How To Master ?

[Mendel]

Well, I have been quite a while on this board and got a lot of tips from you guys and advice. But still i don't know how to master or even exactly know what it is.

Now i don't ask you guys to teach me from begin to end how to master i just want to know how i begin ?

First i know, i must be satisfied with the mix before i go mastering but then what?

My biggest question is this: Do i have to export all tracks seperatly to wav. to master ?

Or do i have to audiomixdown everything into 1 wav. file. and work with that ?

I have no clue, and i goes some of you guys do have a clue !

Thanks.

 

[jhanse]

The standard practice is that you have one stereo wave file, but exporting multiple tracks (e.g. bass, drums, guitar, vox) separately also known as "stems" can work too. That way you have more control over the instrument balance. For example: you have a great bass tone, you have a great guitar tone and everything is peachy, but there is just something shitty happening in the 150Hz area of the bass. Having only one track, you'd have to repair the damages and thus sacrifice the 150Hz area on guitar and on drums also. But if you have multiple tracks, you can work that shit out on the bass track and the guitars just stay intact. That's the main difference, track-wise.

As far as the actual mastering is concerned, it should be mostly achieving a level of loudness through different stages of compression, and coloring the whole song through EQ and the sort. You have to be careful with compression though, because you don't want your master to be pumping (unless you're going for that effect) and you don't want noticeable clipping. Just don't let the hunger for loudness let you ruin your mix. We've seen that happen, 'aven't we?

Hope this helps you on your path to mastering!

 

[Mendel]

It helped so much!

Thx!

Anymore of you got tips ?

 

[Ermz]

Pre-mastering (which we'll condense to 'mastering' as it seems the going term for the process, despite how historically incorrect) is traditionally a process through which the source material is treated to stand up well on the final medium/s it's printed on and sound consistent across as broad a range of reproduction systems as possible.

By that definition, if you don't have really good gear, a fantastic reproduction system & room, an objective perspective & years of experience, you can't do 'true' mastering.

Mastering is essentially a mindframe shift, where you think of the songs as part of an album, rather than individual tracks, part of a song. You look at the overall picture, consistency, flow etc.

Understanding that is far more important than getting advice on what to slam where and what to cut and how. The above always stays consistent, whereas your processing will change drastically from project to project.

If you really want to understand true mastering, and not the backyard half-arsed mastering adopted on this, and many other forums, I suggest you check out some texts by real mastering engineers, perhaps starting with 'Mastering Audio' by Bob Katz.

 

[jhanse]

If you really want to understand true mastering, and not the backyard half-arsed mastering adopted on this, and many other forums, I suggest you check out some texts by real mastering engineers, perhaps starting with 'Mastering Audio' by Bob Katz.

+1

 

[Mendel]

Thanks, i already have so recording books, and mastering is a thing i don't have any book of.

I'm getting that book, thx !

 

[Trep]

Have you Guys had a go at the MS mastering technique before?

Thats Really usefull too

 

[ArtGarceau]

Pre-mastering (which we'll condense to 'mastering' as it seems the going term for the process, despite how historically incorrect) is traditionally a process through which the source material is treated to stand up well on the final medium/s it's printed on and sound consistent across as broad a range of reproduction systems as possible.

By that definition, if you don't have really good gear, a fantastic reproduction system & room, an objective perspective & years of experience, you can't do 'true' mastering.

Mastering is essentially a mindframe shift, where you think of the songs as part of an album, rather than individual tracks, part of a song. You look at the overall picture, consistency, flow etc.

Understanding that is far more important than getting advice on what to slam where and what to cut and how. The above always stays consistent, whereas your processing will change drastically from project to project.

If you really want to understand true mastering, and not the backyard half-arsed mastering adopted on this, and many other forums, I suggest you check out some texts by real mastering engineers, perhaps starting with 'Mastering Audio' by Bob Katz.

Agreed.