Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Most producers still use EQ like it’s 2015. Learn how to EQ like it's 2026. I break down 3 EQ meta-hacks that change how EQ works for you.
Work With Me: warpacademy.com
Hop on Our Discord Server ➤ discord.gg/ZwNgZteGKw
These aren’t “tips” or “tricks.”
They’re mental upgrades that replace old habits and make everything else easier.
You’ll hear clear before/after examples and see exactly how these approaches work in real mastering scenarios.
Featured Music & Artist: DJ IBG (Faster Than Light Recordings / FTL)
-open.spotify.com/artist/1UmMmuGUZZNXS0h2JTkYha?si=WaQ9L0STS3Glr4sQEhybUA
-instagram.com/dj_ibg
-soundcloud.com/dj-ibg
What you’ll learn:
• How to add low-end weight without boosting subs
• How to shape punch by EQing time, not just frequency
• How to rebalance a mix by redistributing energy, not adding more
Once you start thinking this way, EQ stops being about boosting and cutting — and starts being about perception, dynamics, and control.
Chapters
00:00 Why EQ habits are holding you back
00:23 Meta-Hack #1: Phantom Sub Drive
03:22 Meta-Hack #2: Transient Isolation
06:20 Meta-Hack #3: Energy Redistribution
08:40 The bigger shift most producers miss
Work with me
I work directly with artists and producers on mixing and mastering.
→ Business & consulting inquiries: warpacademy.com
If any terms in this video went over your head, leave a comment.
I’m intentionally making these videos tighter — I’ll happily expand on anything in future deep dives.
Most producers still use EQ like it’s 2015. Learn how to EQ like it's 2026. I break down 3 EQ meta-hacks that change how EQ works for you.
Work With Me: warpacademy.com
Hop on Our Discord Server ➤ discord.gg/ZwNgZteGKw
These aren’t “tips” or “tricks.”
They’re mental upgrades that replace old habits and make everything else easier.
You’ll hear clear before/after examples and see exactly how these approaches work in real mastering scenarios.
Featured Music & Artist: DJ IBG (Faster Than Light Recordings / FTL)
-open.spotify.com/artist/1UmMmuGUZZNXS0h2JTkYha?si=WaQ9L0STS3Glr4sQEhybUA
-instagram.com/dj_ibg
-soundcloud.com/dj-ibg
What you’ll learn:
• How to add low-end weight without boosting subs
• How to shape punch by EQing time, not just frequency
• How to rebalance a mix by redistributing energy, not adding more
Once you start thinking this way, EQ stops being about boosting and cutting — and starts being about perception, dynamics, and control.
Chapters
00:00 Why EQ habits are holding you back
00:23 Meta-Hack #1: Phantom Sub Drive
03:22 Meta-Hack #2: Transient Isolation
06:20 Meta-Hack #3: Energy Redistribution
08:40 The bigger shift most producers miss
Work with me
I work directly with artists and producers on mixing and mastering.
→ Business & consulting inquiries: warpacademy.com
If any terms in this video went over your head, leave a comment.
I’m intentionally making these videos tighter — I’ll happily expand on anything in future deep dives.
![How to Compare Reference Tracks for Mixing & Mastering with the REFERENCE Plugin [In-Depth Tutorial]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PUO94qMuKk8/mqdefault.jpg "How to Compare Reference Tracks for Mixing & Mastering with the REFERENCE Plugin [In-Depth Tutorial]
✅ Try All our Courses for FREE: https://warpacademy.com/free-trial-2
Get the FREE DEMO of REFERENCE: http://bit.ly/2IrEeVw
Buy REFERENCE: http://bit.ly/2Gz1FKy
Skip to Somethin’:
0:10 Intro
1:04 First look at REFERENCE
1:22 Demo of the track to be mastered
1:53 Adding a reference track
2:23 How to A/B between reference & original tracks
3:05 Mirror vs Match function
3:20 How to set up & activate a loop
3:54 Using Track Align & Gain Match
4:51 How to use LUFS to match loudness
6:02 The Trinity Display
6:23 Analyzing dynamic range
6:39 Adjusting dynamic range with multi-band compression
8:08 How to analyze & match stereo width of each band
8:32 Using EQ Eight to adjust stereo information
9:10 Final A/B comparison of the quick master to the reference
We’ve all heard that using reference tracks while mixing and mastering is a good idea. But how, exactly, do you do this properly? Comparing your music to fully mastered tracks is rife with problems:
Your track may not be in the mastering stage, so A/Bing against a mastered track can lead you astray.
If your track is mastered, what if the amount of dynamic range, or loudness, is totally different? How do you gain match them?
How do you objectively compare things like dynamic range, stereo width, or frequency balance?
How can you hone in on how different frequency bands are treated in your referencing process?
Merlyn Silva, an Ableton Certified Trainer on our team here at Warp Academy, is here to answer these questions for you. In this in-depth tutorial, you’ll learn how to properly compare reference tracks when mixing & mastering using the REFERENCE plugin from Mastering the Mix.
This plugin has a unique and useful take on how to handle the referencing process. It allows you to load in a number of reference tracks, and it allows a detailed analysis of them. You can loop specific parts of the reference tracks to align them with the proper part of your track. For example, comparing a drop or a chorus. You can create frequency bands to scrutinize what’s going on in the bass, mids, and highs.
There’s a special “Trinity Display” that shows you if each frequency band is more or less compressed in the reference track than your song. It’ll also show the level and stereo width of each band, relative to your reference tracks. Most importantly, it allows you to accurately gain match all the songs you’re listening to using LUFS (loudness units full scale). This gain adjustment will allow you to load up tracks that have been mastered louder or quieter than yours, and still use them to make very useful judgments.
We’ve been using REFERENCE for our own mixdowns & masters for some time now and it’s by far the most effective plugin for the job. It’s dramatically improved our ability to learn from the production and engineering on tracks we love. It gives you laser focus on exactly the type of details that are important when putting the finishing touches on your new song.
Follow along with Merlyn as he puts REFERENCE through its paces in a real example with one of his own songs.
#referenceplugin, #referencetracks, #masteringtutorial")
![The Singing Synthesizer That Can Make Realistic Computer Vocals [Vocaloid 5 Tutorial & Review]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/QeFXImLfwPg/mqdefault.jpg "The Singing Synthesizer That Can Make Realistic Computer Vocals [Vocaloid 5 Tutorial & Review]
✅ Try All our Courses for FREE: https://warpacademy.com/free-trial-2
Check out Vocaloid 5: http://bit.ly/Voc2Vocaloid
As a producer, when I am composing music that has lyrics I prefer to test them out first to be sure they sound great before I head into the studio to record with an actual vocalist. This is where Yamaha’s Vocaloid 5 comes in to streamline my creative workflow!
If you have never heard of it, Vocaloid is a software synthesizer that emulates the sound of a human voice. It is as easy as adding in MIDI notes to your DAW of choice (or into the stand-alone software), typing in your lyrics and hitting play. Vocaloid will automatically disperse each syllable of your lyrics over the MIDI notes you’ve added.
This software enables you to select from a wide variety of vocal types, styles, languages, and effects. With all of these options, it’s super easy to find a sound that fits nicely into your track. But it doesn’t stop there! Vocaloid allows you to selectively edit the beginning and end of each MIDI note and word to modify the expression of the vocalist. This includes things like the breathiness of the voice, yelling or growling, that sexy way Brittany Spears ends some of here lines (you’ll know it when you hear it), and even how robotic you want it to sound (if you were looking for a sound closer to how Drake’s engineer processes his vocals).
In this video, I take you through my top 3 favorite features of Yamaha’s Vocaloid 5 and give you a good look at all the controls and functions you’ll have at your fingertips in this impressive synth.
Skip to Somthin’
0:09 Intro
0:28 Join the Community
0:48 What is Vocaloid?
1:04 What types of Voices does it have?
1:34 What is the Vocaloid Editor?
2:01 Adjusting expression
2:30 My top 3 Favourite Features
3:57 Outro
#vocaloid5, #synthvocals, #tutorial")
![How to Use Dynamic EQ with FabFilter Pro-Q3 New Features [Review + Tutorial]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/R-21acnNOYY/mqdefault.jpg "How to Use Dynamic EQ with FabFilter Pro-Q3 New Features [Review + Tutorial]
✅ Try All our Courses for FREE: https://warpacademy.com/free-trial-2
Get FabFilter Pro-Q3: http://bit.ly/2GSNPTI
Skip to Somethin’
0:00 Intro
0:34 Video Overview
1:14 Demo Song
1:40 Intro to FabFilter Pro-Q3
2:02 New feature: dynamic EQ
2:35 Using dynamic EQ to solve frequency masking
3:57 Setting up an external sidechain
5:33 New feature: The tilt function
6:06 Pink noise vs white noise
7:36 New feature: Auto-gain
8:46 EQing a bass stab with auto-gain
9:28 Outro
Every once and a while, new technology comes along that dramatically changes the game. Dynamic EQ is one of those innovative leaps forwards. FabFilter has just updated its flagship Pro-Q3 EQ plugin to include this new feature (plus many more) and we’re excited to demo it for you in this tutorial video.
BigJerr will walk you through the updates. Here’s our game plan:
Introduction to FabFilter Pro-Q3
How Pro-Q3 is different from Pro-Q2
What dynamic EQ is and how it’s different from regular EQ
How to use dynamic EQ to get better mixdowns and eliminate frequency masking
Pro-Q3 new feature: the tilt function
Pink noise and why it’s important to the tilt function
Pro-Q3 new feature: Auto Gain
#dynamicEQ, #FabFilterProQ3, #mixingtutorial")
