[12thandVine]

Hi there ...

This may not be exactly what you want to hear, but:

In spite of what plugin vendors may want you to believe, there is no 'easy' way to get that delicate balance between slamming volume and acceptable artifacts/distortion that many of the CDs you are probably listening to as references may have reached. My humble experience is that a lot of work has usually gone into achieving this.

A number of my mastering collegues have made a reputation out of delivering just this outcome. If it was just a matter of inserting this or that plug ... well, there wouldn't be much of a call for their services at that professional level and the makers of Class A analogue goodies would all have probably perished into history.

So, don't be discouraged.

It's often overlooked that levels like those you are seeking can usually be traced back to the initial stages of recording and mixing. Everything has been done from day one to minimise (or help make) the inevitable sonic compromises that come with slamming stuff acceptable and even sound great.

You could experiment with the usual plugin suspects: the ubiquitous L2, and the Sony Oxford Inflator and Limiter are both nice things. Many find that incremental, progressive compression ... that is using two different compressors at light settings can help. And there are of course a host of cheaper 'mastering' plugs that deliver results you may or may not be comfortable with (a search will turn up lots).

Of course, I have to add the obvious: louder is not always better.

Good luck, and have fun with the music.

Kind regards,

Paul Blakey
12th & Vine Post