Mastering presets
The five studio mastering presets, with use cases + tuning notes.
studio-pad-ambient (default)
For: synth pads, warm drones, ambient textures.
| Stage | Setting |
|---|---|
| Transformer EQ | 80 Hz +0.5, 240 Hz -0.5, 3 kHz +0.7, 10 kHz +0.5 |
| SSL G-bus | -18 dB / 3:1 / 30ms / 300ms |
| Multiband | 200 Hz + 2 kHz crossovers |
| Width | 1.5 dB side gain, 4 ms Haas |
| Reverb | plate, 3s decay, 0.2 wet |
| Chorus | BBD, 0.35 Hz rate, 4 ms depth, 0.25 mix |
When to tune away from this: when the result feels flat (lower SSL threshold for more glue) or muddy (cut more around 240 Hz).
studio-drone-deep
For: sub-bass drones, very low-register content.
| Stage | Setting |
|---|---|
| Transformer EQ | 60 Hz +1.0, 200 Hz -1.0, 5 kHz +0.5 |
| SSL G-bus | -20 dB / 3.5:1 / 30ms / 400ms |
| Reverb | spring, 4s decay, 0.25 wet |
| LF saturation | tape, drive 0.25 |
Critical: HF gentle (no bright EQ). Subs benefit from harmonic warmth in the 60-200 Hz range, not air on top.
studio-bell
For: bells, gongs, singing bowls — anything with transient + tail.
| Stage | Setting |
|---|---|
| Transformer EQ | 100 Hz +0.3, 800 Hz -0.5, 4 kHz +0.5 |
| SSL G-bus | OFF (preserves transient) |
| Multiband | OFF |
| Reverb | plate, 4-5s decay, 0.30 wet |
| Chorus | OFF |
The transient is sacred. Compression flattens it; the chain must ABSOLUTELY not glue the attack into the tail.
studio-modular
For: modular synth, FM voices, plucked synthesis.
| Stage | Setting |
|---|---|
| Transformer EQ | Balanced (80/240/2k/8k) |
| SSL G-bus | -18 dB / 2.5:1 / 30ms / 250ms |
| Multiband | All three bands active |
| Reverb | spring, 2.5s decay, 0.18 wet |
| Chorus | BBD, 0.3 Hz, 3 ms, 0.20 mix |
A versatile preset. Start here for any “I’m not sure what the right preset is” track.
studio-binaural-pure
For: binaural beats, isochronic pulses, solfeggio tones.
| Stage | Setting |
|---|---|
| Hi-pass | 20 Hz |
| Transformer EQ | OFF |
| SSL G-bus | OFF |
| Multiband | OFF |
| Harmonic enrich | OFF |
| Width | OFF (mono fold-down depends on phase math) |
| Reverb | OFF |
| Chorus | OFF |
| LUFS norm | -20 |
| Limiter | -1 dBTP |
MINIMAL chain. Almost passthrough. Required for any track where the psychoacoustic effect depends on the EXACT signal.
Symptoms of using the wrong preset on a binaural track:
- Beat depth feels weaker
- The phantom carrier “in the centre of your head” wobbles
- Gemini intent_fidelity scores drop below 8
Preset → sound_class mapping (auto-pick rules)
The A/B studio runner picks a preset automatically based on sound_class:
| sound_class | Default preset |
|---|---|
| synth-pure | studio-binaural-pure |
| synth-ambient | studio-pad-ambient |
| cultural-instrument | studio-bell |
| mechanical-ambient | studio-drone-deep |
| animal-specific | (not eligible) |
| nature-ambient | (not eligible) |
| voice-narration | (not eligible — uses voice chain) |
Override via the studio_preset parameter in the A/B page or
master-bus page if you disagree with the auto-pick.