thesimpletom
@thesimpletom.bsky.social
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🟧 The Blueprint for Mixing ❗️
🟨 bonus, free access to the goodies vault
⬜️ bio.site/thesimpletom
doesn’t make a whole lot of difference to the quality of the mix. It’s up to you if you’re using it or not.
If you end up using it, worth using a dedicated limiter just for TPs.
I unpack many aspects like this one in the Technical Support section of my book The Blueprint for Mixing.
11/12
If you end up using it, worth using a dedicated limiter just for TPs.
I unpack many aspects like this one in the Technical Support section of my book The Blueprint for Mixing.
11/12
July 20, 2025 at 7:00 AM
doesn’t make a whole lot of difference to the quality of the mix. It’s up to you if you’re using it or not.
If you end up using it, worth using a dedicated limiter just for TPs.
I unpack many aspects like this one in the Technical Support section of my book The Blueprint for Mixing.
11/12
If you end up using it, worth using a dedicated limiter just for TPs.
I unpack many aspects like this one in the Technical Support section of my book The Blueprint for Mixing.
11/12
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ True Peak limiting is an attempt to solve an analog problem with a digital solution. Inter-Sample Peaks are analog peaks, not digital.
No matter how much of any audio chain is digital, what goes from the amp to the speakers will always be analog.
1/12
#musicproduction
No matter how much of any audio chain is digital, what goes from the amp to the speakers will always be analog.
1/12
#musicproduction
July 20, 2025 at 7:00 AM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ True Peak limiting is an attempt to solve an analog problem with a digital solution. Inter-Sample Peaks are analog peaks, not digital.
No matter how much of any audio chain is digital, what goes from the amp to the speakers will always be analog.
1/12
#musicproduction
No matter how much of any audio chain is digital, what goes from the amp to the speakers will always be analog.
1/12
#musicproduction
🟥🟧🟨⬜️Mastering with Ozone 11 Maximizer: The IRC 3 - Pumping mode
I won’t adventure into saying this mode is “the best”. But I will say it’s the cleanest. In the video, the red harmonics are IRC 3 - Pumping, while the blue harmonics are the the other modes.
1/5
#musicproduction
I won’t adventure into saying this mode is “the best”. But I will say it’s the cleanest. In the video, the red harmonics are IRC 3 - Pumping, while the blue harmonics are the the other modes.
1/5
#musicproduction
July 18, 2025 at 9:30 AM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️Mastering with Ozone 11 Maximizer: The IRC 3 - Pumping mode
I won’t adventure into saying this mode is “the best”. But I will say it’s the cleanest. In the video, the red harmonics are IRC 3 - Pumping, while the blue harmonics are the the other modes.
1/5
#musicproduction
I won’t adventure into saying this mode is “the best”. But I will say it’s the cleanest. In the video, the red harmonics are IRC 3 - Pumping, while the blue harmonics are the the other modes.
1/5
#musicproduction
both presets have positive output gain to compensate for the compression that happens due to saturation. +1,6 dB for Retro, +1,4 dB for Tape. This is the actual headroom we gain by using these particular saturation modes.
7/8
7/8
July 16, 2025 at 9:30 AM
both presets have positive output gain to compensate for the compression that happens due to saturation. +1,6 dB for Retro, +1,4 dB for Tape. This is the actual headroom we gain by using these particular saturation modes.
7/8
7/8
So loud levels become slightly louder.
This behavior is a characteristic of the modes themselves, so one can’t emulate the other.
The setup:
6/8
This behavior is a characteristic of the modes themselves, so one can’t emulate the other.
The setup:
6/8
July 16, 2025 at 9:30 AM
So loud levels become slightly louder.
This behavior is a characteristic of the modes themselves, so one can’t emulate the other.
The setup:
6/8
This behavior is a characteristic of the modes themselves, so one can’t emulate the other.
The setup:
6/8
Except for Retro and Tape, all other modes inside the Exciter (transistor and tube-based) will introduce waveform asymmetry. I don’t want this to happen, as it reduces the loudness potential of the master.
3/8
3/8
July 16, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Except for Retro and Tape, all other modes inside the Exciter (transistor and tube-based) will introduce waveform asymmetry. I don’t want this to happen, as it reduces the loudness potential of the master.
3/8
3/8
🟥🟧🟨⬜️Ozone 11 Exciter for mastering - Retro and Tape
When mastering, at least for me, the main purpose for the saturation is to control peaks, not necessarily to add extra color to the overall tonal balance of the mix.
1/8
#musicproduction
When mastering, at least for me, the main purpose for the saturation is to control peaks, not necessarily to add extra color to the overall tonal balance of the mix.
1/8
#musicproduction
July 16, 2025 at 9:30 AM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️Ozone 11 Exciter for mastering - Retro and Tape
When mastering, at least for me, the main purpose for the saturation is to control peaks, not necessarily to add extra color to the overall tonal balance of the mix.
1/8
#musicproduction
When mastering, at least for me, the main purpose for the saturation is to control peaks, not necessarily to add extra color to the overall tonal balance of the mix.
1/8
#musicproduction
→ Digital EQ mixed phase setting
If you hear pre-ringing when using digital mode, you can reduce it at the expense of introducing some phase shift. This kind of mixed phase is present in other EQs as well. Not necessarily something that gets frequent use but it’s here.
8/8
If you hear pre-ringing when using digital mode, you can reduce it at the expense of introducing some phase shift. This kind of mixed phase is present in other EQs as well. Not necessarily something that gets frequent use but it’s here.
8/8
July 14, 2025 at 6:30 AM
→ Digital EQ mixed phase setting
If you hear pre-ringing when using digital mode, you can reduce it at the expense of introducing some phase shift. This kind of mixed phase is present in other EQs as well. Not necessarily something that gets frequent use but it’s here.
8/8
If you hear pre-ringing when using digital mode, you can reduce it at the expense of introducing some phase shift. This kind of mixed phase is present in other EQs as well. Not necessarily something that gets frequent use but it’s here.
8/8
this plug-in can introduce over 350 ms of latency.
The Buffer Size represents CPU usage vs latency relationship. If you don’t care about latency but want to save CPU, go for the largest buffer. If you need the smallest latency, and have plenty of CPU resources, go for the smallest buffer.
6/8
The Buffer Size represents CPU usage vs latency relationship. If you don’t care about latency but want to save CPU, go for the largest buffer. If you need the smallest latency, and have plenty of CPU resources, go for the smallest buffer.
6/8
July 14, 2025 at 6:30 AM
this plug-in can introduce over 350 ms of latency.
The Buffer Size represents CPU usage vs latency relationship. If you don’t care about latency but want to save CPU, go for the largest buffer. If you need the smallest latency, and have plenty of CPU resources, go for the smallest buffer.
6/8
The Buffer Size represents CPU usage vs latency relationship. If you don’t care about latency but want to save CPU, go for the largest buffer. If you need the smallest latency, and have plenty of CPU resources, go for the smallest buffer.
6/8
→ Soft saturation
This can get out of hand really easy, sonically speaking. The tooltip says that it should gradually roll off the level through EQ bands if they start to saturate. What I hear is soft clipping when the signal peak gets closer to zero - it happens even if there’s no
4/8
This can get out of hand really easy, sonically speaking. The tooltip says that it should gradually roll off the level through EQ bands if they start to saturate. What I hear is soft clipping when the signal peak gets closer to zero - it happens even if there’s no
4/8
July 14, 2025 at 6:30 AM
→ Soft saturation
This can get out of hand really easy, sonically speaking. The tooltip says that it should gradually roll off the level through EQ bands if they start to saturate. What I hear is soft clipping when the signal peak gets closer to zero - it happens even if there’s no
4/8
This can get out of hand really easy, sonically speaking. The tooltip says that it should gradually roll off the level through EQ bands if they start to saturate. What I hear is soft clipping when the signal peak gets closer to zero - it happens even if there’s no
4/8
→ Show extra curves
You can see the phase response of the filters. It’s a good exercise to see how much or how little a phase shift is affecting the sound. Sometimes we give it too much attention.
Also the Group delay - how long a sound would postring if a steep filter is applied.
3/8
You can see the phase response of the filters. It’s a good exercise to see how much or how little a phase shift is affecting the sound. Sometimes we give it too much attention.
Also the Group delay - how long a sound would postring if a steep filter is applied.
3/8
July 14, 2025 at 6:30 AM
→ Show extra curves
You can see the phase response of the filters. It’s a good exercise to see how much or how little a phase shift is affecting the sound. Sometimes we give it too much attention.
Also the Group delay - how long a sound would postring if a steep filter is applied.
3/8
You can see the phase response of the filters. It’s a good exercise to see how much or how little a phase shift is affecting the sound. Sometimes we give it too much attention.
Also the Group delay - how long a sound would postring if a steep filter is applied.
3/8
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ Lesser-known iZotope Ozone EQ features
→ Infinite spectrum display
You can average the spectrum display across an entire song section and observe if there are spectral buildups in some areas.
1/8
#musicproduction
→ Infinite spectrum display
You can average the spectrum display across an entire song section and observe if there are spectral buildups in some areas.
1/8
#musicproduction
July 14, 2025 at 6:30 AM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ Lesser-known iZotope Ozone EQ features
→ Infinite spectrum display
You can average the spectrum display across an entire song section and observe if there are spectral buildups in some areas.
1/8
#musicproduction
→ Infinite spectrum display
You can average the spectrum display across an entire song section and observe if there are spectral buildups in some areas.
1/8
#musicproduction
🟥🟧🟨⬜OTT alternative: Sixth Sample CRAMIT free version.
In addition to the already known upward and downward compression, this one can do a bit (or more) of clipping,
1/2
#musicproduction
In addition to the already known upward and downward compression, this one can do a bit (or more) of clipping,
1/2
#musicproduction
June 23, 2025 at 4:30 AM
🟥🟧🟨⬜OTT alternative: Sixth Sample CRAMIT free version.
In addition to the already known upward and downward compression, this one can do a bit (or more) of clipping,
1/2
#musicproduction
In addition to the already known upward and downward compression, this one can do a bit (or more) of clipping,
1/2
#musicproduction
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ My top 10 overhyped / overcomplicated / underwhelming plugins.
No. 5 → Brainworx bx_hybrid: a Pro-Q that’s more complicated and under-featured at the same time.
#musicproduction
No. 5 → Brainworx bx_hybrid: a Pro-Q that’s more complicated and under-featured at the same time.
#musicproduction
June 7, 2025 at 8:22 PM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ My top 10 overhyped / overcomplicated / underwhelming plugins.
No. 5 → Brainworx bx_hybrid: a Pro-Q that’s more complicated and under-featured at the same time.
#musicproduction
No. 5 → Brainworx bx_hybrid: a Pro-Q that’s more complicated and under-featured at the same time.
#musicproduction
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ My top 10 overhyped / overcomplicated / underwhelming plugins.
No. 4 → Acustica Space Control: more knobs than Ozone Imager for a lesser sound. It colors the sound so much, it can’t be added later in the mix. Also the linear phase mode is a pre-ringing fest.
#musicproduction
No. 4 → Acustica Space Control: more knobs than Ozone Imager for a lesser sound. It colors the sound so much, it can’t be added later in the mix. Also the linear phase mode is a pre-ringing fest.
#musicproduction
June 6, 2025 at 12:01 PM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ My top 10 overhyped / overcomplicated / underwhelming plugins.
No. 4 → Acustica Space Control: more knobs than Ozone Imager for a lesser sound. It colors the sound so much, it can’t be added later in the mix. Also the linear phase mode is a pre-ringing fest.
#musicproduction
No. 4 → Acustica Space Control: more knobs than Ozone Imager for a lesser sound. It colors the sound so much, it can’t be added later in the mix. Also the linear phase mode is a pre-ringing fest.
#musicproduction
- stepped gains and frequency selectors.
No. 4 → SPL PQ: More hardware workflow inconvenience, but with a nice red interface.
2/2
No. 4 → SPL PQ: More hardware workflow inconvenience, but with a nice red interface.
2/2
June 5, 2025 at 10:00 PM
- stepped gains and frequency selectors.
No. 4 → SPL PQ: More hardware workflow inconvenience, but with a nice red interface.
2/2
No. 4 → SPL PQ: More hardware workflow inconvenience, but with a nice red interface.
2/2
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ My top 10 overhyped / overcomplicated / underwhelming plugins.
"Passive EQs"
No. 3 → Manley EQ. Since we are in digital, “passive EQ” means nothing. It’s just a regular digital EQ with the added inconvenience of the hardware workflow
1/2
#musicproduction
"Passive EQs"
No. 3 → Manley EQ. Since we are in digital, “passive EQ” means nothing. It’s just a regular digital EQ with the added inconvenience of the hardware workflow
1/2
#musicproduction
June 5, 2025 at 10:00 PM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ My top 10 overhyped / overcomplicated / underwhelming plugins.
"Passive EQs"
No. 3 → Manley EQ. Since we are in digital, “passive EQ” means nothing. It’s just a regular digital EQ with the added inconvenience of the hardware workflow
1/2
#musicproduction
"Passive EQs"
No. 3 → Manley EQ. Since we are in digital, “passive EQ” means nothing. It’s just a regular digital EQ with the added inconvenience of the hardware workflow
1/2
#musicproduction
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ My top 10 overhyped / overcomplicated / underwhelming plugins.
→ Shadow Hills. It’s famous. But ultimately it’s just two compressors and some saturation (light odd and even harmonics). Nothing sonically special or unachievable with other more straight-forward options.
#musicproduction
→ Shadow Hills. It’s famous. But ultimately it’s just two compressors and some saturation (light odd and even harmonics). Nothing sonically special or unachievable with other more straight-forward options.
#musicproduction
June 5, 2025 at 12:07 AM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ My top 10 overhyped / overcomplicated / underwhelming plugins.
→ Shadow Hills. It’s famous. But ultimately it’s just two compressors and some saturation (light odd and even harmonics). Nothing sonically special or unachievable with other more straight-forward options.
#musicproduction
→ Shadow Hills. It’s famous. But ultimately it’s just two compressors and some saturation (light odd and even harmonics). Nothing sonically special or unachievable with other more straight-forward options.
#musicproduction
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ My top 10 overhyped / overcomplicated / underwhelming plugins.
1/10: Vertigo series. This wasted space at the left and right makes for a cluttered interface. Switches positions are not easy to spot either. Sonically can be easily replaced.
#musicproduction
1/10: Vertigo series. This wasted space at the left and right makes for a cluttered interface. Switches positions are not easy to spot either. Sonically can be easily replaced.
#musicproduction
June 1, 2025 at 1:35 PM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ My top 10 overhyped / overcomplicated / underwhelming plugins.
1/10: Vertigo series. This wasted space at the left and right makes for a cluttered interface. Switches positions are not easy to spot either. Sonically can be easily replaced.
#musicproduction
1/10: Vertigo series. This wasted space at the left and right makes for a cluttered interface. Switches positions are not easy to spot either. Sonically can be easily replaced.
#musicproduction
🟥🟧🟨⬜️Master bus plug-ins grouping by role, for a better workflow.
As the full mix reaches the stereo bus, I like to have a clear layout of the processes at this stage. For me, it goes like this:
→ 1. Mixbus plug-ins: saturation, bus compressor, OTT
1/6
#musicproduction
As the full mix reaches the stereo bus, I like to have a clear layout of the processes at this stage. For me, it goes like this:
→ 1. Mixbus plug-ins: saturation, bus compressor, OTT
1/6
#musicproduction
May 29, 2025 at 10:00 AM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️Master bus plug-ins grouping by role, for a better workflow.
As the full mix reaches the stereo bus, I like to have a clear layout of the processes at this stage. For me, it goes like this:
→ 1. Mixbus plug-ins: saturation, bus compressor, OTT
1/6
#musicproduction
As the full mix reaches the stereo bus, I like to have a clear layout of the processes at this stage. For me, it goes like this:
→ 1. Mixbus plug-ins: saturation, bus compressor, OTT
1/6
#musicproduction
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ Kick & bass levels strategy, and mixbus compression and limiting
There 3 ways to mix a song: with no mixbus plugins, with a bus compressor and a limiter, and with a full mastering mixbus chain.
1/6
#musicproduction
There 3 ways to mix a song: with no mixbus plugins, with a bus compressor and a limiter, and with a full mastering mixbus chain.
1/6
#musicproduction
May 24, 2025 at 8:00 AM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️ Kick & bass levels strategy, and mixbus compression and limiting
There 3 ways to mix a song: with no mixbus plugins, with a bus compressor and a limiter, and with a full mastering mixbus chain.
1/6
#musicproduction
There 3 ways to mix a song: with no mixbus plugins, with a bus compressor and a limiter, and with a full mastering mixbus chain.
1/6
#musicproduction
🟥🟧🟨⬜️Analyzer of the day: Schulz Audio Oszillos Mega Scope (paid)
A featured oscilloscope with sync, multiple waveform display modes, it can display all the instances in the project in a single window (parallel waveforms or stacked).
#musicproduction
A featured oscilloscope with sync, multiple waveform display modes, it can display all the instances in the project in a single window (parallel waveforms or stacked).
#musicproduction
May 23, 2025 at 2:00 AM
🟥🟧🟨⬜️Analyzer of the day: Schulz Audio Oszillos Mega Scope (paid)
A featured oscilloscope with sync, multiple waveform display modes, it can display all the instances in the project in a single window (parallel waveforms or stacked).
#musicproduction
A featured oscilloscope with sync, multiple waveform display modes, it can display all the instances in the project in a single window (parallel waveforms or stacked).
#musicproduction
Speaking of clipping options, The PCM mode of TDR Limiter 6 can provide some grit when needed.
If you want to test how various rounding errors sound, you can demo this plug-in: Make believe Good Math. And per dev instructions, "don't forget to check out the A-hole!!!"
14/14
If you want to test how various rounding errors sound, you can demo this plug-in: Make believe Good Math. And per dev instructions, "don't forget to check out the A-hole!!!"
14/14
May 21, 2025 at 1:01 AM
Speaking of clipping options, The PCM mode of TDR Limiter 6 can provide some grit when needed.
If you want to test how various rounding errors sound, you can demo this plug-in: Make believe Good Math. And per dev instructions, "don't forget to check out the A-hole!!!"
14/14
If you want to test how various rounding errors sound, you can demo this plug-in: Make believe Good Math. And per dev instructions, "don't forget to check out the A-hole!!!"
14/14
make it clear why this is impossible.
As you can see from above, it's not the output of the DAW that will eventually get clipped, but the input of some link along the audio chain.
The downside is obvious: what you hear is not what you export.
12/14
As you can see from above, it's not the output of the DAW that will eventually get clipped, but the input of some link along the audio chain.
The downside is obvious: what you hear is not what you export.
12/14
May 21, 2025 at 1:01 AM
make it clear why this is impossible.
As you can see from above, it's not the output of the DAW that will eventually get clipped, but the input of some link along the audio chain.
The downside is obvious: what you hear is not what you export.
12/14
As you can see from above, it's not the output of the DAW that will eventually get clipped, but the input of some link along the audio chain.
The downside is obvious: what you hear is not what you export.
12/14
I then made multiple measurements for various gain value, as presented in the table.
When the amplitude difference between the two sounds is as little as 0.1 dB, then result of the null test will be a -48 dB peak reading.
9/14
When the amplitude difference between the two sounds is as little as 0.1 dB, then result of the null test will be a -48 dB peak reading.
9/14
May 18, 2025 at 10:01 PM
I then made multiple measurements for various gain value, as presented in the table.
When the amplitude difference between the two sounds is as little as 0.1 dB, then result of the null test will be a -48 dB peak reading.
9/14
When the amplitude difference between the two sounds is as little as 0.1 dB, then result of the null test will be a -48 dB peak reading.
9/14