Has mastering affected your enjoyment of music?

[Silver Sonya]

As of this month, I've been doing this professionally for ten years. I keep expecting balloons to descend from the ceiling. Or something.

Anyway, a few years ago, I had an existential freakout that the job had permanently damaged my ability to listen to music without analysis.

I got over it. But it was scary for a moment there. The question became: OK, I can stop doing this or I can give up loving music.

Admittedly, I come to the work from a different perspective than a lot of mastering people. I am also an artist. (In fact, a few of SSonya's clients come to the studio as fans of Beauty Pill first and foremost, which can create a slightly odd dynamic at times). I was an artist when I started mastering and I am an artist still.

As an artist first, I approach the work from a devotional standpoint: I love music soooo much, it's crazy. I have a huge record collection, both CDs and vinyl. Mastering started as an extension of that love. I had spent a lot of time listening to records and obsessing. This gave me a major advantage over a lot of people; I found that I noticed and could hear details that other people missed. Decided to put it to good use. Hence, y'know, my job today.

So I'm wondering: how many of you have gone through this?

How does mastering affect your enjoyment of music? Enhance? Distract? Neither? Are you able to "leave the job at home" and, throw on, say, "Come Together," crank the volume knob and just, y'know, feel it? Dance around the room? Go crazy playin' air drums to Ringo?

For about a month in 2004, I couldn't do this without noting that "Come Together" has a clot of energy in the 200Hz region and... well, it freaked me out.

I don't know how I got over it, but I did. Phew!

- c

[James Meeker]

Almost all the records I love are, honestly, pretty crappy recordings in the grand scheme of things. U2's "War", all the 4AD and Factory Records stuff I love, The Cure and so forth... all sound kind of lame in a modern sense.

There's a certain point where you have to let things go, realize those records were signs of their times, a product of the gear and styles out there, and its the songs and performance that really count.

Although, honestly, I can't listen to the first Hendrix record anymore. The drum production just ruins it for me.

Most everything else I can still listen to, even though I know deep-down it's not audio nirvana.

[prolearts]

Chad,

I don't find that I enjoy music less, I am still able to even listen to records I have worked on (even back as a mix engineer) and enjoy, but I do find that I cherish some silence in the evenings a lot more than I used to. I don't just automatically put on music anymore while cooking dinner or whatever.

best,
Jason Ward
Chicago Mastering Service

[Kayo]

Hi mates,

I seem to really like the sound of Analogue stuff more than their Digital counterparts. Although, I do like a mix or a blend of the two, but, analogue rocks.. to my ears.

Ciao'
FD

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by FaTT Dust

Hi mates,

I seem to really like the sound of Analogue stuff more than their Digital counterparts. Although, I do like a mix or a blend of the two, but, analogue rocks.. to my ears.

Ciao'
FD

??

Are you talking about your tastes as a listener? You select which music to listen to based on the recording process? I'm not attacking, just trying to understand your post.

So many of the records I love as a listener aren't "good" from the engineering standpoint.

- c

[Lagerfeldt]

Major work related injury.

That's why I only have a normal hi-fi at home - everything sounds equally crappy.

[lucey]

I actually enjoy a wider range of music, as I'm able to find things in any of the work I'm doing that I can get into and appreciate ... for a day or two at least, sometimes longer.

[DSD_Mastering]

After seeing a metal recording session in progress, I can appreciate the technical proficiency it takes, especially for drummers.
Like Lucey, I appreciate a larger genre of music now. But, you have to change your mind-set when you switch from ME to listener.

Regards,

[Tarekith]

Originally Posted by prolearts

...but I do find that I cherish some silence in the evenings a lot more than I used to. I don't just automatically put on music anymore while cooking dinner or whatever.

Same here, I find the more I get into production and engineering aspects, the more I find myself listening less as just background or casual music. I enjoy the silence more too.

[finetuner]

It depends on the situation.
I noticed that i've become more sensitive to sound quality when the focus is on the presentation (live concerts, re-enforced speech, a friend's surround set).
On the other hand background music may draw attention for a while and i may comment on it (mentally or outspoken), then forget about it and refocus on the conversation, dinner, bookkeeping or whatever i was doing.

When i started as an apprentice 18 years ago, my mentor warned me that after doing this work for 5 years, i wouldn't enjoy music at home anymore at all.
I told him that if that should happen, i'd quit the job.
So that didn't happen fortunately, but listening has become less indeed.

Actually i am wondering if this is because of my work or i'm like many others (on this board often referred to as 'the consumer') spending my time and money elsewhere these days...

One thing for sure didn't change and never will; the joy of playing music in a band.

[MASSIVE Master]

I find myself listening to a lot of talk radio. I can listen and enjoy, but normally I'm listening and analyzing. But I do that when I watch movies or theatre also.

[jdg]

yah, but its fun to listen critically. at least for me

[Ben F]

Yes, hard to listen to FM radio with the Orban compressor crunching down on everything with a slow release.

[tmcconnell]

We go to sooo much trouble to make dynamic range manifest, and limiting justs kills it. Once in a while I hear a record beautifully mastered (Joni Letters) - I don't notice the compression. Much of the time I am apalled by the use of compression generally. Steve Earl's last couple of records are beautiful except the life is crunched out of them. It just ruins it for me. I don't hear it as much in a car, so I know its not criminal, but why is it necessary? The radio station limiters will get the reach, so why sell me a product for home use that compromizes the music. I might have said 'artist's intent - but I think a lot of artists want more not less compression - but I think its all gain they are hearing in the mix session. imo.

I did have a client last week who wanted NO limiting. I talked him into a little bit but ... that was the exception not the rule. t.

[Jerry Tubb]

For me it's a loudness/compression sensitivity, not a music issue.

I rarely listen to "loud" music anymore, unless I'm working : - )

Driving home from the studio late at night, I listen to our great local classical music station. I find the long bowed sound of the string orchestra (or quartet) very soothing. A good way to cool down from the days' work.

On the drive to the studio (~ crack of noon), I'll listen to the local Americana & AAA stations to tune up my ears for the day.

JT

[NorseHorse]

I'm glad I'm not an architect. (Think about walking into most building and going "UGH...")

And being a musician, you certainly run the risk of having church worship ruined for you. Too much analyzing and critiqueing. Guess I'll have to find another way to praise God...

[Online-Mastering]

I listen to our great local classical music station. I find the long bowed sound of the string orchestra (or quartet) very soothing. A good way to cool down from the days' work.

+1 for this the work brought me personally more into all classical suff, which can be very relaxing compared to today's pop music with just a couple of db's dynamic range. So if I want to 'calm down my ears', this is good choice for me...

[Adam Dempsey]

Silver Sonya, congrats on 10 yrs. thumbsup

Like others, after a long day I find listening to classical or some smooth jazz really refreshing. Also lucky to just listen to bird sounds in the morning. Or there's the hot air balloons on a peaceful morning.. (though serene visually, not so much aurally..)

I'd say I've been buying new music less often over time, preferring to really soak it up with many listens before moving on (never completely, I'm sure we all have our revisits of great albums). I might latch onto something new & analyze it, but usually it's on the back of already enjoying it for music's sake.. the "goosebump factor".

I've definitely become super sensitive to compression and distortion.. but many pro mastering engineers build their careers based on a pre-existing, personal analysis of sound in general. Last week I enjoyed a rock concert in a large hall, although it sounded atrocious where we were (on the floor, in front of stage).. it was mostly amp sound direct off stage with no direct front of house. The music and musicianship made up for it, but I doubt most would take such things that way. But it definitely helped being already familiar with the new songs. It's like being able to remain objective about visual art: "It's really good. It may not be my thing, but it's really good" (or vice-versa). Comes with experience.

Of course it also pays to take decent breaks when possible after months/years of working, along with the mandatory break from technology... some call it "getting away from it all". Others, rightfully, say it's actually "getting back to it (ie, lack of it) all". Keep it fresh.

[Thomas W. Bethe]

I listen to NPR and the local classical music station when I am driving. When I want to listen to music at home I don't. I do it all day long and the LAST thing I want to do late at night is to sit and listen to more music. I love music and that is the original reason I got into audio engineering back in the 60s. I think that being a mastering engineer ruined my simple enjoyment of music because I am always listening for things that I could change or how bad something was recorded and mixed and mastered.

My niece is about 15 (going on 25) and she is really caught up in music. She is taking lesson on the drums the guitar and the piano and is also a very good singer. She always wants me to listen to her NEW favorite artist (right now it is Paramore) and she downloads a ton of their MP3s off the ITUNES store. We either listen to them on her IPOD or on her computer speakers. Her enthusiasm for music is infectious and looking back I can see why I got so involved in music in Junior High and High School. I have even learned to tolerate her MP3 player and her less than perfect computer playback system since I enjoy listening to the music with her. Maybe there is hope for me yet.

[DBarbarulo]

actually I can't enjoy the message if presented in a wrong language. Listening to a bad recording-mixing etc. I'm not able to look at the soul of the composition... just like read a poem with gramatical errors.

DB

[Silvertone]

Hi Chad,

As for myself I started as a musician bass/stick, went into engineering assisting to owning rooms to mastering 15 years ago. About 5 years into mastering I experienced what you were talking about. It didn't last long as it was ruining my ability to listen to music.... what came next was a revolution for me. That is, when I stopped listening to the production and started just listening to the music, everything sounded so much better.

Kick is muddy, who cares. Background vocal lost, so what, etc... I learned it's not my production, it's not about how it should sound to me but how it sounded to the artist/band/producer. Instead I heard if it was a happy song or a sad song. An intense passage or a mellow one.

I love music. I love what I do for a living.

Now when I get a project in to master I listen to the holy trinity and see how they are represented... no I'm not talking religion here (although it could apply)... I'm talk how are the highs, mids and lows represented in the mix. Where are the vocal levels from track to track. What is the feel of the track and how am I best going to get this across.

I've said it all along. If you really listen to the song it will tell you what wants to be done. (I didn't say listen to the production of the song now did I).

Glad to hear you made it though one of the toughest aspects of mastering...

p.s. my wife went through this too just )being married to a mastering engineer), she can pull a production apart if she wants to but instead she just enjoys the music now.

best,
Larry

[Atomix]

Originally Posted by DBarbarulo

actually I can't enjoy the message if presented in a wrong language...snip... just like read a poem with gramatical errors.

DB

ahh the irony

[mikeroephonics]

Originally Posted by Silvertone

I've said it all along. If you really listen to the song it will tell you what wants to be done. (I didn't say listen to the production of the song now did I).

I think this is a very important thing to say. I usually just "go with my gut" most of the time. I know what knobs I have to turn to take it a certain way, but I usually just try to go by feel. If I can hear that I did something wrong, I pause for a moment to figure out what that is, and back off a bit, or just start again from scratch. You can get too caught up in the technical details and lose a sense of focus. In the end, it really is about the music.

-Mike

[matyas]

Back when I was in college, music theory class almost killed my ability to listen to music. I'd be in the grocery store, pushing my cart along, figuring out the chord progressions to the Muzak. It drove me nuts. I couldn't sit down and just listen to a record. Then I started getting into recording engineering, and I was dissecting the production as well as the composition of everything I heard. I was beginning to recover to the point where I could just listen to stuff, but for the last year or so I've been working in a studio and I spend all day listening to music. I love it, obviously, but when I get in the car, I mostly listen to talk radio on NPR.

[djwaudio]

After working all day, I love the sounds of the engine as I find a twisty back road to drive on. The radio is off.

As far as listening for enjoyment goes, I think being a mastering engineer has given me another perspective to listen from. I still love rummaging through the used vinyl section and taking home a stack to listen to. It's part enjoyment and part homework, to be at the feet of the great recordings of yesterday.

I like having a good system in the house. Just a chair and the speakers... no computers, no tee-vee, no reading materials beside the record jacket, and I'm in heaven.

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by Atomix

ahh the irony

Yeah, I took note of that one too. Wasn't going to say anything.

Thing is, I can't speak a word of Italan, and I bet you can't either. So we should probably not snicker.

- c

[masteringhouse]

Does a gynecologist stop enjoying sex?

Two trains of thought ...

[Atomix]

Originally Posted by masteringhouse

Does a gynecologist stop enjoying sex?

Two trains of thought ...

depends - is the train a local or express?

[Thomas W. Bethe]

Originally Posted by masteringhouse

Does a gynecologist stop enjoying sex?

Two trains of thought ...

Probably not but it might make the gynecologist start having some thoughts about what is waiting at home versus what is in front of him on a daily basis. I use to date a young lady who's father was a gynecologist and he never talked about what he was doing at work when he was at home. Probably the best thing he could have done.

[masteringhouse]

Originally Posted by Thomas W. Bethe

I use to date a young lady who's father was a gynecologist and he never talked about what he was doing at work when he was at home. Probably the best thing he could have done.

Probably wouldn't make for great conversation at the family dinner table "Man did I have a hard day at work ..."

Joke aside my point is there is more than one way to listen to audio. You can listen critically, for enjoyment, for information, etc. Often they overlap, but IMHO an audio professional should be able to recognize not just what he is listening to, but how he is listening and at times be able to shut off one or the other methods.