When I master songs for my clients, I really just go with my gut with respect to how loud I think it should be. I'm very picky about overall loudness, and I can tell almost immediately if it is too loud (or quiet).
After doing this for over 4 years, I have yet to have a client tell me "Make it LOUDER!". To me, getting a loud sound is far more than just buss compression and a limiter. It's largely due to proper use of EQ. Get a good, balanced sound first with an EQ, then beef it up with tasteful compression and a limiter if needed. I usually use a look-ahead peak limiter to catch stray peaks, not to butcher the track for sheer volume. |