Dynamic Loudness Explained®

Today, we have plenty of tools at our disposal now to make our music loud, but that's not always a good thing. It's very easy, for example, to do more harm than good to your mix if you don't know what you're doing. In this dynamic loudness video tutorial series, studio guru Larry Holcombe teaches you how to generate loudness in your tracks without losing the dynamics that give it so much life in the first place! You'll learn several techniques throughout the course that you can use individually or in concert to maintain and even enhance that critical component in your tracks, even as the loudness increases. These dynamic loudness videos are for those new to the concept of loudness.

The videos are shot in Logic Pro, but the info applies to any DAW. Larry uses both stock plug-ins and 3rd party plugins throughout the videos including: Multimeter, Gain, Compressor, Bitcrusher, Overdrive, Channel Eq, Microphaser, Echo, Platinum Verb, NI Transient Master, KClip 3, Oszillos Megascope, Soundtoys Decpitator, Ozone Imager, FabFilter Saturn 2, Pro-C2, Pro-Q3, Pro-L2, Audioease Altiverb, Valhalla Plate, Maag EQ4, Waves SSL Bus Compressor, Waves L316, ADPTR Metric AB

After welcoming you, Larry begins by discussing the concept of measuring loudness and explaining how it relates to this course. Then he continues on to explain several tips for composing and selecting sounds with loudness in mind - much like the idea of choosing a song's instrumentation with mixing in mind. Explore mono compatibility with the use of a correlation meter and discover ideas for layering sounds to increase their richness as well.

Next up, learn some side-chaining techniques for creating headroom and how to employ micro-dynamic processing to create a tight, punchy, yet loud master. Discover also the many benefits of saturation and how it can be used in various ways, including examples on bass, electric piano, and hi-hat.

Larry also covers many other topics, including creating depth and separation, spatial effects, digital clipping, managing macro dynamics for impact, treatment of the master and/or stereo bus, and more! These ideas and techniques can be applied to many different musical styles - from rock to house and more - and will expand your mixing possibilities greatly when it comes to achieving your target volume level.

See the descriptions below for more information on the contents of each dynamic loudness video in the course. If you're looking for ways to get back some of the punch and musicality of your mixes that's lost when the level raises, then don't wait any longer... watch "Dynamic Loudness Explained®" today!

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I found there to be lots of insights here on gaining headroom for a louder track without compromising the sound of your track - shaving transients musically, having your Limiter react to peaks while still bringing up the RMS yet keeping it at a safe distance from the Limiter's ceiling, considering mono compatibility in the bass frequencies particularly (with a helpful warning for those of us who like using Retro Synth!). I've done loads of Larry's courses, and this was like a consolidated review of all of them because the general principles given in this course are the same ones he implements in all his mixing and mastering courses. This course brings it all together in one concentrated package.

As always a pleasure to follow one of Larry's courses and what a gem this is. I never knew how the pro guys made their tracks so loud without completely destroying them, but now I feel I'm a lot closer to get my pop tracks up to par. I make a lot folk, jazz and instrumental music without the need for loud mixes and masters, but still feel I can use the concepts discussed for clarity and space in those tracks as well. This is quite an advanced course with a lot of difficult subjects and a few times the pace is a little high, so easy to use I don't find it hence the 3 stars, but it's well explained for most stretches, so not that hard to follow and with a rewatch in future more details will stick. Some of the plugins used are rather expensive, but besides a clipper which I don't have, I'm sure I can use some I already own or at least find cheaper alternatives. All in all a really good and helpful course. Thanks Larry.