The context
In a club the music goes from DJ players (Pioneer CDJ, controllers, software like Rekordbox, Serato, Traktor) to a mixer and then to a powerful system with subwoofers that forcefully reproduce frequencies down to 30–40 Hz. There is no normalization: the DJ adjusts gain by hand, but a track that is much quieter or has a different low end from the others in the set is hard to mix. A club master must therefore have solid, mono lows, loudness similar to tracks in the same genre, and a mixable structure.
Low end
- Mono below 100–150 Hz: many systems sum or handle the lows in mono; any difference between L and R in that zone cancels or creates instability.
- Controlled sub: too much sub below 30–35 Hz consumes power and headroom without being perceived; a gentle HP at 20–30 Hz is often used.
- Kick and bass separated in time (sidechain, notes) and in frequency: on a club system, slotting mistakes become enormous.
- Sub notes: check that all the bass notes have similar energy (the low end changes a lot between A1 = 55 Hz and E1 = 41 Hz); a multiband or dynamic EQ on the lows levels out the line.
Loudness
In club genres (house, techno, drum and bass, dubstep, festival trap) masters are usually loud: values of −8/−5 LUFS integrated are common in commercial releases (observed values, not a standard). More important than the number is that the track holds up against genre references without distorting and while keeping the kick's punch: in a club, physical punch matters more than density.
Highs and mids
- Large systems are unforgiving of harshness at 2–5 kHz (fatigue at high volume) and of sibilance.
- Highs are attenuated by distance and by the crowd: you don't need excessive air.
Structure and versions
- Extended mix: 16–32 bar intro and outro with only rhythmic elements (kick, hats, percussion) to allow mixing; section changes every 8/16/32 bars.
- Separate radio edit for streaming.
- No fade-in or fade-out in DJ mixes: clean start and end on the downbeat.
- Constant tempo and a stable grid (players analyze the BPM).
- Key indicated in the metadata if possible (it helps harmonic mixing, for example with the Camelot notation in DJ software).
Formats
WAV or AIFF at 16 or 24 bit, 44.1 kHz, are the safest choice for player compatibility; MP3 320 kbps for promos. Avoid unusual sample rates or bit depths that some players don't support.
Checking
- Listen on a system with a subwoofer (even in a studio with a calibrated sub) or at least check the lows with an analyzer and reliable headphones.
- Test in a set: put the track in a mix with 3–4 reference tracks using DJ software and see whether you need to correct a lot of gain or EQ.
- Check mono compatibility and the phase of the lows (correlation meter below 150 Hz close to +1).
Example in A minor
Tech house track at 126 BPM, bass on A1 – C2 – G1. Master: HP 25 Hz, Side HP 130 Hz, dynamic EQ on the lows to even out A1 and G1 (2.5 dB difference), bus compressor 1.5 dB, clipper 2 dB, limiter 3 dB: −6.8 LUFS integrated, true peak −0.8 dBTP. Extended mix: 32-bar intro (kick + hats + perc), 32-bar outro; 3:10 radio edit with a more dynamic master (−9 LUFS) for streaming.
Common mistakes
- Stereo lows (wide reverbs and synths below 150 Hz).
- Master too quiet for the genre: the DJ has to raise the gain a lot and the track “drops”.
- Kick squashed by the limiter: in a club the difference is felt physically.
- Fade-ins and fade-outs in the extended mix.
Exercise
Prepare an extended mix and a radio edit of the same track with two different masters. Try the extended mix in a DJ mix with three genre references: note how much gain and EQ you had to correct on your track.
Links
“Mono Compatibility”, “Mid/Side EQ in Mastering”, “Dynamics in Mastering”, “Drum Groove by Genre”, “Electronic Music Forms”.