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Mastering

Loudness, limiting and getting a hard dance mix release-ready: LUFS targets for hardstyle, what a limiter really does, and where AI mastering falls short.

Introduction to Mastering

What mastering actually is, why it matters, and what the process looks like from start to finish.

8 min read

LUFS Targets for Hard Dance

The loudness numbers that matter for hardstyle, rawstyle, and hardcore. What to aim for and why.

7 min read

AI Mastering vs Manual Mastering

When automated mastering tools make sense and when you need hands-on control.

6 min read

Hardwave Analyser - Using the phase-correlation meter to monitor and improve stereo width

Introduction Hardwave Analyser is a free VST3 and CLAP plugin that runs on Windows, macOS and Linux (version 1.0.26).

3 min read

Hardwave Analyser - Using the peak meter for hard-style loudness monitoring

What the Analyser shows The free Hardwave Analyser (version 1.0.26) is available as VST3 and CLAP on Windows, macOS and Linux.

2 min read

Rawstyle mix: sidechain reverb on leads and LUFS monitoring

Rawstyle productions often pair a hard-hitting kick with melodic leads.

2 min read

Managing Rawstyle Kicks with Sidechain Reverb and LUFS Monitoring

Rawstyle producers often struggle with reverb tails that mask the kick.

2 min read

Other topics

Plug-ins
How to install, set up and use Hardwave plug-ins in any DAW: Suite installation, licences, the Analyser, WettBoi and what to do when a plug-in will not load.
Spectrum Analysis
Reading a spectrum analyser for harder styles: the frequency ranges in a hardstyle track, finding mud and resonance, and what the meters are telling you.
Effects & Processing
FX chains, filters, reverb and delay for harder styles: building a chain that stays clean, filter envelopes for risers, and keeping wet tails off the kick.
Mixing Hard Dance
Mixing hard dance at 150 BPM and above: kick and bass balance, what high tempo does to a mix, and the decisions that keep a track tight at festival volume.
Sound Design
Designing the sounds that carry a hard dance track: hardstyle kick synthesis from tail to punch, screeches and leads, and the atmosphere around them.
Production Science
The physics and psychoacoustics behind a hard dance mix: how loudness is perceived, why layered kicks cancel, and what phase does to your low end.