Creating a Reference Track and Metering Chain in Reason
Plugins:
YouLean Loudness Meter: https://youlean.co/youlean-loudness-m...
Voxengo SPAN: https://www.voxengo.com/product/span/
Signalizer: https://www.jthorborg.com/index.html?...
OccularScope: https://bomshankamachin.es/plugins/oc...
ISOL8: https://www.tb-software.com/TBProAudi...
ReaPlugs bundle: https://www.reaper.fm/reaplugs/
I find reference tracks to be an essential part of "finishing" music. I'll A/B my mix or master against mixes I consider to be decent, I'll compare them in a spectrum analyser, and I'll solo different frequency ranges to hear the differences in each frequency range individually, making it much easier to spot differences in loudness, dynamics, stereo width and which instruments are standing out in each frequency band. If I'm comparing a mix to a mastered reference, I'll turn down the reference and try to match the levels before comparing.