Mastering Time

  • Thread starter Thread starter StarMan
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StarMan

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Hi finished recording an instrumental song. It has only three tracks, an acoustic guitar, a lead acoustic guitar and a percussion track. I have added FX to each track, slight delay and reverb on guitar tracks, plus EQ-ed each. Not sure if I need compression, but maybe somebody can advise? I'm now ready to master and want to know how to do it. I have Kjaerhus Mastering/Limiter plugin. Do I need to creat a group channel to place all three tracks into it and then from there master the group channel on a whole? Any suggestions on what type of theshold I should have the mastering on?
 
Have you mixed this all down to a single stereo track?

If not, then you are still in the mixing phase.

If yes, then you are ready for mastering.
 
>Have you mixed this all down to a single stereo track?<

No, I had no idea I had to do that first, so how do I do that then?
 
Hi finished recording an instrumental song.
...Do I need to creat a group channel to place all three tracks into it and then from there master the group channel on a whole? Any suggestions on what type of theshold I should have the mastering on?
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Not sure what you meant by making a 'group channel'. You should already have a master output –a 'group/bus, with final fader, meters, trim likely, a pan, effects insert point? ...If you happen to be skipping all that and your tracks are going directly to the stereo hardware outs?.. Then yes. Get it in there.
(Umm in that case in the future.. start with it in there :p


Mastering typically means in a separate process the assembling, balancing in various ways multiple song tracks.
Given a single song -but particularly as you are doing the mix, what are you really doing but switching attitude a bit –and further refining your project?
There are a few ways to go here, and part of it can be the head prep' of getting away from the mix process- time away from it, and/or as well as the act of setting it up as a new 'mastering project.

But. You may just as well, with this 'seeing it anew', and with more options for pursuing this improvement you're now making right? ..continue refining it in the mix project.

You can use this same approach –refining in the mix projects, in the case of multiple songs headed to a common group of songs as well, all be it a little less efficient than assembled under one roof.

Last, when you now decide to compress this- you are running smack into a question; In which and in what ways are you going to make this thing sound better? What does it need? 'Hearing' that, and some experimentation, leads you to what you do there.
 
StarMan said:
No, I had no idea I had to do that first, so how do I do that then?
Click to expand...
I think you ought to start reading Tweak's Guide or something before you even get out of your chair.
 
The forum description says "because mastering isn't mixing" which is usually a reacurring misinterpretation of the concept. Perhaps because the processes aren't as differentiated as it used to be in the analog days...
 
One is still mixing -- The other is still the creation of the production master.
 
Side B said:
The forum description says "because mastering isn't mixing" which is usually a reacurring misinterpretation of the concept. Perhaps because the processes aren't as differentiated as it used to be in the analog days...
Click to expand...

The processes are still well differentiated. See Massive Master's statement.

Until you have a stereo file for a track (or a set of them), mixing has not finished.

It's possible that you may send some unfinalised mixes to a mastering engineer (for example, sending stems). If you do, you are simply asking the ME to do two tasks: mixing and mastering.

The real problem with the term arises out its sloppy usage in the business, which results in the lack of differentiation you referred to.
 
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