Tips for first mastering session (at Sterling Sound)

[Ialsoeathummus]

Hi guys,

I'm having my first serious production mastered this week at Sterling Sound. We're starting with only a single track and the second track will be mastered the following week. Does anyone have suggestions for prepping the pre-master so we get the most of the experience?

Some tips I've already found on the forum:

-Leave a few seconds before and after the track
-Lower volume is much better than not leaving enough headroom (my final mix is quite a bit lower than any commercial material that I have)
-Do not compress or EQ on the stereo buss. Leave it for the mastering stage
-Send a second version of the track with a 1.0dB vocal boost.
-Ask if they do separation stems (this option is not available for us)

Any other general tips will help.

[Bob Olhsson]

I'd leave limiting off the bus but if you feel it needs compression, I'd do that in the mix where you have control over the individual elements. Check with the compression both on and off with the monitor volume control compensating for any gain changes to make sure you aren't just hyping yourself with more volume.

Headroom is useful although I think it's mostly a matter of not making mix decisions based on your monitoring system being stressed.

I like vocal up and vocal down versions to be just a half dB. A full dB is a different mix to me.

[Ialsoeathummus]

Very good point. Thanks for the input. I'm going to reconsider to .5db

Regarding compression, there's quite a bit on individual elements, but when I put a temporary compressor on the stereo buss, I felt that it glued everything together.

I've removed it from the stereo buss though since he mastering engineer will likely do it on his own and do a better job. Is this a safe bet?

[Ialsoeathummus]

Sorry bob. I gave your post a second read and you already answered this. I'll leave the compression off the stereo buss

Originally Posted by Ialsoeathummus

Very good point. Thanks for the input. I'm going to reconsider to .5db

Regarding compression, there's quite a bit on individual elements, but when I put a temporary compressor on the stereo buss, I felt that it glued everything together.

I've removed it from the stereo buss though since he mastering engineer will likely do it on his own and do a better job. Is this a safe bet?

[Table Of Tone]

It really depends on who's gonna be doing your stuff.
All those guy's at Sterling have their own individual styles of mastering!

Vox up and vox down half a db is the way forward for sure.
Try to give em around 2 to 3 db of peak headroom as well.
Also, make sure the kick and snare are not too buried in your mix, as they will drop a little if they widen it quite a bit!

Hope it comes out how you want it!

[Thomas W. Bethe]

Originally Posted by Ialsoeathummus

Hi guys,

I'm having my first serious production mastered this week at Sterling Sound. We're starting with only a single track and the second track will be mastered the following week. Does anyone have suggestions for prepping the pre-master so we get the most of the experience?

Some tips I've already found on the forum:

-Leave a few seconds before and after the track
-Lower volume is much better than not leaving enough headroom (my final mix is quite a bit lower than any commercial material that I have)
-Do not compress or EQ on the stereo buss. Leave it for the mastering stage
-Send a second version of the track with a 1.0dB vocal boost.
-Ask if they do separation stems (this option is not available for us)

Any other general tips will help.

For an attended session this is what I would tell you to do if you were mastering with me.

Try to let some time elapse between when you finish the mix and when you get it mastered. In other words don't finish up the mix the night before the mastering,

Be well rested the night before the mastering session so you will be fresh.

Take in some CDs that you want the mastering to sound similar to and play them on the system you will be listening to the mastering on. This will allow you to listen to what the material you normally listen to on your speakers sounds like on the mastering studio's speakers and the mastering engineer will get some idea of what you are looking for.

Have notes on what you want the mastering to accomplish and share them with the mastering engineer.

Be attentive during the mastering and if asked try to accurately vocalize your feelings about what the mastering engineer is doing.

Don't be overwhelmed by the sound of the mastering studio's speakers but look at them as a reference to what the finished track will sound like on the best of the best.

It is your session and you are paying for it so get the most you can from the session. Don't do a lot of idyll talking since in most places the clock is still running even if you are talking about March madness team selection. You want to concentrate on the job at hand and maybe do some more idyll talking while the refs are being burned.

Communication is the name of the game and the more you can communicate your wants and needs to the mastering engineer the better the session will go.

Just because you are paying for the session with a top mastering engineer don't assume he or she is also a mind reader. Tell them what you want up front.

If the session does not go the way you want it to don't be afraid to discuss it with the mastering engineer. There are some mastering engineers that will, without asking go for a super compressed sound right away, assuming that is what most people today want and that may not be what you are looking for.

Again communication is the name of the game.

Best of luck and let us know how it comes out.

[Bob Olhsson]

If it really sounds better and more "glued together" with some compression on the bus, I'd also submit that version. I'd never assume a mastering engineer can do it better.

I'm assuming this is unattended since the cost of an attended session for one song every week would be astronomical.

[nickynicknick]

I would suggest getting a test master done...maybe that's what you are doing....it's worth it...and if you like just send the rest

Nick

[Andy Krehm]

Originally Posted by Thomas W. Bethe

For an attended session this is what I would tell you to do if you were mastering with me.

Try to let some time elapse between when you finish the mix and when you get it mastered. In other words don't finish up the mix the night before the mastering,

Be well rested the night before the mastering session so you will be fresh.

Take in some CDs that you want the mastering to sound similar to and play them on the system you will be listening to the mastering on. This will allow you to listen to what the material you normally listen to on your speakers sounds like on the mastering studio's speakers and the mastering engineer will get some idea of what you are looking for.

Have notes on what you want the mastering to accomplish and share them with the mastering engineer.

Be attentive during the mastering and if asked try to accurately vocalize your feelings about what the mastering engineer is doing.

Don't be overwhelmed by the sound of the mastering studio's speakers but look at them as a reference to what the finished track will sound like on the best of the best.

It is your session and you are paying for it so get the most you can from the session. Don't do a lot of idyll talking since in most places the clock is still running even if you are talking about March madness team selection. You want to concentrate on the job at hand and maybe do some more idyll talking while the refs are being burned.

Communication is the name of the game and the more you can communicate your wants and needs to the mastering engineer the better the session will go.

Just because you are paying for the session with a top mastering engineer don't assume he or she is also a mind reader. Tell them what you want up front.

If the session does not go the way you want it to don't be afraid to discuss it with the mastering engineer. There are some mastering engineers that will, without asking go for a super compressed sound right away, assuming that is what most people today want and that may not be what you are looking for.

Again communication is the name of the game.

Best of luck and let us know how it comes out.

Excellent advice!

[Masterer]

Originally Posted by Ialsoeathummus

Hi guys,

I'm having my first serious production mastered this week at Sterling Sound. We're starting with only a single track and the second track will be mastered the following week. Does anyone have suggestions for prepping the pre-master so we get the most of the experience?

Some tips I've already found on the forum:

-Leave a few seconds before and after the track
-Lower volume is much better than not leaving enough headroom (my final mix is quite a bit lower than any commercial material that I have)
-Do not compress or EQ on the stereo buss. Leave it for the mastering stage
-Send a second version of the track with a 1.0dB vocal boost.
-Ask if they do separation stems (this option is not available for us)

Any other general tips will help.

All of this is good advice but you might also try discussing this with your mastering engineer. Most of the guys at Sterling are happy to share their opinions on this stuff [I know, I work there].

Good luck.

[Chris Lago]

Originally Posted by Masterer

All of this is good advice but you might also try discussing this with your mastering engineer. Most of the guys at Sterling are happy to share their opinions on this stuff [I know, I work there].

Good luck.

Sweet, Chris Athens right? I admire your work.

[Ialsoeathummus]

Thanks everyone. The track came out pretty good!

[lucey]

Originally Posted by Ialsoeathummus

Thanks everyone. The track came out pretty good!

'Pretty good' is a little less satisfied than I'd hope to hear. Do you mean that the track could be better and you're going back for more, or that you're fully happy with it, given the mix limitations you've perhaps discovered?

[Ialsoeathummus]

It's hard to know how good of a mastering job it was since it was my first experience with a pro. I like all the improvements but I can't measure that against a larger spectrum of where it could have ended up.

I'm open if anyone has some tips as to how to better evaluate the master.

One thing is for sure: he made the song more professional, intelligible and enjoyable to listen to. I'm delivering a second song this week and the mix is much better, so it will be easier to evaluate the final product (which I expect will also be much better).

And I know that every time I get a new master done I'll learn more about the spectrum of quality and in turn, learn more about what exactly I want to get out of a mastering session.

Originally Posted by lucey

'Pretty good' is a little less satisfied than I'd hope to hear. Do you mean that the track could be better and you're going back for more, or that you're fully happy with it, given the mix limitations you've perhaps discovered?

[twwalsh]

Originally Posted by Ialsoeathummus

I'm open if anyone has some tips as to how to better evaluate the master.

do you like it? is it better than your mix? that's about it.

[lucey]

Originally Posted by Ialsoeathummus

And I know that every time I get a new master done I'll learn more about the spectrum of quality and in turn, learn more about what exactly I want to get out of a mastering session.

Sounds like a plan. As your taste evolves so will your demands.

A skilled ME will do the things you described while at the same time not damaging the good in the mix. The larger 'spectrum of quality' is based on the engineer's ear and by your demands.

A full record can be harder than a single as the interactions are more complex, and there are more limitations. For singles that lack of limitations means that anything you can imagine your mix becoming can be done. Excepting those things that your mix simply can't become, they of course can't be done! This limitation is somewhat based on the engineer, and their flexibility, and is partly the physics of a mix.

[Alécio Costa]

why didn´t you wait and mastered the two songs at the same day/ session?

[Masterer]

Originally Posted by chrislago

Sweet, Chris Athens right? I admire your work.

Yes sir, that's right.

Thanks Chris.

C.

[greyskull]

whilst you're around chris...and please feel free to tell me to bog off and email Maryellen... BUT..

having worked on a couple of projects which have used the emastering service (im in england) one was after hours one was with a head engineer, when we received the master; all we got was one contiguos file and no ddp image and no way to import it into the emastering software to burn off....
am i missing something completely??
sorry to be a pain.
many thanks

[Ialsoeathummus]

Originally Posted by Alécio Costa

why didn´t you wait and mastered the two songs at the same day/ session?

We didn't fully know how a proper mastering session would affect our final result. The reason we waited was to take what we learned from the first master and use that knowledge to make the second mix better.

As we hoped, the second mix came out infinitely better and this time around I can say it definitely was a great mastering job. It took the song to the next level and we're very happy with the final result.

[Masterer]

Originally Posted by greyskull

whilst you're around chris...and please feel free to tell me to bog off and email Maryellen... BUT..

having worked on a couple of projects which have used the emastering service (im in england) one was after hours one was with a head engineer, when we received the master; all we got was one contiguos file and no ddp image and no way to import it into the emastering software to burn off....
am i missing something completely??
sorry to be a pain.
many thanks

Maybe there was a miscommunication.
Maryellen moved on about a year or so ago. This session must have been quite a while ago. I'm not sure who the engineer was but you can call and ask for him or whoever his booking manager is and they can walk you through whatever you need.


Peace.

[bmanic]

Originally Posted by Ialsoeathummus

We didn't fully know how a proper mastering session would affect our final result. The reason we waited was to take what we learned from the first master and use that knowledge to make the second mix better.

As we hoped, the second mix came out infinitely better and this time around I can say it definitely was a great mastering job. It took the song to the next level and we're very happy with the final result.

This is a very good way to learn, though you'll end up with one song that is much weaker in terms of the mix than the rest but your sacrifice makes sense. Kudos to your approach!

Cheers!
bManic

[greyskull]

Originally Posted by Masterer

Maybe there was a miscommunication.
Maryellen moved on about a year or so ago. This session must have been quite a while ago. I'm not sure who the engineer was but you can call and ask for him or whoever his booking manager is and they can walk you through whatever you need.


Peace.

Thanks Chris. Probably stephanie i need to speak to via email?

[Ialsoeathummus]

Originally Posted by bmanic

This is a very good way to learn, though you'll end up with one song that is much weaker in terms of the mix than the rest but your sacrifice makes sense. Kudos to your approach!

Cheers!
bManic

You're right on. The second mix ended up being MUCH stronger.

So with the new knowledge, I remixed the first track for free and then paid to get that remastered. It might not be financially sensible, but when you serve the art it's worth every penny.

I'm glad we did it this way.

[turbo46]

Originally Posted by chrislago

Sweet, Chris Athens right? I admire your work.

Right, i love him. Somebody knows which is the amount for example 15 tracks?

[Masterer]

Originally Posted by greyskull

Thanks Chris. Probably stephanie i need to speak to via email?

Yeah. If not her she can direct you to the right manager.

[bmanic]

Originally Posted by Ialsoeathummus

You're right on. The second mix ended up being MUCH stronger.

So with the new knowledge, I remixed the first track for free and then paid to get that remastered. It might not be financially sensible, but when you serve the art it's worth every penny.

I'm glad we did it this way.

Ah yes, that is of course an option as well when you are not tied to a tight dead line! Very good way to learn and quickly improve your skills.

Cheers!
bManic

[reggiesears]

Make Sure That Your Mix Sounds The Way You Want It To...Get The Best Mix Possible(Forget About The master Volume Level)...If There Is Something That You Don't Like about the mix, FIX THE MIX! I Can't Tell You How Many Ppl That I Know, That Would Say "Fix it In Mastering." If By Fix, You Mean To Bring Up Certain Elements By Widening, EQing or What have you, then, you have to also remember, when a mastering engineer messes with your 2-track like that, then there are other elements that will change to. So Remember To Have The Mix As Perfect As You can Get It...Because It Ain't A Mastering Engineers job to "fix" your mix...his/her's job is to ENHANCE it.

Reggie

[Table Of Tone]

Originally Posted by reggiesears

Make Sure That Your Mix Sounds The Way You Want It To...Get The Best Mix Possible(Forget About The master Volume Level)...If There Is Something That You Don't Like about the mix, FIX THE MIX! I Can't Tell You How Many Ppl That I Know, That Would Say "Fix it In Mastering." If By Fix, You Mean To Bring Up Certain Elements By Widening, EQing or What have you, then, you have to also remember, when a mastering engineer messes with your 2-track like that, then there are other elements that will change to. So Remember To Have The Mix As Perfect As You can Get It...Because It Ain't A Mastering Engineers job to "fix" your mix...his/her's job is to ENHANCE it.

Reggie

That's very true!

Pretty much everyone that come to me wants me to make their record both good sounding and loud.
Every once in a while I get a mix that keeps on taking it and still sounds great but it's rare that the whole album will be like that, so I will pull it back a little to get the best cohesion on the record so it works as a whole.

I call this "The lucky mix"!

Mastering looks very deep into the mix.
If those depths are not pretty, then you're in trouble!
If they are pretty, you're onto a winner!

[engmix]

I've had numerous records mastered at sterling. these are my personal opinions.

1. Make sure your record sounds the way you want it to prior to mastering. It's not going to change that radically from your room to theirs. I personally mix through 2 bus compressors, bus eq, or what ever else i think it needs to get me a good end result prior mastering. Make sure to monitor through a Limiter in your room from time to time to know what's ahead of you. If you are using radical amounts of master bus compression or limiting, bring a version without it as a safety. Don't just assume your engineer will run your mix through a bus compressor or whatever. I once specifically left off my bus compression so the engineer could use his. He didn't run the mix through a bus compressor until i asked him to. As soon as he did, the master sounded 10k times better.

2. Let the mastering engineer work alone for a few minutes while they get acquainted with the track. I certainly don't like people looking over my shoulder from the word go. These guys have their process, no mater what you say, they're going to do their thing. Often their thing is the right thing, but not always the case. See below.

3. Don't be intimidated. If you feel you want compressors pumping a little more, then ask for it. If you want more aggressive eq, then push the engineer for more, or visa versa. Unless you're mastering to vinyl, then nothing you can do is out of bounds.

4. Do a morning session. They have a nice selection of bagels and cream cheese.