Out of all the posts I hear on this board, it sounds like alot of people are mixing and mastering themself. Just curious, what will a good mix sound like BEFORE mastering? I'm just trying to listen and learn as much as possible.
How should it sound BEFORE mastering?
- Thread starter wishtheend
- Start date
ArtisanBass
I like a nice salad......
Genius Gone Insane
http://www.¯\(°_o)/¯.com
I've heard many mastering dudes say that their best masters have come from great mixes that hardly needed any work.
Ermz
¯\(°_o)/¯
ArtisanBass
I like a nice salad......
Gomez
Member
Normally I like to work on mixes that are peaking between -3.0 and -2.0dB.
Go easy on 2buss compression.
If you don't know what you're doing, don't use eq on your 2buss.
If you know what you're doing, don't use a crap eq on the 2buss.
I play it by ear when I actually mix stuff. If I know that the material I'm working on is going to go to good mastering suite with nice outboard, I leave room from 12k onwards, so you they can add some "posh" top form a classy eq. Same thing with the bottom end (sometimes).
Same goes for compression. I don't go crazy with it, the mastering suite might have a much better comp.
Essentlially, if you know your mixes are going to be in safe hands, do a great mix but leave some for the mastering.
Go easy on 2buss compression.
If you don't know what you're doing, don't use eq on your 2buss.
If you know what you're doing, don't use a crap eq on the 2buss.
I play it by ear when I actually mix stuff. If I know that the material I'm working on is going to go to good mastering suite with nice outboard, I leave room from 12k onwards, so you they can add some "posh" top form a classy eq. Same thing with the bottom end (sometimes).
Same goes for compression. I don't go crazy with it, the mastering suite might have a much better comp.
Essentlially, if you know your mixes are going to be in safe hands, do a great mix but leave some for the mastering.
Black neon bob
Member
- Jun 2, 2005
- 2,865
- 2
- 38
This question is always on my mind when i am mixing! good call to ask this here..
The way i see it, the mix is the most important thing in the production fase.. after the mix, comes mastering, and mastering is just a nice little coating over the mix, am i right? just there to get the volume up or on par, to fix some EQ stuff, maybe some compression, and that's it, i guess..
listening to the early strapping young lad copy of "alien" i have here, it says "unmastered".. it's a bit lower in volume compared to the rest, and that's about it.. not a big difference compared the final mix/mastered disc..
The way i see it, the mix is the most important thing in the production fase.. after the mix, comes mastering, and mastering is just a nice little coating over the mix, am i right? just there to get the volume up or on par, to fix some EQ stuff, maybe some compression, and that's it, i guess..
listening to the early strapping young lad copy of "alien" i have here, it says "unmastered".. it's a bit lower in volume compared to the rest, and that's about it.. not a big difference compared the final mix/mastered disc..
