Learn · All Quick-Starts · 7 min
APEX
quick-start.
Finish a mix on the 2-bus — glue, tone, width and loudness — starting from one knob.
6 steps · every control name is the real one · Master Bus
Start on FLIGHT with WEIGHT
Drop APEX on the master and turn WEIGHT — the one-knob finish drives the whole chain harder (0–200%). On a mix you already like, 30–60% is often the entire move. Or pick a PROFILE (NEUTRAL, WARM, AGGR, CLUB) and press AUTO-MASTER: it listens to the mix and sets the chain to your target.
Glue it in 03 GLUE
Open 03 GLUE from the stage strip at the bottom. Raise COMP for classic bus compression, pick RATIO 2:1 / 4:1 / 10:1 (2:1 with RELEASE on AUTO is the classic setting) and set ATTACK. The chip shows the live gain reduction; 1–3 dB is glue, more is an effect.
Shape tone in 02 EQ · BAL
In 02 EQ · BAL, use the LOW and HIGH shelves (±9 dB, at LO FRQ / HI FRQ) for broad tilt and AIR for top-end lift; BALANCE, TILT and MATCH pull the spectrum toward a target or reference curve. Switch PHASE to LINEAR if shelving changes the punch of the low end; ZERO LAT for tracking and low CPU.
Control the image in 05 IMAGE
In 05 IMAGE, set BASS MONO around 100–150 Hz so the sub stays centred and translation-safe, then open WIDTH (up to 200%). HF COMP is a dynamic de-harsh for spiky highs; XFORMER adds output-transformer colour if the mix needs analog weight.
Clip and limit in 06 FINISH
In 06 FINISH, raise CLIP to shave 808 and drum peaks with the clipper (MODE MODERN / CLASSIC / HARD, CHARACTER TRANSPARENT / PUNCH / DENSE), PUSH to lean on the limiter, and set CEILING to −1.0 dB true-peak. Pick QUALITY 4×–16× oversampling for the render.
Verify loudness
Check LUFS INTEGR, TRUE PEAK and the DELIVERY readouts (TP MAX, PLR, PSR, LRA) against your target, and confirm the over indicator stays dark; set a TARGET and the suite grades against it. A/B with BYPASS — the levels should be close enough that you're judging tone, not volume.
Pro moves
Once it's working.
- 01 DRIVE (INPUT, DRIVE, DENSITY) adds vintage console harmonics before everything else — a little goes a long way on an already-dense mix.
- 04 MULTIBAND gives you up to six bands on the analyzer (ADD SPLIT, ATK, REL, per-band SOLO) to tighten just the low end without touching the vocal range.
- 07 RUNWAY holds RUN PREFLIGHT — a pass/fail delivery checklist for the current master; COPY MASTER REPORT puts the numbers on the clipboard for the client.
