The Loudness Test You’re Not Using

When the song “Robot Pizza” appeared in our Member Spotlight forum, I immediately thought… well this is going to be fun! 🤖🍕

Kirk (a children’s book author — which suddenly explains everything) shared his in-progress mix, asking questions I hear all the time:

At one point he described the mix as feeling “so vulfy!” — worried he’d overused a new plugin, the Vulf Mastering Compressor — which made me laugh… because yeah, we’ve all been there. 😂

Here’s the key insight I shared – one that’s shaped how I judge mixes for years – taught to me by Rick Rubin:

A great mix should make you want to turn it UP — not down.

I call this the Volume-Knob Test, and it’s a far better loudness reality-check than LUFS. All you need are your ears and a volume knob.

The Volume-Knob Test (Steal This)

1. 1. Play your mastered / limited mix at a loud-ish volume.
      (You should still be able to talk to someone next to you with slightly raised voices.)
   2. As it plays, notice your instinct — not your analysis.
   3. Ask one simple question:👉 Do I want to turn this up even louder… or secretly turn it down?

Pass = You’re smiling, nodding along, leaning in. It feels like your own personal arena concert.
​Fail = You’re tensing up, wincing in choruses, or wishing you had a pillow for your ears.

That’s the whole test.

If You Fail the Test, Here’s the Fix

If your instinct was to turn it down, here’s my tried-and-true reset:

• • Bypass your mastering limiter entirely
  • Make the mix feel exciting without mastering plugins
  • Turn your speakers up — not your limiters
  • Fine-tune until the mix breathes, pops, and dances
  • Once it feels great loud without mastering… add your final polish lightly

Remember: dynamics are cool 😎

Kirk’s “Robot Pizza” before and after results? Night and day.

This kind of transformation — in public, with real ears and real guidance — is exactly why this community exists.

👉 Read, listen, and join the convo here (you can hear the difference immediately):
​https://mixprotege.com/forums/discussion/robot-pizza-too-crunchy/​

(Free account required to view — takes about 30 seconds.)​

And if you try the Volume-Knob Test this week, hit reply and tell me what you noticed! I read every email.

🎚️Faders forever,

Dana