I’m embarking on full production of a new song, after having recently watched Mastering.com’s Radio Ready Single event. That presentation got me thinking about reference tracks, something I’ve really never used, so I thought I’d solicit some advice:
Do you use reference tracks in your productions?
Do you use them while creating material? for mixing? for mastering?
How do you go about choosing reference tracks?
Any pointers to tutorials (YT, etc.) about reference tracks that you’ve found helpful?
As I understand it’s when you take a professionally produced track that is a representative of the sound your aiming for in your production. use it for analysing and setting up your mix. You use the track as a reference to achieve these desired audio characteristics.
A song against which you want to compare your work to see that your production / mix / master is in a similar ballpark for overall sound, balance, dynamics, and loudness. Some people consider them essential, some don’t seem to believe they’re at all useful.
