Mastering.

[Atari]

I would want to know more about mastering. When mixing, what do I have to keep in mind to have a good mastering? Can I do it myself? How do you make a mix sound really open and wide and transparant? Is it only in the mix? ... Questions like that.

[Jules]

Why not call a local mastering studio and arrange a visit...?

[Jose Mrochek]

Originally Posted by Atari

I would want to know more about mastering. When mixing, what do I have to keep in mind to have a good mastering? Can I do it myself? How do you make a mix sound really open and wide and transparant? Is it only in the mix? ... Questions like that.

I had the same question, I am not a mix guy but I started to learn.. to answer your question, I would mix something that sounds good to you and send it to mastering. I think that will give you a good idea of what mastering is about. seing the before and after results of a mix you really know is the best way to learn in my opinion.

About doing it yourself ? I'm one who believes that mastering should be left for someone else, with fresh ears and a good room.

[Farview]

Check out this link. Just click on the faq menu items about half way down the page
http://www.massivemastering.com/html..._articles.html

[lucey]

these are my tips

[jayfrigo]

Originally Posted by Atari

I would want to know more about mastering. When mixing, what do I have to keep in mind to have a good mastering? Can I do it myself? How do you make a mix sound really open and wide and transparant? Is it only in the mix? ... Questions like that.

Re: mastering, the biggest thing to avoid in mixing is clipping or aggressive limiting for level. Other than that, make it sound as good as you can, because mastering is there to support the vision and direction you and the artist have already establiahed, not to supply an entirely new direction. Sure, mastering can make some remarkable changes, but the best mastering happens when the mixer already has a clear intent. Don't send straw to mastering and expect it to be spun into gold.

As for width and transparency, mastering can enhance such things if they are at least minimally represented to begin with, but you can't enhance something that simply isn't there. A good mix is still vitally important. Also, don't discount how important the musical arrangement is to achieving space and width in a recording.

Mastering is more than an EQ and a dynamics processor on the mix bus. Look here for more on the subject:
http://promastering.com/pages/techta...t-5_mac.html#1
You can post-process your mixes, but that isnt really mastering. Using the same speakers and monitoring environment as when you mix won't allow you to correct for any flaws that this monitoring and environment have contributed to. Losing the impartial review of a mastering professional is also something you'll miss. Mastering uses a different set of skills and a different perspective from mixing, so don't expect experience wth mixing to directly translate to effective mastering.

Experimentation should be encouraged, but be reasonable about your expectations, and about the differences between professional mastering and your experimentation. Your own post-processing can indeed be helpful for demo projects where mastering just is not possible; but then again, good intentions sometimes backfire. Give it a try where appropriate, but don't skimp on the final step for a project that is important to you. The cost of mastering is usually a small percentage of the entire cost of producing, recording, and mixing an album.

[Atari]

Thanx for the tips and articles, I will read them carefully. My purpose is not to become an engineer who can track, mix and master the whole thing but I really got obsessed by it since I had a band wich was in the studio for a really long time and they didn't want to spent the money for a decent mastering. That ment that I had to do it myself. I think I ****ed it up :s(here's the link: http://www.rockstarrecordings.com/me...na%20Calls.mp3)
Most of the other things I do are demo-projects.

I live in Belgium and there aren't that much mastering studio's. I suppose I could go and take a look at the little few. But I feel that most of the bigger productions send their stuff to england or sweden or America to get a decent mastering. But still, visiting the small ones here could indeed be a good idea.

Thanx!