Mastering for :

JOSIAH / BALLIN'

Mastering Report

Client: JOSIAH SPENCER
Mastering Engineer: WHITE MASTERING FRANCE
Date: 2025
Track Title: BALLIN

Versions Overview

V1: Soft, precise; vocals are also fuller.
V2: Highlights slight kick saturation (doesn’t squash the rest of the track), more airy, better "glue."

1. Equalization and Dynamic Processing

Equalization

Use of Pulsar 8200 for precise frequency spectrum shaping in V2, emphasizing slight saturation.
Adjustments made to balance lows, mids, and highs:
- Low frequencies: Adjustments to "Sub" and "Thickness" to enhance depth without excessive resonance.
- Mids: Refinement using the "MF" and "HMF" controls to improve clarity.
- Highs: Boosting the Air band to add openness without making the sound harsh.
De-essing applied to reduce sibilance in the high frequencies.

Compression & Stereo Processing

Mid/Side processing enabled to refine the stereo image.
Tilt EQ adjustment to balance the overall tonal character of the track.
Gentle compression applied to maintain dynamics while ensuring a consistent level.

2. Loudness and Peak Level Measurements

Loudness (LUFS)

Integrated LUFS: -8.5 LUFS
Short-Term LUFS: -8.0 LUFS
Momentary Max LUFS: -6.0 LUFS
Loudness Range (LRA): 1.7 LU

I was able to make the decision to make it louder and aim for -2 LUFS maximum, but after talking with the artist we decided to limit it, most listeners listen with volume normalization enabled

Dynamics

Realtime Dynamics: 8.2 LU
PLR (Peak-to-Loudness Ratio): 9.2 LU
A good balance between compression and dynamics has been maintained to avoid an overly "squashed" mix.

True Peak

True Peak Max: +0.8 dB (V1)
The level exceeds 0 dB, but this allows for better dynamics. Clipping is not an issue despite the DAW warning.

Versions Overview (Recap)

V1: Soft, precise; vocals are also fuller.
V2: Highlights slight kick saturation (doesn’t squash the rest of the track), more airy, better "glue."

V2 is primarily focused on artistic intent; it is a creative proposal for the artist. We could have reworked the original mix to reduce the kick saturation, but making confident decisions is essential to asserting your signature sound.

Master Status: ✅ Ready for Distribution

If any specific adjustments are needed, feel free to provide feedback.

WHITE MASTERING

*Note: Ideally, it is advisable to upgrade the unmastered version to compare it to the mastered version. but here, my goal is to understand the contribution of mastering.