Differentiate between Engineer/Mixer/Masterin Engineer please!

[audioaddict]

I get confused sometimes when I see all of these credits in the same album...

If you have album credits showing :

Mixed by: x, y
Engineers: a, b, ,c
Mastered by:

Could you go over the differences...."engineer" could be many things.

Also, if no "mastered by: " is listed....what does that mean? Is one of the "Engineers" the guy who mastered it?

Early Sade albums didn't use the term "mastered by:"

Thanks.

[CJ Mastering]

Mixing engineer is the engineer who mixed it

Engineer is usually the one who recorded it and maybe even mixed it, if there is no mixing engineer listed.
Engineer can also be as broad as all engineers that worked on the album, like the 2nd engineers

Mastering engineer is the one who masters it

If one isnt listed, it could means many things.

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by audioaddict

I get confused sometimes when I see all of these credits in the same album...

If you have album credits showing :

Mixed by: x, y
Engineers: a, b, ,c
Mastered by:

Could you go over the differences...."engineer" could be many things.

Also, if no "mastered by: " is listed....what does that mean? Is one of the "Engineers" the guy who mastered it?

Early Sade albums didn't use the term "mastered by:"

Thanks.

If mastering credits are missing, it could be because it was done in house at a record label, or it wasn't known at time of the sleeve design, or it was simply forgotten (happens a lot... quite annoying when it's a high charting or influencial album).

Especially older albums often don't credit mastering. Did you try searching the web and check Allmusic.com or Discogs.com?

[audioaddict]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

If mastering credits are missing, it could be because it was done in house at a record label, or it wasn't known at time of the sleeve design, or it was simply forgotten (happens a lot... quite annoying when it's a high charting or influencial album).

Especially older albums often don't credit mastering. Did you try searching the web and check Allmusic.com or Discogs.com?

Yeah I tried both of those.....they're very good at picking up things, but doubt they would get data that wasn't listed in the liner notes to begin with.

Two albums of note that show no mastering credits:

Robin Thicke's "Sex Therapy" (2009)
The Firm's "The Album" (1997)

Interestingly enough, Brian Gardner did Thicke's 2nd & 3rd album....and he is associated with Dr. Dre after Bernie G turned it over to him....so it's possible he both of these albums, but weird that they wouldn't mention it.

[PBM]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

If mastering credits are missing, it could be because it was done in house at a record label, or it wasn't known at time of the sleeve design, or it was simply forgotten (happens a lot... quite annoying when it's a high charting or influencial album).

Especially older albums often don't credit mastering.

I have engineered many many classical CDs where my job included recording, extensive editing, and mastering, but where I've only been credited with the actual recording - the reason being that some classical labels like to maintain the pretence that their CD's comprise the raw, unpolished performances of sheer quivering genius. (Hah!)

Cheers,

Eric

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by PBM

I have engineered many many classical CDs where my job included recording, extensive editing, and mastering, but where I've only been credited with the actual recording - the reason being that some classical labels like to maintain the pretence that their CD's comprise the raw, unpolished performances of sheer quivering genius. (Hah!)

Cheers,

Eric

Makes sense. It'd be like having an "vocal pitch & beat detective engineer" credit listed in a rock cd.

I think pretty much all classical mastering / authoring I did is uncredited; mainly because it's not considered to be that noteworthy, I think. And most of the time, it actually isn't, tbh. But a portrayed emphasis on live performance capture may have something to do with that too.
Happens in pop too though all the time. Right now my name is missing on the sleeve of a top10 album, and on another one that's just gone gold... the latter is even credited to Sterling Sound, actually.

And I'm still wondering who mastered Thomas Dolby's "Aliens Ate My Buick", since the album lacks a mastering credit. Does anyone know?

[dualflip]

As the other guys explained it, however it does sound weird to me the term "Engineered", like if the rest of the guys were what? not engineers?