Hi bats, it was this statement that I thought was not so good:
 
....then you will have a premastered mix that will probably peak somewhere around -1 with a RMS of about 8, and then you can master that.
 
Sorry for any confusion. I would not be aiming for such a loud premastered mix that is all. I know some do for sure and I have had to master tracks like that and it is just so hard because you cannot undo anything that has happened before you get to master it. Often the processes they used to get it there sound terrible and you are just stuck with it as a mastering engineer. I send them back in those situations and ask them to turn everything off the master buss during the mix.
 
But yes I agree he is sitting at a perfect pre mastered level right now.

i only provided that as a example of what NOT to do!
heheh

I just finished a pop-rock tune that my son is going to sing (Radioactive by Imagine Dragons) 
 
It's out of my wheelhouse, but fits what you're talking about. It's mixed up to be loud and in your face (and distorted and saturated)
 
What I learned from the process was that I cranked it up and bounced it down to buses...
 
So I have a Drum Master
A Bass Master
A BGV Master
and an Instrument Master
 
These are stems. All FX were used to create the buses. Then I take those "stems" and send them to the mains and limit there. The stems have some dynamics, but the limiter on the main keeps everything just below where it needs to be. 
 
It may be easier to get the buses tweaked and bounce them? And then just send the stems to the mains and squash it there. But yes, obviously this by definition affects the dynamics... And you'll go back and tweak what you did to create the stems several times during this kind of process. 
 
This weekend we'll work on his LV Master and mix it all together. I don't speak with authority on this issue, I try different things all of the time. So my best advice would be to try different techniques and see what works best. What I described above seems to have worked pretty well for this project.
 
Also, I use FabFilter Pro-L, I think it is one of the better limiters. And Ozone5 also on the mains (w/o the Ozone limiter) And some other tricks I'm trying. Best thing is to experiment IMO.

Jeff Evans
Boost 11 limiter is one of the worst limiters on the planet so you will never get what you are looking for with that one. Get rid of it. 

 Tell it brother.

Thank you all for your help!  I did make a mistake, I asked how to raise my RMS to 0.0, I meant to around -8db or so, and PEAK around 0.0 or -0.1 or so.
 
I will take all this into mind when I am mastering my tracks.  Any more to add is always welcome!
 
 
 
 

keep you peaks down to at least -.2
 
for many reasons.

So let me just get this straight.   Pre-master demos should be @  -20 db to -15 db RMS and peaks around -5 db to -2db, and after the mastering, I should be around -10 db to -8 db RMS and peaks no more than -0.02db?   I imported some tracks from the last few years, and I see RMS around -8 db but the peaks are at 0.0.  
 
Thank you all for your help!

MIXING is one thing.
 
MASTERING is another.
 
always keep the two approaches separate.
 
the idea of getting the best SONICS falls under the mixing category..
 
obviously, using software meters is 'close' at best.... so always be frugal/diligent/conservative with levels during tracking, to get the best sonics.
 
the idea of VOLUME on your final product, falls under mastering.
 
gain staging is everything in mastering..
 
there is a lot you can do before you hit the brickwall limiting required for modern mastering levels.
 
but EVERYTHING you do, from the individual tracking all the way up to the final dither, is connected to everything else...
and you really gotta know what you are doing to get it all to fall into place.
 
takes a million mixes, and a million master sessions, before you get really good at it.
and even then, you are always hampered by the quality of your gear, from the microphone to the treatment on your walls, to the definition of your monitors, to your understanding of gain staging from the very first track.
 
 
the problem with peaks at 0 db is well documented.
do some searching on mastering techniques all around the web, and you will see issues with 0db.
 
now, if you happen to like the sound of 'crunchy' masters, then by all means, flatten it to the wall.
 
it's an acquired taste.
 

i highly recommend this book as well... quick read. 
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/books-sheet-music-media/berklee-press-audio-mastering--essential-practices-book-cd?source=3WWRWXGP&gclid=CLT9tIKa3roCFck1QgodRgIAjg&kwid=productads-plaid%5e41953126835-sku%5eJ00012000000000@ADL4MF-adType%5ePLA-device%5ec-adid%5e30432806787