Dark 808 slides, cowbell presence, dusty tape aesthetics
The exact EQ, compression, and mastering treatment for AIVA-generated Phonk music — combining the universal AIVA artifact fixes with Phonk's genre-specific mastering requirements.
AIVA Phonk tracks share all universal AIVA artifacts.
Apply the standard AIVA fixes: Transient timing midi stiffness, 60–120 Hz low-end thinness.
Then apply standard Phonk EQ for the platform — see the full spec guides below.
These frequency problems appear in all AIVA output — including Phonk tracks.
AIVA's orchestral output lacks the micro-timing variations of human performance. Every note starts and ends at exactly the grid position — this sounds robotic to experienced listeners of orchestral music.
Fix: Mastering alone cannot fix timing issues — this is a mixing/production problem. However, gentle tape saturation on the master bus adds harmonic richness and subtle timing artifacts that partially mask the mechanical quality.
AIVA's orchestral arrangements often lack the sub-frequency weight of a live orchestra in a real concert hall. The mix sounds like MIDI rather than a full ensemble.
Fix: Boost 80–120 Hz by 2–3 dB gently. Apply a gentle low-frequency enhancement plugin (like Waves Rbass) to add sub-harmonic content that AIVA's orchestral samples don't include.
AIVA's string section reverb is often excessive — strings are buried in reverb and sound distant and indistinct. This is a common AI orchestral problem.
Fix: Cut 2–4 kHz by 1–2 dB to push the string reverb tails back. Apply a gentle transient shaper to bring the attack of string notes forward relative to their reverb tail.
AIVA exports are often more compressed than live orchestral recordings — the wide dynamics of a real orchestra are reduced.
Fix: Apply upward expansion before limiting to restore orchestral dynamic contrast. Target 14–20 LU dynamic range for authentic orchestral sound.
AIVA's sample library synthesis lacks the high-frequency 'air' that real acoustic instruments produce in live performance.
Fix: Apply a gentle high-frequency shelf boost at 16 kHz (+1 to +1.5 dB). This restores the acoustic 'air' that differentiates live orchestras from sample libraries.
MIDI Stiffness: Mastering alone cannot fix timing issues — this is a mixing/production problem. However, gentle tape saturation on the master bus adds harmonic richness and subtle timing artifacts that partially mask the mechanical quality.
Low-End Thinness: Boost 80–120 Hz by 2–3 dB gently. Apply a gentle low-frequency enhancement plugin (like Waves Rbass) to add sub-harmonic content that AIVA's orchestral samples don't include.
Over-Reverbed String Sections: Cut 2–4 kHz by 1–2 dB to push the string reverb tails back. Apply a gentle transient shaper to bring the attack of string notes forward relative to their reverb tail.
Apply moderate glue compression before limiting.
Target the platform LUFS — -14 LUFS for Spotify.
Apply upward expansion (1.2:1) before the limiter to restore AI-compressed dynamics.
After fixing AIVA artifacts, master to these platform specs.
| Platform | LUFS | True Peak | Full Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
🟢Spotify | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP | Full spec → |
🍎Apple Music | -16 LUFS | -1 dBTP | Full spec → |
▶️YouTube | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP | Full spec → |
🌊Tidal | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP | Full spec → |
☁️SoundCloud | -11 LUFS | -0.5 dBTP | Full spec → |
🎵TikTok | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP | Full spec → |
🎧Audiomack | -13 LUFS | -0.5 dBTP | Full spec → |
🎛️Beatport | -9 LUFS | -0.3 dBTP | Full spec → |
🎨Bandcamp | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP | Full spec → |
📸Instagram / Reels | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP | Full spec → |
📦Amazon Music | -14 LUFS | -1 dBTP | Full spec → |
🎶Deezer | -15 LUFS | -1 dBTP | Full spec → |
Fix the universal AIVA artifacts first: cut 500 Hz for mud, cut 6 kHz for fizz, and mono the sub-bass below 80 Hz. Then apply Phonk-specific mastering — Sub-bass foundation: Heavy boost at 50–70 Hz for the signature 808 slide. High-pass below 30 Hz for rumble control.. Master to platform LUFS (-14 LUFS for Spotify).
AIVA Phonk has additional artifacts that recorded Phonk doesn't: MIDI Stiffness (Transient timing), Low-End Thinness (60–120 Hz). Apply these fixes before the standard Phonk mastering chain. The genre EQ settings themselves (LUFS targets, compression ratios) are identical to recorded Phonk.
Upload your AIVA Phonk track and MixMasterAI applies all artifact fixes plus Phonk-optimized mastering in 60 seconds. Free, no sign-up.
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