Recently, a couple of new mastering tools from masteringthemix arrived in my LakeView Studio in Switzerland, where I'm producing most of my music using Roland Fantom and Fantom-O workstations, Nektar LX49+ master keyboard, Logic Pro X and a 14" MacBook Pro (M1).
In this episode, I would like to introduce how the mastering tools work and perform when used in my current projects.
Masteringthemix introduced several versatile mixing and mastering tools and, recently, released new 2.x-versions of their tools Levels and Expose. Moreover, I also use their Mixing Room EQ for final mastering of my recent projects. Here, I will focus on Levels and Expose only.
LEVELS is an indispensable plug-in that helps identifying problems with audio mixes and provides immensely helpful tips for solving them. Levels is integrating several normally separate tools into a single interface, which is awesome.
More about the details of the immensely helpful features of Levels can be found in a dedicated blog from masteringthemix.
Here, we just want to focus on how the Levels tool (version 2.x) works and performs in music projects from a user perspective. Now, here is the thing - I just needed 30 min to get familiar with the GUI (graphical user interface) and the functionality of the tool. And it already produced better results than handling before several single tools independently. Certainly, you can always argue, Logic Pro X already offers so much tools and they do not cost anything on top. However, there are some benefits using Levels that outperform the current tools integrated in Logic Pro X - at least from my personal view.
- Multiple integrated tools in a single GUI
- Easy to understand light system (green - all okay, red - need to do something)
- Helpful integrated advice on how to resolve issues on the go!
- Mono check and integrated stereo field check
- Loudness and Peak controls
- Advice on dynamic range improvements of the mix
- The best - all mastering parameters/settings for different streaming platforms and CDs, musical styles/genres etc. are stored in presets!
- and so much more ...
Spending another 20-30 min/project on the LEVELS tool I was able to resolve literally all mastering issues of my recent projects 'De Novo' and 'Deepest Feelings'.
The Expose (version 2.x) tool is a stand alone application, where different tracks and reference tracks can be imported and analyzed.
More about the details of the awesome features of Expose can be found in a dedicated blog from masteringthemix.
Here, we again want to focus on how the Expose tool (version 2.x) works and performs in music projects from a user perspective. The GUI (graphical user interface) is intuitive and easy to understand and the functionality of the tool is awesome. Logic Pro X also offers tools for comparison of EQs between tracks and reference tracks, however, the guidance is missing! And here, Expose is giving valuable information on what's to do next - step by step. It took some interations by going back to Logic Pro X in order to resolve some of the detected issues of the original mix, but within 45-60 min it was all done - awesome!
Here are some of the features that differentiate Expose:
- Multiple integrated tools in a single GUI
- Easy to understand light system (green - all okay, red - need to do something)
- Helpful integrated advice on how to resolve issues on the go!
- Reference tracks
- Comparison of EQ profiles
- Loudness alignment between the tracks (important!)
- Advice on improvements of the mastered mix
- The best - all mastering parameters/settings for different streaming platforms and CDs, musical styles/genres etc. are stored in presets!
- and so much more ...
Checking the mastered track 1) on Expose and 2) on different audio systems (Bose S1 Pro, iPhone 13, AirPods 3, Bose Soundtouch 10/20 systems, Bose Smart Soundbar 300, Harman-Kardon car speaker system) it turned out that the mixes sound equally good and transparent, rich and with substantial bass fundament on all these systems. And that is what we are all aiming for in mix/mastering, right?
Using these excellent and well-developed mastering tools, from my experience, current AI (artificial intelligence) mastering tools or web-based AI mastering services are easily out-performed in my opinion. The mastering templates available for Logic Pro X from WLPR are also out-performed by the duo of Levels & Expose, since they contain 1) more guidance and 2) all mastering parameters/settings for streaming platforms, CDs and musical styles/genres.
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