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How Much Headroom Before Mastering Should I Leave?

Written by John Rogers

How much headroom before mastering should you leave in your mix? Here's the correct amount of headroom you should leave,
using detailed graphic examples.

Note - It doesn't matter what DAW software you use FL Studio, Pro Tools, Logic, Reason, Cubase, Sonar or Ableton, the headroom examp
and instructions apply to all of them. Read more.... (http://musicmastering.services)

There are two factors to consider when exporting your final mix for mastering:

A. Peak level - The absolute highest level the output signal reaches.

B. Dynamic range - The range between the highest level and the lowest level of the output signal.

How Much Headroom Should You Leave For Mastering?

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PEAK LEVEL
The loudest part of your song (peak level) should be around -3db to -5db (below 0 level). This is considered +3db to +5db of headroom
This is the ideal amount of headroom for mastering that you want to leave.

How To Create Headroom Before Mastering In Your Mixes

In your mix, never let your levels go over 0db on the stereo out (main out) meter, OR on ANY of your individual instrument or vocal tracks.

Note - For the record, at times you can peak at 0 level or slightly over if its quick hits like a drum, hi-hat, etc. and they don't distort. But
again, there's no reason to go over-level.

Remember, loudness maximization is done in mastering NOT mixing. DO NOT keep raising the fader on the stereo out (main out) way ov
zero level, totally distorting the song, to match the volume level of your favorite song. Yes, you matched the volume level, but now you
a scratchy distorted mess!

If your mixes are going to be mastered by someone else, the mastering engineer prefers a lower level, more dull sounding mix that he o
can bring up to where it should be. NOT an over-level scratchy distorted super bright mix. NO ONE can do anything with this! It's a
trainwreck! If you listen to the before samples (/before-and-after-mixing-and-mastering-samples.html) on my website, you can
hear what a song is supposed to sound like BEFORE mastering. What a raw mix is supposed to sound like. Did you notice they're not re
loud, or distorted, or super bright or bassy? This allows me to bring them up to where they should be in the after samples (/before-and

after-mixing-and-mastering-samples.html).

Sometimes I receive songs that correctly have +3db of headroom, but the vocals or certain instruments are still distorted. This is becaus
the "individual tracks" were mixed over-level. Nothing should ever go over 0db on any channel of your entire mix!! Read more....
(http://musicmastering.services)

I get so many over-level submissions, I've decided to show graphics of how your .wav or.aiff files shoul
look. These are your ideal mastering levels in dbs.

This .wav file peaks at -6db. This .wav has too much headroom before mastering.
But, I can still work with this by just gaining it +3-4dbs.

This .wav file peaks at -3db. This is the ideal amount of headroom before mastering.

This .wav file peaks at 0db but is fine because there are no distorted flat
spots in the wave. The high hats are hitting at 0db and everything else
drops down, leaving good dynamic range. I can work with this.

This .wav is +3db over level. All the flat spots you see are distortion. You can't
just jack up your levels past 0 and distort everything to make your song louder.
Loudness is increased in mastering. Do not submit a file that looks like this.

Once a week, we get at least one file that looks like this! Let's call this the
"trainwreck file." +6db over-level and totally distorted from beginning to end.

I can't do anything with this. No one can!!

This is an interesting file. We get this quite often too. It's the "train-wreck file"
we mentioned above, gained down -9db. It's completely distorted, but its -3db under 0 level.

A file where the mixer channels are over 0 level, but the main stereo out
is -6db would look exactly the same.

I can't use this either. Once your song is distorted and over level, you
can't just gain it down. All you're doing is making a distorted file quieter.

You have to be under 0 level on the stereo out, and on all the mixer board
channels when exporting the original .wav file.

Unfortunately, many times the recording studio gives you the "train-wreck" file
and you're stuck with it. Gaining it down yourself does nothing. Read more.... (http://audiomasteringsecrets.com)

And Of Course If You Want Your Songs To Sound AMAZING!

Check out my low Online Mastering Prices. (/online-mastering-prices.html) Incredible results at an affordable price!

DYNAMIC RANGE
As a song plays, the output meter constantly goes up and down. Dynamic range is the area between the peak level (when the meter is u
and the low level (when the meter is down). Roughly, 3db to 5db of movement between the high and low meter level is average, but this
does depend on the genre of music.

With a heavily compressed/limited or over-level mix, the meter will not go up and down more than 1db, if any. Not good.

The reason I need dynamic range and headroom in mixes is because compressed/limited or over-level mixes already have
music content removed from them, which greatly limits what I can do in mastering.

"Leaving no dynamic range is comparable to a woman who goes to a hair stylist with only 3 inches of ha
The stylist would be “very” limited with what she could do! 10 inches and the sky's the limit!"
If you've made it this far, you now know how much headroom you should have in your mixes. Now you need to know how to properly
MASTER your own music. Read more.... (http://musicmastering.services)

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by John Rogers

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