# Dan Murtagh — Full Site Content (for LLMs)


# Dan Murtagh - Mixing, Mastering & Production | Melbourne
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/

Melbourne mixing, mastering and production engineer Dan Murtagh - 20 years across music and film. Remote or in-studio, plus free mixing tools and tutorials.

0dB -6 -12 -24 -48 -∞ // Melbourne · Australia Recording · Mixing · Mastering 20 years making records. A decade teaching how. Start a Project › looking to learn? free tools & courses // 01 · The Producer Fig.01 · Studio A Melbourne I make records that hit hard , and teach you how to do it yourself. I'm a Melbourne mixing engineer with 20 years in the studio: everything from heavy rock to indie to electronic. Mixing has never been about making things loud or polished. It's about finding what makes your song work and pushing that forward. When I'm not mixing, I'm teaching. A decade of lecturing taught me one thing: students could learn the theory, but they couldn't hear it. That's what got me building these free tools, and a course that teaches you to listen, not copy settings off YouTube. Experience 20 Years Discipline Record · Mix · Master · Post Base Melbourne AU // Playback · Selected Mix Reel Hear the work. A running reel of mixes and masters: rock, metal, pop, electronic and indie. The fastest way to know if we're a fit is to press play. 00:00 --:-- // 02 · The Toolkit Free Tools ● Live Mod 01 Stems IN/OUT Stem Splitter Separate any track into vocals, drums, bass and more. Solo, mute, remix, or download individual stems. › Launch Module ● Live Mod 02 Mentor AI Why does my snare lose its crack when I compress it? D Attack-time issue. If it's too fast you're clamping the transient before it punches through… Ask Dan · AI Mixing Mentor AI mixing advice trained on 20 years of real-world engineering. Like having a mix engineer in your pocket. › Launch Module Mod 03 EQ Hz EQ Frequency Chart Find problem frequencies. 20 instruments, masking detection, mix diagnostics. › Open Mod 04 Mic Polar Polar Pattern Visualiser 9 polar patterns. Drag a source around the mic, watch the pickup change live. › Open Mod 05 Comp Calc Source Vocal ▾ Atk 20ms Rel Auto Ratio 3:1 Compressor Calculator Find your starting point. Settings based on real-world practice. › Open Mod 06 LUFS dB Spotify −14 Apple Music −16 YouTube −14 Loudness Lookup LUFS, true-peak and normalisation specs for every platform. › Open Mod 07 Comp Viz Compression Visualiser Watch attack and release in real-time. Finally see why slow attack creates punch. › Open Mod 08 Fix Dx What's going wrong? Lost the punch Flat / squashed Pumpy Harsh Can't hear it Compression Troubleshooter Pick a symptom, get a specific fix. 72 endpoints across 10 paths. › Open // 03 · Field Guide The Compression Cheat Sheet Attack, release and ratio starting points for every common source, on one printable page. Keep it next to your DAW so you're not guessing mid-session. // 04 · The Next Level Want to go deeper? Free tools get you started. The courses get you good. Join the list for new tools, mixing breakdowns, and first access to The Compression Course. The Compression Course · Coming Soon · See What's Inside →


# About - Dan Murtagh | Melbourne Producer & Mix Engineer
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/about

Melbourne producer and mix engineer, multi award-winning film sound designer, and audio educator. 20 years making records with clarity, impact and character.

// About · The Producer About Producer and mix engineer focused on clarity, impact, and character. Dan Murtagh Melbourne I've been making records for 20 years. I'm a Melbourne-based producer and mix engineer working with bands and solo artists. I've tracked and mixed at studios like Sing Sing Recording Studios and The Grove Studios . Every project is different. My job is to support the artist's vision without flattening the personality out of it: strong performances, detailed editing, mixes with punch, clarity, and character. I'm also a multi award-winning sound designer for film , with credits across feature films, shorts, TV pilots, and documentaries. I've picked up awards at festivals including Action on Film, Hollywood Dreamz, and the Southern California International Film Festival. I work across sound design, dialogue editing, supervising sound editing, and composition. I've been lecturing at Collarts since 2016 , teaching audio production and post-production. Helping shape the next generation of engineers is one of the most rewarding things I do. I've also built The Compressor Calculator and The Compression Visualiser , free tools that help people stop guessing and start hearing what compression actually does. Whether it's a record or a film project, I care about the same things. Does it sound great? Does it serve the story? Does it actually make people feel something? That's what separates good work from forgettable work. Experience 20 Years Studios Sing Sing · The Grove Film Multi Award-Winning Sound Design Teaching Collarts · Since 2016 Tools Compressor Calculator · Compression Visualiser // Let's Talk If you're serious about your project, let's talk. Start a Project


# Mixing & Mastering in Melbourne | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/services

Mixing and mastering in Melbourne for bands and solo artists. Recording, production, and film sound. 20 years of experience, remote or in-studio.

// Services Services Recording, Mixing, and Mastering I specialise in mixing and mastering in Melbourne, working across music and film with bands and solo artists who care about clarity, impact, and intent. Some projects arrive fully recorded and need shaping at the mix stage, while others benefit from hands-on recording and production from the outset. Everything here is built around one goal: serve the song or story first. // 01 Music Mixing Mixing that serves the song I work with bands and solo artists to turn strong recordings into finished records that translate with confidence. My approach to mixing isn't about presets, speed, or chasing trends. It's about decision-making, balance, and understanding what the song actually needs. I focus on clarity, punch, and depth without stripping character or energy. Editing is detailed where it needs to be, but never at the expense of feel. The end result should sound intentional, cohesive, and consistent across systems. I work remotely or in person with clear communication throughout the process. Artists are kept in the loop, revisions are purposeful, and the goal is always the same: make the song feel undeniable. Based in Melbourne, mixing for artists everywhere. More on working with a mixing engineer in Melbourne or remote mixing from anywhere in the world. Discuss a mix → // 02 Recording & Production Capturing performances that matter Recording and production are central to how I approach sound. Strong mixes start with strong performances, and my role at the recording stage is to help artists capture takes that already feel right before any processing begins. Sessions are built around feel rather than technical spectacle. The focus is on performance, tone, and momentum, with just enough structure to keep things moving without interrupting the creative flow. Direction is offered where useful, but never forced. Recording and production work can involve full tracking sessions, overdubs, or collaborative production input, depending on the needs of the project. Discuss recording or production → // 03 Mastering The final step before release I offer mastering for projects I've mixed and for external mixes that need a fresh perspective. My approach is corrective and transparent: I'm not trying to reinvent the mix, I'm trying to make it translate. Mastering is about clarity, balance, and making sure the track holds up across different playback systems. I focus on tonal balance, dynamics, and loudness that suits the genre without crushing the life out of it. I deliver masters for any format you need: streaming and digital platforms, CD with DDP files, and vinyl-specific masters with the EQ and level adjustments required for cutting. If you're not sure what you need, I can help you figure that out. If you're after a particular sound or referencing other releases, send them through and I'll get as close as the mix allows. More on working with a mastering engineer in Melbourne , or read my guide to mastering for Spotify and LUFS targets . Discuss mastering → // 04 Film & Screen Sound for film and visual media Alongside music, I work in film across sound design, dialogue, music, and post-production. I've contributed to short films and full-length features in both sound and production roles, with work recognised nationally and internationally. The same principles apply here as in music. Clarity, intention, and emotional translation come first. The aim is always to support the story without drawing attention to the process. Film projects are discussed on a case-by-case basis. There's more detail on how I approach film sound post-production , and past work on the Film page. Enquire about film work → // How I Work How I Work I'm collaborative, direct, and high-energy. Artists and filmmakers often come to me not just for sound quality, but for momentum and perspective . I'm known for clear communication, strong aesthetic instincts, and the ability to draw better performances out of people without overcomplicating the process. Decisions are made in service of the work, not the tools. The process stays flexible, focused, and grounded in what the project actually needs. // Start a Project Start a Project If you have a project you're serious about and want someone who'll treat it with care, intent, and attention to detail, I'm always open to a conversation. Start a Project


# Music - Dan Murtagh | Mixing, Mastering & Production Credits
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/music

Selected discography from Melbourne mixing, mastering and production engineer Dan Murtagh - records across rock, metal, indie and electronic.

// Music · Selected Works Music I work with bands and solo artists across a wide range of genres, providing music production, recording, mixing, and mastering for releases intended for streaming, physical formats, and film or visual media. My role shifts depending on the project, but the focus is always the same: serve the song and support the artist's vision. Roles across these projects Recording · Mixing · Mastering · Production // Selected Discography [ 16 Releases ] 01 Dead Letter Circus The Catalyst Fire 02 Twelve Foot Ninja Outlier 03 I Am Giant Science & Survival 04 Jericco Machine Made The Animal 05 Full Code Telescapes 06 The Crookeds Deadeye 07 Double Dragon Devastator 08 Truth Corroded Worship the Bled 09 Life Pilot Too Hot For Killing 10 Dead Letter Circus Wake Up 11 Cola Wars The Heartless Hype 12 Sleep Parade Inside Out 13 TV Telepath I Won True Love On A Gameshow 14 Double Dragon Sons of Asena 15 Red Light Sound Latitudes 16 Stephen Hue Brainstare Manatorquim Whether working remotely or in person, I approach every project with an emphasis on performance, tone, and translation across playback systems. Editing is handled with care, dynamics are preserved, and aesthetic decisions are made deliberately rather than by preset or trend. If you're looking for a mixing engineer, recording engineer, or music producer in Melbourne , or a remote collaborator for an existing project, this selection represents the kind of work I take on. Alongside client work, I also teach audio production and mixing, drawing directly from the same workflows and decision-making used on these records. If you're interested in learning these techniques yourself, you can explore my education resources and upcoming courses . Start a Project View Services


# Film Sound Portfolio - Dan Murtagh | Sound Design & Post-Production
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/film

Film sound and post-production for features, shorts, TV and documentaries. Sound design, dialogue editing and mixing - award-winning work.

// Film · Sound & Post-Production Film I work in film sound across feature films, short films, television pilots, and documentary projects. My work spans sound design, dialogue editing, supervising sound editing, composition, and post-production , with credits on award-winning films screened internationally. I collaborate closely with directors and producers to support story, performance, and tone, ensuring sound serves the narrative rather than drawing attention to itself. // Selected Film Work Selected Film Work 2025 Cash 2 Associate Producer · Sound Design 2025 Serenity Sound & Post-Production 2024 Rust Harbour Co-Producer · Sound 2023 Cash Associate Producer · Sound 2019–2021 A Small Punch in a Little Town Producer · Supervising Sound Editor · Composer 2019 Legends Associate Producer · Supervising Sound Editor 2018 The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich Sound Recordist · Sound Editor · Composer 2017 Words of a Teenage Writer Co-Producer · Sound Editor · Composer 2014 No Right Turn Sound & Post-Production // Awards & Festival Recognition Awards & Festival Recognition My work has been recognised at international film festivals across feature films, shorts, television pilots, and documentary projects. These awards reflect collaborative filmmaking efforts and long-form post-production work across a range of genres and formats. Cash 2 2025 · Associate Producer · Sound Design Winner · Best Feature Film, Southern California International Film Festival Winner · Best Action Feature, Culver City Film Festival Cash 2023 · Associate Producer · Sound Winner · Best Feature Film, Seal Beach Film Festival (USA) A Small Punch in a Little Town 2019–2021 · Producer · Supervising Sound Editor · Composer Winner · Best Drama (Feature), Northern Virginia International Film & Music Festival (USA) Winner · Best Picture (Feature), Hollywood Dreamz International Film Festival (USA) Winner · Best Proof of Concept, Action on Film International Film Festival (USA) Legends 2019 · Associate Producer · Supervising Sound Editor Winner · Best TV Pilot / Web Series, Action on Film International Film Festival (USA) Winner · Best TV Pilot / Web Series, Hollywood Dreamz International Film Festival (USA) The Disappearance of Frederick Valentich 2018 · Sound Recordist · Sound Editor · Composer Winner · Best Documentary Short, Action on Film International Film Festival (USA) Words of a Teenage Writer 2017 · Co-Producer · Sound Editor · Composer Winner · Best Short Film, Action on Film International Film Festival (USA) A full list of credits and roles can be found on IMDb → // Approach to Film Sound Approach to Film Sound My background spans both sound and production roles, which informs how I approach film post-production. I understand the creative, logistical, and narrative pressures that exist across the full production pipeline. Whether working as a sound designer, supervising sound editor, or composer, my focus is always narrative clarity. Sound is used to reinforce story beats, emotional pacing, and performance without overwhelming the frame or distracting from the film's intent. I'm comfortable working independently on smaller projects or integrating into larger post-production teams on feature-scale productions, depending on the needs of the project. // Enquiries Enquire about film work Start a Conversation


# Learn Mixing - Tutorials, Free Tools & Courses | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/learn

Audio mixing tutorials, free compression tools, and practical guides on production from Melbourne-based engineer and educator Dan Murtagh.

// Learn Learn I've spent 20 years as a producer and mixing engineer learning what works and what doesn't. Free tools, tutorials, articles, and a compression course, all built to help you actually hear what's happening in your recording, mix and master, not just memorise settings. // Free Download Field Guide Get the Compression Cheat Sheet Starting points for every common source and compression goal, in a printable PDF. Keep it next to your DAW so you're not guessing mid-session. // The Toolkit · Free Free Tools Stems Stem Splitter Upload a track and split it into vocals, drums, bass, and more. Solo, mute, remix, or download stems. Launch → Mentor AI Mixing Mentor AI-powered mixing advice trained on 20 years of real-world engineering. Like a mix engineer in your pocket. Launch → EQ Find Problem Frequencies Interactive frequency spectrum with 20 instruments, masking detection, and mix diagnostics. Open → Mic See How Your Mic Picks Up Sound Explore 9 polar patterns. Drag a source around the mic and watch the pickup change in real-time. Open → Comp Find Your Starting Point Select what you're compressing and what you want to achieve. Get settings based on real-world practice. Open → LUFS Check the Specs Before You Master LUFS levels, true-peak limits and normalisation for every platform. Music, film, podcasts, broadcast. Open → Viz See What Your Compressor Does Watch attack and release in real-time. Finally understand why a slow attack creates punch. Open → Fix Diagnose & Fix Common Problems Pick your symptom, answer a few questions, get a specific fix. 72 endpoints across 10 symptom paths. Open → // Articles & Guides Articles & Guides 01 What Does Attack Time Do? (And Why You're Probably Using It Backwards) Fast attack doesn't mean more punch; it means less. Learn the front-end / back-end framework that finally makes attack time click. Read → 02 Why Does My Compression Sound Bad? 9 Symptoms, 9 Fixes Squashed mix, lost punch, lifeless vocals. Diagnose compression problems by symptom, not by guessing what went wrong. Read → 03 9 Steps to Get Your Band Ready for the Studio What to do before you book studio time. Preparation, rehearsal, and the things most bands forget. Read → 04 Copyright, Royalties and Collaborating in the Music Industry What every songwriter needs to know about ownership, splits, and collecting the royalties you've earned. Read → 05 How to Master for Spotify: LUFS and Loudness Explained -14 LUFS is a playback target, not a mastering target. What Spotify actually does to your track, and how loud to master. Read → 06 Compressor Release Time: How to Set It by Ear Release decides whether your compression grooves or chokes. The tempo connection, and how to set it by ear. Read → View all articles & field notes → // The Course The Compression Code The Compression Code Stop guessing, start hearing. The complete framework for understanding compression: not a list of settings to memorise, but a skill you develop by ear. Read the full course breakdown → Coming Soon


# Free Mixing Tools: Compression, EQ & LUFS | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/tools

Free mixing tools for producers: compressor settings, compression visualiser, EQ chart, LUFS lookup and mic patterns. No sign-up.

// Free Tools · The Toolkit Free Tools I built these free audio tools because most of the stuff producers need to look up (compressor settings, EQ ranges, loudness specs, polar patterns) is scattered across blog posts and YouTube comments. These tools put it all in one place with no sign-up required . Pick a tool, get the answer, and get back to work. ● Live Mod 01 Stems IN/OUT Stem Splitter Upload a track and split it into vocals, drums, bass and more. Solo, mute, remix, or download individual stems. › Launch Module ● Live Mod 02 Mentor AI Why does my snare lose its crack when I compress it? D Attack-time issue. If it's too fast you're clamping the transient before it punches through… AI Mixing Mentor AI-powered mixing advice trained on 20 years of real-world engineering. Like having a mix engineer in your pocket. › Launch Module Mod 03 EQ Hz Find Problem Frequencies Interactive frequency spectrum with 20 instruments, masking detection and mix diagnostics. › Open Mod 04 Mic Polar See How Your Mic Picks Up Sound 9 polar patterns. Drag a source around the mic and watch the pickup change live. › Open Mod 05 Comp Calc Source Vocal ▾ Atk 20ms Rel Auto Ratio 3:1 Find Your Starting Point Select what you're compressing and what you want to achieve. Settings based on real-world practice. › Open Mod 06 LUFS dB Spotify −14 Apple Music −16 YouTube −14 Check the Specs Before You Master LUFS, true-peak and normalisation specs for every platform. Music, film, podcasts, broadcast. › Open Mod 07 Comp Viz See What Your Compressor Does Watch attack and release in real-time. Finally see why a slow attack creates punch. › Open Mod 08 Fix Dx What's going wrong? Lost the punch Flat / squashed Pumpy Harsh Can't hear it Diagnose & Fix Common Problems Pick a symptom, get a specific fix. 72 endpoints across 10 symptom paths. › Open Get the Compression Cheat Sheet Starting points for every common source and compression goal, in a printable PDF. Keep it next to your DAW so you're not guessing mid-session.


# Booking & Enquiries - Dan Murtagh | Mixing, Mastering & Production
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/booking

Start a project with Dan Murtagh - mixing, mastering, recording and film sound from Melbourne. Remote or in-studio. Replies within two business days.

// Booking & Enquiries Start a Project Mixing, mastering, recording, and film sound, remote or in my Melbourne studio. Tell me a little about your project and I’ll get back to you within a couple of days. // The Enquiry Get the conversation started Prefer to reach out directly? DM me on Instagram or X . Happy to chat through a project there too. // What Happens Next How it works You send your details and a few words about the project I reply within a couple of days to talk it through We agree on scope, timeline, and approach. No surprises You send your files (or book studio time) and we get to work I work with bands and solo artists who care about clarity, impact, and intent, whether you recorded at home, in a rehearsal room, or another studio. Remote projects are the norm; in-studio sessions are available in Melbourne. Not sure what you need yet? Say so. Part of the job is helping you figure out the right path for the song. // While you're here Explore the Work Hear selected mixes and productions, browse the free tools, or read the journal while you decide. See the Music


# Articles & Journal - Mixing Tutorials | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/articles

Mixing and production tutorials, compression guides, and studio field notes from Melbourne engineer and educator Dan Murtagh.

// The Journal Articles & Journal Mixing tutorials, compression guides, and field notes from twenty years of recording, mixing, and production. // Guides & Tutorials Guides & Tutorials 01 Compression · Mixing Compressor Release Time: How to Set It by Ear Attack gets the attention; release decides whether your compression grooves or chokes. The tempo connection, and how to set it by ear. 04 Jul 2026 7 min read 02 Mastering · Loudness How to Master for Spotify: LUFS and Loudness Explained -14 LUFS is a playback target, not a mastering target. What Spotify actually does to your track, and how loud to master. 03 Jul 2026 8 min read 03 Compression · Troubleshooting Why Does My Compression Sound Bad? How to Diagnose and Fix It Squashed mix, lost punch, lifeless vocals. Diagnose problems by symptom, not by guessing what you did wrong. 08 Feb 2026 15 min read 04 Compression · Mixing What Does Attack Time Do on a Compressor? Fast attack means less punch, not more. The front end / back end framework that finally makes attack time click. 08 Feb 2026 10 min read 05 Rights & Royalties · Business The Brutal Money Conversation Musicians Avoid Splits, publishing, masters, and getting paid what you're owed. What I wish I'd known early in my career. 07 Feb 2026 9 min read 06 Studio Craft · Recording 9 Ways to Waste Studio Time (And How to Avoid Every One) The most common recording studio mistakes bands make, and the preparation that prevents every one of them. 07 Feb 2026 10 min read // Production Journal Field Notes 07 Production · Recording Twelve Foot Ninja Tracking massive bass grooves with Damon from Melbourne heavy-fusion outfit Twelve Foot Ninja for album two. 28 Feb 2016 Field note 08 Production · Mix · Master Red Light Sound · Latitudes Producing, mixing and mastering Latitudes for Adelaide prog-rock band Red Light Sound: a hands-on, guerrilla-style EP. 29 Dec 2015 Field note // Go deeper The Compression Code The articles cover the what. The course teaches you to hear it: a framework for making compression decisions by ear, the way I teach it at university. See the Course


# Mixing Engineer in Melbourne for Bands & Solo Artists - Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/mixing-engineer-melbourne

Melbourne mixing engineer for bands and solo artists. Clear, balanced, intentional mixes that translate on every system. Remote or in-person, 20 years' experience.

// Services · Mixing in Melbourne Mixing Engineer in Melbourne for Bands & Solo Artists If you're looking for a mixing engineer in Melbourne, the most important factor isn't location. It's perspective, communication, and the ability to make confident decisions that serve the song. I work with Melbourne-based bands and solo artists who already have recordings and want mixes that feel clear, balanced, and intentional across every system. // 01 Mixing for Melbourne Artists Melbourne has no shortage of great musicians and home studios. What's harder to find is an external ear that can bring cohesion and clarity once the recording phase is done. Most artists who come to me are dealing with one or more of the following: A mix that feels cluttered or unfocused Vocals that don't consistently sit in the track Low end that lacks control or impact Songs that sound good in the studio but fall apart elsewhere Mixing is where these issues are solved. Not with tools, but with judgement. // 02 My Approach to Mixing My approach is performance-focused rather than preset-driven. Editing is detailed where it improves feel and consistency, but never at the expense of energy or character. I focus on balance, depth, and translation. The mix should feel confident on headphones, speakers, in the car, and on everyday listening systems. Decisions are made in service of the song, not trends or technical habits. Communication is clear throughout the process. Direction is established early, revisions are purposeful, and the aim is always to arrive at a finished mix that feels resolved rather than endlessly tweaked. // 03 Working with a Melbourne-Based Mix Engineer While much of my mixing work is done remotely, I regularly work with artists based in Melbourne. Local projects benefit from shared context, clear expectations, and an understanding of the scenes and spaces where the music will live. Whether you recorded at home, in a rehearsal space, or another studio, the goal remains the same: make the song translate, connect, and hold together as a complete piece of work. // 04 Who This Is For This service is a good fit if you are: A Melbourne-based artist or band with finished recordings Preparing a release and want a professional perspective Interested in collaboration and clear communication Focused on making confident decisions rather than endless revisions If you're looking for quick fixes or purely technical processing, this may not be the right approach. // 05 About Me I'm a producer and mix engineer with 20 years of experience across music and film. Alongside music mixing, I've worked on numerous short films and feature-length projects, with work recognised nationally and internationally. That broader experience informs how I approach music. Clarity, intent, and emotional translation come first. // Start a Mixing Project Start a Mixing Project If you have recordings ready and want to work with a Melbourne-based mixing engineer who prioritises clarity, communication, and musical intent, I'm always open to a conversation. Start a Project


# Mastering Engineer Melbourne - Streaming, CD & Vinyl | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/mastering-engineer-melbourne

Melbourne mastering engineer for singles, EPs and albums. Transparent masters for streaming, CD (DDP) and vinyl. 20 years' experience, remote or in person.

// Services · Mastering in Melbourne Mastering Engineer in Melbourne for Singles, EPs & Albums Mastering is the last set of ears on your record before the world hears it. If you're looking for a mastering engineer in Melbourne, what matters is transparency, judgement, and delivery you can trust, not a mystery process behind a closed door. I master for bands, solo artists, and producers who want their music to translate everywhere it plays: streaming, CD, vinyl, and sync. // 01 What Mastering Actually Does A good master doesn't reinvent your mix; it resolves it. My approach is corrective and transparent: tonal balance, dynamics, and loudness decisions that make the track hold up across different playback systems without crushing the life out of it. Most projects that come to me need some combination of the following: Loudness that competes in the genre without killing the transients Tonal balance that translates from earbuds to club systems Consistency across an EP or album: levels, tone, spacing, flow Correct delivery formats for every destination, handled properly // 02 Mastering for Streaming Streaming platforms normalise playback loudness (Spotify to -14 LUFS, Apple Music to -16), which changes what a smart master looks like. Chasing maximum level buys nothing on normalised platforms; what matters is density and impact that suit the song, with a true-peak ceiling that survives lossy encoding. I've written a full breakdown of how to master for Spotify and what LUFS actually means , and my free LUFS & Loudness Standards lookup covers the delivery specs for every major platform. // 03 Formats: Streaming, CD & Vinyl I deliver masters for any format you need: high-resolution files for streaming and digital distribution, CD with DDP files ready for manufacture, and vinyl-specific pre-masters with the EQ and level decisions cutting requires. If you're not sure what your release needs, that's a normal place to be. Tell me where the music is going and I'll tell you what to order, and you won't pay for formats you don't need. // 04 Who This Is For This service is a good fit if you are: Releasing a single, EP or album and want it to sit confidently next to commercial releases A producer or engineer who wants fresh, experienced ears on your own mixes Preparing a vinyl or CD run and need delivery handled correctly After honest feedback, including when a mix needs another pass before mastering That last point matters. If your mix isn't ready, I'll tell you. Mastering a mix that's fighting itself wastes your money, and I'd rather help you fix the real problem. // 05 About Me I'm a producer, mixing and mastering engineer with 20 years across music and film. Along the way that's included work on records by Dead Letter Circus, Twelve Foot Ninja and I Am Giant, and film sound recognised nationally and internationally. I've also spent a decade teaching audio production, which means I can explain every decision I make on your master in plain language. I work from Melbourne, in person or remotely with artists anywhere in the world. // Start a Mastering Project Start a Mastering Project Send through your mix, or a link to a rough bounce, and tell me where the release is headed. I'll come back with what it needs and where to go from there. Start a Project


# Compressor Release Time: How to Set It by Ear | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/compressor-release-time

Release time decides whether your compression grooves or chokes. What release actually does, the tempo connection, and how to set it by ear.

// Journal · Compression Compressor Release Time: How to Set It by Ear Attack time gets all the attention. Release is where mixes quietly go wrong: it decides whether your compression grooves with the track or chokes it. By Dan Murtagh 04 Jul 2026 7 min read I've already written about attack time , and if you haven't read that piece, start there: the front end / back end framework it teaches is half of this one. Attack decides how much of the hit gets through. Release decides everything that happens after the hit. What Release Time Actually Does Release time determines how quickly the compressor stops compressing once the signal drops back below the threshold. That's the whole technical definition. And just like attack, it isn't a waiting period: the compressor starts letting go the moment the signal falls below threshold, and the release time is how long it takes to let go completely. What matters is what that does to the sound. The release phase is happening during the body, sustain and decay of every note, which means release time is shaping the part of the sound your ear reads as groove and fullness. Get it right and the compression breathes with the track. Get it wrong in either direction and you'll hear one of two very different problems. Too Slow: The Compressor Never Lets Go Here's the scenario I see most. If your compressor is still releasing by the time the next hit comes through, that second hit is already being pushed down before it even starts. The compressor hasn't had time to fully recover, so every hit after the first one lands into gain reduction that was meant for the previous hit. The result is inconsistent compression and a muddy, muddled mix. Punch disappears, because the transients you carefully preserved with a slow attack are now being flattened by leftover gain reduction. The track feels like it's being sat on. If your drums sound smaller with the compressor in than out, and the attack time looks sensible, check the release before you touch anything else. Too Fast: Distortion and Pumping Go the other way and different problems show up. On low-frequency material like bass, a very fast release means the compressor starts reacting to the individual waveform cycles themselves rather than the note. It's clamping and releasing dozens of times per second, and you hear that as distortion artefacts that weren't in the recording. Fast releases pushed hard also produce pumping and breathing: the level visibly swells back up between hits and the whole track feels like it's inhaling and exhaling. If you can hear the compressor sucking and swelling like that, you've pushed too hard. Some genres use that pump deliberately as an effect, but it should be a decision, not an accident. The Tempo Connection So the sweet spot sits between those failure modes, and it moves with the song. The working rule I teach: time the release so the compressor has fully let go before the next transient arrives. That makes release time a musical setting, not a technical one. A fast punk track leaves tiny gaps between hits, so it needs fast releases. A slow ballad with long decays gives you room for slower releases that hold the sustain up gently. Either way, aim for reasonably fast release times as your default, and treat multi-second release settings as a red flag: they're almost never what the song needs. How to Set It by Ear Three habits that make release time click: Watch the gain reduction meter, then stop watching it. The meter should fall back to zero between hits, in time with the track. If it never touches zero, your release is too slow. Once the meter looks right, close your eyes and listen for the groove: the compression should move with the song's rhythm. Start from the defaults. The factory attack and release settings on a stock compressor like Pro Tools' Dyn3 are chosen because they work on most musical material. They're a genuinely good starting point. And if you find yourself cranking release (or anything else) way off to one extreme, you've probably gone too far; back up and ask what you're compensating for. The Dr Pepper Trick. On an 1176-style compressor: attack at 10 o'clock, release at 2 o'clock, ratio at 4:1. The name comes from an old ad slogan about drinking Dr Pepper at 10, 2 and 4. It's a silly mnemonic, and it gets you a usable starting point on one of the most common compressors in existence. Starting Points by Source Numbers to begin from, not answers. These are the ranges built into my free Compressor Calculator , which also explains the reasoning behind each one: Drums (punch): 80 to 150ms, with a 15 to 30ms attack. Fast enough to reset between hits at most tempos. Vocals (smooth and even): 100 to 200ms on a gentle opto-style compressor, which responds slowly and suits the natural dynamics of a performance. Vocals (upfront and dense): 150 to 300ms, holding up the tail of each phrase so nothing falls off the front of the mix. Piano and sustained sources: 150 to 400ms depending on the goal, letting the release carry the instrument's natural decay instead of chopping it. If you want to see what's actually happening while you experiment, the Compression Visualiser lets you drag the release control and watch it reshape the signal in real time. The Bigger Picture Attack and release are two halves of one decision: attack chooses how much front end survives, release chooses what the back end does afterwards. Once both of those click, threshold and ratio become simple bookkeeping, and compression stops feeling like guesswork. Reading about it gives you the map. Hearing it is the skill, and that only comes from mixing real material and paying attention. That's the gap The Compression Code is built to close: a framework for making compression decisions by ear, the way I teach it at university, not another list of settings to memorise. // FAQ FAQ What does release time do on a compressor? Release time determines how quickly the compressor stops compressing once the signal drops back below the threshold. It shapes everything that happens after the hit: the sustain, the decay, and whether the compression breathes with the track or fights it. What happens if release time is too fast? On low-frequency material like bass, a very fast release makes the compressor start reacting to the waveform cycles themselves, which produces distortion artefacts. Pushed hard, fast releases also cause audible pumping and breathing: the mix swells and sucks between hits. What happens if release time is too slow? The compressor is still pushing down when the next hit arrives, so the second hit comes through already reduced. You get inconsistent compression, lost punch, and a muddy mix, because the compressor never has time to fully recover between hits. Should release time match the tempo of the song? As a working rule, time the release so the compressor has fully let go before the next transient arrives. Faster songs need faster releases; slow ballads with long decays can afford slower ones. Releases of multiple seconds are almost never right. // The course The Compression Code Stop copying settings. Learn the framework for hearing compression and making decisions by ear, the way I teach it at university. See the Course


# How to Master for Spotify: LUFS & Loudness Explained | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/mastering-for-spotify

Spotify's -14 LUFS is a playback target, not a mastering target. What LUFS actually means, what Spotify does to your track, and how loud to master.

// Journal · Mastering How to Master for Spotify: LUFS and Loudness Explained Everyone's heard "master to -14 LUFS for Spotify." It's the most repeated piece of mastering advice on the internet, and it's a misunderstanding of what that number actually is. By Dan Murtagh 03 Jul 2026 8 min read Here's the short version, and then I'll unpack it: -14 LUFS is Spotify's playback target, not your mastering target. Master the song to the loudness that serves the music, keep your true peak at or below -1 dBTP, and let normalisation do its job. That's it. If you stopped reading now you'd already be ahead of half the advice out there. But knowing why that's the answer is what stops you second-guessing it at 1am the night before a release. So let's get into it. What LUFS Actually Measures LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) is a measurement of perceived loudness. Unlike a peak meter, which just tells you the tallest spike in the waveform, LUFS is weighted to how human ears actually experience volume, averaged over time. Two tracks can have identical peak levels and wildly different LUFS readings, because one is dense and sustained while the other is punchy and dynamic. The number you care about for streaming is integrated LUFS : the average across the whole track. When you see a platform target like "-14 LUFS," that's integrated loudness. What Spotify Actually Does to Your Track Spotify measures the loudness of your master and adjusts playback volume so everything on a listener's queue sits at a consistent level. By default, that level is -14 LUFS integrated . Users can change it: there's a Quiet mode (-19 LUFS), Normal (-14), and Loud (-11). Here's the part that matters. If your master is louder than the target, Spotify simply turns the whole track down: clean gain reduction, no processing, no re-limiting. Your mix's internal balance is untouched; it just plays quieter. If your master is quieter than the target, Spotify turns it up only as far as the track's own headroom allows in Normal mode; in Loud mode it will apply a limiter to close the gap. Think about what that means for the "slam it to -8" approach. On a normalised platform, all that extra loudness gets thrown away at the volume knob, but the cost you paid for it stays. The crushed transients, the pumping, the fatigue: they're baked into the master. You traded punch for level, and then the level was taken away. If you want to hear exactly what that trade sounds like, I've written about what over-compression does to a mix ; the symptoms are the same ones I hear in over-limited masters every week. The True Peak Trap The one hard number I'd treat as non-negotiable for streaming is true peak: keep your master at or below -1 dBTP . Here's why. Your WAV gets converted to lossy codecs for delivery (Ogg Vorbis and AAC in Spotify's case). Lossy encoding reconstructs the waveform, and that reconstruction can overshoot the original peaks. A master that touches 0 dBFS can clip after encoding, and that distortion happens on the platform's side where you can't hear it until it's live. A -1 dBTP ceiling gives the codec room to move. Make sure your limiter is actually reading true peak (inter-sample), not just sample peak; most modern limiters have the option. So How Loud Should You Master? As loud as the music wants to be. I know that sounds like a dodge, so here's the practical version of what it means. Loudness in a genre isn't just level; it's an aesthetic. A heavy rock or metal master sits dense and saturated because that density is the sound . A dynamic folk or jazz record breathes because the space is the sound. When I master, I'm pushing the track until it has the density and impact its genre demands, and stopping before the transients start dying. For most contemporary rock and pop that lands somewhere well above -14 LUFS, and that's fine. Spotify turning your master down costs you nothing. The honest workflow: Reference, don't calculate. Line up two or three commercial releases in your genre, level-matched, and compare density and punch, not numbers. Watch the transients, not the meter. The moment your kick and snare stop hitting, you've gone too far, whatever the LUFS readout says. Check the turn-down. Drop your master's playback level by however far it sits above -14 and compare it against your references at the same volume. That's what listeners will actually hear on Spotify. Cap true peak at -1 dBTP. The one rule that's actually a rule. What About the Other Platforms? The same logic holds everywhere, with different numbers. YouTube normalises to -14 LUFS but only turns down ; it never boosts quiet content. Apple Music targets -16 LUFS with Sound Check. Tidal, Amazon, Deezer all sit in the same neighbourhood with their own quirks. You don't need a different master for each platform; you need one good master and a true-peak ceiling that survives encoding. For the full platform-by-platform breakdown of targets, codecs, delivery specs and source documentation, use my free LUFS & Loudness Standards lookup . It covers every major streaming, broadcast, cinema, and gaming spec so you don't have to keep a spreadsheet of numbers that change every year. The Bigger Picture After 20 years of making records, here's what I've noticed: when someone's worried about hitting a LUFS number, the real problem is usually upstream. A mix with balanced low end, controlled dynamics, and honest transients gets loud easily; the master almost does itself. A mix that's fighting itself has to be crushed to compete, and no target number fixes that. So if your masters only feel competitive when they're squashed, the answer probably isn't a different limiter setting. It's the mix, and that's a solvable problem. If you're releasing something and want a master that competes without the crush, or a second opinion on a mix before it goes to mastering, that's what I do . And if you want to build the ear that makes these decisions yourself, that's what the course is for. // FAQ FAQ Should I master to -14 LUFS for Spotify? No. -14 LUFS is Spotify's playback normalisation target, not a mastering target. If your master is louder, Spotify turns the whole track down with clean gain reduction; nothing is squashed or re-limited. Master to the level that serves the song and the genre, and let normalisation handle playback volume. What true peak level should I master to for streaming? Keep true peak at or below -1 dBTP. Streaming platforms convert your master to lossy codecs (Ogg Vorbis, AAC), and that conversion can push peaks higher than the original file. A -1 dBTP ceiling leaves headroom so the encoded version doesn't clip. Does Spotify turn quiet masters up? In the default Normal mode, yes, but only as far as the track's own headroom allows without limiting. In Loud mode Spotify will apply a limiter to quieter tracks to reach the target, which is a good reason not to master unusually quiet either. Is the loudness war over because of normalisation? Mostly, on normalised platforms. Slamming a master to -8 LUFS buys you nothing on Spotify at default settings; it just gets turned down, and you've traded away punch and dynamics for no playback advantage. But loudness still matters aesthetically: density and sustain are part of how a genre sounds. The goal is the right loudness for the music, not the maximum. // Mastering Need a Master That Translates? Transparent mastering for streaming, CD and vinyl, from a Melbourne mastering engineer with 20 years across music and film. Remote or in person. Start a Project


# Remote Mixing Engineer for Bands & Solo Artists - Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/remote-mixing-engineer

Remote mixing engineer for bands and solo artists. Send your multitracks and get clear, punchy, translation-proof mixes. 20 years across music and film.

// Services · Remote Mixing Remote Mixing Engineer for Bands & Solo Artists Remote mixing has become the norm for artists recording at home or in small studios. What hasn't changed is the need for clear decision-making, strong communication, and an experienced ear focused on the song rather than the tools. I work remotely with bands and solo artists who already have recordings and want them mixed with clarity, impact, and intent. // 01 When Remote Mixing Works Best Remote mixing is ideal if you: Already have finished recordings or multitracks Want an outside perspective to bring cohesion and balance Care about translation across speakers, headphones, cars, and earbuds Value communication and collaboration throughout the process It's less about where the mix happens and more about how decisions are made. // 02 Common Problems with Remote Mixes Most artists who reach out are dealing with the same issues: The mix sounds good in one place but falls apart elsewhere Vocals don't sit consistently Low end feels muddy or uncontrolled The song lacks energy or focus Endless revisions without real improvement These problems usually aren't technical. They're about perspective, editing choices, and knowing what actually matters in the song. // 03 My Approach to Remote Mixing My work is performance-focused rather than preset-driven. Editing is detailed where it serves the music, but never at the expense of feel. Mixes are built for clarity, punch, and depth while keeping character intact. // 04 Working Remotely, Step by Step The process is simple and transparent: You send your multitracks along with references and notes I assess the material and flag any issues early The first mix focuses on balance, tone, and energy Revisions refine direction rather than reinventing the mix Final delivery is ready for mastering or release You're involved throughout, without the friction of endless back and forth. // 05 Who This Is For I work best with artists who are: Serious about releasing their music Open to feedback and direction Interested in making confident decisions Focused on the song, not just the sound If you're looking for quick fixes, presets, or one-click solutions, this probably isn't the right fit. // 06 About Me I'm a producer and mix engineer with 20 years of experience across music and film. Alongside remote mixing, I've worked on numerous short films and feature-length projects, with work recognised nationally and internationally. That experience informs how I approach music mixes. Clarity, intent, and emotional translation always come first. // Start a Remote Mixing Project Start a Remote Mixing Project If you have finished recordings and want an experienced perspective on your mix, I'm always open to a conversation. Start a Project


# Film Sound Post-Production in Melbourne - Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/film-sound-post-production

Film sound post-production in Melbourne for short films and features. Dialogue editing, sound design, music integration, and final mix that serves the story.

// Film · Sound Post-Production Film Sound Post-Production in Melbourne Film sound is about clarity, intention, and emotional translation. The work should support the story without drawing attention to itself. I provide film sound post-production for short films and feature-length projects, working with directors and producers who care about detail, communication, and narrative impact. // 01 Sound for Film & Screen My film work spans numerous short films and multiple full-length features, with projects recognised nationally and internationally. That experience shapes how I approach sound for picture. Every decision serves the story. Dialogue must be intelligible and natural. Sound design should enhance mood and space without overpowering the image. Music and effects need to sit together as a cohesive whole rather than competing elements. // 02 Film Sound Post-Production Services I work across the full post-production sound process, including: Dialogue editing and cleanup Sound design and effects Ambience and world building Music editing and integration Final mix for film and screen Projects are approached with restraint and intention. The goal is always to support narrative, pacing, and emotion. // 03 How I Work with Filmmakers Communication is clear and collaborative from the start. I work closely with directors and producers to understand the tone, intent, and emotional goals of the film before making technical decisions. Whether working locally in Melbourne or remotely, the process is structured, efficient, and focused on delivering a finished soundtrack that translates across cinema, broadcast, and online platforms. // 04 Who This Is For This service is best suited to: Short films and feature-length projects Directors who value sound as part of storytelling Producers looking for reliability and clear communication Projects that require thoughtful sound design rather than generic effects If sound is being treated as an afterthought, this may not be the right fit. // 05 About Me I'm a producer and sound professional with 20 years of experience across music and film. Alongside music mixing and production, I've worked extensively in film sound post-production, with work recognised at national and international levels. That dual background informs my approach. Musical sensitivity, narrative awareness, and technical discipline are treated as inseparable. // Enquire about Film Sound Enquire about Film Sound Post-Production If you're working on a film project and want sound that supports the story with clarity and intent, I'm always open to a conversation. Start a Project


# The Compression Code | Online Course for Producers & Engineers
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/the-compression-code

An online course that teaches you to hear compression and make decisions by ear, not copy settings. From Melbourne engineer and educator Dan Murtagh.

// Online Course The Compression Code Stop guessing. Start hearing. There’s a reason your mixes don’t sound like the records you love. It’s not your plugins. It’s not your room. It’s not your ears. It’s that you’re making compression decisions without understanding what you’re listening for. You’ve watched the tutorials. You’ve written down the settings. “4:1 ratio, 10ms attack, 100ms release for snare.” But when you try those settings on your snare, it doesn’t sound like the tutorial. And you don’t know why. // 01 Is This You? You’ve copied compressor settings from tutorials and they never sound right on your tracks You tweak the knobs and can’t tell if you’re making things better or worse You know attack and release do something but you don’t know what to listen for You’ve been mixing for years and compression still feels like guesswork Every time you put a compressor on something, you second-guess yourself You’re tired of random knob-twiddling and hoping for the best If any of that sounds familiar, keep reading. // 02 Why Tutorials Don’t Work Here’s the thing about compression tutorials: they give you answers without teaching you how to think. “Use these settings on vocals.” Great. But what if your vocal was recorded differently? What if the performance has different dynamics? What if you’re going for a different sound? The settings don’t transfer. They can’t. Because compression isn’t about numbers – it’s about listening. The problem is how compression is usually taught. Either it’s buried in technical jargon that doesn’t help you make decisions, or it’s reduced to “magic settings” that work on one source and fail on everything else. Neither approach teaches you to hear. // 03 How I Actually Learned This I want to tell you a story. When I moved to Melbourne to work at Sing Sing Studios, I was assisting a producer named Forrester Savell. I’d been in the industry for a few years at that point, mostly doing recordings. But mixing? I wasn’t great at it. So when Forrester was mixing, I had nothing to do. I’d just sit there. Next to him. Watching him mix. All day. Here’s the thing about Forrester – he’s a stoic. Not talkative. I’d ask him a question and he’d give me a one-word answer. “What shortcut is that?” “Command-S.” That’s it. No expansion, no explanation. I’m a talker. So it was kind of torturous, honestly, just sitting there in silence watching someone else work. But I learned more from sitting next to him than I had in four years of uni. Not because he taught me. Because I watched. I saw what he reached for. I saw the order he did things. I saw how he reacted when something wasn’t working. I saw his instincts in action. That’s how you actually learn this stuff. Not from formulas. From observation. From watching someone who knows what they’re doing and absorbing how they think. I’ve been making records for two decades now – over twenty years working at some of the best studios in Australia, mixing rock, metal, punk, indie, electronic, hip hop, pretty much everything. And for the last decade, I’ve been teaching audio engineering at university level. I’ve taught hundreds of students, watched them struggle with the same things you’re probably struggling with, and figured out what actually helps people get better versus what just sounds impressive in a lecture. This course is everything I wish someone had told me when I was sitting next to Forrester, trying to figure out what the hell he was doing. // 04 A Framework, Not a Formula I can’t sit next to you while you mix. But I can show you how I think. I can give you a framework for making compression decisions that actually translates to your mixes. Not recipes. Not magic numbers. A way of hearing and making decisions that you can apply to anything. Principle The “Why” Before the “What” Most tutorials tell you what settings to use. I teach you why those settings do what they do. Once you understand why, you can make your own decisions based on what you’re hearing. Principle The Front End / Back End Framework Every sound has a front end (the transient) and a back end (the sustain). Compression is choosing which to emphasise. Attack and release stop being mysterious numbers and become creative tools. Principle Aesthetic Compressor Selection Different compressors are different tools for different jobs. Choose the right one before you touch a single knob, based on the sound you’re going for, not random experimentation. Principle Signature Techniques That Solve Problems Not party tricks. The Power Shelf and The Power Trifecta – the practical techniques I actually use on every mix. // 05 By the End, You Will Listen with intention. You’ll hear a source and know whether it needs compression – and more importantly, know when it doesn’t. A lot of mixing problems come from compressing things that didn’t need it. Choose the right tool. You’ll understand why different compressor types behave differently, and have a framework for matching the tool to the sound you’re going for. No more random plugin selection. Dial in settings by ear. Not by copying numbers from a tutorial, but by understanding what attack and release actually do to the sound. You’ll know what to listen for. Troubleshoot in seconds. When something sounds worse with the compressor on, you’ll know how to diagnose the problem and fix it. Lost the punch? Attack too fast. Pumping? Release needs adjusting. You’ll recognise the symptoms instantly. Develop your own taste. This is the big one. By the end, you won’t need me to tell you what settings to use. You’ll have developed your own instincts based on what you’re hearing. // 06 What’s Inside Module 1 Introduction & Expectations What this course is (and isn’t). What you’ll be able to do by the end. Misconceptions we need to kill before they get in your way. Module 2 Core Compression Controls Threshold, ratio, attack, release, makeup gain, knee. Not just what they do – why they do it. The gain staging sweet spot most people miss. The level matching trap that makes everything sound worse. Module 3 Compressor Families VCA, FET, Opto, Vari-Mu – why choosing the right compressor comes before touching any settings. The aesthetic framework for selection. A/B demos on the same source so you can actually hear the difference. Module 4 Signature Compression Techniques Seven techniques I use on every mix: Series Compression, Parallel Compression, The Power Shelf, The Power Trifecta, Sidechain Ducking, Upward Compression, and All-Buttons-In (the classic 1176 crush). Module 5 Troubleshooting Compression Problems “It sounds worse with compression on.” “I lost all the punch.” “It sounds pumpy.” “The low end is distorting.” Real problems, real diagnoses, real fixes. Module 6 Starting Points Compression settings for vocals, drums, bass, guitars, and mix bus – organised by what you’re trying to achieve. Starting points, not rules. They get you in the ballpark; your ears take you the rest of the way. Module 7 Philosophy & Real-World Application How I actually think about compression in a mix. When to compress, when not to. EQ before or after. A full session walkthrough where you see every compression decision I made and why. // 07 What You Get // PDFs Troubleshooting Flowchart – diagnose problems in seconds Starting Points Cheat Sheet – quick reference by source and goal Compressor Selection Guide – which family to reach for and why Listening Exercises – structured practice for training your ear // Session Files Full mixed session from Module 7 – reverse-engineer my compression choices Practice stems – multi-track recordings to practise the techniques // Templates Pro Tools, Logic, and Ableton files with all seven signature techniques pre-built Routing done, buses set up – just drop in your stems and experiment // 08 Who Made This I’m Dan Murtagh. I’ve been making records for two decades. I’ve worked at Sing Sing Studios in Melbourne and run my own studio, Ferntree Studios. I’ve mixed everything from metal to folk to electronic. For the last decade, I’ve also been lecturing in audio production at Collarts in Melbourne – teaching recording, mixing, and post-production at university level. This course is everything I teach my students about compression, structured for people who can’t sit in my classroom. It’s practical, it’s honest, and it’s designed to actually change how you work – not just give you more information to forget. // 09 What This Course Won’t Do I want to be honest with you: this course won’t make you a compression expert overnight. Compression is a skill. It’s not a formula. You develop it by mixing a lot of music, making mistakes, and paying attention to what works. What this course does is give you a framework – a way of thinking and listening that accelerates the learning process. Instead of randomly tweaking knobs and hoping for the best, you’ll have intention behind your choices. And that makes the experience you gain way more valuable. But there’s no shortcut around the experience itself. You have to put in the hours. You have to mix stuff. You have to make bad decisions and figure out why they were bad. Be patient with yourself. This isn’t a race. // Enrolment The Compression Code $149 One-time · Lifetime access 7 video modules, from core controls to real-world application PDFs: troubleshooting flowchart, starting-points cheat sheet, selection guide, listening exercises Session files: full mixed session + practice stems Templates: pre-built signature techniques for Pro Tools, Logic, and Ableton Launching soon. Join the waitlist and you'll get first access, and first crack at the founding price. // FAQ FAQ Is this for beginners? It’s for people who’ve started mixing but are struggling with compression specifically. You should know your way around a DAW. If you’ve never opened Pro Tools or Logic before, learn the basics first, then come back. What DAW do I need? Any DAW works. The concepts are universal. I provide templates for Pro Tools, Logic, and Ableton, but you can build the routing yourself in any software once you understand what we’re doing. How long will it take to get through? The video content is concise and focused. But the real learning happens when you apply it to your own mixes. I’d recommend working through one module, then mixing something before moving to the next. Take your time. Will this work for my genre? Compression principles are the same across genres – what changes is how aggressively you apply them. Module 7 covers genre considerations specifically: rock, acoustic, electronic. The framework works for everything. What if I already know the basics? Good. We’re building on that. If you already understand threshold and ratio but can’t figure out why your compression still sounds wrong, this course will fill in the gaps. // Coming Soon Be First Through the Door The Compression Code is launching soon. Join the waitlist and I’ll send you the free Compression Cheat Sheet today – starting points for every common source and goal, in a printable PDF – plus first access when the course opens.



# Best Compression Courses in 2026: An Honest Comparison | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/best-compression-course

The best compression courses in 2026 compared: The Compression Code, Mixing With Compression, Audio Masterclass and more. Prices, formats, and who each one actually suits.

// Journal · Compression The Best Compression Courses in 2026: An Honest Comparison Compression is the tool producers struggle with most, and the one where a good course makes the biggest difference. Here are the real options in 2026, what they cost, and who each one actually suits. By Dan Murtagh 18 Jul 2026 10 min read First, the disclosure: I make one of the courses on this list. I’ve taught audio production for a decade, and The Compression Code is mine. I’m not going to pretend I don’t have a horse in this race. What I can do is tell you honestly what each option is good at, because they genuinely suit different people, and the wrong purchase helps nobody. Second, why this decision matters more for compression than for almost anything else in mixing. EQ is relatively easy to hear: boost 3kHz and something gets brighter. Compression is a time-domain effect. Attack and release shape the front and back of every note, and until your ears are trained, two very different settings can sound almost identical on first listen while behaving completely differently in a mix. That’s why people can watch fifty YouTube videos and still not trust their compression decisions. The theory is cheap. The listening skill is the product. So when you compare courses, the question isn’t “which one explains attack and release?” They all do. The question is: which one actually trains your ears, in a format and at a price that fits you? The short version The Compression Code ($49, one-time): my course. Nine lessons built around hearing compression and deciding by ear, with a decision framework instead of settings to memorise. Best value if your goal is to stop guessing. Mixing With Compression by Matthew Weiss (about $67): 4+ hours of HD video from a credited engineer, strong on rhythmic and urban material. Best if you learn by watching a pro work through real tracks. Audio Masterclass Professional Course in Compression ($400): twelve modules, tutor-assessed assignments, a certificate at the end. Best if you want formal structure and feedback, and the certificate matters to you. Mix with the Masters / pro subscription platforms (subscription): watch world-famous engineers mix. Inspiring, but compression is scattered across sessions rather than taught as a curriculum. SoundGym (free tier, paid subscription): gamified ear training across all of mixing, compression included. Great daily practice habit, not a compression curriculum. YouTube and free tools ($0): everything is out there if you have more patience than budget. Start with my free compression tools and expect the journey to take longer. The Compression Code ($49) Mine, so read this section knowing that. The Compression Code exists because of a pattern I saw over ten years of teaching: students could pass a written test on compression and still make the wrong move at the desk, because nobody had trained the connection between the concept and the sound. The course is nine lessons that build that connection deliberately. You learn the front end/back end framework for attack and release, how to hear gain reduction instead of watching the meter, when compression is the wrong tool entirely, and the signature techniques I use on real records. It’s built to be worked rather than watched: the lessons pair with the free interactive tools on this site, so you practise each concept on real material as you learn it. It’s a one-time $49 purchase, no subscription. It also plugs into the free tools on this site (the calculator , visualiser and troubleshooter ), which act as the practice equipment alongside the course. Who it suits: producers and home-studio mixers who understand compression on paper but don’t trust their ears yet, and want the by-ear skill at the lowest one-time price on this list. Who it doesn’t: if you want hours of over-the-shoulder footage of someone mixing full songs, Weiss’s course does more of that. If you need a certificate, Audio Masterclass is the only one here that offers it. Mixing With Compression, by Matthew Weiss (about $67) Matthew Weiss is a credited engineer (hip-hop, R&B and pop credits) and a genuinely good teacher. Mixing With Compression is 4+ hours of HD video covering the parameters, punch and density control, and creative techniques, with real-world examples on drums, vocals and basslines. It was remade in 2021, comes with bonus material, and typically sells for $67 (listed down from $97). His treatment of compression on rhythmic material is the strongest part; if you make hip-hop, R&B or pop, the examples will map directly onto your sessions. Who it suits: people who learn best watching an experienced engineer work on real multitracks, especially in rhythmic genres. Who it doesn’t: it’s video you watch more than a training program you do. If your problem is that you can’t hear compression yet, watching someone who can is inspiring but doesn’t automatically transfer the skill. I’ve written a fuller head-to-head against my own course if you’re deciding between the two. Audio Masterclass Professional Course in Compression ($400) The most formal option: twelve modules over up to twelve months, textbook materials plus audio and video, twelve practical assignments submitted for tutor assessment, and a Certificate of Achievement at the end. It covers the full syllabus, from threshold and ratio through sidechaining, mid-side and parallel compression, expansion and gating. The assessed assignments are the real differentiator: someone qualified listens to your work and tells you what’s wrong with it, which no self-paced course can do. Who it suits: learners who want accountability, personal feedback and a credential, and who’ll actually do twelve assignments. Who it doesn’t: at $400 it’s roughly six to eight times the price of the self-paced options, and the certificate carries weight mainly in formal contexts. If you just want better mixes, the money buys more elsewhere. Mix with the Masters, Puremix and the subscription platforms Watching Chris Lord-Alge or Andrew Scheps mix a record is worth doing at least once in your life. These platforms are libraries of exactly that, on a monthly subscription. The honest caveat: they’re not compression courses. Compression knowledge is scattered across hundreds of sessions in dozens of styles, and famous engineers move fast and explain selectively. You’ll pick up brilliant individual moves, but you won’t get a structured path from “can’t hear it” to “can.” Who it suits: intermediate and advanced mixers who already have the fundamentals and want to steal moves from the best in the world. SoundGym and gamified ear training SoundGym trains listening across the whole mixing skill set (EQ, compression, levels, panning, reverb) through daily games, with a free tier and a paid subscription. The daily-practice habit it builds is genuinely valuable, and its compression games are a useful supplement to any course on this list. It teaches you to detect compression, though, more than it teaches you to decide with it: hearing that a signal is compressed is a different skill from knowing which attack time serves the song. Who it suits: anyone as a supplement; on its own, people who want broad ear training rather than compression decision-making specifically. The free route: YouTube plus interactive tools Everything in every course above exists somewhere on YouTube for free. The catch is sequence and feedback: you don’t know what order to learn things in, contradictory advice is everywhere, and nobody tells you why your snare still sounds wrong. If the budget is genuinely zero, here’s the path I’d take. Learn the front end/back end framework from my free article on attack time , watch the Compression Visualiser while you move the controls so the parameters become visual, use the Compressor Calculator for starting points, and diagnose problems by symptom with the Troubleshooter and the nine symptoms article . That’s a real education for $0. It’s just slower and lonelier than a structured course. How to choose Ask yourself what’s actually broken. If you don’t know what attack and release do, you don’t need a course yet: the free tools and articles will fix that this weekend. If you know the theory but don’t trust your ears, that’s the by-ear training gap, and it’s the specific thing The Compression Code was built for. If you want to watch mastery in action on real songs, Weiss or a subscription platform. If you want assessment and a certificate, Audio Masterclass. And whichever you pick, ten focused minutes a day beats a six-hour binge on Sunday. Compression is a listening skill, and listening skills respond to repetition. Prices checked July 2026 and subject to change; check each site for current pricing. // The course The Compression Code Nine lessons that train you to hear compression and decide by ear, not copy settings. One-time $49, built on a decade of teaching this exact skill. See the Course

# Best AI Mixing Assistants in 2026: Tutors, Auto-Mixers & ChatGPT | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/best-ai-mixing-assistant

The best AI mixing assistants in 2026 compared: AI tutors like Ask Dan, in-DAW assistants like Neutron and Ozone, auto-mixing services, and where ChatGPT fits.

// Journal · AI & Mixing The Best AI Mixing Assistants in 2026: Tutors, Auto-Mixers and Where ChatGPT Fits “AI mixing assistant” means three completely different things in 2026, and picking the wrong kind wastes your money or your growth. Here’s the landscape, honestly, from an engineer who built one of them. By Dan Murtagh 18 Jul 2026 8 min read Disclosure straight away: I built Ask Dan , the free AI mixing mentor on this list. I’m a mixing engineer, so I also have opinions about AI mixing that go beyond my own product. Both biases are declared; judge accordingly. The confusion in this category is that “AI mixing assistant” describes three different products that solve three different problems. Before comparing names, decide which problem is yours. Advisors and tutors answer your questions and teach you to mix better. In-DAW assistants analyse your audio and propose plugin settings inside your session. Auto-mixing and auto-mastering services take your files and return processed audio. The first makes you better, the second speeds you up, the third does the job once. Different problems, different tools. AI tutors and advisors Ask Dan (free) Mine. Ask Dan is a conversational mixing mentor: you describe the problem in front of you (“my snare loses its crack when I compress it”, “how loud should I master for Spotify?”) and it answers with specific settings and, more importantly, the reasoning behind them. What makes it different from a generic chatbot is grounding: the answers draw on my own teaching material from years of lectures and workshops, so you’re getting one working engineer’s tested, sometimes opinionated approach rather than an average of every forum on the internet. It’s free, runs in the browser, and the first questions need no sign-up. Who it suits: anyone mid-session with a specific problem, and learners who want advice that’s consistent from one question to the next. Who it doesn’t: it advises and teaches; it can’t hear your session or move your faders. If you want software to process audio for you, look at the categories below. ChatGPT, Claude and general chatbots (free tiers) The general assistants know a genuinely enormous amount about audio, and for broad questions (“explain sidechain compression”) they’re good. Two honest limitations. First, genericness: they average thousands of conflicting sources, so you get the internet’s consensus, which on contested topics like compression settings is mush. Second, unearned confidence: they answer fluently whether or not the answer is good, and they cannot hear your mix, your room, or your taste. Useful as an encyclopaedia; weaker as a mentor. In-DAW assistants iZotope Neutron and Ozone (paid plugins) The mature products in this category. Neutron’s Mix Assistant listens to a track and proposes a starting chain and settings; Ozone’s Master Assistant does the same for mastering, referenced against a target. Used well, they’re legitimate time-savers: a sane starting point you then adjust by ear. Used as an oracle, they teach you nothing and homogenise your mixes. The tell is whether you can explain why you kept or changed what the assistant proposed. If you can, it’s a tool; if you can’t, it’s a crutch. Auto-mixing and auto-mastering services RoEx, LANDR and similar Upload your multitracks or your finished mix, get back a processed result. For auto-mastering especially, the good services produce competitive loudness and tone for release, and if you need a single ready right now with no budget for an engineer, they solve that problem honestly. What they can’t do is intention. A mix is hundreds of decisions about what the song is supposed to feel like: which part should hurt, which chorus should explode, what stays rough on purpose. Automation optimises for “nothing wrong”, and “nothing wrong” is the definition of forgettable. That’s not an anti-AI position; it’s a description of what the tools optimise for. The honest matrix “I want to get better at mixing”: a tutor. Ask Dan for grounded, specific advice on tap, plus the free interactive tools for practice, plus a structured course like The Compression Code when you’re ready to train your ears deliberately. “I mix already and want to move faster”: an in-DAW assistant as a starting-point generator, with your ears making the final calls. “I need this one song finished and I’m not a mixer”: an auto-mixing or auto-mastering service, eyes open about the ceiling. And the combination almost nobody talks about: they stack. Ask a tutor why the auto-master sounds harsh, learn the answer, and next time you won’t need the auto-master. The whole point of AI assistance, done right, is to make itself progressively unnecessary. Product details checked July 2026; features and pricing change, so check each site. // Free AI mentor Ask Dan A free AI mixing mentor grounded in 20 years of real studio experience. Ask anything about mixing, mastering or production and get answers with reasoning, not just settings. Ask a Question


# Best Free Compression Tools in 2026 (No Sign-Up, No Trials) | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/best-free-compression-tools

The best free compression tools in 2026: interactive visualisers, calculators and troubleshooters, plus the free compressor plugins actually worth learning on.

// Journal · Compression The Best Free Compression Tools in 2026 You don’t need to spend a cent to get seriously better at compression. Here are the free tools that actually teach you something: interactive learning tools, the free plugins worth practising on, and how to use them together. By Dan Murtagh 18 Jul 2026 9 min read Disclosure first: I built three of the tools on this list. They live on this site, they’re free, and there’s no sign-up, so you can judge them yourself in about thirty seconds. The rest of the list is other people’s work that I recommend to my own students. One distinction before we start, because “compression tool” means two different things. There are learning tools : interactive things that train your understanding and your ears. And there are compressor plugins : the processors you actually mix with. You need both, they’re free in both categories, and confusing the two is how people end up downloading a tenth free compressor instead of learning to use their first one. Interactive learning tools 1. The Compression Visualiser (free, browser) The single biggest conceptual hurdle in compression is that attack and release are invisible. You move a knob, something changes slightly, and you’re not sure what. The Compression Visualiser makes it visible: adjust threshold, ratio, attack and release and watch the compressor shape the signal in real time. Ten minutes with it and the classic mystery (why a slow attack creates punch) stops being a rule you memorised and becomes something you’ve seen happen. Runs in the browser, nothing to install. 2. The Compressor Calculator (free, browser) Starting settings are the second hurdle. Every source wants something different, and the “it depends” answer, while true, doesn’t help you at 11pm with a snare that sounds wrong. The Compressor Calculator asks what you’re compressing and what you’re trying to achieve, then gives you attack, release, ratio, threshold guidance and a compressor type, plus why those settings work and what to listen for. They’re starting points, not answers: the point is to begin in the right neighbourhood so your ears can do the fine tuning. 3. The Compression Troubleshooter (free, browser) The third hurdle is diagnosis. When compression sounds bad you don’t know what you did wrong, you only know what you’re hearing. The Compression Troubleshooter works backwards from the symptom: pick what’s wrong (lost the punch, pumping, harsh, squashed) and answer a couple of questions, and it tells you which control is the likely culprit and what to change. 72 endpoints across 10 symptom paths. It’s the interactive version of my nine symptoms article . 4. SoundGym (free tier) Not mine, and a genuinely good habit-builder. SoundGym gamifies ear training across the whole mixing skill set, compression included, and the free tier gives you daily games. Its strength is detection: learning to notice that compression is happening and how much. Pair it with the tools above, which are about decisions: which setting, on which source, for which goal. Detection and decision are different muscles and you want both. Free compressor plugins worth learning on You do not need to buy a compressor. Between your DAW’s stock compressor and the three plugins below, every sound compression makes is available for nothing. 5. TDR Kotelnikov Tokyo Dawn Records’ free wideband compressor is professional-grade transparent compression, full stop. It’s the one I point students to for bus compression and for any job where you want control without an obvious sound. It also happens to have unusually clear metering, which makes it a great learning compressor: you can see exactly what your settings are doing. 6. Klanghelm DC1A The opposite philosophy: two main controls and a strong opinion. DC1A is a character compressor that sounds good almost anywhere you put it, and its simplicity is the feature. When you’re learning, a two-knob compressor forces you to listen to what compression does rather than fiddle with six parameters. It’s the free plugin I’d hand a beginner first. 7. Your DAW’s stock compressor Logic’s Compressor, Ableton’s Glue and Compressor, Pro Tools’ Dyn 3, Cubase’s stock dynamics: all of them are more than good enough to mix records on, and records are mixed on them every day. The stock compressor has one unbeatable advantage for learning: it’s already there, in every session, with no excuse between you and practice. Free references Two of mine to round it out. The attack time article covers the front end/back end framework that makes the visualiser click, and the free Compression Cheat Sheet (on the Learn page ) puts starting points for every common source on one printable page to keep next to your DAW. How to use them together Here’s the free curriculum I’d actually run, ten to fifteen minutes a day. Week one: read the attack article, then play with the Visualiser until slow-attack punch makes visual sense. Week two: pick one source (drums are ideal, the transients make everything audible), get starting settings from the Calculator , and practise on real sessions with DC1A or your stock compressor, always comparing against bypass at matched volume. Week three onwards: mix normally, and every time something sounds off, run it through the Troubleshooter and fix it by ear before you look at the answer. Add a daily SoundGym game if you enjoy the streak mechanic. That routine is genuinely free and genuinely works. Its limitation is the same one all free routes share: nobody sequences it for you, nobody demonstrates what each mistake sounds like, and progress depends entirely on your discipline. If you get four weeks in and want the structured version (the framework, the by-ear training in a deliberate order, and the signature techniques I use on records), that’s exactly what The Compression Code is: nine lessons plus a capstone, $49 once, and it’s built to work alongside every free tool on this page. I’ve also written an honest comparison of the compression courses out there, including where mine isn’t the right pick. // The course The Compression Code The structured version of everything on this page: nine lessons that train you to hear compression and decide by ear, built to work with the free tools. See the Course

# The Compression Code vs Mixing With Compression (2026) | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/compression-code-vs-mixing-with-compression

The Compression Code vs Matthew Weiss's Mixing With Compression: price, format, teaching philosophy and who each course suits. An honest head-to-head from the maker of one of them.

// Journal · Compression The Compression Code vs Mixing With Compression: An Honest Head-to-Head Two well-regarded compression courses under $70, two completely different teaching philosophies. I made one of them, so here’s the comparison I’d want if I were deciding, bias declared. By Dan Murtagh 18 Jul 2026 7 min read The disclosure, again and always: The Compression Code is my course. Matthew Weiss doesn’t know I’m writing this. I think his course is good, I’ve recommended his teaching to students, and if this page convinces you his course fits you better, that’s the page working as intended. An informed buyer who picks the right course is worth more to everyone than a mismatched customer with a refund request. At a glance The Compression Code (mine): $49 one-time, lifetime access. Nine lessons plus a capstone, built around a by-ear decision framework: what attack and release actually do, how to hear gain reduction rather than watch the meter, when compression is the wrong tool, and the signature techniques I use on records. It’s designed to be worked alongside the free interactive tools on this site. 30-day money-back guarantee. Mixing With Compression (Matthew Weiss): about $67, listed down from $97. Over four hours of HD video in which Weiss, a credited engineer across hip-hop, R&B and pop, applies compression to real drums, vocals and basslines. Includes bonus sample content and access to his community. Over 2,100 students enrolled. 30-day money-back guarantee. Both are one-time purchases. Neither is a subscription. On price, guarantee and honesty of intent, they’re effectively tied. The real difference is philosophy. The philosophical difference Weiss’s course is fundamentally demonstration : watch an excellent engineer make real decisions on real multitracks, with commentary. The bet is that enough hours of over-the-shoulder observation transfers the instincts. Mine is fundamentally training : a sequence that builds the listening skill directly, so the decisions become yours. The bet is that compression is like an instrument, and you learn instruments by playing, not by watching concerts. Neither bet is wrong; they suit different learners and different stages. Watching demonstration content when you can’t yet hear what the demonstrator is responding to is how people end up copying settings that don’t work on their own mixes, which is the exact failure mode I built my course against. But once your ears work, watching a master apply the skill in your genre is rocket fuel. That’s the honest sequencing: train first, then study application. Where Mixing With Compression wins Genre application, especially rhythmic music. If you make hip-hop, R&B or pop, Weiss’s examples land directly on your material, and his treatment of punch, density and rhythm on those sources is the best part of the course. More raw video hours. A community, if that matters to you. And Weiss himself: he’s a clear, experienced teacher and you’re hearing judgement formed on credited records. Where The Compression Code wins Price, at $49 versus $67. Structure: nine lessons in a deliberate order, each building on the last, rather than a body of video to absorb. Ear training as the explicit goal: every lesson tells you exactly what to listen for, then has you prove it on your own sessions rather than watch someone else’s. Integration with free practice equipment: the Visualiser , Calculator and Troubleshooter are the lab bench for the course. And genre neutrality: the framework is the same whether you mix metal, folk or techno, which matters if you don’t make rhythmic urban music. So which one? If you can already hear compression working and want to sharpen application in hip-hop, R&B or pop: Weiss , without hesitation. If you know the theory but still guess at the knobs, if you’ve watched plenty of tutorials and your mixes haven’t changed, or if budget matters: The Compression Code , because your bottleneck is the ear, not the examples. If you’re serious enough to buy both, do them in that order: train the ear first, study application second. And if you’re not sure you need a course at all, start with the free compression tools and the wider course comparison , then come back when you know what’s missing. Prices checked July 2026 and subject to change; check each site for current pricing. // The course The Compression Code Nine lessons plus a capstone that train you to hear compression and decide by ear. $49 once, lifetime access, 30-day guarantee. See the Course

# Free Compressor Calculator - Starting Settings | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/compressor-calculator

Pick your source and goal, get starting points for attack, release, ratio, threshold and compressor type - plus why it works and what to listen for.

// Free Tool · Compression Compressor Calculator Pick what you're compressing and what you're going for. Get starting points for attack, release, ratio, threshold, and compressor type, with the reasoning behind every number. Find Your Starting Point What are you compressing? Select source... Lead vocal Piano Bass Acoustic guitar Electric guitar Kick Snare Drum bus Mix bus What's the goal? Select goal... Starting Point Kick → Punch Compressor Type These topologies suit this goal. If you have one, use it. If not, the settings below approximate the behaviour on any compressor. Settings (for any compressor) Set the threshold until gain reduction sits within the suggested range. Match output level to input (bypass should be the same loudness). Why This Works What to Listen For If It Sounds Wrong Run the Compression Troubleshooter › These are starting points, not answers. The numbers get you in the ballpark; your ears take you the rest of the way. If you treat these as presets and never adjust them, you've missed the point. Trust your ears. If something sounds good, it is good. Start Over // How It Works How the Compression Calculator Works Choose what you’re compressing, then select your goal. The compression calculator gives you two paths depending on your setup: If you have a specific compressor type – opto, FET, VCA, Vari-Mu – the topology recommendations tell you which suits the goal. These compressors have their own built-in character and often their own timing behaviour. An LA-2A doesn’t have attack and release knobs because the circuit handles that automatically. An 1176 has fixed timing options rather than free-range millisecond values. When using these, you’re leaning on the compressor’s inherent sound – just set your threshold and ratio and let the character do the work. If you’re using a stock plugin or generic compressor with full control over attack, release, ratio, and threshold – that’s what the settings are for. These numbers approximate the behaviour of the recommended topology on a compressor that doesn’t have that built-in character. So it’s not “use these settings on an LA-2A.” It’s “use an LA-2A if you have one, or dial in these settings on a stock compressor to get in a similar ballpark.” The recommendations come from real-world mixing practice. They’re starting points that get you moving quickly so you can spend more time listening and less time guessing. Want to see what these settings actually do? The Compression Visualiser lets you watch compression shape the signal in real time. And if something already sounds wrong, the Compression Troubleshooter gets you from symptom to fix. Built by Dan Murtagh – Melbourne-based mix engineer and audio educator at Collarts. // FAQ Compression FAQ What ratio should I use for vocal compression? For transparent levelling, use 2:1 to 4:1 with 2-4dB of gain reduction. For more presence and punch, 4:1 to 6:1 with a slower attack (10-25ms) to let consonants through. The ratio matters less than the attack time and gain reduction - a gentle ratio with too much gain reduction still sounds over-compressed. What attack and release times should I use for drums? For punch (transient emphasis), set attack to 15-30ms to let the beater or stick hit through, with a fast release (30-80ms) so the compressor resets before the next hit. For sustain (fuller body), use a faster attack (1-10ms) and slower release (100-200ms). The attack time is the most important control on drums - it determines whether you emphasise the hit or the body. How much gain reduction should I aim for? As a guideline: individual tracks 3-6dB, drum bus 2-4dB, mix bus 1-2dB. But gain reduction is cumulative across stages. A track compressed 4dB on the insert, plus 3dB on the bus, plus 2dB on the mix bus has far more total compression than any single meter suggests. Think of gain reduction as a budget - every dB you spend at one stage is a dB you cannot spend elsewhere. How do I compress bass guitar? For consistent level, use an opto compressor at 3:1-4:1 with 3-6dB of gain reduction and a release above 100ms. For more defined note attacks, use a FET or VCA with a slower attack (10-25ms) to let the pluck through. Keep the release above 100ms on bass - if it is too fast, the compressor tracks individual wave cycles and creates harmonic distortion. What are good mix bus compression settings? Start with a VCA bus compressor (SSL G-Bus style) at 2:1-3:1 ratio, 10-30ms attack, 100-300ms release, and just 1-2dB of gain reduction. The goal is cohesion, not control. The mix should feel more finished and unified without losing energy or dynamics. If it sounds squashed, reduce gain reduction first. Should I compress acoustic guitar? Usually yes, because the dynamic range between a soft fingerpick and a hard strum can be large. For smooth levelling, use 2:1-4:1 with 2-4dB of gain reduction and an opto compressor. For more presence, use a VCA or FET with a slower attack (15-30ms) to let the pick transient through. Keep gain reduction gentle - acoustic guitar sounds over-processed quickly. What's the difference between opto, VCA, FET, and vari-mu compressors? Opto (LA-2A style) is smooth and slow with automatic timing - best for transparent levelling. VCA (SSL G-Bus, dbx 160) is fast, precise, and clean - best for bus compression and transparent control. FET (1176 style) is fast and aggressive, adding harmonic brightness - best for punch and character. Vari-Mu (Fairchild style) is tube-based, warm, and gentle - best for mix bus glue and vintage colour. What is the best compressor plugin for vocals? It depends on the goal. For smooth, invisible levelling, an LA-2A-style opto compressor (CLA-2A, Tube-Tech CL1B). For presence and forward energy, an 1176-style FET (CLA-76, Purple MC77). A common professional approach is both in series: FET first for 2-3dB of peak control, then opto for 2-3dB of gentle levelling. Each stage doing less work sounds more natural than one compressor doing everything. Should I compress before or after EQ? Corrective EQ before compression, tonal EQ after. If there is a problem frequency (mud, resonance, boxiness), cut it before the signal hits the compressor. The compressor reacts to whatever you feed it - a 300Hz resonance spike will cause the compressor to trigger on that spike and duck the whole signal. Fix the EQ problem first, then compress a clean signal. Tonal boosts (presence, air) work better after compression. What is glue compression? Glue compression is light bus compression that makes multiple tracks feel like they belong together. When several tracks share the same compressor, they rise and fall as a unit rather than independently. A drum bus with 2-4dB of glue makes the kick, snare, and cymbals respond together. On the mix bus, 1-2dB creates the cohesive finished record quality. VCA bus compressors are the classic choice. How do I know if I'm over-compressing? The mix will sound flat, lifeless, or fatiguing. Bypass all compressors and listen to the raw mix - it should sound dynamic and alive even if it is messy. Add compressors back one stage at a time. When the mix starts to flatten, that stage needs to be backed off. Also: always level-match before comparing compressed to uncompressed. Louder always sounds better, so without matching levels you cannot judge what the compression is actually doing. Get the Compression Cheat Sheet Starting points for every common source and compression goal, in a printable PDF. Keep it next to your DAW so you're not guessing mid-session. // Go deeper The Compression Code This calculator gives you the numbers. The course teaches you to hear why they work: a framework for making compression decisions by ear, the way I teach it at university. See the Course


# Free Compression Visualiser - See Your Settings | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/compression-visualiser

Free compression visualiser for producers. Adjust threshold, ratio, attack, and release to watch how compression shapes your signal in real time.

// Free Tool · Compression Compression Visualiser Adjust threshold, ratio, attack, and release and watch compression shape the waveform in real time, and see exactly what each control does to your signal. Amplitude Over Time Original Compressed Threshold GR Zoom Gain Reduction Over Time Compressor Settings Threshold -12 dB Ratio 4:1 Attack 10 ms Release 100 ms Peak Gain Reduction 0.0 dB What's Happening Adjust the controls above to see how compression affects the waveform. No Compression What Your Compressor Is Actually Doing See the settings, understand the sound The Signal Chain in Four Controls Your audio comes in, the compressor watches its level, and the moment it crosses the threshold - the red dashed line above - the compressor turns it down. How much depends on the ratio. How fast it reacts is the attack. How fast it lets go is the release. Four controls, one job: reduce the level of audio that's too loud. The reason it gets confusing is that those four controls interact in ways that are hard to hear but easy to see. Lower the threshold to -20dB, push the ratio to 4:1, and watch the teal waveform pull away from the amber. That gap is gain reduction. Attack Is the Control That Matters Most Attack sets how quickly the compressor clamps down after the signal crosses the threshold. Set it to 0.5ms with Zoom on - the teal line catches the transient almost instantly. Now try 30ms and watch the transient spike through before compression kicks in. That spike is punch. Fast attack kills it, slow attack preserves it. This is the single biggest decision you make on drums - a snare that slaps versus a snare that thuds comes down to a few milliseconds of attack time. Release Controls the Recovery Watch the Gain Reduction graph below the waveform as you adjust release. The amber trace shows exactly how fast the compressor recovers. If the release is too slow, gain reduction builds up and doesn't reset before the next hit - that's pumping. If it's too fast on bass, you get harmonic distortion. The sweet spot is where the GR trace returns to near zero just before the next transient arrives. Killing Transients Toggle Zoom on and set the attack to 0.5ms. See how the compressed waveform meets the original almost immediately? The compressor is catching the initial snap before it reaches the listener. Slow the attack to 25ms and watch the transient punch through. If your drums sound lifeless after compression, your attack is almost certainly too fast. The Compression Troubleshooter walks you through diagnosing this in a real mix. Pumping and Over-Compression Set a low threshold (-25dB), moderate ratio (4:1), and a fast release (20ms). Watch the GR graph - the amber trace dips and snaps back aggressively on every transient. That rapid recovery is audible as a breathing, pumping effect. Now push the threshold to -30dB with a 10:1 ratio. The compressed waveform barely moves - the dynamics are gone. If the Peak GR meter shows more than 10dB, you're in aggressive territory. A healthy range is 3-6dB on individual tracks, 2-4dB on a bus, and 1-2dB on the mix bus. Compression and the Bigger Picture Corrective EQ before compression, tonal EQ after. The compressor reacts to whatever you feed it - remove problem frequencies first, compress a clean signal, then shape tone afterwards. The EQ Frequency Chart maps 21 instruments across the frequency spectrum to help you make that call. Need starting-point settings for a specific instrument? The Compressor Calculator gives you research-backed recommendations for over 20 sources. Ask Dan anything about compression, EQ, or mixing - it's an AI tutor built on 20 years of making records and a decade of teaching how. For the full collection, visit the Learning Hub . Compression Glossary Key terms from the visualiser above, explained for beginners. Threshold: The level at which the compressor starts working. Signal below the threshold passes through unchanged. Signal above it gets compressed by the amount set by the ratio. In the visualiser above, this is the red dashed line - everything above it gets processed, everything below is untouched. Ratio: How much the signal is reduced once it crosses the threshold. At 4:1 , a signal 8dB over threshold is reduced to 2dB over. Higher ratios mean more aggressive compression. Above 10:1 approaches limiting. Ratios multiply in series - a 4:1 into a 3:1 creates an effective ratio of about 12:1. Attack Time: How quickly the compressor starts reducing gain after the signal crosses the threshold. Fast attack (under 5ms) catches transients and reduces punch. Slow attack (15-30ms) lets transients through, preserving snap and impact. In the visualiser, toggle Zoom on to see how attack time shapes the transient. Release Time: How quickly the compressor stops reducing gain after the signal drops below the threshold. Too fast on bass causes harmonic distortion. Too slow causes pumping as gain reduction builds up. The amber trace in the Gain Reduction graph shows exactly how fast the compressor is recovering. Makeup Gain: Volume added after compression to bring the overall level back up. Compression reduces peaks, which drops the average level. Makeup gain compensates. Critical for A/B comparison - always level-match before toggling bypass, because louder always sounds better to our ears regardless of whether the compression is actually helping. Gain Reduction: The amount the compressor is turning the signal down, measured in dB. Shown on the GR meter and as the amber trace in the Gain Reduction graph. A useful budget: 3-6dB on individual tracks , 2-4dB on a bus, 1-2dB on the mix bus. Gain reduction from multiple compression stages adds up cumulatively. Knee: Controls how gradually the compressor transitions from no compression to full compression at the threshold. A hard knee engages abruptly - the compressor is off, then on. Good for drums and aggressive compression. A soft knee eases in gradually over a few dB around the threshold - good for vocals and transparent levelling. Not shown in this simplified visualiser but present on all real compressors. Sidechain: The detection circuit that tells the compressor when to engage. By default it listens to the input signal, but you can filter it (high-pass at 80-150Hz to stop bass from driving excessive GR on buses) or feed it an external source (kick drum sidechaining a bass guitar so the bass ducks on every kick hit). Peak vs RMS Detection: Two ways a compressor measures the input signal. Peak detection responds to absolute waveform peaks - faster, catches transients. RMS detection responds to average energy over time - slower, more musical, closer to how we perceive loudness. Most modern compressors let you choose or blend between the two. Parallel Compression: Blending a heavily compressed copy of the signal with the uncompressed original. You get the energy and density of aggressive compression without losing the dynamics of the dry signal. Especially effective on drums. Set up via an aux send or a wet/dry mix knob on the compressor plugin. Program-Dependent Behaviour: A compressor mode where the attack and release times automatically adapt to the input signal. Opto compressors like the LA-2A are naturally program-dependent - the light element responds differently to different material. Simplifies setup but gives less precise control than setting attack and release manually. Limiting: Compression with a very high ratio, typically 10:1 or higher , often infinity:1. Prevents the signal from exceeding the threshold rather than gently reducing it. Used on the mix bus during mastering to control final output level and prevent clipping. In the visualiser above, push the ratio to 20:1 to see limiting behaviour - the compressed waveform essentially hits a ceiling. // FAQ FAQ What does a compressor do to audio? A compressor reduces the volume of audio that exceeds a threshold you set. The amount of reduction is controlled by the ratio - at 4:1, a signal 8dB over threshold becomes 2dB over. This evens out the dynamic range between the loudest and quietest parts. The result is a more consistent, controlled signal that sits better in a mix. What is gain reduction in compression? Gain reduction is the amount in dB that the compressor is turning the signal down at any given moment. It is shown on the gain reduction meter and fluctuates as the signal level changes. A useful budget: 3-6dB on individual tracks, 2-4dB on bus compression, 1-2dB on the mix bus. More than 10dB on a single stage is heavy compression territory. What is the difference between threshold and ratio? Threshold sets where compression begins - the level the signal must exceed before the compressor engages. Ratio sets how aggressively signal above the threshold is reduced. Together they determine how much compression happens: a low threshold catches more of the signal, and a higher ratio compresses it harder. Both controls interact, so adjusting one often means re-evaluating the other. What does attack time do on a compressor? Attack time controls how quickly the compressor clamps down after the signal crosses the threshold. A fast attack under 5ms catches transients and reduces punch. A slow attack of 15-30ms lets the initial transient punch through before compression engages. This is the single most important control on drums - it determines whether a snare snaps or thuds. What does release time do on a compressor? Release time controls how quickly the compressor stops reducing gain after the signal drops below the threshold. Too fast a release on bass causes harmonic distortion. Too slow causes pumping as gain reduction builds up over successive hits and does not reset in time. The ideal release lets the compressor recover just before the next transient arrives. How do I set attack and release on a compressor? Start with a medium attack around 10-15ms and medium release around 100-150ms. Slow the attack until you can hear or see the transient punch through, then stop. For release, watch the gain reduction meter and make sure it resets to near zero before the next hit arrives. If gain reduction builds up over time, shorten the release. If it snaps back too aggressively, lengthen it. What compressor ratio should I use? It depends on the source material. Use 2:1 to 3:1 for gentle levelling on vocals, bass, and mix bus. Use 4:1 to 6:1 for moderate control on drums and guitars. Use 8:1 to 10:1 for aggressive compression. Anything above 10:1 approaches limiting. Remember that ratios multiply in series, so a 4:1 compressor feeding a 3:1 creates an effective ratio of about 12:1. How do I set the threshold on a compressor? Lower the threshold until the gain reduction meter starts moving on the loudest parts of the signal. For individual tracks, aim for 3-6dB of peak gain reduction. For bus compression, 2-4dB. For mix bus, 1-2dB. Always set the threshold while listening to the loudest section of the song so you do not over-compress during quieter parts. What does compressor ratio actually mean? Ratio describes how much signal above the threshold is reduced. At 4:1, for every 4dB the signal exceeds the threshold, only 1dB comes through. So 8dB over becomes 2dB over, and 16dB over becomes 4dB over. At 1:1 there is no compression. At infinity to one, no signal exceeds the threshold at all - that is a limiter. Why does my compressor kill the punch on drums? Your attack time is too fast. Below about 10ms on most drums, the compressor catches the transient before it reaches the listener, removing the snap and impact. Slow the attack to 15-30ms and the punch reappears because the transient passes through before compression engages. This is the most common compression mistake on drums. What is compression pumping and how do I fix it? Pumping happens when the release time is too slow for the tempo of the material. The compressor does not recover between hits, so gain reduction accumulates and then suddenly releases during a gap, creating an audible breathing or surging effect. Fix it by shortening the release time until the gain reduction resets before each new transient arrives. What is the difference between a compressor and a limiter? A limiter is a compressor with a very high ratio, typically 10:1 or higher, often infinity to one. It prevents the signal from exceeding the threshold rather than just gently reducing it. Limiters are used on the mix bus during mastering to control final output level and prevent clipping. In practice, many compressors become limiters when you push the ratio above 10:1. Get the Compression Cheat Sheet Starting points for every common source and compression goal, in a printable PDF. Keep it next to your DAW so you're not guessing mid-session. // Find your settings The Compressor Calculator Know what you want but not where to start? Pick your source and goal and get research-backed starting points for every control. Open the Calculator


# EQ Frequency Chart & Cheat Sheet - Interactive Tool | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/eq-frequency-chart

Interactive EQ frequency chart - see where 21 instruments live on the spectrum, spot masking conflicts, and diagnose mix problems. Free, with genre presets.

// Free Tool · EQ EQ Frequency Chart See where 21 instruments live on the frequency spectrum, spot where they mask each other, and diagnose mix problems, with genre presets and practical EQ moves. Spectrum Details Frequency Spectrum 📷 Share Select Instruments Select All Clear All Pick multiple to see where they overlap and compete for space. That's where masking happens. Quick Load - Common Setups Vocals Drums & Percussion Bass Guitars & Keys Synths, Orchestral & Horns Select an instrument above to see its frequency breakdown and diagnostic tips. Pro tip: Select two or more instruments to see where they compete for space - that's where your EQ decisions really matter. Instrument What sounds wrong? 🌊 Muddy ⚡ Harsh 👁 Lost in Mix 🪦 Thin 📦 Boxy The EQ Moves That Fix Most Mix Problems Practical techniques from 20 years of mixing Control the Low End This is a two-part move. First, high-pass everything that doesn't need weight and sub energy - vocals, guitars, synths, keys. Every microphone and virtual instrument generates low-frequency content that just stacks up, eats headroom, and muddies your mix. Start around 60Hz and push higher until things thin out, then back off slightly. Second, once the sub-rumble is clean, find the fundamental of the instruments that do need low end - kick, bass, 808s - and give them a bell curve boost right where their weight lives. You're not just cutting lows, you're reshaping them. Remove what you don't need, reinforce what you do. That's how a mix sounds fat and controlled at the same time. Cut the Mud (200-500Hz) This is where home studio mixes fall apart. Bass, kick, guitars, piano, vocals, and synths all pile their energy in the low mids. You don't need to cut this range on everything - but you do need to decide which instruments keep their body here and which ones give it up. Load a genre preset in the frequency chart above and look at how many instruments stack up between 200-500Hz. That visual is why your mix sounds woolly and undefined. Add Presence, Sparkle and Air (5-10kHz) Most properly recorded raw tracks sound fairly dull - that's normal. Once you've controlled the low end and cleaned up the mud, the next move is adding definition back in. A wide Q boost in the 5-10kHz range brings presence, sparkle, and air to almost everything. On vocals, it's what separates a demo from a polished mix - the breath, the consonants, the sense that the singer is right there. On guitars and keys, it adds string definition and shimmer. On the full mix, it's the difference between sounding flat and sounding finished. Keep it gentle - 2-3dB is usually enough. Carve Space for Vocals The vocal needs to cut through without being louder than everything else. The key is subtractive EQ on the instruments competing with it , not boosting the vocal itself. The vocal presence range sits at roughly 2.5-5kHz. Try cutting 2-4kHz on your guitars, piano, or synths by 2-3dB with a wide Q. The vocal steps forward without you touching its fader. This is what making space means in practice - reducing frequency masking so each instrument has room to breathe. EQ and the Bigger Picture Corrective EQ before compression, tonal EQ after. Sweep and cut problem frequencies before the signal hits the compressor - the compressor reacts to whatever you feed it. Remove the problem first, compress a clean signal, then shape tone after. The Compression Visualiser can help you see how compression interacts with your signal. Panning reduces the need for EQ. Two guitars panned hard left and right have far less frequency masking than two guitars sitting in the centre. Before reaching for EQ to solve a masking problem, check if panning solves it first. Panning is free and doesn't change the tone. EQ costs you something every time you use it. Want to keep exploring? Ask Dan anything about EQ, compression, or mixing - it's an AI tutor built on 20 years of making records and a decade of teaching how. For more hands-on tools, check out the Learning Hub including the Compressor Calculator and Loudness Lookup . // FAQ FAQ What is an EQ frequency chart? An EQ frequency chart is a visual reference that maps the audible spectrum from 20Hz to 20kHz, broken into bands - sub-bass, bass, low-mids, mids, upper-mids, presence, and air. It shows where each instrument sits in the frequency spectrum and where common problems occur. Mixers use it to identify frequency clashes, find problem areas like muddiness or harshness, and make more targeted EQ decisions instead of guessing. What frequency causes muddiness in a mix? Muddiness lives in the 200-500Hz range, with 200-350Hz being the worst offender. This is where the low-end energy of bass, kick drum, guitars, and vocals all pile up on top of each other. Cutting here - even just 2-3dB - is the single most common fix in mixing. It's the first thing to check when a mix sounds thick, unclear, or congested. Should I cut or boost EQ when mixing? Cut first, boost only if you still need to. Subtractive EQ removes problems without adding noise or phase issues, and a good rule of thumb is roughly 3 cuts for every 1 boost. Cutting one instrument in a crowded frequency range often makes another instrument sound better without you even touching it. That's how you know you're EQ-ing properly. What does a high-pass filter do and when should I use one? A high-pass filter removes all frequencies below a set point. Use one on almost everything except kick drum, bass guitar, and toms. Start at 80-100Hz for most instruments and push it higher in dense mixes. It cleans up low-end rumble, room noise, and mud that you can't even hear but still eats up headroom and makes the mix sound cloudy. What frequency range are vocals? Male vocals sit roughly 80Hz-12kHz including fundamentals and harmonics, female vocals around 160Hz-14kHz. The common problem zone is 200-500Hz where boxiness and mud build up. Presence lives at 2-5kHz - boost here to help vocals cut through a mix. Air and breathiness sit at 8-14kHz. The 2-5kHz range can also get harsh, so use your ears and don't boost blindly. How do I EQ a kick drum and bass guitar together? Give each instrument its own frequency territory. The kick drum typically owns the sub range around 50-80Hz, while the bass guitar owns the body and note definition at 80-150Hz. Cut 200-350Hz on both to reduce mud. Avoid using a low shelf boost on bass - it lifts everything below the frequency, including the sub range where the kick lives. Sidechain compression helps too. What is the difference between a bell curve and a shelf EQ? A bell curve targets a specific frequency range and tapers off on either side - it's precise and surgical. A shelf boosts or cuts everything above or below a set point - it's broader and better for tonal shaping. Use bell curves for cutting problem frequencies and shelf EQ for overall tonal balance like adding air with a high shelf. Be careful with low shelves on bass - they lift the entire low end. What does Q mean in EQ? Q controls the bandwidth - how wide or narrow the EQ curve is. A high Q value gives you a narrow, surgical curve for cutting specific problem frequencies. A low Q gives a wide, gentle curve better suited for tonal shaping and broad boosts. The general rule: use narrow Q to cut, wide Q to boost. Most EQ plugins show the Q shape visually on the frequency display. How do I stop instruments from clashing in a mix? Instrument clashing is called frequency masking - when two or more instruments occupy the same frequency range, neither sounds clear. Use complementary EQ: cut one instrument where you boost the other. Put high-pass filters on everything that doesn't need low end. Use panning for stereo separation, and use a frequency chart to visually identify where instruments overlap. The goal is to give every instrument its own space. What is dynamic EQ and when should I use it? Dynamic EQ is an EQ that only activates when a frequency exceeds a threshold you set - like a compressor that targets one specific frequency band. Use it for problems that come and go, like vocal boxiness on certain words or bass booming on particular notes. It leaves the signal completely untouched the rest of the time, which sounds much more natural than a static EQ cut that's always on. New Tools, No Noise One email when a new free tool or mixing guide goes live. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. // More tools Explore the Toolkit Free calculators and visualisers for compression, loudness, and mic patterns, built to help you make faster, more confident decisions. See All Tools



# Free EQ Ear Trainer - Learn to Hear Frequencies | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/eq-ear-trainer

A free ear-training game for mixers. Hear a frequency boost, guess the band, level up from pink noise to a full mix. Train the skill every EQ chart is a substitute for.

// Free Tool · Ear Training EQ Ear Trainer A frequency chart tells you where to look. This trains you to hear it. Identify mystery boosts and cuts by ear — starting on pink noise, working up to a full mix. EQT-01 EQ Ear Trainer Standby Level 1/10 Question – Score 0 Streak 0 Source Pink Noise Level 1 · First Contact Ready to train your ears? Press start. You'll hear pink noise with one frequency band boosted. Flip between EQ IN and BYPASS, then pick the band. 20Hz 100 500 2k 8k 20k Start Training ▶ Play EQ In Space play/stop B a/b compare 1–9 answer Correct Next Question Level Complete 6 /8 Next Level Retry Level // Levels 4–10 Unlock the rest — free You've beaten the noise levels. From here it gets real: drums, bass, a full mix, and cuts instead of boosts. The remaining seven levels are free — drop your email and keep training. I'll also send you the EQ cheat sheet. Unlock Levels 4–10 No spam, unsubscribe anytime. // Why This Works Stop Memorising Frequencies. Start Hearing Them. Every producer has looked up "what frequency is muddiness" — that's why frequency charts are some of the most-searched references in audio. But the chart is a substitute for a skill. The engineers you're trying to sound like don't look anything up: they hear boxiness and know it's 400Hz, hear harshness and go straight to 3k. That's not talent. It's training. This trainer works the same way the classic critical-listening courses do. You start on pink noise, because it has equal energy in every octave — a boost at 250Hz is exactly as audible as one at 4kHz, so the playing field is level while your ear learns the bands. Then the material gets musical and the moves get smaller: drums, bass, a full mix, then cuts, which are famously harder to hear than boosts and exactly what you use most when you actually mix. The A/B button is the whole secret. Flip between EQ IN and BYPASS and ask "what appeared, and where does it live?" That before-and-after comparison is the same judgement you make on every EQ decision in a real session — you're not learning a party trick, you're rehearsing the exact move mixing is made of. Ten minutes a day for a few weeks and you'll feel the change in your next mix: less sweeping, less guessing, faster decisions. Keep the EQ frequency chart open while you learn — it's the map. This is the driving practice. Built by Dan Murtagh — Melbourne-based mix engineer and audio educator. All training audio is generated in your browser: pink noise and synthesized loops, nothing to download. // ASK DAN Stuck on a band you keep missing? Ask how to hear the difference between 250 and 500. Ask Dan → // FAQ Ear Training FAQ What is EQ ear training? EQ ear training is practising the connection between what you hear and where it lives on the frequency spectrum. A trainer boosts or cuts a mystery frequency band and you identify it by ear. With regular practice you stop needing to sweep an EQ to find problems - you hear "that's boxiness around 400Hz" and go straight there. It's the single highest-leverage listening skill in mixing. How does the EQ ear trainer game work? Press play and you'll hear audio with an EQ boost applied at a mystery frequency. Use the EQ IN / BYPASS button to compare against the unprocessed sound, then pick the band you think was boosted. Early levels use pink noise with big, obvious boosts. Later levels move to drums, bass, and a full mix with subtler moves and cuts instead of boosts - the same progression professional ear-training methods use. Why does ear training start with pink noise? Pink noise has equal energy per octave, so every frequency band is equally represented - a boost at 250Hz is exactly as loud as a boost at 4kHz. That makes it the fairest possible training signal and the industry standard starting point. Music is harder: each instrument only has energy in some bands, so the same boost can be obvious or nearly invisible. Master noise first, then graduate to music. How long does it take to learn to hear frequencies? Most people can reliably identify octave-band boosts on pink noise within a couple of weeks of short daily sessions - ten minutes a day beats an hour once a week. Hearing subtler moves in a full mix takes longer, typically a few months of regular practice. The skill compounds: every mixing session you do after training reinforces it, because you're now labelling what you hear. Do I need studio monitors or headphones for ear training? Use whatever you mix on - the point is to calibrate your ears to your own listening setup. Decent headphones are ideal because they remove the room from the equation. Laptop speakers are the one thing to avoid: they physically can't reproduce anything below about 200Hz, so the low-band questions become guesswork. Is the EQ ear trainer really free? Yes. The first three levels are open to everyone, and the remaining seven unlock free with your email address. There's no paid version, no subscription, and no time limit - it runs entirely in your browser. Get the EQ Frequency Cheat Sheet The map to go with the training — the seven bands, a "translate what you're hearing" problem-solver, and sweet spots for 24 instruments in a printable PDF. Get the PDF // The map EQ Frequency Chart See where all 24 instruments live on the spectrum, spot masking conflicts, and diagnose mix problems with genre presets. The interactive chart is the reference this trainer teaches you to outgrow. Open the chart


# Polar Pattern Visualiser - Free Interactive Mic Tool | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/polar-pattern-visualiser

Free interactive polar pattern visualiser. Explore 9 mic patterns from omni to figure-8, see how patterns change with frequency, and get practical recording advice.

// Free Tool · Recording Polar Pattern Visualiser Explore nine mic patterns from omni to figure-8, drag the source around the capsule, and see how the pattern (and your sound) changes with angle and frequency. Cardioid Share At current frequency Nominal (1 kHz) Angle 0° Pickup Level 0.0 dB Status Full pickup Drag the sound source around the mic. Try the frequency slider. Freq 1 kHz Polar Pattern - Cardioid Omni All directions Sub-Omni Near-omni Wide Cardioid Slightly focused Sub-Cardioid Moderate focus Cardioid Standard Super-Cardioid Tight + rear lobe Hyper-Cardioid Tighter + rear lobe Short Shotgun Near figure-8 Figure-8 Bidirectional Key Angles for This Pattern This visualiser uses a simplified model of frequency-dependent polar behaviour based on large-diaphragm condenser characteristics. Real microphones are messier - every mic has its own quirks, and the pattern transition isn't as smooth as the maths suggests. But the principle is real and worth understanding: your mic's pattern is not the same at every frequency. Use this to build your intuition, then trust your ears in the room. Save as Image Embed This Tool Copy this code to embed on your site: Copy Code Microphone Polar Patterns Explained A polar pattern decides what your microphone captures - and what it rejects - before you touch a single plugin. Here's how each pattern works, which classic mics use them, and how to pick the right one for the job. What is a Polar Pattern? A polar pattern describes how sensitive a microphone is to sound arriving from different directions. The pattern determines which directions the mic picks up sound from and which directions it rejects. Understanding polar patterns is essential for good microphone technique, studio recording, and live sound engineering. Common Polar Patterns Omnidirectional - Picks up sound equally from all directions. Used in: Neumann KM 183, DPA 4006, most lavalier mics. Best for capturing room ambience, orchestral recording, and situations where you want the most natural, uncoloured sound. Cardioid - Heart-shaped pattern that picks up from the front and rejects the rear. Used in: Shure SM58, SM57, Neumann U 87, AKG C414. The most common pattern for vocals, close-miking instruments, podcasting, and live sound. Super-Cardioid - Tighter than cardioid with better side rejection but has a small rear lobe. Used in: Sennheiser MKH 50, Shure Beta 87A. Great for live sound where monitor rejection is critical. Hyper-Cardioid - Even tighter front pickup with a larger rear lobe. Used in: Sennheiser MKH 416 (shotgun), Beyerdynamic M 201. Common in film and broadcast boom microphones. Figure-8 (Bidirectional) - Equal pickup from front and rear, complete rejection at the sides. Used in: Royer R-121, AEA R84, Coles 4038 (all ribbon mics). Essential for M/S stereo recording and Blumlein technique. Why Polar Patterns Change with Frequency Most people don't realise that a microphone's polar pattern is not the same at every frequency. At low frequencies, all mics behave more like omnidirectional patterns because long wavelengths wrap around the diaphragm. At high frequencies, patterns become narrower than the spec sheet suggests, and off-axis sound is not just quieter but tonally different. This frequency-dependent behaviour is why low-frequency bleed is so hard to reject and why high-frequency bleed sounds thin and phasey. Proximity Effect All directional microphones (everything except omnidirectional) exhibit proximity effect - a bass boost that increases as the sound source moves closer to the mic. The tighter the pattern, the stronger the proximity effect. Figure-8 has the most, cardioid has moderate, and omni has none. This is why close-miking with a cardioid produces that warm, full sound, and why high-pass filters are essential tools for managing low-end buildup. Why Polar Patterns Matter More Than You Think Practical mic technique from 20 years of recording The Pattern Is the First EQ Move Every recording starts with a microphone pointed at something. The polar pattern decides what gets captured and what gets rejected before a single plugin is loaded. A cardioid mic aimed well in a treated room will give you a cleaner vocal than the most expensive condenser pointed carelessly. This is the part of signal flow that most home producers skip - they go straight to plugin processing and try to fix problems that shouldn't have been recorded in the first place. The polar pattern visualiser above lets you see exactly what your mic is doing at every angle. Drag the source around and watch the pickup change. The readout tells you the dB reduction at any position - that's the number that determines whether bleed from another source is going to be a problem in your mix or not. Your Pattern Changes With Frequency This is the thing most people miss. The polar pattern printed on the spec sheet is only accurate at around 1 kHz. Move the frequency slider down to 200 Hz and watch what happens - every directional mic starts behaving like an omni . Long wavelengths wrap around the diaphragm and the mic can't tell where they're coming from. This is why low-frequency bleed from kick drums and bass amps leaks into everything, no matter how tight your pattern is. At the other end, push the slider above 8 kHz. The pattern gets narrower than the spec sheet suggests , and off-axis sound arrives with a completely different tonal character - thinner, duller, and phasey. When that coloured bleed combines with the direct sound from another mic, you get comb filtering that no amount of EQ can fix cleanly. Null Points Are Your Secret Weapon Every directional pattern has angles of maximum rejection - null points. For cardioid, it's straight behind at 180°. Simple enough. But for super-cardioid (~125°) and hyper-cardioid (~110°), the nulls are not at the rear . There's actually a small rear lobe picking up sound behind the mic. This catches people out constantly in live sound - they point the back of a super-cardioid at the foldback wedge and get more monitor bleed, not less. The red dots on the polar plot above show you exactly where the nulls sit for each pattern. Point those at whatever you want to reject. That's the whole game. Choosing the Right Pattern If the room sounds good , go wider. Omni gives you the flattest frequency response, zero proximity effect, and the most natural sound. It's not a compromise - it's the best pattern for the job when isolation isn't the priority. If you need isolation , go tighter - but know the trade-offs. Tighter patterns mean stronger proximity effect (bass boost at close range), more off-axis colouration, and less room sound. Cardioid is the safe default. Super-cardioid and hyper-cardioid give better isolation but demand more precise positioning. If you need side rejection , figure-8 has the strongest nulls of any pattern - theoretically infinite at 90° and 270°. Ribbon mics are naturally figure-8, and it's essential for M/S stereo recording. Once you've captured a clean signal with the right pattern and position, shape it with compression and EQ . Get the source right at the mic. Fix the small stuff in the mix. That order matters. And if you're building out a home studio, sidestep the classics in Recording Studio Mistakes . Polar Pattern Glossary Key terms for understanding microphone polar patterns and directional behaviour. Polar Pattern: A graph showing how sensitive a microphone is to sound arriving from different directions. Plotted as a circle with the mic at the centre, it maps pickup level (in dB) against angle. Common patterns include omnidirectional, cardioid, super-cardioid, hyper-cardioid, and figure-8. The pattern determines what the mic picks up and what it rejects. Null Point: The angle at which a directional microphone has zero pickup - theoretically infinite rejection. Cardioid's null is at 180° (directly behind). Super-cardioid's nulls are at ~125°. Hyper-cardioid's are at ~110°. Figure-8's nulls are at 90° and 270° (the sides). Knowing your null angles is essential for pointing maximum rejection at unwanted sources. On-Axis vs Off-Axis: On-axis means directly in front of the mic (0°) - where the frequency response is flattest and pickup is strongest. Off-axis is any other angle. Off-axis sound isn't just quieter - it has a different tonal character (typically duller at high frequencies), which is called off-axis colouration. This matters because bleed arrives off-axis. Off-Axis Colouration: The change in frequency response for sound arriving from angles other than directly on-axis. All directional mics exhibit this to some degree - high frequencies are rejected more aggressively off-axis, making bleed sound thinner and duller than the direct source. Small-diaphragm condensers generally have more uniform off-axis response than large-diaphragm models. Proximity Effect: A bass boost that increases as the sound source moves closer to any directional microphone. Caused by the pressure-gradient component of the capsule's design. The tighter the pattern, the stronger the effect: figure-8 has the most, cardioid is moderate, omnidirectional has none. Used intentionally by radio presenters for a deep voice; managed with high-pass filters when unwanted. Pressure Transducer: A microphone capsule that responds to overall air pressure changes. Only the front of the diaphragm is exposed to sound. This design is inherently omnidirectional because pressure is a scalar quantity - it has no direction. Pressure transducers have no proximity effect and the flattest possible frequency response. Pressure-Gradient Transducer: A microphone capsule that responds to the difference in pressure between the front and rear of the diaphragm. Both sides are exposed to sound, creating directional sensitivity. Pure pressure-gradient designs produce a figure-8 pattern. All ribbon microphones are pressure-gradient transducers. Most directional mics combine pressure and pressure-gradient elements in varying ratios to produce patterns from omni to figure-8. Rear Lobe: An area of pickup behind a directional microphone. Standard cardioid has no rear lobe (null at 180°), but super-cardioid, hyper-cardioid, and figure-8 all have increasing levels of rear pickup. The rear lobe sound is phase-inverted relative to the front, which matters when combining signals from multiple microphones. Distance Factor: How much further a directional mic can be placed from a source compared to an omni while maintaining the same direct-to-ambient sound ratio. Cardioid: 1.7x. Super-cardioid: 1.9x. Hyper-cardioid: 2.0x. This is why shotgun mics (hyper-cardioid) are used for boom miking in film - they can be placed further away and still maintain intelligible dialogue. Rejection: A mic's ability to attenuate sound from unwanted directions. Measured in dB relative to on-axis pickup. A cardioid mic rejects sound at 90° by about 6 dB and has a theoretical null at 180°. Rejection is frequency-dependent - all directional mics lose their rejection at low frequencies because long wavelengths wrap around the diaphragm. Bleed: Sound from a source other than the intended one being picked up by a microphone. For example, hi-hat bleed in a snare mic, or vocal bleed in a guitar mic. Bleed arrives off-axis, so it's both quieter and tonally altered. Using tighter polar patterns and positioning null angles at unwanted sources reduces bleed, but low-frequency bleed is difficult to reject with any pattern. Mid-Side (M/S) Recording: A stereo recording technique using a forward-facing mid mic (typically cardioid) and a sideways figure-8 side mic. The two signals are decoded into left/right channels by summing and differencing: L = Mid + Side, R = Mid − Side. M/S is perfectly mono-compatible and allows stereo width to be adjusted after recording by changing the mid-to-side ratio. // FAQ FAQ What is a polar pattern on a microphone? A polar pattern describes how sensitive a microphone is to sound arriving from different directions. It's a map of pickup vs rejection. Omnidirectional mics pick up equally from all directions. Cardioid mics favour the front and reject the rear. Figure-8 mics pick up front and rear equally but reject the sides completely. Understanding your mic's polar pattern helps you control what gets recorded and what gets rejected. What's the difference between cardioid, super-cardioid, and hyper-cardioid? They're all variations on front-focused pickup with rear rejection. Cardioid has its null (maximum rejection) directly behind the mic at 180 degrees. Super-cardioid has tighter side rejection but introduces a small rear lobe, with nulls at roughly 125 degrees. Hyper-cardioid goes even tighter with a larger rear lobe and nulls around 110 degrees. The critical takeaway: with super and hyper-cardioid, the rear of the mic is not where maximum rejection happens. Why does my mic pick up more bass when I get close to it? That's the proximity effect - a bass boost that increases as the sound source moves closer to any directional microphone. The tighter the polar pattern, the stronger the effect: figure-8 has the most, cardioid has moderate, and omnidirectional has none. It's physics, not a flaw. Radio DJs use it intentionally for that deep, full voice. If you don't want it, either back off the mic or use a high-pass filter. Why can't I reject bass bleed with a cardioid mic? Your mic's polar pattern changes with frequency. At low frequencies, the wavelengths are so long they wrap around the diaphragm, and every directional mic starts behaving more like an omni. This is why low-frequency bleed from kick drums and bass amps leaks into everything, regardless of your polar pattern. It's also why high-pass filtering is essential in almost every mix. When should I use omnidirectional instead of cardioid? Omni is your go-to when the room sounds good and you want to capture it. Orchestral sessions, choir recording, solo acoustic instruments in a nice space - omni gives you the most natural, uncoloured sound because it has the flattest frequency response of any pattern and zero proximity effect. If isolation isn't the priority and the room is part of the sound you want, omni is often the better choice. What is figure-8 used for? Figure-8 (bidirectional) picks up equally from front and rear with complete nulls at the sides. It's the natural pattern of all ribbon microphones. It's essential for Mid-Side (M/S) stereo recording, Blumlein stereo technique, and recording two sources facing each other. The side nulls are the strongest rejection of any polar pattern. Do I need to understand polar patterns for home recording? Absolutely - arguably more so than in a professional studio. Home studios typically have worse acoustics, more background noise, and less isolation. Understanding your mic's polar pattern helps you position it to reject room reflections, computer fan noise, or sound from other parts of the house. Even with a fixed cardioid mic, knowing where the rejection is strongest means you can use your mic more effectively. What polar pattern do I need for Mid-Side (M/S) recording? M/S stereo uses two mics: a mid mic (usually cardioid, pointing at the source) and a side mic (must be figure-8, turned 90 degrees so the null points at the source). The figure-8 captures the stereo width, and the two signals are decoded into left/right in the DAW. M/S is perfectly mono-compatible and lets you adjust stereo width after recording. What is a multi-pattern microphone and is it worth buying? A multi-pattern mic has a switchable polar pattern - typically omni, cardioid, and figure-8, sometimes with positions in between. Examples include the AKG C414 (9 patterns), Neumann U 87 (3 patterns), and Audio-Technica AT4050 (3 patterns). If you can only afford one high-quality condenser, a multi-pattern mic gives you the most versatility. What polar pattern should I use for live sound? Cardioid is the standard starting point for live sound - it rejects the rear where stage monitors typically sit. Super-cardioid often performs better on loud stages because it has tighter side rejection. The key is remembering that super-cardioid's null is at approximately 125 degrees, not directly behind the mic. Angle your foldback wedges to hit those null points. Why does my mic sound different when I sing off to the side? That's off-axis colouration. Sound arriving from the sides isn't just quieter - it has a different frequency response. High frequencies are rejected more than lows, so off-axis sound tends to be duller and thinner. This means bleed from other sources leaks in with an altered tone, which can cause comb filtering and phase issues when combined with direct signals from other mics. New Tools, No Noise One email when a new free tool or recording guide goes live. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. // More tools Explore the Toolkit Free calculators and visualisers for compression, loudness, and EQ, built to help you make faster, more confident decisions. See All Tools


# LUFS Loudness Standards for 50+ Platforms - Free Lookup | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/lufs-loudness-standards

LUFS loudness standards for Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Netflix and 50+ platforms. Free lookup with targets, true-peak limits, codecs and specs.

// Free Tool · Loudness LUFS Loudness Standards Search loudness targets, true-peak limits, codecs, and normalisation specs for Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Netflix, and 50+ more platforms. Specs last reviewed: July 2026 ▶ New to LUFS? Quick primer LUFS in 60 seconds LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) measures how loud something sounds to a human - not just how high the waveform peaks. You'll also see LKFS (Loudness, K-weighted, relative to Full Scale) throughout the film, TV and broadcast sections - it's the exact same measurement, just a different naming convention used by the ITU broadcast standard. It uses K-weighting, which rolls off low frequencies and boosts the 2-4kHz range our ears are most sensitive to. This is why a bass-heavy track and a vocal-heavy track can hit the same peak level but sound completely different in loudness. Streaming platforms use LUFS to normalise playback so listeners don't have to constantly adjust their volume between songs. Some platforms only turn loud masters down. Others also boost quiet ones up. The cards below tell you exactly what each platform does. Integrated Average loudness of the entire track , built from momentary readings. This is what streaming platforms use for normalisation. When someone says "my master is -14 LUFS" they mean integrated. Short-term Loudness over a 3-second window . Useful for spotting sections that spike too loud or drop too quiet. Some broadcast standards set short-term limits for ads. Momentary Loudness over a 400ms window . The fastest LUFS reading - reacts almost in real time. Good for catching transient peaks that integrated won't show you. True Peak (dBTP) The actual highest peak including what happens between samples during D/A conversion. Regular peak meters miss inter-sample peaks - dBTP catches them. Critical because lossy encoding (AAC, MP3, Ogg) can push peaks above 0dB and cause distortion. Want more detail? See the FAQ section below the tool. Music Streaming -14 / -16 LUFS integrated Film / TV Streaming -27 LKFS dialogue-gated Broadcast TV -23 / -24 LKFS integrated × ☷ Compact danmurtagh.com/lufs-loudness-standards What Every Producer Should Know About Loudness Standards LUFS targets, normalisation behaviour and why the numbers don't matter as much as you think How LUFS Loudness Standards Actually Work Every platform in the tool above handles loudness differently, but they all use the same underlying measurement: LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale). Unlike peak meters, which only show how high a waveform spikes, LUFS measures how loud something sounds to a human ear. It uses K-weighting, which rolls off low frequencies and boosts the 2-4kHz range where our hearing is most sensitive. This is why a bass-heavy track and a vocal-heavy track can hit the same peak level but feel completely different in volume. Streaming platforms adopted LUFS-based normalisation so listeners wouldn't need to reach for the volume knob between every song. Before normalisation, the only way to compete for attention on a playlist was to master louder than the track before you. That race to the top - the loudness war - produced some of the most fatiguing masters in recording history. Normalisation didn't end the loudness war, but it removed the incentive. The Three Loudness Clusters You Need to Know Across 50+ platforms, loudness standards fall into three clusters. Once you understand these, the rest is detail. Music streaming: -14 to -16 LUFS Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and Tidal all normalise to -14 LUFS integrated . Apple Music uses -16 LUFS via Sound Check. Deezer sits between them at -15 LUFS. These are the numbers most musicians, producers, and mastering engineers encounter daily. The important distinction is what each platform does with your master: Spotify and Apple Music will boost quiet tracks up to their target. YouTube, Amazon, and Tidal only turn loud tracks down - they never boost. That behavioural difference matters more than the number itself. Film and TV streaming: -27 LKFS Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and HBO/Max all target -27 LKFS using dialogue-gated measurement. Loudness is only measured during sections where dialogue is detected, so an action sequence with no talking doesn't affect your reading. This is fundamentally different from music streaming, where integrated measurement covers the entire track. Film mixes live at much lower average levels because they need room for dynamic range - a whispered conversation needs to coexist with an explosion in the same program. Broadcast TV: -23 to -24 LKFS In Europe, EBU R128 sets the target at -23 LUFS. In the US, Canada, Australia, Japan, and China, broadcast standards target -24 LKFS under frameworks like ATSC A/85 and Free TV OP-59. Unlike streaming platforms where normalisation is just a software policy, many broadcast loudness standards are legally enforced . The US CALM Act exists because viewers were tired of commercials blasting at twice the volume of the program. In France and Spain, EBU R128 compliance is mandatory by law. Why You Shouldn't Master to a LUFS Target This is the most common misconception. Knowing that Spotify normalises to -14 LUFS does not mean you should master every track to -14 LUFS. These platform specs are information about what happens after you upload - they're not creative instructions. If your track needs to be loud and dense - if pushing into a limiter generates interesting harmonics or adds energy - do it. The platform will simply turn it down. If your track needs dynamics and space, leave them in. Plenty of great masters sit at -8 LUFS because that's what the music called for. The platforms handle the volume. Your job is to make it sound right. The one spec that does matter creatively is true peak . Most platforms recommend -1 dBTP or -2 dBTP. Exceeding this causes inter-sample peaks that clip during lossy encoding (AAC, MP3, Ogg Vorbis), producing audible distortion that wasn't in your master. A true peak limiter on your master bus solves this. Podcasts, Social Media, and the Platforms That Don't Publish Specs Podcast mastering is a different discipline from music mastering. You're optimising for intelligibility , not musicality. Apple Podcasts (-16 LUFS) is the dominant standard. Spotify uses -14 LUFS for podcasts. If you only want one master, -16 LUFS, -1 dBTP is the universal safe choice. Social platforms are less straightforward. TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X/Twitter, and Twitch have never published official LUFS targets. Every number you see online for these platforms is an educated guess. Meta uses xHE-AAC with dynamic loudness management that adapts to playback context. Twitch applies no normalisation at all. The practical reality for short-form content: most playback happens on phone speakers with minimal bass response below 200Hz, so mid-range clarity matters more than any LUFS number . Physical Media, Gaming, and Everything Else Vinyl, CD, and cassette tape don't use LUFS normalisation. What you put on the medium is what the listener gets. Vinyl has physical constraints - mono bass below 200Hz, sibilance control, groove geometry - that require a dedicated pre-master. CD has no loudness rules at all, which is why it was ground zero for the loudness war. If you're releasing on physical media, talk to your manufacturer about what their process needs. Game audio follows the ASWG-R001 recommendations: -24 LKFS for home consoles (PlayStation, Xbox) and -18 LKFS for portable devices. The Nintendo Switch is uniquely both - docked follows home spec, handheld follows portable. Unlike linear media, game loudness varies based on player actions, making integrated measurement less predictable. For full specs on every platform - including codec, bitrate, delivery format, spatial audio support, and source documentation - use the interactive Loudness Lookup above. For the practical workflow - how loud to actually master and why the -14 LUFS advice is a misunderstanding - read How to Master for Spotify . If you're working on compression and dynamics alongside loudness, the Compressor Calculator and Compression Visualiser cover the other half of the mastering chain. And if you have a specific mixing or mastering question, ask my AI tutor - it's built on 20 years of making records and a decade of teaching how. // FAQ FAQ What LUFS should I master to for Spotify? Spotify normalises to -14 LUFS integrated by default. But that doesn't mean you should master TO -14 LUFS. Spotify has three user-selectable modes: Quiet (-19 LUFS), Normal (-14 LUFS), and Loud (-11 LUFS). If your master is louder than the user's chosen target, Spotify turns it down with a simple gain reduction - no processing, no limiting. If it's quieter, Spotify boosts it, but won't push it past what the headroom allows. The best approach is to master your track to whatever level serves the music, knowing that Spotify will adjust playback volume accordingly. What LUFS does YouTube use? YouTube normalises to -14 LUFS integrated, but with one important difference from Spotify: YouTube only turns loud content down. It does not boost quiet content. If your master sits at -18 LUFS, YouTube will play it at -18 LUFS while everything else plays at -14. Standard YouTube video streams audio as AAC at just 128kbps - surprisingly low compared to other platforms. YouTube Music bumps this to AAC 256kbps. What LUFS should I use for Apple Music? Apple Music uses Sound Check at -16 LUFS, which is enabled by default on new installs. Apple's approach is the most transparent of all major platforms - it applies pure gain adjustment only and never uses limiting or compression. If boosting a quiet track would cause clipping, Apple simply won't boost it all the way to -16. Your dynamics are preserved exactly as mastered. What LUFS does Tidal use? Tidal normalises to -14 LUFS integrated and only turns loud content down - it won't boost quiet masters. Tidal also applies album-level normalisation, meaning it measures the loudest track on an album and applies a consistent offset to all tracks so the artist's intended dynamics between songs are preserved. What LUFS does Amazon Music use? Amazon Music normalises to -14 LUFS integrated with a -2 dBTP true peak limit, and only turns loud content down. Like YouTube, it won't boost quiet masters. Amazon streams at MP3 320kbps (standard), FLAC 16-bit/44.1kHz (HD), and FLAC up to 24-bit/192kHz (Ultra HD). What LUFS does SoundCloud use? SoundCloud's normalisation behaviour is not officially confirmed. Testing suggests it targets approximately -14 LUFS and transcodes uploads to Opus 64kbps (free) or AAC 256kbps (Go+). Because of the aggressive lossy encoding on free-tier playback, keeping true peak at -1 dBTP or lower is important to avoid distortion during transcoding. Should I master to -14 LUFS? Not necessarily. The goal of loudness normalisation was never to force mastering engineers toward a specific level. It exists so listeners don't have to constantly adjust volume between tracks. Master your music to whatever level serves the song. If it needs to be loud and dense, push it. If it needs dynamics, leave them in. The platforms will handle the rest. Does TikTok normalise audio? TikTok has never published an official LUFS target or documented their normalisation behaviour. Every number you see online (usually -14 LUFS) is an educated guess based on testing, not an official spec. TikTok does appear to apply some form of loudness management to prevent overloud content, but the specifics are unknown. What LUFS should I use for Instagram Reels? Like TikTok, Instagram has no published LUFS target. Meta confirmed in 2023 that they use xHE-AAC with integrated loudness management that adapts to playback context - headphones versus speakers versus background noise. The safe approach is -14 LUFS integrated, -1 dBTP, with a focus on how your content sounds on a phone speaker. Does Twitch normalise audio? No. Twitch applies zero loudness normalisation to live streams or VODs. What the streamer sends is exactly what the viewer hears. This is why loudness varies so wildly between Twitch channels - there's no platform-level correction. If you're streaming, aim for -14 LUFS on your main output bus and use a loudness meter plugin in OBS to monitor levels in real time. Does Vimeo normalise audio? Vimeo has not published a LUFS target or confirmed any loudness normalisation. Their guidelines only cover codec and sample rate. Since Vimeo likely plays content at the uploaded level, your master level IS the playback level. The AES recommends -16 LUFS, -1 dBTP for non-broadcast web content, which is a solid target for Vimeo uploads. What LUFS should podcasts be mastered to? Apple Podcasts recommends -16 LUFS, -1 dBTP. Spotify uses -14 LUFS for podcasts (same as music). If you only want one podcast master, target -16 LUFS, -1 dBTP - it's the most widely referenced standard and won't be penalised on any platform. What are the Netflix audio specs? Netflix uses -27 LKFS with dialogue gating (Dolby Dialogue Intelligence), true peak limit of -2 dBTP, and a recommended loudness range of 4-18 LU. The dialogue gating means loudness is only measured during sections where dialogue is present. Netflix requires 5.1 surround delivery, with stereo 2.0 as an optional additional deliverable and Dolby Atmos for immersive content. What delivery formats do streaming platforms need? Music streaming platforms accept stereo masters. Some also support Dolby Atmos spatial mixes. Film and TV streaming is more complex: Netflix requires 5.1 surround with optional Atmos and stereo deliverables. Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, HBO/Max, and Apple TV+ all accept stereo, 5.1, and Dolby Atmos. What are the EBU R128 specs? EBU R128 is the European broadcast loudness standard. The target is -23 LUFS integrated with a tolerance of plus or minus 0.5 LU for pre-recorded content and plus or minus 1.0 LU for live broadcasts. True peak limit is -1 dBTP. EBU R128 is legally mandated in several European countries including France and Spain. What LUFS do I need for vinyl? LUFS doesn't apply to vinyl - it's an analogue cutting process with no digital normalisation. Your cutting engineer controls the final level at the lathe. The practical upper limit is around -12 LUFS, but the real requirements are about frequency content: bass below 200Hz must be mono, sibilance needs careful de-essing, and heavy limiting is counterproductive. What's the difference between LUFS and LKFS? They're the same measurement with different names. LUFS (Loudness Units relative to Full Scale) and LKFS (Loudness, K-weighted, relative to Full Scale) are numerically identical. LUFS is the European/EBU convention. LKFS is the ITU/American convention. -14 LUFS equals -14 LKFS. What's the difference between integrated, short-term, and momentary LUFS? Integrated LUFS is the average loudness of your entire track from start to finish. This is what streaming platforms use for normalisation. Short-term LUFS measures a 3-second window and is useful for spotting sections that spike or drop. Momentary LUFS measures a 400-millisecond window - the fastest reading, almost real-time. What's the difference between dialogue-gated and integrated measurement? Integrated measurement measures loudness across the entire program, using built-in gating to exclude silence. Dialogue-gated measurement uses Dolby Dialogue Intelligence to measure loudness only during detected dialogue sections. Film and TV streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and HBO/Max use dialogue gating because it better represents the perceived loudness of dialogue-driven content. Specs Change. Stay Current. Platform loudness specs move. Get one email when the numbers change or a new free tool lands. No spam, unsubscribe anytime. // Master with intent The Compression Code Loudness is the last step. Learn to make compression decisions by ear so your mix is ready to hit any target without getting squashed. See the Course


# Compression Troubleshooter - Fix Bad Settings | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/compression-troubleshooter

Free interactive compression troubleshooter. Select your symptom, get a diagnosis and specific fix for attack, release, ratio and gain reduction problems.

// Free Tool · Compression Compression Troubleshooter Something sounds wrong with your compression? Pick the symptom and get a specific diagnosis and fix for attack, release, ratio, and gain-reduction problems. What's going wrong? Step zero: does this source actually need compression? If the dynamics don't bother you, no compressor is the best compressor. Understanding Compression Problems What the troubleshooter can't show you Why Attack and Release Cause Most Problems Most compression problems trace back to two settings: attack time and release time. Not ratio, not threshold, not the compressor plugin. Attack and release don't just control how much compression happens - they control what gets compressed. A fast attack catches transients and reduces punch. A slow attack lets them through. A fast release recovers before the next hit. A slow release holds on and shapes the sustain. Getting these wrong changes the fundamental character of the sound. The Compression Visualiser makes this much easier to understand when you can see it happening in real time. The Cumulative Compression Trap The sneakiest compression problem isn't any single compressor - it's what happens when you stack them. Your kick insert does 4dB of gain reduction. The drum bus adds 3dB. The mix bus adds 2dB. Each sounds fine in isolation, but that kick is now being compressed three times. Here's the part most people don't realise: compression ratios multiply in series. A 4:1 on the insert into a 3:1 on the bus creates an effective 12:1 - that's approaching limiting. Think of compression as a budget . Every dB of gain reduction you spend at one stage is a dB you can't spend elsewhere without flattening the mix. The Compressor Calculator can help you set conservative starting points at each stage. And always dial in your compression on the loudest section of the song - settings tuned to the verse will over-compress when the energy picks up. When Not to Compress Distorted electric guitars are already heavily compressed by the amp's distortion circuit - adding more for dynamic control usually makes them sound smaller, not better. Programmed drums with identical velocity hits have no dynamic variation for a compressor to shape. Synth pads with consistent levels often lose their movement when compressed. Sometimes saturation can do the job of gentle compression while adding warmth instead of just squashing. If the problem you're hearing is actually an EQ issue masquerading as compression, the EQ Frequency Chart can help you identify what's really going on. Boosting a problem frequency before the compressor makes the compressor react to that boost - so the fix might be EQ, not compression. The question to ask before reaching for a compressor isn't "what settings should I use?" It's "what specific problem am I trying to solve?" Developing Your Ear for Compression Exaggerate first, then dial back. Set extreme settings so the compression is obvious and ugly. Listen to what that extreme is doing. Then gradually back off until it sounds musical. You've now heard the full range of what that compressor does on that source. Always level-match before comparing. Makeup gain makes the compressed version louder, and louder always sounds better regardless of what the compression is actually doing. Match the loudness, then toggle bypass. If the difference isn't subtle, you're probably over-compressing. Listen in context, not in solo. A compressor that sounds perfect on a soloed vocal might be destroying its ability to sit in the mix. The goal is never "does this track sound good alone?" - it's "does this track serve the song?" Compression and the Bigger Picture Want to keep exploring? Ask Dan anything about compression, EQ, or mixing - it's an AI tutor built on 20 years of making records and a decade of teaching how. For more hands-on tools, check out the Learning Hub including the Compressor Calculator and Loudness Lookup . Compression Glossary Key compression terms used throughout this tool, explained for beginners. Attack Time: How quickly the compressor starts reducing gain after the signal crosses the threshold. Fast attack (under 5ms) catches transients and reduces punch. Slow attack (15-30ms) lets transients through, preserving snap and impact. This is the single most impactful compression control on drums. Release Time: How quickly the compressor stops reducing gain after the signal drops below the threshold. Too fast on bass causes harmonic distortion. Too slow causes pumping as gain reduction builds up over successive hits. The release should reset before the next transient arrives. Ratio: How much the signal is reduced once it crosses the threshold. At 4:1 , a signal 8dB over threshold is reduced to 2dB over. Higher ratios mean more aggressive compression. Ratios multiply in series - a 4:1 into a 3:1 creates an effective 12:1. Threshold: The level at which the compressor starts working. Signal below the threshold passes through unchanged. Signal above it gets compressed by the amount set by the ratio. Lower the threshold to compress more of the signal, raise it to compress only the loudest peaks. Knee: Controls how gradually the compressor transitions from no compression to full compression at the threshold. A hard knee engages abruptly - good for drums and aggressive compression. A soft knee eases in gradually - good for vocals and transparent levelling. Makeup Gain: Volume added after compression to bring the overall level back up. Critical to level-match when A/B comparing compressed and uncompressed signals, because louder always sounds better to our ears regardless of whether the compression is actually helping. Opto Compressor: Compressor that uses a light element and photoresistor to control gain. Naturally smooth, slow behaviour with program-dependent attack and release. The classic LA-2A is an opto design. Best for transparent levelling on vocals and bass. VCA Compressor: Fast, precise compressor that responds accurately to the control signal. Clean and transparent - does not add significant colour. The SSL bus compressor and dbx 160 are VCA designs. Best for bus compression and when you want control without character. FET Compressor: Fast-reacting compressor that adds harmonic brightness and forward energy. The classic 1176 is a FET design. The all-buttons-in mode is a popular creative effect on drums and vocals. Best when you want the compressor to add character alongside control. Vari-Mu Compressor: Tube-based compressor with naturally slow, gentle behaviour . Compression ratio increases as the signal gets louder. The Fairchild 670 is the legendary example. Best for mix bus glue and warm, musical levelling where transparency is not the goal. Parallel Compression: Blending a heavily compressed copy of the signal with the uncompressed original. You get the energy and density of aggressive compression without losing the dynamics of the dry signal. Especially effective on drums. Set up via an aux send or a wet/dry mix knob. Sidechain: The detection circuit that tells the compressor when to engage. By default it listens to the input signal, but you can feed it an external source (sidechain input) or filter it. A sidechain high-pass filter at 80-150Hz stops bass-heavy content from driving excessive gain reduction on bus compressors. Gain Reduction: The amount the compressor is turning the signal down, measured in dB. Visible on the gain reduction meter. A useful budget framework: individual tracks 3-6dB , drum bus 2-4dB, mix bus 1-2dB. Remember that gain reduction from multiple stages adds up cumulatively. Peak vs RMS Detection: Two ways a compressor measures the input signal. Peak detection responds to absolute waveform peaks - faster, catches transients. RMS detection responds to average energy over time - slower, more musical, closer to how we perceive loudness. Most modern compressors let you choose or blend between the two. // Coverage The 10 Symptoms This Tool Diagnoses Every path walks from what you're hearing to a specific setting change. If you'd rather read than click, this is where each one leads: Lost all the punch - the attack is faster than the transient, so the compressor clamps the hit before it lands. The fix lives in attack time (15-30ms on drums). Flat, lifeless, or squashed - usually cumulative gain reduction across stacked compressors. Ratios multiply in series; a 4:1 into a 3:1 is an effective 12:1. Pumpy or breathy - the release is mistimed for the tempo, so gain reduction never resets between hits. On buses, a sidechain high-pass at 80-150Hz usually helps. Can't hear the compressor - threshold too high, ratio too gentle, or you're metering the wrong thing. Level-matched bypass comparison tells the truth. Sounds worse with compression - some sources (distorted guitar, programmed drums, consistent synths) don't need it, and some problems are EQ wearing a compression costume. Dull and muffled - a fast attack is shaving off the high-frequency detail that lives in transients. Slow it until the brightness comes back. Sounds harsh - the compressor is emphasising the wrong part of the envelope, or reacting to a resonance that should have been EQ'd out first. Low end distorting - the release is faster than the bass note's wavelength, so the compressor follows individual wave cycles. Keep release above 100ms on bass. Bringing up noise - makeup gain is lifting the noise floor after heavy reduction. Less gain reduction, gating before compression, or fixing the source. Not sure what's wrong - the guided path narrows it down from what you're hearing, no jargon required. // FAQ FAQ Why does my compressor kill the punch on drums? Your attack time is faster than the drum transient. Below 10ms on most drums, the compressor clamps down on the initial hit before it reaches the listener. Slow your attack to 15-30ms and sweep it from fast to slow - listen for the moment the snap or crack reappears. That's the transient getting through. Why is my compressor pumping? The release time is too slow for the tempo. The compressor engages on each hit but doesn't recover before the next one arrives. Gain reduction builds up, then suddenly releases during a gap. Shorten the release until the gain reduction meter resets between hits. On a bus compressor, a sidechain high-pass filter at 80-150Hz (start at 80Hz, go higher for bass-heavy genres) stops the low end from driving the compression. How do I stop compression from making things sound dull? High-frequency detail lives in the transients, and a fast attack removes them. When the compressor catches the front end of each note or hit, it squashes the brightness and clarity. Slow your attack to 10-30ms to let the transient detail through. If running multiple compressors in series, check each stage independently to find which is doing the most damage. How much compression is too much? Most problems come from cumulative compression across multiple stages. Compression ratios multiply in series - a 4:1 into a 3:1 creates an effective 12:1. As a guideline: individual tracks 3-6dB, drum bus 2-4dB, mix bus 1-2dB. If the mix sounds flat, bypass compressors one stage at a time - starting from the mix bus and working backwards - to find where the life is being lost. Why does my mix sound flat even with moderate compression settings? Cumulative compression is almost always the cause. Ratios multiply in series - a 4:1 into a 3:1 creates an effective 12:1. Bypass every compressor and listen to the raw mix, then add them back one at a time. When it starts to flatten, you've found the problem stage. Always dial in compression on the loudest section (usually the chorus) - settings tuned to the verse will over-compress when the energy picks up. Should I compress distorted electric guitar? Rarely for dynamic control, but sometimes for tonal colour. A distorted guitar is already heavily compressed by the amp's distortion circuit. Adding more compression for level control usually makes it smaller. However, compression for tonal colour (an 1176 or Distressor for character) is a valid creative choice. Palm-muted sections are an exception - they may benefit from light compression. For clean or lightly driven guitars: 2:1-4:1 ratio, 10-30ms attack, 3-5dB gain reduction maximum. What compressor type should I use on vocals? It depends on your goal. Opto (LA-2A style) for smooth levelling. FET (1176 style) for brightness and forward energy. VCA for transparent control. Vari-Mu (Fairchild style) for rich, warm vintage colouration. The standard professional approach is a series chain: a common order is FET first (2-3dB, catches peaks), opto second (2-3dB, levelling). Some engineers reverse this - try both and use whichever sounds better. How do I A/B compression properly? Level-match before you compare. Compression reduces peaks and makeup gain brings the level back up. If you don't match the loudness, you're comparing a louder signal to a quieter one, and louder always sounds better. Use a VU or LUFS meter to match levels, then toggle bypass during a dynamic section. What's the difference between parallel compression and series compression? Series compression means multiple compressors in sequence on the same signal - each doing a small amount of work. A common vocal chain order is FET then opto, though some engineers reverse this. Parallel compression means blending a heavily compressed copy with the original dry signal. You get the energy of heavy compression without losing dynamics. Especially effective on drums - not recommended on vocals. Why does my compressor distort on bass? Your release time is faster than the bass note's wavelength. The compressor tries to follow individual wave cycles instead of the note envelope, reshaping the waveform and creating harmonic distortion. Slow your release to 100ms or longer. Play a sustained low note and sweep the release from fast to slow - you'll hear a clear point where the distortion disappears. Get the Compression Cheat Sheet Starting points for every common source and compression goal, in a printable PDF. Keep it next to your DAW so you're not guessing mid-session. // Go deeper The Compression Code Stop troubleshooting after the fact. Learn to hear what compression is doing while you do it: the framework I teach at university. See the Course


# Music Copyright & Royalties: The Conversation Musicians Avoid
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/music-copyright-royalties

What I wish I'd known early about splits, publishing, masters, and getting paid what you're owed as a musician.

// Journal · Rights & Royalties The Brutal Money Conversation Musicians Avoid (Until It’s Too Late) Music copyright royalties tripped me up early in my career. Here’s what I wish I’d known. By Dan Murtagh 07 Feb 2026 9 min read I once lost a client and a songwriting credit because I assumed everyone was on the same page. They weren’t. One awkward conversation with her mother later, I walked away from a royalty split I’d earned and never heard from that artist again. That experience taught me something most musicians learn too late: the business conversation isn’t optional, and having it early doesn’t kill the vibe. Skipping it does. If you haven’t taken the time to understand your rights as a songwriter or recording artist, you’re walking through territory full of pitfalls. I’ve seen talented artists leave money on the table for years because they didn’t know what they were entitled to. And I’ve learned some of these lessons the hard way myself. The good news: a little education goes a long way. Understanding the basics can protect you from disputes, open up new income streams, and (here’s the part people don’t expect) actually make your creative collaborations better. Copyright Happens Automatically (But Prove It Anyway) Here’s something that surprises a lot of people: copyrighting your song is easy. In Australia, and most other countries thanks to the Berne Convention, copyright protection happens automatically. No registration required. As soon as you write lyrics or music, or record it to any medium, it’s protected. You don’t need the © symbol on your artwork. You don’t need to mail yourself a copy (that myth needs to die). You don’t need to file paperwork. That said, proving you created something first matters if there’s ever a dispute. In the digital age, this is easier than ever. Keep your session files with timestamps. Save your demos. Use collaboration platforms that track version history. Early drafts, voice memos, the testimony of people in the room. All of this establishes when a song was created and by whom. The Two Copyrights Most Artists Confuse When you create a recorded song, two separate copyrights exist: The Publishing (the song itself) covers the composition: melody, lyrics, chord progressions, arrangement. If someone covers your song, they’re using this copyright. The Master (the recording) is the specific recorded version. The actual audio file. If someone wants your exact recording in a film or ad, they need to license the master. Why does this matter? Because they’re often owned by different people. If you’re independent and write, record, and release your own music, you probably own both. But if you’ve signed to a label, they might own your masters. If you co-wrote with someone, you share the publishing. If a producer contributed creatively, they might have a claim on one or both. Understanding this distinction is fundamental to understanding how music copyright royalties flow in the music industry. Collaboration: Have the Conversation First Collaboration is the norm now. Look at the credits on most songs getting streams. Multiple writers, producers, contributors. Even solo artists regularly work with co-writers and producers. If you’re the sole songwriter AND you self-produce AND you release independently… power to you. You own everything. But most of us collaborate. And if you collaborate, you need to have an honest conversation about splits before you start writing. I cannot stress this enough. Collective Work vs. Joint Work Under Australian copyright law (and similar principles apply elsewhere), there’s an important distinction: A collective work is when each person’s contribution is clearly separable. You write the music, someone else writes the lyrics. Each party owns their part. A joint work is when contributions blend and can’t be easily separated. You’re in a room together, someone plays a riff, someone builds on it, the drummer suggests a change. Who wrote what? It’s blurry. Here’s the key: if no agreement is made before writing, a joint work splits equally between all contributors. Two people? 50/50. Three? Thirds. Four? You get the idea. That might be exactly what you want. Or it might not reflect reality at all. Decide intentionally, not by default. A Lesson I Learned the Hard Way Early in my career, I was hired to produce a track for a young vocalist. She was 16 at the time. She had a basic chord structure and wanted me to write and produce a full pop song around it. We discussed terms over email: a flat fee for production, plus around 10% of songwriting royalties. She agreed. We got started. Everything went smoothly. The problem? When it came time to sort out payment, I was handed off to her mother. In that conversation, I focused on the production fee and neglected to confirm the royalty split. I assumed we were all on the same page. We weren’t. After the project was finished (track written, vocals recorded, mixed, mastered, everyone happy) I mentioned the royalty split while helping them register the song with APRA. The mother’s response was not great. Accusations flew. Threats of lawyers. “She’s a minor, so your agreement means nothing.” Was she legally right? Maybe. Contracts with minors are complicated. But that wasn’t really the point. The point was that I’d failed to confirm the arrangement with the person who controlled the business side. I had an agreement with the artist, but not with the decision maker. I walked away from the royalty split. It wasn’t worth the fight, and it probably wasn’t going to amount to much money anyway. But I lost that client permanently, and I learned something I’ve never forgotten: Make sure everyone who matters is in the room when you discuss the business. When You Get It Right, Everything Works Better Here’s the flip side people don’t talk about enough. When you DO have these conversations upfront, when everyone agrees on splits before the first note is written, it actually makes the creative relationship better. Since that early experience, I’ve made a point of sorting out the business end first. Most of my royalty splits over the years have led to genuinely positive relationships. When a band knows I have a stake in the song, they understand I’m invested. I’m not just a hired hand pressing buttons. I’m treating their music like it’s my own. I serve the song. I do what I can to achieve the best possible result. Will most of these songs make significant money? Let’s be real, probably not. But that’s not the point. The point is everyone’s aligned, nobody’s going to feel ripped off later, and we can focus entirely on making something great. How Music Copyright Royalties Actually Work in 2026 Performance Royalties are generated when your music is performed publicly: radio, TV, live venues, streaming platforms, cafes, gyms. Your PRO (Performing Rights Organisation) collects these. Mechanical Royalties come from reproduction of your music: physical copies, downloads, and streaming. Every time your song is reproduced, a mechanical royalty is generated. Sync Royalties happen when your music is synchronised with visual media: TV, films, ads, video games. These can range from tiny to life-changing. Streaming: It’s Complicated When someone streams your song, it generates both performance AND mechanical royalties from a single play. But these get collected through different channels, and many artists only set themselves up to receive one income stream. This is the gap most independent artists fall into. Getting Set Up to Collect Your PRO (Performing Rights Organisation) In Australia, that’s APRA AMCOS. Membership is free. Once you register your songs, you collect performance royalties from gigs, radio, TV, and streaming. International equivalents: US: BMI, ASCAP, or SESAC. UK: PRS for Music. Canada: SOCAN. If you’re releasing music and not a member of your local PRO, you’re almost certainly leaving money on the table. Sign up. Register your works. It takes an afternoon. Digital Distributors If you’re releasing independently through DistroKid, CD Baby, TuneCore, Ditto, or LANDR, these services collect your master royalties from streams and downloads. But they typically don’t collect your publishing/songwriter royalties. That’s a separate stream through your PRO. The Mechanical Gap In the US, the Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) collects streaming mechanicals for songwriters. In Australia, AMCOS handles this. But you need to be registered. Many artists set up their distributor, see money coming in, and assume they’re getting everything. Often they’re not. YouTube Content ID If your music ends up on YouTube, Content ID can identify your songs and monetise them. Your distributor might offer this, or you might need a separate service. Worth investigating. AI and Copyright: The Unsettled Frontier We can’t talk about music copyright royalties in 2026 without addressing AI. I’ll be honest, this is genuinely uncertain territory. The law is still catching up. AI Generated Music means a song created entirely by AI with no meaningful human creative input. It likely cannot be copyrighted. Copyright law requires human authorship. AI Assisted Music is murkier. If you use AI as a tool, generating ideas that you then select, arrange, edit, and develop, there’s a stronger argument your contribution makes the result copyrightable. Think of it like using a sample library. Your Music as Training Data is an ongoing legal battle about whether AI companies can use copyrighted music to train models without permission. No clear resolution yet. Practical advice: register your works. Keep documentation of your creative process. Stay informed as the law evolves. This space is moving fast. Get It In Writing If royalties are to be split a specific way, write it down. A simple split sheet listing all contributors and their percentages is enough. Everyone signs, everyone keeps a copy, done. An oral agreement is technically enforceable in Australia, but written agreements prevent memory lapses and misunderstandings. And you won’t end up in a situation where someone’s mum is threatening to sue you. Agreement on the details before you start can prevent misunderstandings and preserve both working and personal relationships. Getting the bureaucracy out of the way first actually creates space for creativity to flourish. The Bottom Line Work out the business end first. Have the awkward conversation before it becomes an ugly one. Join your PRO. Register your works. Understand what you’re owed and how to collect it. The money talk doesn’t kill the creative vibe. Avoiding it does. If you’ve got questions or stories of your own, I’d love to hear them. Find me on X or Instagram. I’m a mix engineer and audio educator based in Melbourne. Check out my free mixing tools and dial in your settings fast. // Keep learning More from the Journal Free mixing tools, tutorials, and the Compression Cheat Sheet: everything to dial in your sound faster. Explore Learn


# Recording Studio Mistakes: 9 Ways Bands Waste Studio Time
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/recording-studio-mistakes

The most common recording studio mistakes bands make and how to avoid them. Practical advice from a Melbourne engineer with 20 years of session experience.

// Journal · Studio Craft 9 Ways to Waste Studio Time (And How to Avoid Every One of Them) Recording studio mistakes cost bands time, money, and momentum. I know because I’ve seen every one of them. By Dan Murtagh 07 Feb 2026 10 min read I once had to cancel an album recording session three hours in. Not because of technical problems. Not because the band couldn’t play. Because of a guitar that looked perfect and sounded terrible. The guitarist had just bought a brand new Gibson Les Paul. Beautiful black finish, heavy as hell, absolutely stunning instrument. He had a great amp, great cabinet, we’d hired nice mics. Everything was set up for a killer session. We plugged in, he tuned up, and started playing one of the riffs. Open chords sounded fine. Then he moved up the fretboard, even just one or two frets, and it was horrifically out of tune. The intonation was completely cooked. I spent some time trying to fix it. We had some tools, I know my way around a guitar setup, but I couldn’t get it close. We ended up re-tuning for every chord, cutting takes together note by note. It was a nightmare. Eventually I just stopped and said: “We’re done. This session is over. Go get your guitar looked at by a tech, get it set up properly, and we’ll reschedule.” They wanted a tight, fat guitar sound. It was heavy rock, everything needed to be dialled in. And here we were, burning studio time because nobody had checked the intonation before the session. That’s what this article is about. After 20 years of sessions, these are the recording studio mistakes I see over and over – and the preparation that prevents every one of them. I’m writing this primarily for bands heading into a professional studio, but most of it applies whether you’re at a big facility or tracking in a bedroom. Good preparation is good preparation. Here are nine things I recommend to every client before they come to record. 1. Preproduction Preproduction is the single most important thing a band can do to improve their final recording. It’s essentially a practice recording in preparation for the real thing. It helps each musician hear how their parts sound and interact with the other instruments. The band can then make decisions on arrangements and musical content from an active listening perspective. Not while they’re mid-performance or in a noisy rehearsal room. You don’t need fancy gear for this. Someone in the band probably has a basic recording setup. Even a phone recording can work for arrangement decisions. If not, hit up your local audio engineering college and ask if any students want experience recording a band. They’re usually keen, and it’s free. These days, preproduction often happens remotely. You might be sharing rough recordings with your producer via Dropbox or Google Drive weeks before you set foot in the studio. That’s fine. The point is to get feedback on arrangements and performances before you’re paying for studio time. If you want to get the most out of preproduction, book time with your producer early. Their input during the formative stage of your songs can save you from expensive fixes later. 2. Performance, Timing and Dynamics If you write your music in the rehearsal room, start with a live recording. You’ll capture the natural dynamic and flow of the song, which can then be used to map out timing changes and volume dynamics. When I work with a band, I listen to their live takes to hear the natural ebb and flow of the song’s timings. I then beat-map these tempo changes into Pro Tools. The post-chorus might feel better slightly slower than the chorus, so I’ll map that onto my timeline and have the click track reflect those changes. Guide tracks are essential. Having solid reference recordings with tempo mapping done in advance saves massive time on tracking day. Your options include: Record a live performance and create a click track around it using Identify Beat. You get real human feel with the benefits of a click. Use elastic audio to conform a performance to a rigid tempo. Experiment with fine tempo adjustments throughout your song. Increasing the chorus tempo by 1-3 BPM can give it extra energy without a perceptible speed change. Unless you’re making dance music, keeping a song at a single tempo can feel bland. Try subtle tempo shifts between sections to breathe life into computerised arrangements. I also recommend each band member practice their parts alone with the preproduction recordings. Don’t just rehearse together. Solo practice with reference tracks locks in your parts. 3. Demo-itis Demo-itis is an affliction that affects almost all musicians and many producers. “But it doesn’t sound as good as the demo,” they say. Sometimes that’s true. Quite often it isn’t. Songwriters become attached to particular arrangements and lose perspective on what actually sounds good. This is one of the dangers of self-production and home recording. An experienced ear can enhance a song in ways the original artist never considered. Demos and preproduction are a time to explore possibilities and prepare for race day. Not everything will be good. That said, sometimes during preproduction you’ll capture a magic performance that proves difficult to recreate. I’m a firm believer in performance over perfection. So when it comes to guitars or bass, always record with DIs during preproduction. This might be a Hi-Z input on your interface, or an external preamp or DI box. With a DI, you can send a copy of the signal to your amp and your computer simultaneously. By capturing the DI for your demos, you have the option to re-amp that performance later if it has something special about it. A simple, high-quality option I recommend is the Radial Passive Direct Box. It runs a split signal and sounds great. 4. Creative Time Use your preparation time to explore all creative avenues. Sure, creativity can strike during the main session, but experimenting with an idea and getting it down convincingly takes time. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking: “Oh, I’ll just write all the backing vocals and harmonies when I’m in there.” “We haven’t written the ending yet, but it’s cool, we’ll wing something.” Bro please. Studio time is expensive. Sort the creative decisions before you’re on the clock. This is one of the most expensive recording studio mistakes I see – bands paying studio rates to do work they could have done for free in a rehearsal room. 5. Know Thy Bandmates’ Parts Know not only your own parts intimately, but your bandmates’ parts too. There’s a close relationship between drums and bass. An implied understanding between players. But the guitarist should also know where every kick and snare lands. The bassist should know what chords are being played above them. This understanding yields a more musical result and smooths out discrepancies in timing and harmony. Once everyone has consolidated their parts, it’s simply a matter of regular practice and rehearsal to ensure a confident performance on recording day. 6. Instruments and Equipment Having the right instrument for the sound you want is essential. Classic sounds require classic instruments. Modern tones need modern equipment. Ask yourself: do you have the right snare drum for this song? How about those cymbals? Is that guitar suitable for the tone you want? A Fender Telecaster sounds great on a blues or rock record, but it wouldn’t be my first choice for a metal band. If you don’t own the gear you need, try to borrow from a friend. Just make sure it’ll be available for the entire recording. Not just the first day. “Hey mate, I need my bass back this weekend for a gig.” “But we’re booked in the studio that night.” Uh oh. If you can’t source equipment yourself, talk to your producer. Most have hire contacts or can point you to local options. A quick search should turn up gear hire services in your area. 7. Intonation Remember that Gibson Les Paul I mentioned at the start? Beautiful guitar. Unusable in the studio. A poorly set-up instrument can waste hours of time and produce a less musical result. Once you’ve got your equipment sorted, make sure string instruments are serviced and adjusted for intonation. Get your guitar set up by an experienced luthier or tech, and make sure it’s adjusted for the tuning you’re using on each song. New strings matter more than you think. I can’t stress enough how great new bass strings sound compared to ones that have been played in, even for just a couple of sessions. Some people prefer broken-in strings, but I’ll take the tuning challenges of new strings over dead strings with no tone. New strings. Same goes for drum heads. Make sure you have new heads for the recording and that they’re appropriate for the sound you want. Clear heads give you a brighter, more sustained tone. Coated heads are duller with shorter sustain. Different brands sound different – I’m a fan of Evans drum heads. 8. Expectations I always spend time getting to know a band before we record. I want to hear a performance of the material and understand where they’re coming from creatively. What do they want to achieve with this project? Then I lay out a realistic vision for the record and make sure everyone’s on the same page. Some people have unrealistic expectations. Often due to budget, time constraints, or lack of preparation. Being prepared helps manage time, reduce cost, and ensure everyone understands what’s required for a good result. If you’re working with a producer remotely, this conversation is even more important. Use video calls, share reference tracks, be explicit about the sound you’re going for. Miscommunication costs money. And while you’re sorting out expectations, sort out the business side too. I learned the hard way that having the money conversation early prevents a lot of pain later. 9. Having Fun Most importantly, making music should be fun. That doesn’t mean every session is easy. I’ve worked on records dealing with heavy lyrical content, personal trauma, emotionally difficult material. But even then, there’s satisfaction in capturing something real. It’s this essence I try to find in an artist and their music, and bring out in performance. If you can find an emotional place to draw a performance from, use it. It can bring real magic to a recording. Producing a record is a personal experience. There are high stakes, pressure, and the need to perform under stress. Good preparation removes unnecessary friction and makes the whole process more rewarding. So do the work. And then enjoy the ride. The Bottom Line That cancelled session with the Les Paul taught me something I’ve told every band since: the boring preparation is what makes the exciting recording possible. Check your intonation. Do your preproduction. Know your parts. Sort out the creative decisions before you’re on the clock. Have the conversation about expectations. Do all that, and you’ll walk into the studio ready to make something great. Instead of wasting the first three hours figuring out why everything sounds wrong. I’m a mix engineer and audio educator based in Melbourne. If you’re moving into the mixing phase, try my free Compressor Calculator – it’ll give you starting points for attack, release, ratio, and compressor type based on what you’re working on. And if you want to understand why your compression might not sound right, I wrote a diagnostic guide on why compression sounds bad that covers the nine most common problems and their fixes. // Free tool The Compressor Calculator Get starting points for attack, release, ratio, and compressor type based on exactly what you’re working on. Open the Calculator


# Compressor Attack Time: You're Using It Backwards | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/what-does-attack-time-do

Compressor attack time trips everyone up. Fast attack = less punch, not more. Learn the front end/back end framework that finally makes it click.

// Journal · Compression What Does Attack Time Do on a Compressor? (And Why You’re Probably Using It Backwards) Compressor attack time is the single most important setting you’ll ever dial in. And there’s a very good chance you’re using it backwards. By Dan Murtagh 08 Feb 2026 10 min read Here’s what I mean. When I first started mixing, I thought fast instruments needed fast attack times. Drums are fast, right? So fast attack. Makes sense. It doesn’t. A fast attack on a snare drum will make it sound flat, distant, and lifeless. A slow attack is what gives you punch. That’s completely counterintuitive if you’re just reading the manual, but it makes perfect sense once you understand what attack time is actually doing to your sound. I’ve been teaching audio production at university level for close to a decade now, and this is the single biggest “aha” moment I see in students. Once attack time clicks, everything else about compression starts to make sense. So let’s get into it. What Attack Time Actually Does On a technical level, attack time controls how quickly the compressor clamps down after your signal crosses the threshold. A fast attack means the compressor reacts almost instantly. A slow attack means there’s a brief delay before full compression kicks in. But here’s the thing – that technical definition doesn’t actually help you make better mixes. What matters is what attack time does to the sound . And to understand that, you need to think about every sound as having two parts. The Front End and the Back End This is the framework that changed how I think about compressor attack time, and it’s the thing I wish someone had explained to me years ago. Every sound has a front end and a back end . The front end is the transient – the initial hit, the crack, the pick attack, the consonant. The back end is everything after that – the sustain, the decay, the body, the ring. A snare drum has a sharp crack (front end) followed by a wash of tone and snare rattle (back end). A vocal has consonants that cut through (front end) and vowels that sustain (back end). A kick drum has the beater impact (front end) and the low-end boom (back end). Attack time controls which part you hear more of. Slow attack lets the front end through before the compressor engages. The transient passes, then the compressor clamps down on the back end. Result: the front end is relatively louder. You get more punch, more crack, more definition. Fast attack catches the front end immediately. The compressor clamps down on the transient itself, pushing it down, which means the back end becomes relatively more prominent. Result: you hear more body, more sustain, more decay. The sound gets smoother – but it also loses its impact. That’s why fast attack on a snare drum sounds mushy and distant. You’re literally compressing the crack out of it. Why Compressor Attack Time Matters More Than Any Other Setting I can change the ratio, the threshold, the release – they all matter. But attack time is the one that fundamentally changes the character of the sound. Threshold and ratio determine how much compression you get. Attack time determines what kind of compression you get. Two compressors with identical threshold, ratio, and release settings will sound completely different if one has a 1ms attack and the other has a 30ms attack. One will sound smooth and controlled. The other will sound punchy and aggressive. Same amount of gain reduction, totally different vibe. That’s why attack time deserves more of your attention than any other parameter on the compressor. Fast vs Slow Attack: What It Sounds Like on Real Sources Let’s get practical. Here’s what different attack time compressor settings actually do across common sources. Drums (Kick, Snare, Toms) Drum transients are incredibly fast – we’re talking single-digit milliseconds. So even what we’d call a “slow” attack on drums (10-30ms) is still letting just the very tip of the transient through before compression kicks in. Below 10ms on a snare drum, and you’ll hear it go flat. The crack disappears, the snare sounds distant, squashed, kind of mushy. I wouldn’t ever directly compress a drum at any speed less than 10 milliseconds. I’m usually more of a 30 millisecond kind of guy, roughly, depending on the tempo. 10-30ms is the sweet zone for punchy drums. The transient passes through, the compressor engages on the body, and you get that satisfying crack with controlled sustain behind it. Faster than 5ms and you’re into sustain territory – the drum sounds bigger and fatter, but the punch is gone. This can be intentional (some rock and ballad snare sounds are built on fast attack compression), but if you’re wondering why your snare isn’t cutting through the mix, this is probably why. Starting point for punchy drums: 15-30ms attack, 80-150ms release, 4:1 ratio. Adjust from there. Vocals Vocals are interesting because they’re not as transient-heavy as drums, but consonants and plosives still act as front-end energy. A fast attack (1-5ms) will control those consonants aggressively, which can make the vocal sound smoother and more even but also duller and less present. A medium attack (10-20ms) usually works well because it lets the consonants articulate naturally while controlling the dynamic range of the sustained vowel sounds. If a vocal sounds like it’s lost its life after compression, slow the attack down. Let those consonants breathe. Bass Bass transients develop more slowly than drum transients, so attack times need to be longer to let the initial pluck or pick come through. If your bass sounds thin after compression, your attack is probably too fast and you’re catching the fundamental before it develops. For punch on bass, try 20-50ms. For sustain and evening out note-to-note dynamics, 5-15ms with a longer release. Acoustic Guitar Pick transients on acoustic guitar are sharp but not as fast as drum hits. A medium attack (10-25ms) preserves the pick definition. Go too fast and the guitar loses its sparkle and presence. Go too slow and you’re barely compressing the loudest peaks. The Common Mistakes (And How to Fix Them) Here’s where compressor attack time settings go wrong most often. “My snare/kick lost its punch” This is almost always an attack time issue. Your attack is too fast – the compressor is clamping down on the transient before it gets through. Slow the attack until you hear the crack come back. Start at 20ms and work your way slower until it sounds right. “Everything sounds squashed and lifeless” Two possible causes: too much gain reduction overall, or attack time is too fast across multiple tracks. If you’ve got fast attack on your drums, bass, guitars, and vocals, you’ve compressed the front end out of everything. Nothing has any transient definition left. Try this: go through your mix and slow the attack on every compressor by 10ms. See if the mix opens up. “I can hear the compressor pumping” This is usually a release time issue rather than attack, but attack plays a role. If your attack is very fast and your release is also fast, the compressor is cycling rapidly between clamping and releasing, which creates an audible pumping effect. Slow the release down until the gain reduction meter settles smoothly between hits. On very low-frequency sources like bass, fast attack combined with fast release can even create distortion because the compressor is trying to follow individual waveform cycles. “The compression doesn’t seem to be doing anything” Your attack might be too slow. If the attack time is longer than the transient itself, the compressor barely engages before the signal drops back below threshold. Try speeding the attack up gradually until you see consistent gain reduction on the meter. If you’re running into other compression problems beyond attack time – pumping, muddiness, harsh vocals, unwanted noise – I put together a full diagnostic guide that covers nine common symptoms and the fix for each one: Why Does My Compression Sound Bad? A Note on Compressor Types and Attack Behaviour Not every compressor gives you the same control over attack time, and this matters. An 1176-style FET compressor has a fixed fast attack. You can adjust it, but even at its slowest setting it’s still pretty quick. This is actually why engineers like Chris Lord-Alge love 1176s on drums – you get that fat, explosive, back-end-heavy sound that’s become a signature of rock mixing. It’s not about preserving the transient crack, it’s about emphasising the body and sustain. That’s a deliberate aesthetic choice, and it’s especially effective in parallel – blend the smashed, saturated signal with your uncompressed transient and you get the best of both worlds. Just understand that if you’re reaching for an 1176 on a snare, you’re choosing a back-end sound. And if that’s what you want, it’s an incredible tool for it. An LA-2A-style optical compressor doesn’t even have an attack control – it’s automatic and relatively slow. This makes it naturally transparent and musical, great for levelling things out without killing transients. But it’s not the tool for aggressive transient shaping. A VCA compressor typically gives you full manual control over attack and release, which makes it the most flexible option for dialling in exactly the front end/back end balance you want. Understanding this helps you choose the right compressor before you start tweaking settings. If you want punchy drums, reaching for an LA-2A and hoping for the best won’t get you there – not because it’s a bad compressor, but because it’s the wrong tool for that goal. Try It Yourself If you want to experiment with compressor attack time settings for different sources and goals, I built a free Compressor Calculator that gives you starting points based on what you’re compressing and what you’re trying to achieve. It won’t replace your ears – nothing does – but it’ll get you in the right ballpark so you’re not guessing from scratch every time. Select your source, select your goal, and it’ll suggest attack time, release, ratio, and compressor type. Then tweak from there based on what you’re hearing. If you want to see what’s happening, try the Compression Visualiser – it shows how different attack time settings shape the transient in real time. Sometimes seeing it makes the concept click in a way that reading about it can’t. The Difference Between Knowing and Hearing Here’s the thing though – and I’m being honest with you here. Reading about compressor attack time is useful. It gives you the conceptual framework. But there’s a gap between understanding what attack time does and actually hearing it in your mixes. It’s like learning guitar. I can tell you this is a C chord, this is a G chord, here’s the shape, here’s the fret. But until you pick up the guitar and play it yourself, you’re never going to be able to play a song. Compression is the same. The front end/back end framework gives you the map. But developing the ear to hear what’s happening and make decisions in real time? That takes practice. That takes mixing a lot of music, making mistakes, and paying attention to what works. That’s exactly what I built The Compression Code to teach. Not a list of settings to memorise, but a framework for hearing compression and making decisions by ear – across any source, any genre, any compressor. If understanding attack time was your “aha” moment, the course is where you develop that into an actual skill. Release time is the other half of this decision: read the companion guide, Compressor Release Time: How to Set It by Ear . If you found this useful, grab the free Compression Cheat Sheet – starting points for every common source and compression goal, in a printable PDF you can keep next to your DAW. I’ll also send you first access when new articles and tools drop. // The course The Compression Code Stop copying settings. Learn the framework for hearing compression and making decisions by ear, the way I teach it at university. See the Course


# Compression Sounds Bad? 9 Symptoms, 9 Fixes | Dan Murtagh
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/compression-sounds-bad

Squashed mix, lost punch, lifeless vocals - diagnose compression problems by symptom, not guesswork. Practical fixes from 20 years behind the console.

// Journal · Compression Why Does My Compression Sound Bad? How to Diagnose and Fix It If your compression sounds bad, you’re not alone, and you’re probably not doing anything catastrophically wrong. The gap between “terrible” and “great” is usually one or two settings. By Dan Murtagh 08 Feb 2026 15 min read The problem is knowing which settings. Most articles about compression mistakes are organised by what you did wrong – “you used too high a ratio,” “your attack is too fast.” But that’s not helpful when you’re sitting in front of your DAW and something just sounds off. You don’t know what you did wrong yet. You just know what you’re hearing. So let’s work backwards. Here’s how to diagnose compression problems starting from the symptom – what you’re hearing right now – and trace it back to the cause and the fix. “My mix sounds squashed and lifeless” This is the big one. The mix felt dynamic and alive before you added compression, and now it sounds flat. Everything’s at the same level. The verses and choruses hit with the same intensity. Nothing breathes. What’s happening: You’re compressing too hard. Either the threshold is too low (catching too much of the signal), the ratio is too high (reducing it too aggressively), or both. The compressor is flattening out the natural dynamics that make music feel alive – the difference between loud moments and quiet moments, the push and pull that keeps listeners engaged. The fix: Back off. Seriously. Raise the threshold, lower the ratio, or both. Watch your gain reduction meter – if it’s constantly sitting at 6dB or more and barely returning to zero, that’s your problem right there. For most applications, 2-4dB of gain reduction is doing real work without destroying the performance. Here’s a test I use: bypass the compressor and listen to the uncompressed signal for about 30 seconds. Then switch the compressor back on. If it sounds noticeably worse – not just different, but worse – you’ve gone too far. And make sure you’re level matching when you do this comparison. Louder always sounds better to our ears, so if you’ve added makeup gain, the compressed version will sound “better” purely because it’s louder. That’s a trap. Match the levels, then compare. One more thing – this problem is especially dangerous on the mix bus. If you’re hitting more than 2-3dB of gain reduction on your master, something probably needs fixing in the mix itself, not on the bus compressor. “My drums lost their punch” This is the one I see most often with students. They put a compressor on a snare or kick and the impact just… disappears. The drum sounds distant, flat, kind of mushy. Like hitting a pillow instead of a drum. What’s happening: Your attack time is too fast. This is the single most common compression mistake, and it’s completely counterintuitive until you understand what’s going on. Every sound has a front end (the transient – the crack, the beater hit, the initial impact) and a back end (the sustain, the body, the ring after the hit). When your attack time is fast, the compressor clamps down on the front end immediately. It’s literally squashing the transient – the thing that gives drums their punch. What you’re left with is the back end: the body and sustain without the snap that cuts through a mix. The fix: Slow your attack down. For drums, I’m usually somewhere in the 10-30ms range. That might not sound like a lot, but drum transients are incredibly fast – we’re talking single-digit milliseconds. Even a “slow” attack of 15-20ms is letting just the very tip of the transient through before the compressor engages, and that’s all you need. Start with a 30ms attack and gradually speed it up until you hear the punch start to diminish. Then back off slightly. That’s your sweet spot. If you want to see this happening in real time, try the Compression Visualiser – it shows exactly how attack time shapes the transient. I wrote a whole article about this: What Does Attack Time Do on a Compressor? It covers the front end/back end framework in detail, with specific settings for different sources. “My vocals sound thin or lifeless after compression” You wanted the vocal to sit more consistently in the mix, but now it sounds like someone sucked the personality out of it. The dynamics that made the performance feel human are gone. It sounds flat and processed. What’s happening: Usually one of two things (or both). You’re either compressing too hard with a single compressor, or you’re using too fast an attack that’s clamping down on the natural articulation of the voice. Vocals are tricky because they have a massive dynamic range – a singer might go from a whisper to a belt within a single phrase. It’s tempting to slam a compressor on there to even everything out. But when you do, you lose the dynamic movement that makes a vocal performance compelling. The fix: The pro approach is to split the work across multiple stages rather than making one compressor do everything. First, level out the big dynamic swings before the signal hits the compressor. This is important – the level control needs to happen pre-insert, meaning before the compressor in the signal chain. In Pro Tools, that means using clip gain (not fader automation, which is post-insert). In Logic, you can use region gain or the Gain plugin before the compressor. In Ableton, you can use clip gain or a Utility plugin before the compressor in the chain. Get the vocal 80-90% of the way there with this pre-compression levelling alone. Then use compression for the remaining fine-tuning, aiming for 2-4dB of gain reduction at most. If you’re already using light compression and the vocal still sounds thin, check your attack time. A very fast attack (under 5ms) on a vocal can suppress the consonants and transient articulation that help a voice cut through a mix. Try slowing the attack to 10-20ms and see if the presence comes back. And if you need heavier compression than 4dB or so, consider using two compressors in series rather than one working overtime. A FET-style compressor catching peaks followed by an optical compressor for gentle levelling is a classic vocal chain for exactly this reason – each one does a little work, and the combined result sounds much more natural than one compressor doing a lot. “I can hear the compressor pumping” There’s a rhythmic, breathing quality to the compression. The volume ducks down and then swells back up in a way that’s distracting. It sounds like the music is being squeezed and released in a way that draws attention to itself. What’s happening: The release time is wrong for the material. Either the release is too fast (the compressor lets go and the volume shoots back up before the next hit, creating an obvious swell) or the release is too slow (the compressor never fully recovers between notes or hits, and gain reduction accumulates, creating a “breathing” effect as it periodically lets go). The fix: Release time needs to match the rhythmic feel of the material. The goal is for the compressor to recover just before the next transient arrives. That way the gain reduction resets smoothly without creating an audible pumping artifact. Here’s a practical method: start with a medium release (around 100-150ms) and adjust from there. Speed it up if the compressor feels sluggish – like it’s not recovering between notes. Slow it down if you hear the volume snapping back up too aggressively between hits. On drums, this is especially important. If the release is too slow for the tempo, the compressor won’t reset between hits. The second and third snare hits in a fill will get progressively more squashed because the compressor was still engaged from the previous hit. If you’re hearing inconsistent compression on repeated hits, that’s usually a release problem. One exception worth mentioning: sometimes pumping is intentional. In electronic music and certain styles of rock, aggressive pumping is a creative effect. But if you didn’t choose it, it’s a problem to solve. “The low end is distorting or getting muddy” You put a compressor on a bass track, a kick drum, or a bus with a lot of low-end content, and now the bottom end sounds muddy, wooly, or distorted in a way that wasn’t there before. What’s happening: This is almost always a release time issue. Low frequencies have long waveform cycles. If your release time is faster than the waveform cycle itself, the compressor starts tracking the individual cycles of the wave rather than the overall envelope of the sound. The compressor is essentially distorting the waveform. For context, a 60Hz bass note has a wavelength cycle of about 16ms. If your release is faster than that, you’re in distortion territory. The fix: Slow down the release. For bass-heavy material, try starting at 100ms or slower and work from there. You want the compressor to respond to the overall shape of the note, not the individual wave cycles within it. If you’re compressing a mix bus or drum bus and hearing low-end muddiness, also consider whether the bass and kick are triggering the compressor disproportionately. Their low frequencies carry more energy than anything else in the mix, so they’re often what pushes the compressor hardest. A sidechain high-pass filter (available on many compressors) can help – it tells the compressor to ignore the low frequencies in its detection circuit while still compressing the full signal. This stops the kick from making the whole mix duck every time it hits. “It sounds dull and muffled” The brightness and clarity disappeared. The source sounds like someone threw a blanket over it. What’s happening: A fast attack time is catching the high-frequency transients. The front end of most sounds – the crack of a snare, the consonants in a vocal, the pick attack on a guitar – contains more high-frequency energy than the sustain portion. When you compress that front end aggressively, you’re disproportionately reducing the high-frequency content. The result sounds duller because it literally has less high-frequency energy making it through the compressor. The fix: Slow the attack to let those bright transients through. This is the same mechanism as “lost the punch” above, but the symptom shows up differently on sustained sources like vocals, guitars, and pads versus drums. If you need a fast attack for control but want to preserve brightness, there are a couple of options. You could use parallel compression – compress a duplicate hard with the fast attack, then blend it in underneath the dry signal, which retains all its natural brightness and transient detail. Or you could apply a gentle high-frequency EQ boost after the compressor to restore what the compression took away. Just be conservative with the boost – a dB or two of shelving above 8-10kHz is usually enough. “The compression doesn’t seem to be doing anything” You’ve got a compressor loaded up, you can see it in the signal chain, but you genuinely can’t tell if it’s working. The sound doesn’t seem to change whether it’s on or off. What’s happening: A few possible causes here. First, check your threshold. If the threshold is set too high, the signal never actually crosses it, which means the compressor never engages. Watch your gain reduction meter – if it’s not moving, the compressor isn’t doing anything. Second, you might be falling for the level matching trap. If you haven’t adjusted the makeup gain, the compressed signal is quieter than the original (because compression reduces peaks). When you bypass the compressor, the louder uncompressed signal sounds “better,” and you conclude the compressor isn’t helping. The compressor might actually be doing good work – you just can’t hear it because the volume difference is fooling your ears. The fix: Lower the threshold until you see 2-4dB of gain reduction on the meter during the loudest parts. Then add makeup gain to match the perceived loudness of the bypassed signal. Now compare. You should be able to hear the compression working – the dynamics should be more controlled, the level more consistent. “It sounds harsh or aggressive” The compressed signal has an edgy, harsh quality that wasn’t in the original. It’s fatiguing to listen to. What’s happening: A few things can cause this. The most common is that the compressor is emphasising harsh frequencies that were already present in the recording. Compression raises the average level of a signal, which means any problem frequencies become more prominent. A slightly resonant frequency that was tolerable before compression becomes painful after. Another cause: very fast attack and release times can create distortion artifacts, especially at higher ratios. The compressor is working so fast that it’s effectively reshaping the waveform rather than just controlling dynamics. The fix: If the harshness is from existing resonances being amplified, try using an EQ before the compressor to tame the problem frequencies. A narrow cut at the offending frequency (often somewhere in the 2-5kHz range for vocals, 3-4kHz for guitars) can make the compression sound much smoother because you’re removing the problematic content before the compressor gets hold of it. If the harshness is from fast time constants, slow down your attack and release. And check your ratio – if you’re at 10:1 or higher, try bringing it down to 4:1 or below and see if the character improves. “I’m bringing up unwanted noise” The compressed signal has more background noise, room ambience, lip sounds, pedal noise, or other stuff you don’t want to hear. What’s happening: This is actually compression working exactly as intended – it’s just revealing a problem that was already there. When a compressor reduces the loud parts and you add makeup gain, the quiet parts get louder too. And “quiet parts” includes everything you don’t want: room noise, mic bleed, amp hiss, mouth clicks, whatever was lurking below the performance. The fix: This isn’t really a compression problem – it’s a source problem that compression makes audible. The best fix is upstream: clean up the audio before it hits the compressor. Use a gate or expander to reduce noise between phrases. Use a high-pass filter to cut low-frequency rumble. Clean up mouth clicks and breaths with editing or a dedicated plugin. If the noise is subtle and the compression sounds good otherwise, try using less gain reduction. The less you compress, the less you’re boosting the quiet stuff. The Bigger Picture: Why Compression Goes Wrong If you’ve read through these symptoms and fixes, you might have noticed a pattern. Most compression problems come back to three things: Too much gain reduction. You’re asking the compressor to do too much. Back off. 2-4dB of gain reduction handles most situations. If you need more, split the work across multiple compressors. Wrong attack time. This is the control that fundamentally changes the character of the compression. Fast attack catches transients and emphasises sustain. Slow attack preserves transients and adds punch. If the sound is losing its impact, slow the attack. If the compressor doesn’t seem to be doing much, speed it up. Wrong release time. Release needs to match the tempo and feel of the material. Too fast creates pumping. Too slow creates accumulation and breathing. Too fast on low frequencies creates distortion. And sometimes – and this is the one nobody wants to hear – the real fix is to take the compressor off entirely. Not everything needs compression. If a track sounds good without it, leave it alone. Compression should make things better. If it’s making things worse, the most professional move is to bypass it and move on. Try the Free Compression Calculator If you want starting points that are actually matched to what you’re compressing and what you’re trying to achieve, I built a free Compressor Calculator that gives you suggested attack, release, ratio, and compressor type – plus troubleshooting tips for each combination. It won’t replace your ears, but it’ll get you in the right neighbourhood so you’re not starting from scratch every time. When You’re Ready to Actually Hear It Here’s the honest truth. This article can help you diagnose what’s going wrong and give you a direction to move in. But compression is ultimately a listening skill, and listening skills develop through practice, not reading. It’s like learning guitar. I can tell you this is a C chord, this is a G chord, here’s where to put your fingers. But until you actually play the thing, you’re never going to be able to play a song. That’s what I built The Compression Code to solve. Not a list of settings to memorise, but a framework for hearing compression and making decisions by ear. The course goes deep on every symptom in this article, with exercises that train you to recognise each problem by ear in your own sessions. Because reading about a “pumping” compressor and hearing a pumping compressor are two very different things. If you found this useful, grab the free Compression Cheat Sheet – starting points for every common source and compression goal, plus a quick troubleshooting reference. I’ll also send you first access when new articles and tools drop. // The course The Compression Code The course goes deep on every symptom in this article, training you to hear each problem and its fix, not just read about it. See the Course

# Red Light Sound – Latitudes | Dan Murtagh | Producer
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/red-light-sound-latitudes

Producing, mixing and mastering Latitudes for Adelaide prog-rock band Red Light Sound: a behind-the-scenes look at a hands-on, guerrilla-style EP production.

// Field Notes · Production Red Light Sound · Latitudes By Dan Murtagh 29 Dec 2015 Production Journal Here is the latest film clip from Adelaide prog-rock favourites Red Light Sound, for their title track Latitudes . Produced, mixed and mastered by yours truly, Latitudes is my favourite tune on the record so you can imagine how rapt I am that they made this visual smorgasbord to accompany my audio production. Directed by the guys at Crystal Arrow Films , they have done a fantastic job working with the dreamy vibe of the tune and creating a video that visually captures the essence of what I was going for in the mix. The drone footage around Sound Australia’s coastline looks incredible and the use of slow motion effects with this cinematography is effective in creating that feeling of floating. Musically, Latitudes has a dreamy quality about it. With its unconventional arrangement, the song begins and ends with some spacious vocal melodies and ethereal guitar work, sandwiching some chunks of energetic rock riffs and soaring vocals in the middle. I really wanted to create a feeling of space in the mix so I used massive reverbs and delays to accentuate Ryan’s sustained vocals and give space to the guitars as well as plenty of room sound on the drums. This was a fun record to work on. I took an extremely hands on approach to this EP. Working closely with the band during writing and preproduction, we chopped and changed arrangements, drum patterns, vocal melodies, guitar riffs and bass lines. The band was between bass players at the time so Paul, BK and myself took turns to fill the role of bassist – you can find me playing bass as well as guitar in selected parts on this EP – we really got stuck in! I wanted to push these guys into writing some awesome songs and performing their parts with real energy. I was pretty ruthless at times, making their drummer Tony, drop and give me 20 pushups at one point, when he was being pusillanimous about a performance. This record took on a guerrilla style of production; recording in a variety of spaces, including the bands private rehearsal studio. We needed a nice big, rockin drum sound, so we booked a few sessions at Capital Sound in Adelaide. The studio owner Jimmy Balderstone is an absolute champion and he runs a nice studio. A good collection of microphones and the warm sounding woodwork of the live room makes Capital Sound my preferred to studio to work at when I’m in Adelaide. Once the drums were finalised we relocated to the band’s private rehearsal room and setup a workstation with just a laptop, monitors, mbox, Avalon pre and a Distressor. We recorded the guitar and bass DI’s in the band room and I used my trusty Avalon V5 DI to track these elements. I didn’t have my preferred vocal mic available in Adelaide so I brought along an AKG C414 B-ULS for the job. Man it blows my mind how little you really need to make a record these days! With Latitudes tracked, I flew back home to Melbourne for the mixing, mastering, real coffee etc. I mixed this one in my suite at Sing Sing Studios and I am really happy with the results. All the guitars and bass sounds are from virtual amps and my Sound Toys EchoBoy plugin got a workout to say the least! This is the first record I’ve mastered using Fab Filter ’s Pro-L , an amazing sounding brick-wall limiter. The guys at Fab Filter are making some truly incredible plugins and I highly recommend the Pro-L for your limiting stage. It includes some sophisticated features, include oversampling and a variety of styles of limiter, each with it’s own unique characteristics. Check out a demo at Fab Filter’s homepage. Red Light Sound make great music. This EP show maturity in their songwriting that they have worked hard for. I really had a blast producing this record and I made some good friends in the process. Looking forward to the next one! You can stream Latitudes from Soundcloud below or check out Red Light Sound’s facebook page for more info. // More work Selected Work Hear more of what I’ve produced, mixed, and mastered across rock, metal, electronic, and more. See the Music


# Twelve Foot Ninja | Dan Murtagh | Producer
URL: https://danmurtagh.com/twelve-foot-ninja

Tracking massive bass grooves with Damon from Melbourne heavy-fusion outfit Twelve Foot Ninja for their second album: a session note from the studio.

// Field Notes · Production Twelve Foot Ninja By Dan Murtagh 28 Feb 2016 Production Journal First recording session back for 2016 and I had the pleasure of recording some massive bass grooves with Damon from Melbourne’s heavy fusion outfit Twelve Foot Ninja. Since their debut release Silent Machine , the boys from Twelve Foot Ninja have been busy touring the globe and are now plugging away writing album 2. I am lucky enough to be working with Damon to get the bass side of things sorted. Using Toontrack’s Progressive Foundry drum sample library for Superior Drummer to source their drum sounds, the band is pushing digital production to new levels. Mixed by my good friend and uber-producer Forrester Savell, their new single One Hand Killing from the upcoming album sounds tight and punchy as hell. The boys are running a crowd funder to help with productions costs and have a rather awesome selection of preorder items up on their pledge music profile for you to ogle. Check out the promo video for their crowd funder below or head over to their PledgeMusic page here. // More work Selected Work Hear more of what I’ve produced, mixed, and mastered across rock, metal, electronic, and more. See the Music