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astral goose ยท stage 5, realm of zaras

Been messing with Ozone's Maximizer a bunch lately, and honestly - IRC IV Modern is just it for me. Like, every time I try something else, I keep coming back to this one.

Note to future self:

  • IRC IV Modern = default starting point
  • It just handles my mixdowns better
  • Doesn't do that weird pumping thing with kick drums
  • Vocals stay clear even when pushing it
  • Actually sounds MORE aggressive when I need it to?? (but clean)
  • Stop watching those "ultimate mastering chain" YouTube videos. This works. Stick to it.
  • -0.8 ceiling for stuff going to streaming, and don't forget to watch the gain reduction meter.

Random thought: It's wild how it only squashes the parts that need squashing. My old settings were basically crushing everything, no wonder stuff sounded weird sometimes.