There are a lot of misconceptions on what mastering is. Most people think all we do is tweak the sound and give another interpretation of the music. Well my friends, that's just the tip of the iceberg. Everything needs to be mastered. Now here is what I mean.
Mastering involves the load-in. This is taking a clients file and loading it into your workstation. This may mean either transfering a file into your workstation, or even doing a tape transfer. Yes, a tape transfer is part of mastering. This can be totally in the analog domain, or converted to the digital domain via an A-D converter.
Next is listening to the music. The questions I ask myself is it coherent from top to bottom? Do any frequencies stick out, like a resonant bass frequency? If not, then I don't do anything. The decision not to apply any EQ is just as important as if I HAD applied any corrective EQ.
Mastering is all about a 2nd opinion, just like the Doctor. When Recording/Mix engineers finish with their step, they are so close to the project they can't see the forest for the trees... or something like that. Mastering is an unbiased, fresh set of ears to listen to your project in a known acoustical environment. When something is recorded, mixed and mastered by the same person, I shy away.
The next part is a controversial one. What if the client wants me to make it "louder"? Or what happens if the songs were mixed by different engineers. I then need to make these tracks sound like one cohesive element. I may need to use compression or even spatial effects. Workstations have different panning laws and some songs may sound almost mono while some may sound almost out of phase because the stereo width is so wide.
Next is sequencing. Does the next piece of music "fit" into the flow of the album. Unlike at a concert where you have your best material at the end of the show so people won't leave, you have your best stuff at the beginning of the album. Think about standing at a kiosk or clicking the mouse on your computer. If the first 3 songs on the album don't catch your attenion, you're not going to buy it.
After I've sequenced the album, I then do "tops and tails". This is getting rid of, or adding silence between tracks. All albums should have a "flow" between tracks. You have a metronome in your brain that is going to the beat of the music and if the next song doesn't start on the "beat" or the natural flow of the rhythm, then something will be "off". It will take about 30 seconds or so to get your body back into the "flow" of the music.
This is where I usually make a reference copy for the client for their QA. If this has already been done, then I can move on to the next step. Otherwise, if I need to make any changes, I need to start back at the beginning.
Next thing I do is place PQ codes. These codes tell the CD/SACD player laser where to start and stop. Sometimes there can be markers for "ghost tracks", where the only way you will be able to find them is to start the CD and then hit "rewind".
After the PQ codes, somes text and metadata. This is where I place ISRC or UPC codes into the tracks and other pertinent data such as Title, Artist, Composer, Lyricist, Performer and others.
After that is all done, then I must produce a digital image for replication, physical disc for duplication or produce a file for downloads.
Now from the beginning I need to determine what the final deliverables will be for the project. Is this going to vinyl? Is this going to download such as ITunes or HDtracks? I will need to perform different mastering techniques depending on what the final outcome will be.
Hopefully this sheds a little light on the mastering process. It's not all about fiddling with knobs.
.
Mastering involves the load-in. This is taking a clients file and loading it into your workstation. This may mean either transfering a file into your workstation, or even doing a tape transfer. Yes, a tape transfer is part of mastering. This can be totally in the analog domain, or converted to the digital domain via an A-D converter.
Next is listening to the music. The questions I ask myself is it coherent from top to bottom? Do any frequencies stick out, like a resonant bass frequency? If not, then I don't do anything. The decision not to apply any EQ is just as important as if I HAD applied any corrective EQ.
Mastering is all about a 2nd opinion, just like the Doctor. When Recording/Mix engineers finish with their step, they are so close to the project they can't see the forest for the trees... or something like that. Mastering is an unbiased, fresh set of ears to listen to your project in a known acoustical environment. When something is recorded, mixed and mastered by the same person, I shy away.
The next part is a controversial one. What if the client wants me to make it "louder"? Or what happens if the songs were mixed by different engineers. I then need to make these tracks sound like one cohesive element. I may need to use compression or even spatial effects. Workstations have different panning laws and some songs may sound almost mono while some may sound almost out of phase because the stereo width is so wide.
Next is sequencing. Does the next piece of music "fit" into the flow of the album. Unlike at a concert where you have your best material at the end of the show so people won't leave, you have your best stuff at the beginning of the album. Think about standing at a kiosk or clicking the mouse on your computer. If the first 3 songs on the album don't catch your attenion, you're not going to buy it.
After I've sequenced the album, I then do "tops and tails". This is getting rid of, or adding silence between tracks. All albums should have a "flow" between tracks. You have a metronome in your brain that is going to the beat of the music and if the next song doesn't start on the "beat" or the natural flow of the rhythm, then something will be "off". It will take about 30 seconds or so to get your body back into the "flow" of the music.
This is where I usually make a reference copy for the client for their QA. If this has already been done, then I can move on to the next step. Otherwise, if I need to make any changes, I need to start back at the beginning.
Next thing I do is place PQ codes. These codes tell the CD/SACD player laser where to start and stop. Sometimes there can be markers for "ghost tracks", where the only way you will be able to find them is to start the CD and then hit "rewind".
After the PQ codes, somes text and metadata. This is where I place ISRC or UPC codes into the tracks and other pertinent data such as Title, Artist, Composer, Lyricist, Performer and others.
After that is all done, then I must produce a digital image for replication, physical disc for duplication or produce a file for downloads.
Now from the beginning I need to determine what the final deliverables will be for the project. Is this going to vinyl? Is this going to download such as ITunes or HDtracks? I will need to perform different mastering techniques depending on what the final outcome will be.
Hopefully this sheds a little light on the mastering process. It's not all about fiddling with knobs.
.