What about Mastering
11Ok . I thought you were talking about pre-mastering. Sorry for that. You are right about mastering.
What about Mastering
13the$inmusicisallmine wrote:i thought i understood the process. i am likely a complete idiot about this, but isn't mastering simply the process of transferring the information from its current form (probably 1/4 inch two track) to the machines that will make multiple copies?
so, if you are mastering for vinyl, you have to set the riaa eq, and make whatever other eq adjustments or level matcihing or compresssion or whatever you want, and then you create (cut) a master. From which ismade records.
if you are mastering for CD, you do whatever eq, etc. you want and run the program into an A/D converter that creates a digital redbook master. From which is made CDs.
My point is: you have to "master" the program as part of the duplication process. Any audio tomfoolery beyond whatever is neccessary due to the medium (RIAA) is optional, although perhaps desireable.
or am i completely off the reservation here?
if the mix can't be improved by tweaking eq, panning, etc. and the program doesn't benefit from use of a limiter or compressor, then yes, you can just do a flat transfer. this is still 'mastering.'
mastering most often includes some adjustment of the program material, as discussed: level adjustments, limiting, eq, etc.
What about Mastering
14in spoken word we call it "optimization" but it's basically mastering.
Often it's just boosting levels, but it can also include eq, compression, noise reduction, fixing phase, fixing small parts that don't sound quite right, rolling off below 20-30Hz, above 15-20khz, and listening to the material a lot sometimes in comparison to other material.
And also usually quantizing and resampling, because either the client gives us the material in 96/24 or we've digitized it ourselves at 96/24. the goal is just to make it sound good. i'm not at all educated in mastering music so i don't know if it's similar.
Often it's just boosting levels, but it can also include eq, compression, noise reduction, fixing phase, fixing small parts that don't sound quite right, rolling off below 20-30Hz, above 15-20khz, and listening to the material a lot sometimes in comparison to other material.
And also usually quantizing and resampling, because either the client gives us the material in 96/24 or we've digitized it ourselves at 96/24. the goal is just to make it sound good. i'm not at all educated in mastering music so i don't know if it's similar.
What about Mastering
15don't forget the BBE Sonic Maximizer or the Aphex Aural Exciter! You want it to be a hit, right!?
What about Mastering
16Mastering is about the presentation of the MIX
Mixing is about the presentation of the music, the artist and the recording.
The only reason we do additional signal processing in mastering is to catch any unintended sonic issues that could make a bad first-impression on an important listener such as a DJ, promotion person, reviewer or promoter. If the next step in your career is riding on the impression made by your new CD on investors or the press, mastering is probably a good idea. In a great many cases, it is indeed pointless.
Mixing is about the presentation of the music, the artist and the recording.
The only reason we do additional signal processing in mastering is to catch any unintended sonic issues that could make a bad first-impression on an important listener such as a DJ, promotion person, reviewer or promoter. If the next step in your career is riding on the impression made by your new CD on investors or the press, mastering is probably a good idea. In a great many cases, it is indeed pointless.
Bob Olhsson (615) 385-8051
http://www.hyperback.com
http://www.hyperback.com
What about Mastering
17re: flaming lips thing
I think dave fridmann said that when he is asked to 'master' a record, he basically sends the mix in for mass replication. there are probably about 5 recording engineers in the world who could get away with this and i'm not sure he's even one of them...
ie.. get your stuff mastered if you plan on selling it.
I think dave fridmann said that when he is asked to 'master' a record, he basically sends the mix in for mass replication. there are probably about 5 recording engineers in the world who could get away with this and i'm not sure he's even one of them...
ie.. get your stuff mastered if you plan on selling it.
What about Mastering
18Certainly the whole idea of mixing is to make everything sound as good as possible to the person buying the CD. I've been known to cheer when one of my mastering clients' mixes is going across flat. That's a home run in my book.
What hurts is when we need to push the level in order to compete in meeting rooms and focus groups. The master is made to sound worse than the mix so it doesn't get thrown in the trash at a meeting. It would be really cool if people did special "hi fi" editions they sell direct to their fans in addition to the crushed versions that get entered in the high profile horse races. What hurts more is when people who aren't playing that game crush their mixes in a misguided attempt to be "stylish."
What hurts is when we need to push the level in order to compete in meeting rooms and focus groups. The master is made to sound worse than the mix so it doesn't get thrown in the trash at a meeting. It would be really cool if people did special "hi fi" editions they sell direct to their fans in addition to the crushed versions that get entered in the high profile horse races. What hurts more is when people who aren't playing that game crush their mixes in a misguided attempt to be "stylish."
Bob Olhsson (615) 385-8051
http://www.hyperback.com
http://www.hyperback.com