Mixing With REFERENCE PDF

Using Reference Tracks
Whilst Mixing
Why Use Reference Tracks?
Reference tracks are used by producers and engineers at all stages of their careers. It’s a
great way to make sure our mixes sound as good (or at least comparable) to commercially
successful releases. Reference tracks shouldn't stifle your creativity or force you to make
decisions that aren't right for the music. Reference tracks help you recalibrate your ears
when you’ve been working on a track for a long time. They help you create music that
translates well on different playback systems and in different environments.
© 2017 www.masteringthemix.com page !1 of !4 REFERENCE

Preparing the Comparison
In your mixing session, load up an instance of REFERENCE as the final plugin on your
master bus. REFERENCE should come after your metering plugin but before any speaker/
headphone calibration software (if you use it). Drag and drop the reference tracks you
want to use onto the Wave Transport and set the mode to FREE. Here is a checklist to
follow when selecting your reference tracks:
• Chose reference tracks that are in the same genre as the mix you’re working on.
• Chose reference tracks with similar instrumentation and sounds to the mix you’re
working on.
• Use reference tracks that you think sound amazing.
• If possible, select reference tracks that have had commercial success.
• Use high quality files. You don’t want to try and match your sound to a low quality MP3.
Once you’ve loaded your Reference tracks, click the Level Match button to balance
the tracks so they all have the same perceived loudness. Your mix will most likely be a lot
quieter than your reference tracks giving you the misconception that it has a weaker bass
and less clarity in the high frequencies. The Level Match button will allow you to compare
your mix to the reference tracks without bias, allowing you to make informed mixing
decisions.
Comparing your mix to the reference tracks
Now that your tracks are level matched, you can begin to objectively look at how your mix
sounds compared to your reference tracks.
Some questions to ask yourself when using reference tracks:
• Are the vocals too hot?

• Is the Kick level too loud?
• Is the bass too quiet?
• How does the reverb, delays and other spacial effects compare?
• How does the balance compare with other tracks in a similar genre?
• Is the stereo image wide enough?
You might chose to make your mix slightly more dynamic than the mastered reference
tracks to compensate for any compression and limiting that might be applied to your mix
during mastering.

Trinity Display
When you listen to your reference track and you compare it to your own music, it can be
difficult to put your finger on what changes you need to make. The one-of-a-kind Trinity
Display uses intelligent algorithms to show you how the balance and punch of your track
compares to your reference. You can create from 1 to 5 moveable frequency bands in the
Trinity Display. Each band gives you a specific reading of how the punch and balance of
your track compares to the punch and balance of your reference in the corresponding
frequency band.
Level Lines
The white Level Lines show you how the balance of the frequencies in your mix compares
to your reference tracks. If the Level Line is above the centre line then those frequencies
are more prominent in your mix. If the Level Line is below the centre line then those
frequencies are less prominent in your mix. Ctrl+Click anywhere in the Trinity Display to
add more frequency bands to get a more detailed view. Ctrl+Click on a frequency band
divider to remove it.
If the Level Line in the low frequency band is lower than the central 0dB line, you may
choose to increase the volume of your kick and bass. Alternatively, you may decide that
adding EQ boosts to the low end of your bass elements might be a better option to get
your low frequencies sounding more comparable to your reference.
If the Level Line in the high frequencies is above the central line, you might decide to
reduce the volume of your hi-hats, cymbals and sweeping effects. Alternatively, you may
decide to create some EQ cuts to reduce the high end energy to make the high
frequency energy comparable to your reference.
Punch Dots
The purple Punch Dots in the Trinity Display will tell you how the short-term dynamic
range of your track compares to the short-term dynamic range of your reference. If the
Punch Dots are moving towards the white Level Line then those frequencies are more
compressed in the mix. If the Punch Dots are moving away from the Level Line then
those frequencies are more dynamic in the mix. The brighter the dots are, the greater the
difference in the dynamic range. If the dots are invisible then the dynamic range is the
same in that frequency band in both the mix and the reference.
The Punch Dots give you a detailed indication of how punchy the different frequencies
are in your mix in comparison to your reference. It’s quite easy to hear if your high
frequencies are piercingly loud in comparison your reference, but it’s more difficult to tell
if they are over-compressed or over-dynamic in comparison.
If you create a frequency band ranging from 2k-20kHz, and in that band the Punch Dots
are very clear and moving away from the Level Line, then you mix is much more dynamic
in that frequency range than your reference track. You may decide to add some
compression to the prominent elements of your mix in that frequency range. This insight
will help you get your mix sounding closer to the sonic qualities of your reference track.

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Using Reference Tracks

Why Use Reference Tracks?

© 2017 www.masteringthemix.com page !1 of !4 REFERENCE

Comparing your mix to the reference tracks

Some questions to ask yourself when using reference tracks:

• Are the vocals too hot?

© 2017 www.masteringthemix.com page !2 of !4 REFERENCE

© 2017 www.masteringthemix.com page !4 of !4 REFERENCE

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