Mastering one song

Well, there is a reason for that man. It is mostly decided by your own opinion...

I myself end up doing 'home mastering' due to budget constraints. I always recommend having an 'real' ME do the mastering. Most times clients take the advice. When spending hour upon hour mixing, it can get a bit hard to be subjective. An experienced outside ear is a worthy expense. Especially if their years of experience/room/monitors equate to more than every piece of gear/home/car you own.

Keep in mind also that mastering is not about getting your mix loud. A common misconception.
 
Noah Nelson said:
1.Why is taught to master ALL unmastered tracks on a CD in one session vs putting a master effect on the output of the original session you work in?
2. when you mix a "single", do you master right on the spot?
Click to expand...
Two things- from my own experience-
1) It makes total sense in methodology and from a work flow sense.
The mixer is operating partly more micro' modes -head deep into that song/mix.
You finish one, typically you put it away and do the next, etc.
These typically are handed off the mastering person -new set of ears', presumably with different skill sets, and a fresh perspective. (remember you as the mixer' are still hearing/remembering the guts of these mixes and all the little trips you took it through to get it to where they are.
He/she loads them into a new project-- only natural, and.. perhaps for the first time, someone is listening to them with the eye of how do they all fair between each other and, to the the outside world.

When I do this- self 'mastering (and stepping back and away from mix' view- ) that's when I hear/see improvements' that may come to light. This 'new perspective BTW IMHO takes some time.. or some amount of detachment has to happen.
I believe there's a truth here. In that if you are not umm.. 'susceptible' to this..? Answer this. It was 'done. What would you need to 'master on it then?
;)
2) When I do this I do go back to the mixes often (depending on what's been discovered).
And yes you could do your 'stepping back (however you're get your 'distance to allow it), and master' right there in the song proj.
 
Focus on the mix first. Mastering is usually done later and separately.

During mixing, it is common for folks to just slap a compressor or limiter on the master bus. This is done for the sake of making it sound louder when burning it to a CD for convenience. By no means this is considered mastering. There is a lot more work to do when mastering is involved.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top