Help please with mastering for newcomers

Dear "Gearshift..."
I'm brand new to mastering, I have seven songs under my belt (a month apiece) and I'm 60... as in years old.
I wonder if you realize how childish you seem to people (who have been exceedingly decent and nice to you btw)
While you're asking them to "Take my song and master it and give you the VST settings."
I mean, thanks for the laugh! Who are you looking for, Cinderella?

Grow up. And don't insult these people here by telling them if they won't DO YOUR WORK FOR YOU
THAT THEY "OFFER NO HELP."
I'm famous for being "Mr. Helpy Helper" around my way and I wouldn't
do a thing for you.
ENTITLEMENT. Forget the YouTube Mastering vid's, look that up!

Sorry guys. I couldn't hold it back... ugh!
Life is a do-it-yourself project.
 
Dear GearShift,

I've been a musician all my life (50 years) and just a year ago started with Ableton Live, A Scarlett 2i2 USB interface and all the instruments I have posted in my signature... I've written hundreds of songs and have 7 "in the can" (mastered and ready to burn) at this point. I'm going to try to explain in a more clear way (than curtain sales) what the gents above are trying to tell you.

It took me a little over a year to master my most complicated song (16 tracks) because I was learning HOW, when and WHY to do WHAT, during the process. If you don't understand that, you're like a doctor trying to treat every patient as though they were the same person with the same disease... results would be catastrophic, I'm sure you're intelligent enough to understand that. Sound engineering is half Art, and half science, and all hard WORK! I've spent endless hours just tweaking not only the mix (volumes of each track, and even segments of tracks) but the settings for the "chain" of effects, which vary TRACK BY TRACK, depending on it's needs to the mix and the SOUND I WANT. So, no matter what you got back from a truly kind and decent man who engineered your track for you;
1. It would never apply to any other song you could possibly write again, and
2. I'd bet my next years salary you would not like the result. You'd get HIS perfect mix.
3. You wouldn't learn a SINGLE THING about mastering from it.

Like most musicians I had no clue what sound engineers did or what tools they used and how complicated a process this "mastering" was. It's been a labor of love but truthfully, if you're looking for an "easy way" to learn mastering songs, there just isn't one. Each song is like a person; in many ways just the same as any other human being, but in very dramatic ways, completely unique. ALL my effects are VST's. Live9 and the free packs that come "bundled" with it include a dozen or more VST effects and utilities, even a guitar tuner. (the best I've ever used! Free!) Scarlett USB gives you (free also) the "red" bundle (EQ, Compressor & Gate) They ALSO give you the "Scarlett suite" which is EQ, Reverb, gate, and compressor. So why do I need both? Trust me, every single song I've used something from each on some part or track, because it works better. How's your voice? You MAY need a pitch-correction plug-in (I use Graillon2) But what if I think you do, and you don't?

I could write you a BOOK on how I mastered that "most intricate song" I produced, and if I sent you the device chains (x16) and the settings, (x devices per track x 16!) they would be as useless to you as a $100,000 worth of mechanics tools are to somebody who can't even change a flat tire yet.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but short of paying someone a well-deserved paycheck for all that work, you have a long, hard "D.I.Y." road ahead of you.

Good luck and seriously, just dig in, "get your hands dirty." It is UNIQUELY challenging but also immensely rewarding when that track is finally "perfect" and you have a tool-box and experience to use on your second song!
 
Last edited:
Back
Top