1. Automate the output of your last plugin – If you want add more impact to different sections of your song use this simple trick. Create an automation line for the output of the last plugin on your master bus. Then select that line for the whole song and drop the output level to -1.0 db. On the very last chorus, add a pinpoint on the line and automate back up 1db. Instantly you have a lift of the last section of the song.
2. Use a compressor with a side chain HPF – Using a compressor with a built-in High pass filter will keep your mix from being squashed by loud bass level. If you don’t use this the energy from the bass will trigger you compressor and keep you from gluing your mix together the way you want to. Letting the bass pass through while you compress the rest of the mix and keep it from getting too pumpy.
3. Blend Clean and Parallel Busses – create 2 busses before your master fader. The first is a clean bus with no processing on it. The second is a parallel bus that you can compress, add eq to, or even a little distortion. Turn the parallel bus all the way down, and then slowly blend it back into the clean bus. This is a great trick for adding character and mojo. You can take this a step further by automating it just in certain sections of the song.
4. Automate limiter threshold – This is a simple trick that you can use to create some openness in certain sections of the song. In the video example I have around 2db of gain reduction happening on my limiter. Let’s say i want my verse to sound like it has a little more openness to it. Simple automate the limiter threshold to come up a bit on that verse section. You will have a little gain reduction and some extra openness.
5. Automate master buss EQ- This is very similar to trick 4 but instead of using the limiter threshold you can add use an EQ on your master bus. Find a section that you want to stand out or or separate from the rest of the song. This can be subtle or you can go crazy with it. Make the eq change and then simple automate the bypass on the eq plugin to turn on and then back off.
Thanks, Warren, excellent tips as always. I’m excited to try the clean and parallel bus trick, I never thought of that one.
Brilliant! Like always you are so on fire in the video but this time plus an extra. Love it! Your positive vibe is unique, fun and gives me courage. 🙂
Totally respect the info, I tend or feel I make things a tad worse when tweaking my master bus….mind you I am just getting to grips with DAWs and your advise here is totally cool Thanks! I’ve Just got to get more practice, instead of getting shut eye , or just keep watching you do it !
Is this a sneak peak on new RJ and the Wreck? Other wise I have to wait a bit longer to get to practically use these tips. But when I can I will.
Warren— Thanks for the #1 tip. A totally solid tip— and one that I frequently forget to utilize. Thanks much mate.
Cheers— TV
Great stuff Warren! Cool as ever! Thanks
Peace ?
Enjoyed these tips a lot, Warren!
I’ve not used any creative effects on the 2 bus so far, but that is about to change 🙂
All the best from Norway.
That was excellent, Warren, thank you! I always feel a bit apprehensive about my master bus and may have been playing it a little too conservatively! What I did do on a record last year was send a dreamy bridge section to a reverb; the whole master bus washed by reverb! I was convinced it wasn’t the answer but I was running out of ideas and needed something different to set that bridge apart – it was a desperate measure. It felt so wrong but it sounded so right that I just tweaked the mix knob and left it on! The idea of having a parallel master bus is amazing… it’s like having a master bus lab – you can experiment, go crazy and you don’t need to use it at all if it doesn’t work. Nicking that one.
Hi Warren, I really enjoyed this video & will be employing these tips in the future I’m sure. Here’s a link to a video of one of my typical master bus setups.If the track is going elsewhere to be mastered I’d usually leave off the S73 & ProLimiter & i would probably have my JLM MAC OptoComp as a hardware insert instead of the Rcomp.
Cheers
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ymd55v6rdk0iivj/MastrBuss.MOV?dl=0