MASTERING BASICS
You have recorded and mixed your album. You're all set to go. Right? Not quite.
Mastering is the last step before an album is sent out for replication.
Many low budget albums use only the most basic mastering procedures.
That
doesn't mean they sound bad. If properly recorded and mixed, they should
still sound fine.
Advanced mastering can make the difference between a good album and a
great one.
A well mastered album is more likely to grab the listener's attention, get radio play,
and impress people at record labels.
So, exactly what's involved in mastering, where should you have it done,
and how far should you go?
Basic Mastering
Basic mastering consists of sequencing,
editing, fading, leveling, and de-glitching.
Sequencing means putting the songs in order, with the right spacing, and
making sure each song
starts cleanly, with no extraneous noises (like breaths, squeaks, false notes, etc.)
Editing includes things like splicing together multiple takes of a song to make one smooth cut,
replacing mistakes with correctly played passages from other takes or from elsewhere in the same take, removing a section or riff you accidentally played one time too many, etc.
Sometimes these edits are done during mixing, but often it's more efficient to wait until mastering.
Fading means making sure each song fades out in a smooth, natural way.
This is not always as easy as it sounds. Often artists don't wait long enough at the end of a take
before they speak or make some other noise, and getting a good fade can be tricky.
Leveling means making sure no part of the album is too much louder than
any other part,
unless of course it's supposed to be. A sure giveaway that an album was made by amateurs is
when you have to keep adjusting the
volume knob to listen comfortably.
De-glitching means removing popped p's, electronic ticks and other
non-musical artifacts.
Advanced Mastering & Mastering Houses
Advanced mastering involves delicate changes in the sound of an album that can make a big
difference in its
impact on the listener.
A good mastering engineer can lift a vocal out of a slightly murky
mix, add sparkle to highs
without adding stridency or sibilance, punch up the bass without making it boomy, subdue midrange
harshness without losing
clarity, and add presence and warmth to the sound.
These things are best done at mastering houses.
There you will find top quality gear designed especially for mastering.
You'll also find high
resolution speakers, and rooms acoustically designed for critical
listening.
Most importantly, you'll find highly skilled and knowledgeable
specialists who do nothing but master
day in and day out. They are intimately familiar with all kinds of music, and can evaluate yours
from a fresh perspective and a
fresh pair of ears.
Los Angeles recording studios Van Nuys music producer audio cd mastering