Mastering - the mystery

[Alexrkstr]

So... I just "mastered" my first song. Just want to check if this is pretty much all you do:

EQ
Compress
Normalize
Reverb

What else?

 

[dizzle]

my list might be:

listen to each song
approve the mix
listen again to each song
decide what enhancements are needed
apply and adjust any needed enhancements
listen and readjust
set loudness levels within and between songs
listen to each song for any issues
sequence songs in correct order
clean up the heads and tails/apply crossfades
listen again for continuity
create master copy of entire recording
listen a couple more times

what am i missing

 

[Idgeit]

I think you forgot to use your ears to check what it sounds like

- Idgeit

 

[7string]

And don't forget Autotune! Gotta have autotune. And add EQ don't subract. And make sure you limit the hell out of it so it's louder than anything else that you hear on the radio.

Ok, I am being fascicious. Damn, if I had a knew how to spell that I'd look it up in the dictionary to see how to spell it.

 

[noisewreck]

^^^ Dictionary.com, it will figure out what word you're looking for even when you misspell it

 

[masteringhouse]

So... I just "mastered" my first song. Just want to check if this is pretty much all you do:

EQ
Compress
Normalize
Reverb

What else?

Dizzle's list is much closer. First listen then decide what needs to be done to the mix, don't just run through a generic chain assuming that's what is needed.

Mastering very rarely uses normalization or reverb. Reverb in mastering may be used when the tails have been cut off on a bad fade, and very very occasionally on an entire mix if it is super dry and was recorded as a stereo pair. Otherwise you should remix. I can't remember if I ever used normalization in mastering. Possibly if something was already mastered and needed an overall increase in volume to get the peaks up, or for some tracks that were recorded so low that they needed help before mastering digitally. Other than that, you should look toward limiting in order to bring levels up.

 

[Duncandeath]

if you are need to limit the levels dosent that mean youve not really mixed it properly?

i like to add a bit of compression it tends to give a bit more power.

 

[masteringhouse]

if you are need to limit the levels dosent that mean youve not really mixed it properly?

i like to add a bit of compression it tends to give a bit more power.

One could say that if you need to compress it that you haven't mixed it properly either.

Both limiting and compression (on the overall mix) are best done after mixing. This helps to ensure that the entire CD sounds cohesive. If done while mixing there's a good chance that too much was added to some and too little to others. Once done, very difficult (if not impossible) to undo the effect of limiting or comp.

 

[Duncandeath]

I only use a little, too much and you level the track out.

 

[Cloneboy Studio]

If you are putting reverb on during the mastering stage... something went wrong in the mix. Personally I'd suspect that the reverb is going to sound like utter rubbish.

If you do your job mixing mastering is a straightforward process that doesn't involve a whole heck of a lot... maybe some slight compression and gentle nudge in volume with a peak limiter.