The Dreaded Phone call........ about mastering!

[ApolloSpeed]

Ok, this has happened a couple times to me....and it amazes me everytime I hear it from someone, I just have to share this.

I get this phone call last night from a band that recorded with someone, and the guy says that it sounded pretty good out the board in this studio......
But when they got the finished product in a cd player, he thought it totally sucked. They spent $100 a song, and i checked it out and it sounded like it's worth about $6.55 song.:Smug:

He then said he liked the sound I was getting, and proceeded to asked the infamous question: Can you do some "mastering" and make it sound good?

I told him, its not the mastering..... its the mix. You can't polish a turd.

So, I said either give me all the raw tracks, and I can maybe mix it, maybe that is!......or we need to record it the right way.

....yep.....Good ole' mastering!

 

[Sinister Mephisto]

Haha, Classic.

Every fucking band that comes in asks about like how I'm going to "master the drums" or "master the guitars" and have no idea that I ever actually master their recordings. Somehow, they got it in their head that mixing is called mastering, and that mastering doesn't exists.

Then again, I kind of appreciate them having no idea what I'm doing. It makes them feel more comfortable paying me to do my thing, and makes them less likely to question my method. Nothing more frustrating then some guy who thinks he knows how to do everything himself, but basically wants to rent your gear, (and also sucks, of course)

 

[ApolloSpeed]

Yeah, I've had that guy too that thinks his recordings are badass and he knows how to do shit....... And I think to myself, if that's the case, then why is your band here?

 

[Loren Littlejohn]

I have had this question asked.

I say "I don't master, the most I will do it get it loud for you". But I always give them a non loud one in case they decide to pro master it. I doubt any of them will.

 

[Ermz]

Yeah it seems common. I always give it to em straight up and just outline all the limitations to mastering whatever material they give me. That's not even mentioning that I outright refer most people asking for mastering to an actual mastering house, unless they're on a really limited budget. Most material ends up getting remixed.

 

[LSD-Studio]

I'm usually telling them to master their instruments first

 

[Ermz]

zing

 

[Glenn Fricker]

Had the same thing happen to me a few times as well.

I always give references to Pro mastering houses. But, they're usually too cheap for that. Everyone wants something for nothing.

 

[26]

I'm usually telling them to master their instruments first

LL

 

[if6was9]

yeah I've seen so many people call mixing mastering- from some people that should know too!
Alot of people don't seem to realise too that if a mix is crap then a remaster just won't make it great, So many times I've seen people show me their stuff and tell me "its not even mastered yet!" As though a master is gonna make it sound insanely great compared to the mix from the studio.

 

[ArtGarceau]

Preaching to the choir.

 

[Ouroboros]

The difference is amazing when you have a good mix, with a lot of headroom especially, and you hear the final mastered result. Even though the mix was good, compared to a good master, it was a turd.

 

[garry666]

The difference is amazing when you have a good mix, with a lot of headroom especially, and you hear the final mastered result. Even though the mix was good, compared to a good master, it was a turd.

I dont think their talking about how much better you can make a mix sound by mastering it properly. They are talking about when you get bands who bring in shit material and expect you to put it through some magic machine that turns turds to gold.

 

[ApolloSpeed]

yeah, I'm talking about a horrible recording and even more horrible mix...... and then a band trys to bring it to me to "master" it and make it sound like it is something I recorded from scratch.