Know your mix.
Find your reference.

01 / Installation

Windows

You need Windows 10 (version 1607) or later and a DAW with VST3 support. Check the release notes for the processor architectures available in your download.

1. Close your DAW and download the Windows package for your processor architecture.
2. Extract the archive first. If the package includes an installer, follow its instructions. For a manual installation, copy the complete .vst3 bundle to C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3. Windows may ask for administrator permission to copy files there.
3. Keep the bundle and its internal folders together. Do not copy only the binary from inside the bundle.
4. Open your DAW, enable VST3 scanning in its plugin settings, and run a rescan. Add Audio-RefMatch to your master bus or main output.

02 / Installation

Linux

Use a Linux DAW with VST3 support and a package that matches your processor. Distribution and library compatibility depend on the release; check its accompanying notes.

1. Close your DAW and download the Linux package.
2. Extract the archive, preserving its directory structure and file permissions.
3. Create ~/.vst3 in your home directory if it does not exist, then copy the complete .vst3 bundle into it. The folder is hidden; enable hidden files in your file manager to see it. A user installation does not require root access.
4. Open your DAW and check that it scans ~/.vst3. Rescan VST3 plugins, then add Audio-RefMatch to your master bus or main output.

If the plugin will not load, check your DAW's scan log for missing libraries or an architecture mismatch. Include that information when contacting support.

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What Audio-RefMatch does

Audio-RefMatch is a reference-comparison plugin for your DAW, the application in which you record, mix, or master music.

Throughout the interface:

• Source means the audio entering the plugin from your DAW. This is usually your mix or master. It appears in an off-white colour.
• Reference means the audio file loaded into Audio-RefMatch. It appears in green.

You can switch between the two signals, match their listening levels, compare their tonal balance, inspect stereo width and peaks, and read suggestions based on the audio you have played.

Match EQ and Analysis provide guidance. They do not automatically EQ, compress, or widen your mix. Make those changes with your usual mixing or mastering tools. Level Match and the frequency audition filter do affect the audio you hear.

Choose a reference with a useful relationship to your music: similar instrumentation, arrangement density, or intended sound. A difference from the reference is a listening prompt, not necessarily a fault.

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Quick start

1. Insert Audio-RefMatch on the DAW channel you want to compare. For a complete mix, place it after your mix or mastering processors on the master bus.
2. Click the empty reference area to choose an audio file, or drag a file into the plugin.
3. Select a representative section of your own song in the DAW.
4. Click the reference waveform to choose a comparable section of the reference.
5. Start playback in the DAW. Keep the plugin window open while using loops and recording visual history.
6. Set LEVEL MATCH to SOURCE. Allow about three seconds of audible playback for both signals to be measured.
7. Use AUDIO OUTPUT to alternate between Source and Reference. Listen for one quality at a time: bass, vocal presence, brightness, width, or punch.
8. Open MATCH for tonal guidance or ANALYSIS for a written summary of recorded playback.
9. Adjust your mix with your normal processors, then listen again.

Keep processors after Audio-RefMatch in mind: they also process the selected reference output. For a comparison of your finished processing chain, placing Audio-RefMatch last avoids sending the reference through that chain again.

Before exporting your mix, bypass Audio-RefMatch in the DAW, or select Source, set Level Match to OFF, and disable the frequency audition filter. Otherwise, your export can contain the reference or an altered monitoring signal.

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Loading and managing references

Load a file

Click the empty reference area, use the + tab, or drag an audio file onto the plugin. The empty screen lists the formats supported by your installed version; the file chooser also filters for supported audio files.

Use local audio files. If a format is not accepted, export or convert the recording to a standard WAV file and load that instead.

Work with reference tabs

Each loaded reference has a tab. Click a tab to make that reference active. Hover over a tab to see its full file path when the title is shortened.

Right-click a reference tab for these commands:

You can also middle-click a reference tab to close it. Closing a tab does not delete the original audio file.

Free supports one reference at a time. To replace it, close its tab and load another file. Dropping another file while the existing Free reference is loaded keeps the current reference. Premium allows multiple reference tabs.

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Playback and waveform controls

The waveform represents the reference file, not your DAW mix. The playback locator shows the current reference position.

Use the DAW's transport to start and stop playback. Audio-RefMatch follows the host's play/stop state, but the reference position is independent of the DAW timeline. Moving the DAW playhead does not automatically align the reference to the same timestamp, bar, or beat.

• Click an unselected waveform area to choose a reference position.
• When loops are hidden, click or drag across the waveform to move the reference locator directly.
• Use the waveform expansion control to enlarge the waveform area. Click again to collapse it.

Select equivalent musical passages manually. For example, compare a full chorus with another full chorus rather than comparing your chorus with a quiet reference intro. RefMatch does not automatically align arrangements or tempos.

Seeking while playing starts a new playback-history recording and restarts active-loop capture. Seeking while stopped lets you inspect retained history; it also starts a fresh integrated-loudness measurement for subsequent playback.

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Creating and editing loops

Loops repeat a chosen section of the reference. They do not move or loop the Source transport in your DAW. Set a separate DAW loop if you also want your own section to repeat.

Only the active loop repeats. Hiding loops preserves the selections but suspends their use; it also allows direct locator dragging. Hidden loops are not available as the active loop for an Analysis report.

Keep the plugin window open for loop-based comparison and capture. For a repeatable comparison, choose a reference loop and a DAW loop with comparable musical content and duration.

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Choosing what you hear

The AUDIO OUTPUT switch selects the signal sent out of the plugin:

• Source: listen to the incoming DAW audio.
• Reference: listen to the selected reference file.

The switch selects one signal at a time. Both signals can still be measured while you listen to either one. The Stereo view follows the selected signal.

Switching output does not make the input meters show the adjusted output level. The meter cards describe the incoming Source and Reference; their gain rows show any separate Level Match correction.

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Level matching

Louder audio can seem more impressive even when its tone or dynamics are less suitable. Level matching makes comparisons easier by reducing that loudness difference.

Choose a mode under LEVEL MATCH:

Matching uses short-term perceived loudness. Allow roughly three seconds of audible playback after starting or changing material. Very quiet or missing audio may not provide a usable measurement. The last valid correction is held during silence or a transport stop.

Corrections are limited to 24 dB in either direction. If the signals are extremely far apart, complete matching may not be possible.

Read the gain row on each meter card to see the correction. Negative gain means attenuation; positive gain means a boost. The input loudness values can remain different even when the listening levels are matched.

QUIETEST can lower your Source output. Turn Level Match off before exporting if you want the original Source level. Match EQ's tonal comparison remains loudness-normalized regardless of which Level Match mode you choose.

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Meters and loudness

Each signal card shows two measurement types. Choose them in Settings, using Left Meter Unit and Right Meter Unit. These are the two measurement slots, not the left and right audio channels. The same choices apply to both signal cards.

For a first comparison, use LUFS-S and True Peak. To compare sample peaks with estimated intersample peaks directly, select Peak and True Peak together.

Less-negative readings indicate higher levels: -10 LUFS is louder than -16 LUFS. Positive peak readings indicate levels above full scale.

Integrated loudness

LUFS-I measures what has actually played. Loading a file does not measure its entire duration.

To measure a whole song:

1. Select LUFS-I (Integrated) in Settings.
2. Stop the DAW.
3. Hide or clear reference loops if you want a full-song pass.
4. Seek the reference to the start while stopped. This resets both integrated readings.
5. Position your own song at its start in the DAW.
6. Play through the intended comparison interval.

Integrated readings pause and remain visible when you stop. They continue when playback resumes. Loading, changing, or removing a reference, or seeking the reference while stopped, resets the pair of measurements. Repeated loop passes each contribute to the result. Integrated readings are not saved with the project.

Stopped, quiet, and waiting readings

When the DAW stops, live readings show -- and the cards show STOPPED. Integrated readings remain available. During playback, very low live readings at or below -90 dB show -- as well.

Waiting / holding means a fresh usable matching measurement is not yet available. Play audible material in both signals and allow the measurement time to settle.

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Spectrum

Open SPECTRUM to compare the distribution of energy across frequencies.

• The horizontal axis runs from low frequencies on the left to high frequencies on the right.
• The vertical axis shows level. Higher curves or bars indicate more energy in that range.
• Off-white represents Source; green represents Reference.

The display averages recent audio, so it takes a few seconds to settle. It shows the input spectra; a louder recording may sit above a quieter one across much of the graph. Use Match EQ for the loudness-normalized tonal comparison.

Choose Bars or Lines in Settings, or right-click the Spectrum or Match display and choose the spectrum style from its menu.

Hold Shift to freeze the spectrum visually while inspecting it. Release Shift to return to live updates. Audio playback continues while the display is frozen.

As listening landmarks, low frequencies contribute bass weight, mid frequencies carry much of the body and presence of instruments and voices, and high frequencies contribute brightness and air. Instruments overlap these ranges, so use the graph to locate a difference and then listen.

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Match EQ and DIFF

Open MATCH, then use the MATCH EQ / DIFF switch.

Both modes compare tonal balance after accounting for overall loudness differences. They show the same comparison from opposite directions.

For example, +4 dB in MATCH EQ around a bass region means Source has less energy there after loudness normalization. DIFF shows the same difference as -4 dB. It is a reason to investigate the bass, not an instruction to apply exactly 4 dB of EQ.

Hover over the curve to see the frequency, difference, which signal has more energy, and the suggested Source boost or cut. The advice stays consistent when you switch display modes.

The shaded region marks ±3 dB as a visual reference. It is not a pass/fail target. Gaps or waiting messages indicate insufficient usable information, such as a quiet frequency region or incomplete measurements.

Band summaries

Match also compares three broad regions:

The available upper frequency range depends on the audio sample rate.

The summaries describe the Reference relative to Source:

• Width: whether the reference contains more or less stereo-side energy. Differences are in percentage points, not a percentage setting to enter into a widening plugin.
• Crest / peakiness: how far peaks rise above average energy. A larger reference crest factor suggests more prominent peaks relative to its average level.
• Phase: whether Source shows a risk of cancellation when combined to mono.

These observations are separate. A wider reference does not necessarily have better mono compatibility, and a crest-factor difference alone does not tell you which compressor settings to use.

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Listening to a frequency range

The frequency audition filter lets you hear a selected band in either Source or Reference. Use it in SPECTRUM or MATCH to focus on a suspected difference.

1. Click a frequency band in the graph to create a highlighted selection.
2. Drag its boundary handles to change the range.
3. Drag inside the selection to move it to another range.
4. Release the mouse to apply the selected range to playback.
5. Switch AUDIO OUTPUT between Source and Reference to compare that range.

Double-click inside the selection to toggle filtering while keeping the selection visible. Click its close button to remove it and return to full-range playback. Editing the selection enables the filter again. The selection is shared between Spectrum and Match.

The filter affects whichever signal you are monitoring. Measurements still describe the input signals. Return to full-range listening before judging the overall balance, and disable the filter before exporting your mix.

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Stereo view

Open STEREO to see the stereo image of the signal selected under AUDIO OUTPUT. Switch between Source and Reference to compare their images.

The goniometer is a visual map of the relationship between left and right channels:

• M, at the top, represents the shared centre or mono component.
• L and R mark the left and right directions.
• +S and -S, toward the sides, represent the stereo difference component.

A narrow, mostly vertical image suggests strong centre content. A broader image suggests more side content. This is a moving description of the audio, not a width control.

Correlation describes how similarly the left and right channels behave. Positive values indicate more similarity; values around zero indicate less similarity. Negative values indicate opposing content and possible cancellation when summed to mono.

If you see a phase warning, check the mix in mono using your DAW or monitoring tools. Listen for disappearing instruments, weaker bass, or a hollow sound. RefMatch's warning identifies a risk; listening tells you whether the result is a problem.

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Peak history

Open HISTORY to inspect recent Source and Reference peak levels over time. Use it to spot transient-heavy passages and compare how consistently each recording reaches its peaks.

• Click the Source or Reference legend to hide or show that trace.
• Hover over the graph to inspect level information.
• Hold Shift to freeze the visual trace temporarily. Release it to resume updates.

Freezing the graph does not stop audio playback. Peak history describes recent peak behaviour; it is different from LUFS-I and from the written Analysis report.

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Playback history and inspection

Playback history retains recent analysis so you can review it after stopping.

1. Open Settings and enable Enable Playback History.
2. Set History Length (s) to the amount you want to retain, from 10 to 3600 seconds.
3. Keep the plugin open and play the section you want to compare.
4. Stop the DAW.
5. Click inside the marked history range on the reference waveform to inspect the recorded analysis at that position.

Only recorded positions are available. Clicking outside the retained range does not create data or erase the existing history. When several loop passes contain the same position, inspection favours the latest pass among equally close recorded positions.

History is a rolling window: older playback falls out as new audio is recorded. Automatic loop wraps preserve recording, subject to that limit. A manual seek during playback, a playback restart, or a reference change starts a fresh history and history-based summary.

Inspecting a point while stopped changes the displayed snapshot, not the overall history report. The marked waveform range shows which parts remain available; it does not imply that the whole file has been analyzed.

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Analysis reports

Open ANALYSIS for written observations and actions to try. Cards cover relevant differences in tone, stereo image, and punch. Each finding separates the observation from a possible next step, with supporting measurements below. Scroll when the report is longer than the available space.

Use the HISTORY / LOOP switch to choose the material summarized.

HISTORY: summarize retained playback

This mode summarizes the retained playback history, using the history duration selected in Settings. Playback history must be enabled.

Play a representative section, stop, and read the report. Findings may suggest investigating bass weight, warmth, brightness, stereo balance, or compression. If tonal differences change direction over the recorded section, the report can identify that variation instead of suggesting a single fixed EQ move.

The report highlights meaningful measured differences, including tonal differences from 3 dB, width differences from 5 side-energy percentage points, and crest differences from 2 dB. These are reporting thresholds, not mandatory correction amounts or quality targets.

Matching or unmeasured bands are omitted. A short status explains when there are no relevant differences or not enough recorded audio. Quiet, incomplete, or unsupported measurements do not produce advice.

LOOP: summarize a complete active-loop pass

Use this mode when you want a report for one defined reference section.

1. Create and select a visible reference loop.
2. Set a comparable Source section in the DAW. If needed, create a DAW loop separately.
3. Open ANALYSIS and choose LOOP.
4. Start playback and leave the plugin open.
5. Wait through the measurement warmup and one complete captured pass.

Capture allows about three seconds for measurements to settle, then starts at the next loop boundary. Starting halfway through a loop does not publish a partial pass. Short loops may need several warmup rounds. The view shows capture progress.

Only a complete pass replaces the previous complete result. Stopping retains that result and discards the unfinished pass. Restarting requires warmup again. Changing the reference, active loop, or loop boundaries, or manually seeking during playback, resets capture.

Loop analysis works independently of the playback-history duration and can work with playback history disabled. If no visible active loop is available, the view falls back to Playback History, which does require history recording.

The result compares the reference loop with the Source audio actually played during that pass. It does not automatically align the Source to the reference loop.

Applying the advice

Treat each suggestion as an experiment:

1. Listen to the named quality in both recordings.
2. Make a small adjustment with your normal EQ, dynamics, panning, or width controls.
3. Capture or play the comparison again.
4. Keep the change only if it helps your music.

A reference may use a different arrangement, instrument balance, or aesthetic. Matching every measurement is not the goal.

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Settings

Click the settings button in the plugin header, or choose Settings... from a reference tab's context menu.

The two meter slots use different measurement types. Choosing the same type in both causes one slot to change to an alternative.

Click OK to save the general settings. Cancel closes the dialog without saving those edits. A successful license activation takes effect immediately; it is separate from saving general settings.

The header logo opens the Audio-RefMatch website. The Settings window also includes a developer link.

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Saving and reopening a project

Save your DAW project to retain the plugin's reference setup. Saved state includes reference file locations, the active reference, monitoring selection, and saved waveform state such as loop regions, loop visibility, locator position, and the Analysis history/loop choice.

Keep the reference files available at their original locations. The project remembers their locations; it does not package the audio files into the project for you. When moving a project to another computer, copy the reference files as well and reload them if their locations change.

General display and history preferences are saved through Settings. Do not assume every temporary listening control or live display is restored: check output selection, Level Match, and the audition filter when reopening a session. Live analysis history, loop-capture results, and integrated readings are not a saved measurement report; replay the material to generate fresh results.

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Practical comparison workflows

Check tonal balance

1. Choose equivalent passages and set Level Match to SOURCE or QUIETEST.
2. Listen to each recording at full range.
3. Open MATCH EQ and hover over a region that stands out.
4. Audition that frequency range in both recordings.
5. Disable the audition filter and make a small EQ change in your own chain.
6. Compare again at full range.

For beginners: if the reference has fuller bass, first ask whether your bass instrument is too quiet. A broad EQ boost on the entire mix may also boost kick, rumble, and other low-frequency material.

Compare width and mono compatibility

1. Switch between Source and Reference in STEREO.
2. Check Match's width and phase observations by band.
3. Listen to Source in mono through your DAW's monitoring facilities.
4. Adjust panning, stereo effects, or width only where the difference helps the song.

Compare punch

1. Compare equivalent drum-heavy sections at matched listening levels.
2. Check HISTORY for peak behaviour and ANALYSIS for crest-factor observations.
3. Listen for attack, sustain, and whether loud hits feel flattened.
4. Review compression or limiting in your own chain, then capture another pass.

A higher crest factor can reflect stronger transients, lower sustained energy, or a different arrangement. It does not automatically mean better sound.

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Troubleshooting

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Glossary

Plugin not showing up?

• Confirm that the package matches your operating system and processor architecture.
• Put the complete VST3 bundle in a folder your DAW scans, rather than inside an extra extracted package folder.
• Restart your DAW and rescan. Check its blocked or failed plugin list if an earlier scan failed.
• On Linux, check the scan log for missing libraries.