Check it like a master and a pro
Published: PRODUCTS
Following the rapid growth of music streaming services, such as Spotify and Apple Music, Nugen Audio has introduced the MasterCheck Pro, a suite containing loudness, dynamics and codec tools specifically targeting the music industry. It has been designed to provide artists, producers, mix and mastering engineers with the ability to preview the playout encoding and loudness matching techniques used by streaming services, as well as different codecs in real-time to help with preventing codec distortion and over-compression when a track is played via an online stream.
Users are able to compare how a track will sound on different devices over different services and how it will be affected by differing loudness matching algorithms. Loudness and PLR (peak-to-loudness ratio)/dynamic range are shown by the plugin’s meters and the capability to A/B test a master effects track against the uncompressed mix, or other reference tracks. It supports AAX, VST, AU and RTAS for Windows and OS X operating systems.
‘With regards to loudness and codecs, most playout services have a “letter box” through which they deliver audio. If the music doesn’t meet those criteria, then it will be forced to fit,’ explained Jon Schorah, founder and creative director at Nugen Audio. ‘With MasterCheck Pro’s loudness and PLR features, producers can find the sweet spot between perceived loudness and dynamics, resulting in a master that’s optimised to the format.’