mastering for newbies

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lascalaboy

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I'm recording using Audacity on my pc..

I understand mastering takes all the tracks and makes them around the same level for a cd? is this correct?

Is there a DIY way? to get it done properly what do you need to output to?
 
"mastering for newbies"- a contradiction in terms if ever I saw one :D

Use the search function to find out a litle more about mastering.

A couple of mastering engineers contribute here. Hopefully one of them will reaspond on your thread.
 
Pick up a copy of Bob Katz' Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science.......

That'll learn ya.............! ;)
 
Seriously - do get the Katz book. I only understand about a third of it but it's still money very wellspent.
 
lascalaboy said:
I'm recording using Audacity on my pc..

I understand mastering takes all the tracks and makes them around the same level for a cd? is this correct?

Is there a DIY way? to get it done properly what do you need to output to?

Mastering is much more than making everything the same volume (which is not necessarily what you want to do anyway). Besides editing, and preparing the pre-master CD, mastering is essentially about making an album sound like everything belongs together. It includes volume adjustments like compression, limiting, and volume automation. It also includes EQ adjustments, potentially adjustments to stereo width, harmonic enhancement, dithering, and TONS of objective listening.

Even given the same level reading, 2 songs may sound like they are unequal in volume due to the frequency balance between the 2. But throwing that out of the window the easiest DIY way I've come accross for making things the same level is to use the normalize function of Sound Forge (using RMS and equal loudness curves) and making everything the same volume.

This is not equivalent to mastering however.
 
mastering for newbies......

ok...i'll say it

mastering for newbies.....

www.masteringhouse.com
www.bluebearsound.com
www.massivemaster.com

if it absolutely has to be done right....
let somebody do it that know what in the hell they are doing.

i know this ain't in the spirit of home recording....but heres what i think.

i am learning too. i dont think i will EVER master a cd. i might finish one or two, to a point that i am satisfied with it. Tracking, engineering, and mastering are all specialized skill that it takes years and years to learn. it sure aint pushing a big red button that says MASTER on it! To have all the automated equipment and the experience to do what needs to be done is a dream to me.

but that doesn't mean that i ain't going to try. treat every session as a learning experience and get as much from it as you can. take notes along the way. read this forum every day and every other forum you can find on recording.

then, in about 20 years...after you have tracked and engineered a couple thousand sessions, you'll be ready to TRY and master.

my $.02
 
radiorickm said:
ok...i'll say it

mastering for newbies.....

www.masteringhouse.com
www.bluebearsound.com
www.massivemaster.com

if it absolutely has to be done right....
let somebody do it that know what in the hell they are doing.

i know this ain't in the spirit of home recording....but heres what i think.

i am learning too. i dont think i will EVER master a cd. i might finish one or two, to a point that i am satisfied with it. Tracking, engineering, and mastering are all specialized skill that it takes years and years to learn. it sure aint pushing a big red button that says MASTER on it! To have all the automated equipment and the experience to do what needs to be done is a dream to me.

but that doesn't mean that i ain't going to try. treat every session as a learning experience and get as much from it as you can. take notes along the way. read this forum every day and every other forum you can find on recording.

then, in about 20 years...after you have tracked and engineered a couple thousand sessions, you'll be ready to TRY and master.

my $.02

Good post, kind of how I feel. Shame I'm not articulate enough to put it how you did. :)
 
Maybe what would be handy would be a term for: 'I'm doing it with what I have to work with and want to finish and assemble my project'.

'IDIWWIH' ?
:D
 
'IDWWIH' Tip of the Day.
This works particularly well if you're mixing InTheBox and enjoy the benies' of total recall.

As you near to the point of having several mixes that will be the project, begin listening to them, in order (wav's on your media player, cd burn, whatever), as 'The Album'.
If you're like me, your expectations and perspective will shift a bit.
The bass/balances/reverbs/VOLUMES!/etc will very likely sound a bit more out of wack now than when you had your head shoved up in any one mix.
Now go back and clean it up at the source.
This first step is an attempt to steer you around and away from the sometimes natural course of forcing the finished mixes into shape with 'Mastering' as opposed to working on the mixes where you have the most power and options to really get it right.
At some point (IMHO ;) ) your string of mixes should stand fairly well own their own, yes?
As and added bonous, your mixing skill sees some new prespective, AND (Wait -there's more!) your Mastering (IDWWIH or otherwise) gets a shit load easier.
:D
Wayne
 
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