Remove hum, hiss and room noise in Audacity — the classic three-step Noise Reduction method, what each slider really does, the free AI alternative that needs no noise profile, and the noises none of them can fix.
A limiter stops audio from passing a set ceiling — a compressor taken to its extreme. Here is how it works, how it differs from a compressor and a clipper, and where it belongs in your chain.
Threshold, ratio, attack, release and makeup gain — what each control does to the sound, a method that works from the gain-reduction meter, and starting points for vocals, drums, bass and guitar.
Mastering is the last stage before release — the pass that makes a track hold up on phone speakers and festival systems alike, and sit consistently beside the other songs on a record. Here is what it changes and what it can’t.
Master your own track at home — how much headroom to leave, the gain, EQ, compression, limiting and metering chain in order, how to use reference tracks properly, and the mix problems you should send back rather than master around.