What programs do mastering engineers use? Here are our picks for the best mastering plugins available in 2021: As I cover in the course, Metering is absolutely essential to mastering, and SPAN is a versatile and free utility plugin. What are the best free mastering plugins?

Which audio formats are best for mastering?.

What are the best free mastering plugins?.

Get to grips with mastering with our guides and tutorials here. But WaveLab Elements is a platform that can give you a taste of in-depth mastering and achieve professional results. You’ll be limited to three audio tracks per project, and there certainly are limitations to this suite, including the fact it’s only a 60-day license. You’ll also have some access to tools like the Audio Montage, Audio File and Podcast environments, as well as full video playback support. With 18 VST3 plug-ins at your disposal, including Compressor, Gate, RoomWorks SE, iZotope MBIT+ Master Dither, Tube Compressor, Resample and more, there should be plenty of utilities here to get your track sounding its best. WaveLab Elements can give you a fresh perspective on your mix, as you’ll be using an entirely different platform to finish the job, rather than your DAW. This particular mastering tool won’t be free forever, but Steinberg is offering out 60-day licenses for WaveLab Elements, its comprehensive mastering suite. You can get OTT in AU, VST2, AAX for macOS and Windows.

The only real downside is a lack of more in-depth features – but that’s possibly why so many producers gravitate towards it. The Time knob is a swift way of adjusting attack and release times, and the visual reference on the plug-in gives you realtime feedback on how the sound is being affected. It features upward compression and downward compression, with a depth control knob to adjust the amount of applied compression. This is likely due to the effect it has on higher frequencies, brightening the overall sound of a track. In a lighthearted quip, it’s been referred to by some in the music tech community as a “sound-goodizer”. OTT is the brand’s freeware multiband compressor, which is actually a combo of two separate compressors each with three EQ bands. Xfer Records, the brainchild of deadmau5 and Steve Duda, has a selection of plug-ins that have become favourites for many producers in a range of genres.

Best free mastering plugins 2020