DIY Mastering Clinic #1!!!!!

[masteringhouse]

So whos going to upload a master?

Anyone that wants to join in.

I've been thinking of doing mine in segments, probably posted from the same page that I had for the source files to show a progression.

My main interest in doing this is to show the thought process used in mastering, and have a good example for future reference when the questions inevitably come up on forums like this.

Hopefully that's ok ms and dog?

 

[mshilarious]

Hopefully that's ok ms and dog?

Oh yeah! I was thinking that's what you were gonna make us do, but it's cool to show us the way

 

[ocnor]

I took a stab at it. I mainly used multiband compression and a limiter.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=154414

 

[pingu]

I am working on a master and the its final rms levels are higher than the original i have gone for a total purist approach. As in the volume in my master is lower than the origional.
No limiting either.
What do you rekon guys.

 

[masteringhouse]

I took a stab at it. I mainly used multiband compression and a limiter.
http://www.soundclick.com/bands/pagemusic.cfm?bandID=154414

As per all of my criticisms on this thread, please take them constructively (kinda like bad tasting medicine). Some may disagree as well, I don't pretend to be God, Bob Ludwig, or otherwise. Even after listening to some CDs mastered by "the greats" I often wonder what they were thinking.

That said, this version sounds thin to me and overly bright. Much of the dynamics of the song were removed and the problem on the bottom end still seems to be there, just squashed more. Overall this version is very fatiguing to listen to for very long.

 

[masteringhouse]

I am working on a master and the its final rms levels are higher than the original i have gone for a total purist approach. As in the volume in my master is lower than the origional.
No limiting either.
What do you rekon guys.

Not sure I understand the question?

Let's hear it ...

 

[Reggie]

Aw man, I can't believe this is actually happening right now when I am getting ready to tear everything down and move into a new house
Maybe I will take a shot real quick this evening before I disassemble my DAW station....

 

[mshilarious]

Aw man, I can't believe this is actually happening right now when I am getting ready to tear everything down and move into a new house
Maybe I will take a shot real quick this evening before I disassemble my DAW station....

Believe me, I feel your pain . . . it was two months after I moved last summer before I had a minimally functional studio, and it was just last month that I actually screwed the gear into the rack, versus leaving it laying on top of each other

 

[Dogman]

Anyone that wants to join in.

I've been thinking of doing mine in segments, probably posted from the same page that I had for the source files to show a progression.

My main interest in doing this is to show the thought process used in mastering, and have a good example for future reference when the questions inevitably come up on forums like this.

Hopefully that's ok ms and dog?

Man, do anything you think will help us learn something. The more explaining you do, the more I might learn. Seeing a way to go through a process is really cool, to me. Thanks man.
Ed

 

[SouthSIDE Glen]

The more explaining you do, the more I might learn. Seeing a way to go through a process is really cool, to me. Thanks man.

Tommie, you've got some 'splanin' to do!

G.

 

[giraffe]

took a slash at it.
it's fair to say i'm not thrilled about my job, but the intro is better.

de-essing, one band of mbc, some light distortion (see the thread i'll post in a few minutes) massive (cruahed and violently eq'd) parallel comp, some EQ and the L1 (not L2)

you'll ask, "why so loud"?
and i'll admit that it's unnecessary, but............. whatever.
i totally agree with chess about the vox.

spent most of my time trying to find the kick, then i stomped all over it with a limiter oh well.


http://www.lightningmp3.com/live/file.php?fid=3079

and if i may be so brash, dog, you really need to start checking your mono phase compatibility.

hit me, i'm not made of glass.
(p.s. i know about the edits in the intro, they were left out of lazyness)

 

[mshilarious]

took a slash at it.
it's fair to say i'm not thrilled about my job, but the intro is better.

de-essing, one band of parallel comp, some light distortion

The intro seems to go a bit beyond mastering, I think. That sort of major artistic change probably has to originate with the artist, during the mix. One time I was working on a couple of tracks for one band, they had a guitar intro that was a little longer than Dog's, but much simpler, literally a four-note pattern. They wanted the songs to run together, so I did what I considered a tasteful and well-timed and matched crossfade, but they complained that half the intro was gone Lesson learned about communication.

and if i may be so brash, dog, you really need to start checking your mono phase compatibility.

Yeah, the synth part is highly stereo, isn't it? Guitar is too. I don't think that bothers me too much. This tune has the feel of a veg-out headphone song. I think it would be cool in surround

As for the volume, yeah, it's loud. I don't know if we can presume our client wants that much volume at the cost of that much clipping. If the D-Man isn't screaming for loud, I think we should keep it clean.

Other than those thoughts, I thought you did some nice things. I like the fade at the end--I need to go work on my fades.

 

[pingu]

Do you think it might be a good idea to have someone host the submissions so we can gain easy access to them.

 

[caryindy]

I worked on this a little tonight. This is an interesting problem to solve in the bass. I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone else tries to tackle the problem. That being said, I was thinking - perhaps it would be better not to discuss methods just yet? I’d like to see everyone try stuff without being biased about a certain technique which may or may not be effective in a given situation. Just my thoughts…
Thanks mshilarious for making this happen

 

[pingu]

Im having problems uploading the submissions cause im behind a proxy at work and i cant download the submissions for the same reason.

Any tips guys.


I have a master to submit. i could maybe email the yousendit link to somebody.

Cheers

 

[pingu]

Is anyone going to upload waves for evaluation or are we going to stay at 320 kbits

 

[Dogman]

Im having problems uploading the submissions cause im behind a proxy at work and i cant download the submissions for the same reason.

Any tips guys.


I have a master to submit. i could maybe email the yousendit link to somebody.

Cheers

You can send me the link. Beezer@beezertpudwhacker.com .(Yeah...it's a real email address. )
I am having trouble getting to stuff from lightningmp3 right now. Hopefully I will have it resolved by morning.

 

[mshilarious]

Do you think it might be a good idea to have someone host the submissions so we can gain easy access to them.

If your link has gotten testy (I got it, anyway), use NL5's site:

www.lightningmp3.com

I liked yours, a light touch but there were nice things brought out. I like your kick & snare sound, I've been struggling with mine, but one seems to come at the expense of the other for me

Curious as to why you left the peak down -1.5dB? Doesn't really matter for our purposes here, but I know people I've worked with . . . well, let's just say artistic merit aside, it seems tough to turn back something that's quieter.

 

[mshilarious]

I worked on this a little tonight. This is an interesting problem to solve in the bass. I’m looking forward to seeing how everyone else tries to tackle the problem. That being said, I was thinking - perhaps it would be better not to discuss methods just yet? I’d like to see everyone try stuff without being biased about a certain technique which may or may not be effective in a given situation. Just my thoughts…

No, let's not do that, in the beginning I asked as a minimum that people state their objectives and methods. You don't have to go into great detail on your methods, but a general approach, for example your chain, and areas you were trying to hit with EQ would be nice.

Yours sounds very bright in the presence range, which is an area most people have been moving away from Did you just focus on the lows first? Cause that sounds OK, maybe even good, hard to tell under the highs though.

 

[mshilarious]

OK boys and girls, it's my bedtime. Great stuff today, thanks everybody.

I've massaged mine probably all I can. I'll give it a quick reality check in the morning and post tomorrow