First attempt at mastering

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PaddyGordon

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I'm no Greg Calbi, but I've produced my mate's EP as a favour and we can't afford to get the stuff mastered at the moment.

So I've gave it a go myself, Just to see what you think of it soundwise. (I know you can hear a click at the start with the drumsticks, I'll edit that out nearer the time etc).
But do you hear any harsh mids, muddy basslines or screeching highs anywhere?

I'm aware the actual bass sounds boxy, we're going to re-record the bassline anyway so I'll fix it then.

But is there anything major I'd need to do, am I as well giving up now, or does it sound ok for a first attempt?

My Mix:
Mr Hipster Mix.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage

My master:
Mr Hipster Master.mp3 - File Shared from Box.net - Free Online File Storage
 
I think the mix needs a little bit of tweaking and automating to get the balance really solid and consistent. It's pretty close though.
There are a few timing hiccups in the drums, the hi-hat in places just falls out of sync when it comes back to 16ths.

(oh hey nice break @0.52... that was cool. like it!)

I think the vocals need the tiniest bit of tuning just to get a few little patches tidied up, but don't go mad and hit the autotune button because the almos- live kind of sound you've got there I really like. It really suits his voice and actually the distortion you've got on it too. Just a few spots where it's a little too off that should be brought back in tune a touch.
I realise I'm opening myself up for abuse mentioning autotuning vocals here... so let me say it again; not all of it, literally just a few notes.

I like it. Not the normal, a bit quirky and it really works.
 
None of the conversation has been about mastering. It's all been about mixing so far.
 
Well, to me, the mix is mediocre, and then you murdered it with "mastering". The hard panned, in-my-face jangly guitars are barely tolerable in the raw mix, and they're ear-splitting in the mastered version. The drums are small and the kick and bass get mushed together. Really, the mastered version is exaggerating everything that's wrong with the raw mix. The mastered version is busting my ears in with vocals and guitars. The raw mix is way more listenable.
 
@Greg_L

Please don't post in my threads if all you're going to do is attack...

What can I do to fix this?
 
PaddyGordon said:
@Greg_L

Please don't post in my threads if all you're going to do is attack...

What can I do to fix this?
Click to expand...

He is most definitely right, and Greg is most definitely not attacking you. The mix should be taken care of before the mastering. As for my opinion, it basically sounds more harsh in the highs and louder. It made the song sonically annoying. I'm not sure if you mixed it, or if you even have the stem tracks to mix. If you do, I suggest reposting the song as a mix critique. No amount of mastering can help a bad mix is all I'm getting at.
 
Well he could be more polite in the way he's saying it, and give advice on how to fix things, not just rip the subject apart and leave it there tattered, I'm presuming that the title of this section of the forum is called a Clinic* for a reason

Anyhow, thanks for the advice, Squibble, I'll tone down on the harsh highs, it's an early mix that I only recorded the other day (I've not even finished all tracking on the thing) and was mastering as an experiment to see how it sounded.





Clin-ic:
a place or hospital department where outpatients are given medical treatment or advice, esp. of a specialist nature : a mental health clinic.
• an occasion or time when such treatment or advice is given : we're now holding regular clinics.
• a gathering at a hospital bedside for the teaching of medicine or surgery.
 
Don't start threads if you can't take the truth. He's not attacking you. You asked for opinions and he gave his to you. Greg's got probably the best ear for critical listening in this place. Stop whining and grow up.
 
PaddyGordon said:
@Greg_L

Please don't post in my threads if all you're going to do is attack...

What can I do to fix this?
Click to expand...

Dude, I didn't attack you at all. You asked, I answered. If you don't want honest feedback, just say so. I'll give you all the "atta boy's" your ego needs. :)


How do you fix it? I just told you. Fix the problem areas I mentioned. If you can't, or don't know how to, then you have no business "mastering" anything.
 
I think what you should glean from this is that, if you are responsible for the mix, the mix needs to be taken care of first. Mastering won't fix a bad mix. In addition, it depends on what your definition of mastering is. Just raising the volume and slamming the track isn't mastering.
 
Look, I'm not going to go on about it or argue any further after this post because that's not why I came here
I joined this forum for help, and if you're going to post in my threads, then please help me, it's not even what you said that's p*ssing me off, it's the way you said it.

You could've easily said something along the lines of what squibble was saying and been constructive. And I've seen you do similar things as above in many threads, I don't know if that's your sense of humour or what, but I've never seen you give out advice on this forum in the short time I've been here.

I don't mind anyone slating anything I do unless they can't provide decent advice/help along with it. His first post was completely pointless in itself as it didn't tell me much.


Anyhow, thanks for the advice everyone else, I'll work on the mix more and get the sound of that good before trying to master again.
 
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