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Mastering
Jun 18, 2018 4:55:46 GMT -6
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Post by kcatthedog on Jun 18, 2018 4:55:46 GMT -6
We’ve referenced in different threads here various mastering service.
Can people highlight the essential typical services an MA provides ?
I am finishing my session mixes and considering professional mastering.
I am thinking about cd’s and vinyl.
Thx!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2018 6:12:07 GMT -6
Services are things such as quality assurance, getting a cohesive sound to the album, improving the sound (if possible or needed), and rendering the master formats (files for online, DDP images for CD, tape or hi-res files for a vinyl cut etc.) . All of these warrant whole discussions of their own, but that's it, in a nutshell. For me great communications is a must as well, as clients often have very different ideas about what they want from the mastering, although may not be able to explain it in technical terms. For vinyl you'll want an ME with a lathe, or if not, spend as much time trying to find a good lathe cutter as you would an ME, and hope that the lathe troll and ME communicate properly. I can't do lathe cutting here but I can recommend a few good people, Paul Gold in the US for example. I'd be happy to do a freebie/demo track mastering for anyone on this forum, I don't normally do that, but this place is so well behaved and informative it would be nice to offer something back.
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Post by Ward on Jun 18, 2018 7:57:21 GMT -6
Heads and tails Rumble and chirp zone elimination (32< and >16k) Leveling and volume to industry standards equality amplitude for all tracks Equal spacing
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Post by svart on Jun 18, 2018 8:30:57 GMT -6
Fresh ears with no underlying biases towards the music so they can objectively assess and report mix issues that the (self)mixer might have overlooked.
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Post by Blackdawg on Jun 18, 2018 9:04:34 GMT -6
Assembly of the CD files also. Deciding how much of a gap is between songs, is it gapless and such. Inputing all the meta data as well is a big part of it that most don't think about.
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rigo
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Post by rigo on Jun 18, 2018 10:59:24 GMT -6
All the things that others have listed are certainly essential aspects of what a good mastering engineer can bring to your mixes. I think, for me, the most important one might be getting fresh, experienced, and highly responsive/critical ears on the project, particularly ears with all the gear to make the adjustments and changes to the mixes that help create a more finished sound. When I am finally ready to relinquish control over my mixes (having done all the damage I can do...), I am so close to the material, to the tracks, to the mixes, and to the album as a whole that I always fear that I can no longer hear it as if for the first time--the experience that my potential audience will have. So to get a great mastering engineer, particularly someone I know and trust, to bring his or her experience and expertise into the picture allows me to let go just a bit of the need to control everything, and is a major step in the direction of really finishing the project and sending it out into the world. I have had the pleasure and privilege of working with several great mastering engineers in the San Francisco Bay Area over the past thirty years and I always experience a nice sense of relief when they put their finishing touches on my new project. And I also usually experience a sense of satisfaction (and, at times, even delight) to hear that, for the most part, the thousands of decisions I have been making (as producer, engineer, artist, player, writer, etc.) during the course of the project have resulted in something musical and, I hope, compelling. I have attempted to add the job of mastering engineer to my list of credits on a couple of albums, but have always ended up feeling that it was a mistake. Not necessarily that I did a bad or unprofessional-level job of it, but just that I didn't take advantage of a great service that could have given me greater confidence in the quality of the finished product.
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Post by johneppstein on Jun 18, 2018 12:31:57 GMT -6
Embedding of necessary metadata for broadcast and similar uses.
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Post by Ward on Jun 18, 2018 14:00:30 GMT -6
Good point, Blackdawg the meta-data is extremely important
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Post by massivemastering on Jun 24, 2018 23:09:13 GMT -6
All I can add is that one would hope you're dealing with someone who knows the limitations and guidelines of each medium and will do what's best for each. Meta data of course for DDP/CD, proper handling of the version for vinyl release - should sound disturbingly similar (but rarely ever the exact same version). A sense of cohesion and "completeness" - as if nothing needs to be added or taken away. Hopefully while affecting the original mixes as little as possible (assuming the client is happy with their mixes of course).
Blah, blah - It's late and I was out of town for a week and I have bourbon.
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ericn
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Mastering
Jun 25, 2018 6:24:26 GMT -6
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Post by ericn on Jun 25, 2018 6:24:26 GMT -6
All I can add is that one would hope you're dealing with someone who knows the limitations and guidelines of each medium and will do what's best for each. Meta data of course for DDP/CD, proper handling of the version for vinyl release - should sound disturbingly similar (but rarely ever the exact same version). A sense of cohesion and "completeness" - as if nothing needs to be added or taken away. Hopefully while affecting the original mixes as little as possible (assuming the client is happy with their mixes of course). Blah, blah - It's late and I was out of town for a week and I have bourbon. Yeah buourbon will do that for me it this weekend it was rum, and gin and wine....
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Post by trakworxmastering on Jun 26, 2018 11:15:06 GMT -6
If you don't already have a relationship with a mastering engineer then I recommend starting with one track as a trial run to get a sense if the ME you've picked is right for you. Some MEs offer free samples for this purpose. Best of luck with it!
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Mastering
Jun 26, 2018 12:28:03 GMT -6
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bram likes this
Post by kcatthedog on Jun 26, 2018 12:28:03 GMT -6
All great advice: from the trenches as it were! I appreciate the technical detail and I think philosophically this nails it for me : “the most important one might be getting fresh, experienced, and highly responsive/critical ears on the project, particularly ears with all the gear to make the adjustments and changes to the mixes that help create a more finished sound. “ It seems to me bottom line, is being brutally honest with yourself about your limitations: room, gear, ability and recognizing when you have taken something as far as you can. I’ve added in all the various keyboard parts I got from Daniel and of course remixed and remixed ! I really don’t feel there is much else I can do. I am getting some comparative mastering samples together and do want to price digital and vinyl production. I don’t feel this is a vanity project but something that was supposed to happen. I’ve been writing poetry and songs since I was 13, just took me 50 more years to get my first album done . My A side is 20:30 and my B side is 18:35: see it was supposed to happen !
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ericn
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Balance Engineer
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Post by ericn on Jun 26, 2018 17:18:02 GMT -6
If you don't already have a relationship with a mastering engineer then I recommend starting with one track as a trial run to get a sense if the ME you've picked is right for you. Some MEs offer free samples for this purpose. Best of luck with it! Agreed having a good working relationship with your ME just makes things easy, knowing where each other is coming from biases and priorities takes what can be an adviserial relationship and turn it into a partnership. It’s funny but I used to hear all these stories of “what was he thinking” from both sides, but because I have always known the ME’s I have used in more than one capacity it’s always been smoothe sailing
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Post by notneeson on Jun 27, 2018 9:40:25 GMT -6
If you don't already have a relationship with a mastering engineer then I recommend starting with one track as a trial run to get a sense if the ME you've picked is right for you. Some MEs offer free samples for this purpose. Best of luck with it! Agreed having a good working relationship with your ME just makes things easy, knowing where each other is coming from biases and priorities takes what can be an adviserial relationship and turn it into a partnership. It’s funny but I used to hear all these stories of “what was he thinking” from both sides, but because I have always known the ME’s I have used in more than one capacity it’s always been smoothe sailing So true... Reminds me, a friend of mine cut his record with his fav engineer and very intentionally got the driest drum sound they could get. Prominent local ME gets the job and, without asking, puts reverb on all the mixes! Had it started with a more direct conversation, the outcome could have been positive, but the way it went down the ME completely lost the band's confidence.
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Post by trakworxmastering on Jun 27, 2018 10:23:49 GMT -6
^^^Wow! He may as well have added his own vocal harmonies while he was at it - hahaa
But seriously - a simple quick email exchange could have avoided that... SMH.
The same principle works the other way as well. Sometimes a client has specific expectations that they don't communicate and that leads to wheel spinning. I've had clients who expected me to add "mastering reverb" as a matter of normal course!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 27, 2018 10:38:42 GMT -6
I've always maintained that clear communication is at least 50% of a great mastering job, that both the client and the engineer can be proud of.
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Mastering
Jun 28, 2018 11:01:33 GMT -6
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Post by kcatthedog on Jun 28, 2018 11:01:33 GMT -6
Hmm, one for the ages , master to tape or not to tape ?
Thoughts ?
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Post by Ward on Jun 28, 2018 11:05:42 GMT -6
Hmm, one for the ages , master to tape or not to tape ? Thoughts ? Tape is done and a waste of time. It's over. Let's get over it.
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Post by trakworxmastering on Jun 28, 2018 11:30:03 GMT -6
Hmm, one for the ages , master to tape or not to tape ? Thoughts ? Tape is done and a waste of time. It's over. Let's get over it. That would be news to many of my repeat clients who book me because of my ATR. It's really a matter of taste. Definitely not a waste of time for those who's taste bends toward analog tone.
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Post by Ward on Jun 28, 2018 11:34:40 GMT -6
Tape is done and a waste of time. It's over. Let's get over it. That would be news to many of my repeat clients who book me because of my ATR. It's really a matter of taste. Definitely not a waste of time for those who's taste bends toward analog tone. no disrespect to any tape-op here... and I used to be one. It's just more work now to have a machine and keep it running than it is to use one. Like 10x as much. And when you can run the mix through a good tube compressor or pre, and get similar results, many don't even bother. But I'm sure you do great work!! Especially with repeat business
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Post by trakworxmastering on Jun 28, 2018 11:36:52 GMT -6
Hmm, one for the ages , master to tape or not to tape ? Thoughts ? Hit me up for a free sample with and without tape if you want.
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Post by trakworxmastering on Jun 28, 2018 11:42:51 GMT -6
no disrespect to any tape-op here... and I used to be one. It's just more work now to have a machine and keep it running than it is to use one. Like 10x as much. And when you can run the mix through a good tube compressor or pre, and get similar results, many don't even bother. But I'm sure you do great work!! Especially with repeat business Thanks!
Yes it's true that it's expensive and time consuming to run tape. For me it's always been worth it because of client demand for it. It earns me more than it costs me.
I have good tube gear and I use it a lot. It does great things but doesn't do for me what tape does. But I can make a master with or without tape, it's just a little different vibe.
Cheers,
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Post by jeromemason on Jun 28, 2018 12:07:15 GMT -6
Just curious as to what your thoughts would be trakworxmastering on some of the gear out there with the tape head and circuits. I've heard and used a couple of different ones and it reminded me a lot of how my old Otari MX80 gave a vibe. When we had big rock acts from Atlantic we always tracked the drums to it and dumped into PT. The tape EMU circuits I've heard give it the same feel. The OH's were tamed, snare had that full body and crack sound, kick felt tight etc. Just curious if printing off the repro head on your ATR would do 80%-90% of what you're getting with your ATR. That would answer my question basically.
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Mastering
Jun 28, 2018 12:12:11 GMT -6
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Post by jeremygillespie on Jun 28, 2018 12:12:11 GMT -6
If the client can afford for me to mix in the big room I print through a 1/2” ATR. Nothing sounds like that. Not even close.
I have a buddy that just got one for his home rig - cards are at ATR Getting a once over and we will have it up and running. If you’ve never heard one it’s hard to explain how much better it actually is. And no, the plugin doesn’t even come close.
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Post by trakworxmastering on Jun 28, 2018 12:20:02 GMT -6
Just curious as to what your thoughts would be trakworxmastering on some of the gear out there with the tape head and circuits. I've heard and used a couple of different ones and it reminded me a lot of how my old Otari MX80 gave a vibe. When we had big rock acts from Atlantic we always tracked the drums to it and dumped into PT. The tape EMU circuits I've heard give it the same feel. The OH's were tamed, snare had that full body and crack sound, kick felt tight etc. Just curious if printing off the repro head on your ATR would do 80%-90% of what you're getting with your ATR. That would answer my question basically. Which gear with tape head and circuits do you mean?
I have an MX-80 24 track and I use it a lot for basic tracking before dumping to PT. Clients love the sound.
I'm not sure exactly what you mean by printing off the repro head.
Can you clarify?
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