Interesting mastering situation - Need opinions

[bbbkeys]

I would appreciate your opinions on this mastering situation.

Happy New Year everyone.
I have an interesting mastering question and I would appreciate all opinions on this issue.

I am an instrumental sax and keys player and am working on my second CD. My first CD was recorded in a professional studio and this one I am recording all at home, but I am getting it mastered at a pro studio in NY City.

When I was sitting with the mastering engineer and he was mastering the three songs I brought in on wav file (he mastered on Protools), the music sounded great on the studio monitors. He used two sets of monitors, each with different sound qualities and size. I had that warm songwriter feeling that my music is gonna sound great when I sell the final CD. I thought that this was the final procedure on the music.

However, the bass, which I cannot picture my music without generous amounts of the Lows, sounded muddy on EVERYTHING outside the studio including my home stereo, walkman, and car stereo. The bass was too high. At this point, I would feel embarassed to let the public hear these songs.

So, my question is, now that it is mastered, should I just remix the mastered version at home and lower the lows and try to get the levels correct or should I go back into the studio and give them another crack at mastering. The owner said his engineer would do it without charging me again, but I am little patient at the moment and want to get this whole thing complete asap.

What do you all think?

Bruce Chambers
http://www.brucemusic.com
http://www.songwriterstreet.com

 

[mixsit]

Just curious. Is the bass muddier (or louder) than befor the mastering?
Wayne

 

[bbbkeys]

Just curious. Is the bass muddier (or louder) than befor the mastering?
Wayne

Yes, it is muddier than before the mastering. I know the bass wasn't as loud when I mixed it down.

 

[bbbkeys]

not sure if I should waste my time remixing at home.

 

[camn]

i know.. Im a snob... but

You probly should have taken it to a Mastering House instead of a recording studio.
They tend to know how to, you know, master stuff better.

as for now... why not both? Let him take a crack.. AND do it yourself.. then compare results.. see whatcha like. Since they are offering . . . .

xoxo

 

[masteringhouse]

What kind of speakers were they using at the studio? It sounds like they may have been bass deficient. As a result it may sound good there, but when listening in another environment where you actually hear the low end, it ends up being too much. Room acoustics are also key.

If they were using NS-10s (like many studios) this would definitely be an issue.

 

[bbbkeys]

What kind of speakers were they using at the studio? It sounds like they may have been bass deficient.
If they were using NS-10s (like many studios) this would definitely be an issue.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. The bass sounded GREAT there. I wish it was that good on everything else.

What's an NS-10?

 

[masteringhouse]

ns-10s are a standard nearfield monitor used by many recording studios. See:

http://www.yamaha.com/cgi-win/webcgi.exe/DsplyModel/?gSPK00010NS-10MT

For picture.

 

[bbbkeys]

Yes, I have seen that in a lot of studios. I think that was one of the two pairs of monitors he had.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Mastering on NS-10s.........!

Do what Camn suggested -- go to a mastering house, NOT a studio.... for example, you wouldn't go to a proctologist for brain surgery, would you?!?!?!

 

[masteringhouse]

Bruce -

I would be happy to give you a trial sample of my work. If you like you can send me the CD with the Pro Tools mixes and I can supply you with a 1 minute sample of the mastered version for download as a .wav file so that you can burn it on a CD for evaluation on a variety systems.

If interested send me an email at:

info@masteringhouse.com

I will then get you further details.

Tom Volpicelli
www.masteringhouse.com

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

You're not seriously advocating using NS-10s for mastering, are you Tom???

 

[dafduc]

go to a mastering house, NOT a studio

I guess I don't get out much.

Bear, you don't do mastering? I just figured studios did that, kindfa like drugstores sell vitamins.

Apologies for the cheesy analogy - I'm sure I'll think of something wittier after I post. But I guess I never realized mastering houses were something separate from studios.

'Cos if you did masters, I was gonna ask how far Ottawa was from Sarnia...

Daf (Michigan's thumb)

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Of course...I DO have good ears, so I can do clean-up, some casual tweaking, as well as draw-out some level of client's tracks-- but I would never consider my studio to be equipped for proper mastering....!

 

[masteringhouse]

You're not seriously advocating using NS-10s for mastering, are you Tom???

Absolutely not, in fact I'm not particulary a fan of using them in mixing either. I think that people generally use them as a reference when going from one studio to another. Sometimes NS-10s translate OK when trying to decide how a mix will stand up on the average home stereo. Other than that, there are better choices IMHO.

 

[Blue Bear Sound]

Whew!

...that's a relief!!! (otherwise I would have had to lock horns with ya!!!)

BTW, I did send you an email...

 

[pipelineaudio]

hey now, NS-10 haters : ( not that I've fired mione up in more than 6 months, but...)

I BETTER see em when I walk ionto a mastering lab! They are instant and familiar and if you get em loud enough youll be able to make some close calls even tho unfamiliar with the room. That said they better have some real nice speakers that most of the work gets done on too.

If you want to know what the mix will sounbd like on 6X9's the NS-10's will tell you that nearly exactly. REAL rock n roll is only meant to be listened to thru 6X9's on the back decklid of a 64-73 musclecar

damn now I need to go fire up my NS-10's

 

[masteringhouse]

hey now, NS-10 haters : ( not that I've fired mione up in more than 6 months, but...)

I BETTER see em when I walk ionto a mastering lab! They are instant and familiar and if you get em loud enough youll be able to make some close calls even tho unfamiliar with the room. That said they better have some real nice speakers that most of the work gets done on too.

If you want to know what the mix will sounbd like on 6X9's the NS-10's will tell you that nearly exactly. REAL rock n roll is only meant to be listened to thru 6X9's on the back decklid of a 64-73 musclecar

damn now I need to go fire up my NS-10's

I don't hate NS-10s, they just have to be used properly. I like to use 'em for bookends!

 

[littledog]

I BETTER see em when I walk ionto a mastering lab!

Hmmm... I don't think i've ever seen NS10m's in any mastering studio I've used. Maybe they were just hiding them out of embarassment...