Mastering The Combine has launched REFERENCE 3, a serious replace to its standard combine referencing plugin. We’re taking a more in-depth take a look at the most recent replace and making a gift of one license to at least one fortunate BPB reader.
REFERENCE 3 is priced at $79 with a 15-day free trial accessible (no bank card required). Homeowners of REFERENCE 1 or 2 get 50% off by logging in on the Mastering The Combine web site.
The Giveaway
To hitch the giveaway, merely enter your title and e-mail tackle within the type linked beneath. This can subscribe you to the BPB Publication (you’ll be able to unsubscribe at any time).
We’ll randomly choose and announce the Winner on this web page on April twelfth.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
And now, let’s try the plugin.
REFERENCE 3
When you’re referencing your combine to different tracks (as you need to), you’re already conscious of how useful that’s for making clear combine selections, but additionally how the comparability itself isn’t a really clean course of.
REFERENCE 3 makes that entire workflow tremendous straightforward.
You load it because the final plugin in your grasp bus, import skilled tracks you need your combine to sound like, and the plugin exhibits you precisely how your combine compares and what to regulate. It handles loudness matching robotically, so that you’re making actual selections, not simply reacting to quantity variations.
Model 3 provides many new options. Good Reference Tracks analyzes your combine and robotically suggests the 4 best-matching references out of your private library, with the loudest part already looped.
Every reference will get Combine Descriptor tags that present its tonal stability, stereo width, dynamics, and loudness relative to {most professional} releases. I like how this helps keep away from dangerous comparisons, since you’ll be able to instantly see when a reference observe’s profile doesn’t match the path you’re aiming for.
The brand new Grasp Scope brings all visible evaluation right into a single view.
The Stage Line exhibits the precise EQ boosts and cuts wanted to match your reference, based mostly on perceptual frequency weighting slightly than uncooked amplitude.
The Stereo Width Show does the identical on your stereo picture throughout the spectrum. There’s additionally Overcompression Detection, which highlights frequencies the place your combine is considerably much less punchy than the reference, and Part Evaluation that flags frequency-specific section points affecting mono compatibility.
Match % offers you a real-time rating exhibiting how carefully your tonal stability, stereo width, dynamics, and loudness match the reference.
Combine Teacher simplifies all of this into plain textual content directions throughout three frequency bands (low, mid, excessive), telling you issues like “enhance by 4 dB” or “slim width.” Combine Steadiness goes additional by suggesting acquire changes on your vocals, drums, music, and bass to match the relative stability of your reference.
The plugin additionally consists of REFSEND, a companion plugin that permits you to A/B total FX chains or mastering chains with true loudness matching. You may evaluate as much as 12 reference tracks and swap between them immediately.
REFERENCE 3 is out there in VST3, AU, and AAX codecs for macOS (10.15 and newer, Apple Silicon native) and Home windows (10 and newer).
Extra information: Mastering The Combine REFERENCE 3 ($79)
Final Up to date on April 7, 2026 by Tomislav Zlatic.
