9 Tips for Mastering Your Own Mix

9 Tips for Mastering Your Own Mix

by Nick Messitte, iZotope Contributor October 21, 2019

Growing up, I was always told by amateurs and pros alike—you can’t master a song you’ve mixed. It was interesting then to see engineers like Luca Pretolesi and Don Gehman break that rule. Could I do both too?

With technology like Ozone 9 and the improved Tonal Balance Control, I find it’s more possible than before—provided I follow concrete rules of thumb. The following are the rules I live by when I’m asked to master my own mixes, which is more and more often these days.

Snap Mode: 1/32 Note — Logic Pro X keyboard command of the day

Logic Pro X keyboard command of the day. #LogicProX @StudioIntern1

  Snap Mode: 1/32 Note

This command only appears to work in the Piano Roll editor. If the command is entered in other editors, or the Arrange window where “Snap” is available the display of the setting will become blank, but the selection doesn’t change. In Arrange Snap will change from ‘Smart’ to ‘Snap to Grid’. In the Piano Roll Snap will change to ‘Snap to Grid’ and the setting will change to 1/32.

I don’t think this is proper behavior, but what do I know?

⇧ SHIFT – ⌃ CONTROL – ⌥ OPTION – ⌘ COMMAND

Remove DC Offset ⌃D — Logic Pro X keyboard command of the day

Logic Pro X keyboard command of the day. #LogicProX @StudioIntern1

  Remove DC Offset    ⌃D

I don’t recall ever seeing an audio file with DC on it, but I know how to remove it. Removing DC offset will present a dialog box indicating how much offset is found, and requiring you to confirm removal. In my case all I ever see is 0.00%, so I cancel.

Play audio files in the Audio File Editor — Logic Pro X

Some audio interface hardware can layer direct current (DC) over the audio signal. This results in a vertical shift of the waveform position that can be clearly seen in the Audio File Editor. It can also cause crackling sounds at the start and end of the audio region during playback. Choose Functions > Remove DC Offset to center the waveform around the zero amplitude line.

⇧ SHIFT – ⌃ CONTROL – ⌥ OPTION – ⌘ COMMAND