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====== Reaper: Mastering And Rendering ======

  - Add 'ReaLimit' FX to master track.
  - Add ''JS: Loudness Meter Peak/RMS/LUFS'' FX to master track.
  - Adjust the threshold in the limiter, until **LUFS-I** in meter is what you want. Note that **LUFS-I** only works properly if the whole song is played.
  - To hear the effect of the limiter threshold without the change in volume, check the Link option.
  - These two plugins use quite a bit of CPU, so should be disabled until rendering is required.

===== Mastering with REAPER stock FX Plugins =====

[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUkpuA-DwyQ|Video]].

  - Add these FX to the master track:
    - ''JS: Soft Clipper/Limiter''
      - Boost: 0.0 - 1.0 db. (to taste)
      - Output Brickwall: -1.0 db
    - ''VST: ReaLimit''
      - Threshold: -2.0 db
      - Brickwall Ceiling: -1.0
    - ''JS: Loudness Meter Peak/RMS/LUFS''
    - ''VST: ReaXcomp''
      - Top Freq 1: 254 Hz
      - Top Freq 2: 3500 Hz
      - Top Freq 2: 24000 Hz
      - Threshold: -12.0 db
      - Ratio: 2 :1
      - Knee: 0.0 db
      - Attack: 100 ms
      - Release: 100 ms
      - RMS size: 3 ms
  - We don't want the limiter working too hard - it should just be knocking down a few peaks here and there.

===== Make the bass more mono =====

  - ''JS: Mid/Side Encoder''
  - ''VST: ReaEQ''
    - Pin connector: Switch off input 1 & output 1. Should be 2 ⇒ Input R, and Output R ⇒ 2.
    - Low Shelf: -6 db, 200Hz, 0.80 oct
  - ''JS: Mid/Side Decoder''

===== Levels =====

Generally speaking, it is recommended to aim for a range between -14 and -16 dB LUFS.

  * If it is greater than -14, it is too loud - increase the Threshold in ReaLimit.
  * If it is less than -16, it is too quiet - decrease the Threshold in ReaLimit.

| Spotify | -14 LUFS |
| Apple Music | -16 LUFS |
| Amazon Music | -9 to -13 LUFS |
| Youtube | -13 to -15 LUFS |
| Deezer | -14 to -16 LUFS |
| CD | -9 LUFS |
| Soundcloud | -8 to -13 LUFS |

===== Rendering =====

  * Preview (dry run) render. Ideally:
    * Peak -0.1
    * Clip: 0
    * LUFS-I: Refer to table
  * To prevent clipping:
    * Add ''JS: Event Horizon Limiter/Clipper'' to master track.
    * Threshold: 0.0 (no change in LUFS-I) or decrease to make louder
    * Ceiling: -0.1
    * Release: 0.0
  * 2nd pass render: checked
  * Resample mode: r8brain free
  * <del>Normalize ON, LUFS-I, -10 LU</del> Make sure the track is mastered correctly as above.
  * Format: MP3 (encoder by LAME project)
  * Mode: Target quality (VBR), Maximum q=0 (slow)
  * Quality: 70

===== Hear the effect of the limiter =====

This trick will enable you to hear the effect of the limiter without changing the volume.

  - Add ''JS: Event Horizon Limiter/Clipper'' to master track.
  - Threshold: 0.0
  - Ceiling: -0.0
  - Release: 0.0
  - Select Edit button.
  - Scroll down to ''@slider''.
  - Add ''slider2=slider1;'' afterwards.
  - Threshold & Ceiling are now linked. Decrease the Threshold to hear the artifacts of the limiter.

{{tag>reaper}}