HELP!!! with mastering *please*

[bigbody.2ya.com]

Hi, I'm the ceo of big body records, we have equipment, and recorded vocals, the problem is getting our music to sound proffessional.......can any1 give us hints on how to make our music sound good and strong. Or any software that we can use??? Just let me know also if there's any equipment we can use.....we just bought a sony dtc recorder so let us know....

Thanks again

[Blue Bear Sound]

Good sound comes from properly handling each step of the recording process.

Good sound sources recorded in good-sounding rooms with the right signal chain gives good-sounding tracks.

Good-sounding tracks provides good-sounding mixes.

Good-sounding mixes provide good-sounding masters.

If you don't get the tracking right, then you're already behind the 8-ball for mixing, which then means you're doubly behind for mastering......

Rescue operations using processing usually means compromises in sound quality and if you're trying to run a professional record company, there shouldn't be any compromises in sound quality.

[starch]

What kind of equipment are you using? (ie. mics, preamps, recording medium, etc.) As Blue Bear said this will determine where you will be able to begin. Then it's about technique and knowing how to change what you have to get the results you are looking for.

If you have great equipment and are skilled in using the equipment you should be half way there.

By the way you asked the question, it sounds like you have tracked some vocals with less than your desired results. If this is the case, what don't you like about what you have? Are the vocals flat, boomy, dynamic, poppy, sibilant, unintelligible, etc.? All of these things take different measures to resolve, but you have to know what you want it to be like before you will ever get there.

More info would help us help you.

[Massive Master]

Blue Bear forgot about quality engineers every step of the way also. I'm sure it was just an oversight...

[EDIT] I guess he did say "handling" - THat pretty much encompasses engineering also. My bad. [/EDIT]

John Scrip - www.massivemastering.com

[bigbody.2ya.com]

Well the main thing is making my music sound like it does on the radio, I know that they invest millions in studio, and have worked with equipment for years also, but there has to be an non-expensive alternative....I have about 20,000 worth of equipment, and aout 5-7,000 in duplication equipment.....

[Massive Master]

$20,000 for a studio IS the less expensive alternative! The last studio I built had a price tag of nearly $250,000 and THAT was less expensive than most...

John -

[bigbody.2ya.com]

John I'm sorry I don't have the funds like you do, but feel free to send them my direction

[The Seifer]

dude my computer cost $700

[bigbody.2ya.com]

Come on seifer, money isn't the promblem my cell phone that I'm doing all this posting from cost me 350$

[Massive Master]

They weren't my funds - I was just hired to design & have it built and equipped. If I had that kind of scratch, I... I... I don't know.

I'm just trying to say that in a "big time" (for lack of a better term) studio, you know, a CRC or a Hit Factory, just *one* console can set you back a half-million dollars.

I'm certainly not saying that you can't get pro-quality sound for $20,000 - It's done every day - It's just that $20,000 is already a bargain.

I'm a BIG fan of doing the best you can with what you've got. I don't have the gear I used to have at my disposal, but I feel I do better work now, with less.

ANYWAY - back to your dilema - How 'bout posting some MP3's? Go with a reasonably high bitrate (160 or 192) so we can get some detail on what you're looking for.

John -

[The Seifer]

yeah expensive equipment usually won't make you suck less

[chessrock]

Mr. Big Body,

First off, allow me to tell you how honored I am to be speaking with a real, live CEO of a company. It must have taken you much hard work and talent to have achieved such a position.

Second of all, if you are striving to make recordings that are worthy of radio hits, might I suggest hiring an Audio Engineer/producer to handle such tasks. This is generally the kind of thing a lot of other CEO's do. You know; hire a secretary to answer the phone and keep things organized . . . hire a few accounting people to handle the, uh, accounting. Hire an audio engineer or producer to make great sounding records. And so on, etc. etc. etc.

You could even save money by hiring them simply on a freelance basis -- I have done such work myself from time to time, and work at an unusually reasonable fee for such services. Others with more experience might charge more, etc. Depends a lot on the project, of course.

[bigbody.2ya.com]

Well thanks for clearing that up, cause I was thinking if you had 250,000$ for a studio, and still maybe a another house.....u must have been doing sumthin I wasn't lol.....

On the other note...
On our website www.bigbody.2ya.com ......if u go to music, then listen, u can listen to our music.......thanks to all those helping once again

[C D'Asta]

I just posted a reply to the "three guitars" thread and some of that info can apply here, however Bear and others above are right on when they say keep it as close to perfect all the way down the line. Track well with quality mics and transparent preamps, don't colour the signal before it's time, and always close your eyes and see if you feel like you are in front of the performers on a stage, this is considered "visual mixing" and seems to allow for more accuracy in terms of using the stereoscopic field and filling it out efficiently. I spent a week at CRC with Chris a few years ago finishing up an album from my long-dead band Cloud City Beverage, and it's true his booth would put me in debt for the next 30-40 years, but it is the conscious consumer who can find deals on quality tools. For instance condenser mics are optimal for studio tracking and Rodes and Sennheisers and Blues are expensive so check out CAD and Marshall, 100-200$ condensers that are hand built and provide phenomenally transparent tracks whether recorded analogue or digital. The quote above about what kind of equipment you already have is important, provide that info...

Chris D'Asta CEO, Nanolabs Multimedia
www.nanolabsmultimedia.cjb.net

That's two CEO's in one thread! Feel free to contact me at my address found at my site, and this invitation is especially provided to the Cat in Schaumburg, I am 20 minutes from you and would like to see the facility....

[chessrock]

Originally posted by C D'Asta
That's two CEO's in one thread!

There seem to be a lot of CEO's running around these days. I can't keep up with 'em all. Shit, you'd think just about anyone could be a CEO.

Oh yea.

[Blue Bear Sound]

Well actually....... I guess techincally I'm CEO of Blue Bear Sound... also the President, CFO, VP, and Marketing Director - and in my free time I'm an engineer and runner.

Shit - when I look at it that way, they ain't paying me enough!!!!

[glynb]

Yep, here's another one.

(It does stand for Computer Email Operator doesn't it?)

[Massive Master]

Originally posted by Blue Bear Sound
Well actually....... I guess techincally I'm CEO of Blue Bear Sound... also the President, CFO, VP, and Marketing Director - and in my free time I'm an engineer and runner.

Shit - when I look at it that way, they ain't paying me enough!!!!

Me too at Massive - Although technically, my corporate structure doesn't require a CEO, CFO, President, VP or secretary.

I'm jealous Blue Bear... You get paid?

JS

[Blue Bear Sound]

Originally posted by Massive Master
I'm jealous Blue Bear... You get paid?

I'd never heard of "net-zero" paycheques until I started working for Blue Bear Sound. The CEO does insist, however, that I'm getting paid - it's just that the deductions usually equal my earnings - sometimes they're even more and I have to PAY to work! Man, that CEO is a tough guy to like......!

[ryanlikestorock]

Isn't this HOMErecording.com? I'm getting a little bit tired of feeling like there's a bunch of big mean kids in the kiddie pool. This IS the kiddie pool, isn't it?

[Son of Mixerman]

Originally posted by Massive Master
Me too at Massive - Although technically, my corporate structure doesn't require a CEO, CFO, President, VP or secretary.

I'm jealous Blue Bear... You get paid?

JS

Gee..... Net zero... getting paid...whats all that about?

Im still getting bills, my net is negative


The CEO's job is to hire people who are knowledgable about not only corporate goals but what product they are pushing. Like Chessrock said, hire a producer and audio engineer that knows how to make an album. This would include outsourcing the mastering after the producer, mixer and artist are done mixing.

Bruce can mix it and John can master it for what is it again?

Net Zero?



SoMm

[Blue Bear Sound]

Originally posted by ryanlikestorock
Isn't this HOMErecording.com? I'm getting a little bit tired of feeling like there's a bunch of big mean kids in the kiddie pool.

You want to chase the pros away so all that's left are rookies comparing notes on how their Radio Shack mic sounds WAY BETTER than that other newb using the mic that came with his computer???

Yeah - that would make for a very useful site.....

[jdier]

Originally posted by bigbody.2ya.com
Hi, I'm the ceo of big body records, we have equipment, and recorded vocals, the problem is getting our music to sound proffessional.......can any1 give us hints on how to make our music sound good and strong. Or any software that we can use??? Just let me know also if there's any equipment we can use.....we just bought a sony dtc recorder so let us know....

Thanks again

I found the articles listed here pretty helpful:

http://www.soundonsound.com/search?u...rch&Subject=71

Regarding your website, you should really think about having someone help out with some proof reading. I know it is brand new, but often times a website could be someone's first impression of you, your artists and your label. If it has spelling and grammer errors it makes you look a little unprofessional. On the other hand, the graphics and layout look very professional. Run some spell check and you will be rocking.

Good luck with the music and music business.

Jim

[ryanlikestorock]

Originally posted by Blue Bear Sound
You want to chase the pros away so all that's left are rookies comparing notes on how their Radio Shack mic sounds WAY BETTER than that other newb using the mic that came with his computer???

Yeah - that would make for a very useful site.....

Is there room for some sort of middle ground? I mean, some people here are just starting out. They shouldn't have to deal with 4-5 bullies telling them that their equipment is shit. They know that. Not just this thread, but many of them over the past few months...

Let's just note that this isn't prostudiorecording, it's homerecording. As I mentioned earlier, even though I'm coming in here with 10 years experience with home recording, I often feel like I'm in the wrong room by the way some people talk to the others.

I'm not trying to scare anyone away. I think it's great that some more experienced people are here to help out with some information on the homerecording forums. It's just a bit frustrating to see the bar raised up so high that newbies can't get any respect without investing a ton of money into gear.

Use sarcasm and antagonistic comments at your own risk of sounding like "one of the bullies", I guess.

[jdier]

This thread should be about Help with mastering, not who should or should not be here. Everyone adds something when we all stay on topic.