you. 🙏

[@SonicScoop]

Awesome to hear! Thanks for continuing to tune in Dave :-)

[@ataozturk2732]

I'll be waiting the nerdy limiter video 😂. Thanks Justin!

[@JuhaKuvajainen_JeanMirage]

Thank you a ton! Absolutely great and sharp content!

[@JOTAMMUSIC]

THIS IS GOLD THANKS

[@BankruptBassplayer]

I came for mastering tips..I subcribed because of your honesty and humility.

[@vancurtis5938]

Justin is the dude with the smooth voice who says stuff that makes my mixes better when I listen to him ;-)

[@barbierash2137]

phenomenal insight on your mix/mastering chain Justin!

[@hannibalhector3719]

Bro gifted us an hour long video. Appreciate it 🙏🏻

[@102wingnut]

8:26 I'd actually love to hear an in depth discussion about limiters and how and when to use them.

[@georgegeranios2918]

👌Excellent information here.

[@prodbymiless]

thank you so much for this great vid dude - u are awesome!!!

[@IamMXNDXZmusic]

I love how you took what's supposed to be last and made it first! Not a lot of people use that technique in music, and it really does make a noticable difference if your producer ear is trained to detect most nuisances and differences in production!

[@Joe-k9m8p]

I didn’t forget about those hamburgers

[@martinlarrivee5081]

This was so good. Thank you. That just validated or answered a lot of questions I had.

[@gigilagardere]

Thank you Master! This is a immensely valuable lesson for mastering. Ohh, that Relab plugin it's not released yet, so, they give it to you to do some tests on it, right?...haha...cheers, and thanks again for the lesson.

[@SselemaN]

Thank you! ⚔️🔥🖤🔥⚔️

[@ricorecordsinc]

This man made a podcast teaching people golden tips for free. Trust me I’m still learning daily cuz I need mastering help for sure!! Thank you Justin, I copped your course it was so worth it. Something I will need to revisit MANY times over the next few years all for $200 for both courses. Wow so happy it’s also a tax write off!!🎉😂❤

[@coolint]

GREAT VIDEO & INFORMATION. THANKS.

[@houseonsaturn]

GREAT video fam 🫶🏻

[@gokepsgo]

Thanks Jordan for yet another mountain of wisdom.

[@SonicScoop]

Justin, but you’re welcome! :-)

[@waves7300]

Great video

[@maxmileski1248]

This is brilliant. Thank you for this. 😊

[@philbartlett6918]

Great work as usual, Justin. 👍

[@SidBar0ne]

Awesome, Man...Thank You! 👍

[@No-to4kd]

after oversampling-everything-blindly for years, i recently learned to hear the difference & stopped oversampling all dynamics processors with a quick release, including final limiter. and the transients sound so much clearer and sharper. d-oh!

[@monkmusic5994]

Justin, thanks, will activate my limiter first. Promised. It is pure logic. Will restructure my chain and test it.

[@SonicScoop]

Yes! Last in the chain, but activated first-really helps :-)

[@sikemusic5012]

Please as many details on limiters as possible😂😍

[@yaviviv]

For stereo width enhancement I also sometimes use the bx_ compressors (usually Shadow Hills) and just click the M/S switch at the bottom. That can already give it a nice widening effect even without changing any other parameters. This also works with some UA compressors like the Manley Vari-Mu. Great video as always, thank you!

[@MariJu1ce]

Nice video!

[@scottfaircloff9530]

thanks so much!

[@JOTAMMUSIC]

I USE LIKE 4 COMP JUST BECAUSE I USED THEM AS A TONAL BOX MORE FOR WHAT THEY SOUND LIKE

[@PitchforkIncorporated]

Whats your thoughts on the Vari Mu? Use it much these days? Used to be pretty common for Mastering.

[@SonicScoop]

Oh for sure. I use the Manley Vari Mu all the time, often when I want a slower attack, faster release kind of vibe, but with some body to it. I don’t know why I didn’t mention it. Probably because I was just thinking through the my common Plugin Alliance options. If I mentioned a 4th hardware style compressor, that would have been it. I used to use the hardware version when I was starting out mastering.

[@David13Rome]

Sonnox True peak Limiter is my favorite Limiter.

[@foadBEATBOX]

Awesome

[@betpeor1196]

Nerd out on the limiters bro!

[@Rhuggins]

Sad I missed this live!

[@SonicScoop]

Glad you caught it eventually!

[@sancessounds]

Did you show an unreleased relay plugin of the Masselec multi band limiter? Can't find it anywhere

[@mattymenck]

The Relab MLA-4 is still not released right ? Thanks for the video, great approaches !

[@misterg187]

I need a link to the RELABS MLA-4 I don't see the plugin you are showing us. The content is great but this plugin is the one I need that I just can't find.

[@KitKalvert]

Everything makes sense now. Great video! May I just ask; at the very end you mention Limiter last.. but only on the Master right? Im working on House music EDM and presume I dont want to limit on my mixbus - just leave that for mastering?

[@SonicScoop]

The “safest” way to go is to avoid limiting on your mix bus. That said, some very experienced mixers might mix through a limiter. That is by no means required, and most educators would advise against it, but some very skilled people do it in some genres to good effect.

[@AVDRE_Plays]

I'm certain I gain more info from these videos more than actual tutorials

[@SonicScoop]

That’s the idea! Concepts trump “watch this!”. That said the full length courses have plenty of both… but the concepts always come first :-)

[@blakejohnsoncsr]

Great stuff. All plugins? No outboard gear?

[@SonicScoop]

These days yes! I mastered on an analog system from 2013 through 2017. When I moved out of the city I ran tests to see if I should be a new analog rig of my own, or if I could get the same results without it. Answer: I could get the same results, mastering additional tracks for albums I had mastered analog, with clients not knowing which master was which. AND I could get instant recall of sessions. I never looked back! That said, analog is still more fun for me :-)

[@blakejohnsoncsr]

@@SonicScoop​​⁠something about twisting knobs and feeling a result vs sliding a mouse around, you know? But you’re right, if the end result is indistinguishable for you plugins are way less of a headache and easier on the bank. Anyway really enjoying the channel. Thanks!

[@dakota-sessions]

I've noticed that mastering engineers who are ITB tend to say "Limiter" when they are talking about a look-ahead limiter OR a clipper. But mastering engineers who are almost entirely OTB tend to only say "Limiter" when they are talking about a look-ahead limiter, and "converter" when they are talking about clipping. The look-ahead limiter always being at the end of the chain, and the clipper or A/D Converter just before that.

[@SonicScoop]

I do not say “limiter” when I’m talking about clippers. They are inherently different devices. It is true that in an analog process clipping is slightly more likely to come at the end of the chain, as part of conversion… but most people who master analog that I know will have a final digital limiter after conversion, so limiting still happens last. I hope that helps!

[@sevenhxrecords677]

My teacher

[@SonicScoop]

Happy to be of help!

[@a_doggo]

🎯 Key points for quick navigation: 00:01 *🎙️ Introduction: Justin Colle discusses mastering and mix bus effects order, noting its broad application across audio processing.* 00:29 *🛠️ Dynamic Chains: Justin explains that his mastering chain changes per session but follows specific operational principles.* 00:57 *🌀 Unusual Approach: The last effect is added first in his chain setup, contrary to its operational sequence.* 03:01 *📏 Consistent Listening Levels: Gain staging and consistent playback levels (around 83 dB SPL) are foundational for mastering precision.* 03:58 *📊 Importance of Gain Staging: Correct input level ensures effective decision-making and consistent monitoring results.* 05:08 *🔒 Limiter First: The limiter is always the first processor in the chain, ensuring appropriate listening levels and identifying mix issues.* 06:18 *⭐ Favorite Limiters: Justin's go-to limiters include BX Limiter True Peak (smooth and thick), FabFilter Pro-L2 (tight and bright), and iZotope Ozone Maximizer.* 09:02 *🎯 Limiter's Dual Role: A limiter often enhances mixes but can also exacerbate existing problems, highlighting necessary adjustments.* 09:40 *🎚️ EQ Follows Limiter: EQ adjustments typically come after the limiter to address tonal imbalances revealed during limiting.* 10:08 *🕰️ Sound Characteristics: Attack and release settings influence a limiter's sound, with BX Limiter sounding smooth and FabFilter Pro-L2 sounding tight.* 20:40 *🎛️ Compression selection is based on genre needs, with SSL-style bus compressors like Brainworx Townhouse often used for tonal character and gentle dynamic control.* 22:36 *🎚️ Shadow Hills compressors are favored for adding tonal focus and midrange texture, especially the original green-light version for a more organic feel.* 23:44 *✨ SPL Iron compressor provides a subtle "scoopy smiley face" tonal character, emphasizing brightness and dynamic control.* 25:09 *🌀 Ozone 10 Dynamics allows for versatile single-band and multiband compression with dual compressors, enabling both peak control and transient enhancement.* 26:33 *🔀 Serial compression combines fast and slow attack compressors to balance dynamic consistency while enhancing transients for punch and impact.* 28:10 *🎞️ Tape emulation tools like Studer A800, Ampex, and Ozone Tape Simulator add warmth and glue, with various speeds (e.g., 15 ips for rock) tailoring tonal results.* 30:00 *🎸 Slower tape speeds soften high frequencies and tame harshness, especially useful for rock records or overly bright digital productions.* 30:52 *🌌 Ozone Tape Simulator's 7.5 ips mode darkens and smooths the top end, ideal for digitally produced tracks needing warmth but may require post-brightening adjustments.* 41:53 *🔊 *Modern productions often widen low frequencies, including sub-bass, depending on the musical aesthetic, while older styles center them.** 43:01 *🎚️ *Widener placement after most processing, just before the limiter, ensures stereo expansion without affecting prior tonal adjustments.** 44:11 *📡 *Experimenting with order, wideners often follow saturators to retain tonal clarity, though no fixed rule exists.** 45:06 *🛠️ *Multi-band compressors like FabFilter MB Pro, Ozone, or MLA 4 help solve tonal issues early in the mastering chain.** 46:01 *🎵 *Dynamic EQ is increasingly preferred over multi-band compression for precise low-end control and transient shaping.** 46:57 *⚡ *Dynamic EQ adjustments, like upward expansion on kick hits, prevent overall low-end energy loss while refining balance.** 48:06 *🎶 *High-frequency dynamic EQ is used to reduce harshness in specific instruments like shakers or cymbals before compression.** 49:46 *📈 *Early dynamic processing ensures accurate compression by eliminating unwanted frequency triggers before EQ and tonal shaping.** 50:28 *🎨 *Multi-band compressors can serve as tonal reshaping tools late in the chain, adding color rather than strict compression.** 51:10 *🔗 *Usual mastering order: multi-band processing > EQ > compression > saturators > wideners > limiter.** 51:52 *🎤 *In mixing, dsers work best after heavy vocal compression to manage sibilance more effectively post-dynamic gain adjustments.** Made with HARPA AI

[@zanza_the_rewolverine]

🚀

[@lekko_doneba]

What about clipers?

[@SonicScoop]

They go in roughly the same place at the same time as the saturation devices. …but for relatively hard clippers, I am likely to put them after any stereo enhancement tools, rather than before them.

[@treztracks]

My Master Bus for R&B and Hiphop 😵‍💫 Apogee Soft Limit or Metric Halo Mixhead The oven plugin plugin alliance black box hg q or Pulsar 8200 EQ SLP IRON 70% to 90% mix button maybe 1 to 1/2 db gain reduction Fab filter pro 4 for correction The god particle with the limiter on or the god particle with the limiter off with The master plan plugin for limiting 🥵 Vibes

[@Actualizateshorts]

So simple in words . now ?how do you know when you need it .?that’s when experience comes: 😂

[@as180697]

😊 thanks yes more about limiters please 😅

[@SonicScoop]

You got it! Until I do that video, the Compression Breakthroughs course is the best place in the universe that I know of to learn to hear differences in attack and release profiles in general.

[@sancessounds]

Dang that MLA-4 isn't even out

[@thank_you_thank_you]

i'm experimenting with mixing into my mastering chain.

[@SonicScoop]

If you’re mixing into it I would consider it a mix bus chain :-) That said, some very good mixers have some fairly heavy handed mix bus chains that do a lot of what happens in mastering. If they are very good at it, their masters often need very little done to them. But I still recommend thinking of mastering as a separate process, for reasons I explain in other videos :-)

[@thank_you_thank_you]

@@SonicScoop yes it's separate process. it's just an excercise.

[@STEDEL82]

I have discovered that you can actually process past the limiter to make sure you're not completely killing off your dynamic range. Putting limiting as the actual last step always has ended up crashing the absolute peak of acceptable loudness and led to a raw distortion from my experience.

[@SonicScoop]

Can you please explain further? What do you put after your limiter, and how do you believe doing so increases your dynamic range? Conceptually, this doesn’t seem to make sense, but I’m happy to hear your explanation, and your comparative results, if you can provide any. Thanks in advance!

[@STEDEL82]

@SonicScoop The dynamic range doesn't increase. It narrows when you have limiting as the very last step. What I even tried doing was using the LUFS meter via AI mastering which embeds limiting in the process and that was distorting my mixes. Manual limiting comes in lower than LUFS metered AI mastering but the mixes still come out too raw, so I ended up having to apply Automatic Gain Control to reign in on the horrid level of distortion and taking off the processing that comes through normalization. You can get back volume by adjusting the amplitude/gain past the limiter and still avoiding clipping when you apply AGC.

[@davelordy]

C'mon people, I haven't got an hour today . . . can someone just post the recommended order of effects ?

[@SonicScoop]

The order in which they sit in chain, or the order in which they are put into the chain? Because the two are different-for very specific reasons. TBH, the reasons why (and truly understanding them) are more important than the order itself, which is kind of the point of the video.

[@davelordy]

@SonicScoop the mysteries of audio (insert spooky sound effect)

[@jakejw4769]

Phaser into a flanger into a chorus into distortion

[@stepans2167]

Man, if you don't want to take your time to learn maybe it's not for you

[@davelordy]

@@stepans2167 Agreed, mastering is not for me and I don't want to learn outside of some tips for a quick and easy DIY work-in-progress master - hence my post.

[@tkelong3569]

The correct is order is when your song sounds the way that you intended. Don’t get stuck believing that your mastering chain needs to be in any specific order. Move the plugins in the chain to see how one order of plugins or another works best. Sometimes a specific order will work and at other times, it will not. Don’t bore yourself. Let your ears decide which order sounds best.

[@SonicScoop]

So, putting the limiter at the beginning of the chain and the EQ at the end is a good idea that is likely to get you good results? Putting your compressor after significant limiting is wise? …I could go on. And do!

[@collinjamesguitar]

@@SonicScoopThere are most definitely “do’s” and “dont’s” that generally are trustworthy practices. It’s like, yes, it’s art, BUT are you going to use mustard in your cupcakes? Hell no. You sure can make your cupcakes like that, but odds are, nobody is going to like it!

[@EmperorKamikaze]

Im a little disappointed to see this guy mastering itb so often. Yes, he knows his stuff to genius level, but ill seek analog mastering when im ready. And i know hes got a analog station too somewhere i think

[@SonicScoop]

I switched to all itb years ago and haven’t looked back. Analog mastering is more fun for me, but digital mastering is more fun for my clients because I can do instant recalls of their masters for unlimited revisions at no additional charge. When I proved to myself and my clients that I can get literally identical result is either way, I was sold for the recall capabilities. I did a few records in the beginning where I mastered some of the tracks analog and some digital and no one could tell which was which, and after that I was 100% convinced that this way is better. Analog is still more fun though :-)

[@EmperorKamikaze]

@SonicScoop consider me swayed. You're ultimately right.

[@lekko_doneba]

Agreed with this. This is more of a question what is more important and in todays market you have to work fast and flexible, and that is the biggest advantage in digital. But ofc I think you can only get to a point with digital. Analog will always (to me) sound better, but digital is getting so good these days. Just my toughts :)

[@Rhuggins]

@@EmperorKamikaze If mastering records was how I put food on the table for my family, then I may be ITB, just because of the utility of recalls and speed of workflow. However, I do find that analog generally "sounds better" on a processor for processor basis. Digital can sort of get there but it the case of working ITB, it feels like performing surgery while analog hybrid mixing feels like drawing a painting. I think in all honesty I would most likely have a fully hybrid workflow (as I do now), but with all of the outboard being limited to digitally recallable analog units.

[@AVDRE_Plays]

The vast majority of people here watching and learning I'm sure doesn't have analog gear nor care for it like myself. Plugins have gotten so good now it's like why even bother lol