Techno Mastering Guide

[drummist515]

ME's have a tough job. if youre not happy let them know and see if you can work it out. if you really like the way your mix sounds, tonaly and dynamically and all you need is comparable volume, then tell the ME that. Part of what good ME's do is to bring a "natural" equalization and tonal balance to an already great mix, so that it sounds good to "everyone". Bob Katz is a great resource for this info.
I think its the greatest thing in the world to let a trained pro listen to something once or twice on a crystal clear system, in a perfect listening environment before deliver my work, and he work of great artist' to the world.
I really like the song. I think the master has more space and clarity. didnt seem to detract from the "dark, 70's" ambiance of the song at all to me. Ultimately you are the artist so its your choice.
after sitting in headphones all week listening to compressed drums and the occasional 'over' limit my ears get fatigued. A fresh set of ears can make a difference in selling our art or getting a real job...

Originally Posted by bicarbone

Hi,

Thanks for all these very interesting posts.

I have just got a track back from mastering and I'm not very happy with the result. I know my mix has its flaws, but I was happy with the general tone of it and its dark 70's atmosphere. I've asked the ME to emphasize that instead of striving for brightness. It's a bit delicate for me to argue about the squashing of dynamics, because this track will be part of a compilation EP so there will have to be a loudness consistency between tracks. Release will be both digital and vinyl.

However, I started a little debate with the label and other artists to see whether they wouldn't consider restoring some dynamics in this release and possibly adopt this approach for the future.

I read this thread and then imported the mastered file into wave editor to see how much RMS it had got left. Well, it read -11.8 db which seems plenty according to previous posts and comments. I'm so now.

If you don't mind, please have a listen and critique both ways (my mix and the mastered file). I feel quite a bit lost, is my mix THAT crappy?
After reading comments in this thread about producers who don't know how to mix, I'd be happy to have your feedback. I might add that, to my ears at least, this is/was my best mix so far... (oooh I feel so exposed and naked now)

I've attached both files and they are more or less level matched for your convenience. Thanks!

[bicarbone]

Originally Posted by drummist515

ME's have a tough job. if youre not happy let them know and see if you can work it out. if you really like the way your mix sounds, tonaly and dynamically and all you need is comparable volume, then tell the ME that. Part of what good ME's do is to bring a "natural" equalization and tonal balance to an already great mix, so that it sounds good to "everyone". Bob Katz is a great resource for this info.
I think its the greatest thing in the world to let a trained pro listen to something once or twice on a crystal clear system, in a perfect listening environment before deliver my work, and he work of great artist' to the world.
I really like the song. I think the master has more space and clarity. didnt seem to detract from the "dark, 70's" ambiance of the song at all to me. Ultimately you are the artist so its your choice.
after sitting in headphones all week listening to compressed drums and the occasional 'over' limit my ears get fatigued. A fresh set of ears can make a difference in selling our art or getting a real job...

I agree with you, I use fresh ears whenever it's possible. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to mix myself what I have just arranged and recorded because I know I'm starting with a very narrow perspective. I asked the ME for a revision and got a very nice sounding master in return, so everything is good now. Thanks for your input.

[Bob Olhsson]

Originally Posted by Ninja_Edit

Loudness doesn't impact sales, and people prefer dynamic music. According to wikipedia.

Loudness does impact exposure because it gives people a leg up in programming meetings and focus groups. The problem is that it also makes the music disposable because people really do prefer dynamic music for anything other than background muzak.

[807Recordings]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

Loudness does impact exposure because it gives people a leg up in programming meetings and focus groups. The problem is that it also makes the music disposable because people really do prefer dynamic music for anything other than background muzak.

Interesting that you say that as Ron Murphy of NSC (RIP), who cut most the Detroit Techno records in the early days, of which many of these records formed the basis for the whole electronic music movement also mentioned that most people made the records to compressed for this type of music and often cut with not enough bass. He also said that the records that modulate the best will usually be the top ones.

Slam a mix hard and loud you will likely have to kill the bass to a degree. In dance music its all about the bass.

[Bob Olhsson]

Originally Posted by 807Recordings

...Slam a mix hard and loud you will likely have to kill the bass to a degree. In dance music its all about the bass.

I'd say it's all about the groove. I always pick limiters first in terms of preserving the low-end groove.

[FakeOnMercy]

Originally Posted by 807Recordings

He also said that the records that modulate the best will usually be the top ones.

What is meant bij "modulate" ... good dynamics?

[FakeOnMercy]

Originally Posted by Bob Olhsson

I'd say it's all about the groove. I always pick limiters first in terms of preserving the low-end groove.

Which one do you prefer for preserving the low-end groove?

[Bob Olhsson]

Originally Posted by FakeOnMercy

Which one do you prefer for preserving the low-end groove?

I've never been able to predict. I pick the immediate best and then try to adjust any limiters that sound better in other ways to work as well for the low end.

Everything in mastering is a trade-off. It's really all about monitor quality and listening for what is getting screwed up. Formulas frequently turn into train wrecks because of expectation bias.

[807Recordings]

Originally Posted by FakeOnMercy

What is meant bij "modulate" ... good dynamics?

I believe modulation was also his way of sort of saying groove. At least in Detroit techno it sort of has a feeling that modulates from the first beat to the 4th-or 8th. Hard to explain but its pretty similar to how early motown has that sort of swing feel.

I know it when I hear it but hard to put into words :D

Dynamics are a big part of that sound, but so is keeping that wiggle. Squish to death you got no room for the music to wiggle.

[FakeOnMercy]

Originally Posted by 807Recordings

I believe modulation was also his way of sort of saying groove. At least in Detroit techno it sort of has a feeling that modulates from the first beat to the 4th-or 8th. Hard to explain but its pretty similar to how early motown has that sort of swing feel.

I know it when I hear it but hard to put into words :D

Dynamics are a big part of that sound, but so is keeping that wiggle. Squish to death you got no room for the music to wiggle.

I think I know what your talking about, I'm big fan of Detroit techno and always call it funky or groove... or sometimes soul and feeling

[807Recordings]

Originally Posted by FakeOnMercy

I think I know what your talking about, I'm big fan of Detroit techno and always call it funky or groove... or sometimes soul and feeling

Its something that can take a hard rock and make him go now I dig that.

ITs hard to explain (maybe as I mentioned) but the 313 (detroit) feel wears off on you. I suppose a lot of place do this but honestly the Detroit sound is IMHO special because it can take a hardcore steel rock city with frick all for technology and lives on pollution and machines (if that even), and puts that into the music.

The grind of machines are there and hard in the techno, but fall into the background from the daily grind....... Move it into the big picture and its a funk.

Anyways I will speak less as I am not born and bread there so I don't deserve that right to speak on such a subject. I will only add that its a feeling and picture that is not about how loud it is, or how much bass you have. Bob knows exactly what he is talking about and I think sometimes words on a forum are not enough (?).

Limiter for feel, of course,
Eq for more or bass, Sure,
Great music in the first place, I think it the trumps.

You work hard, keep your ears open, stop listening to do this, or that and I must be competitive and you will find a way to break the rules and come out on top.

[nokama]

Just ride the knee man, and pray everybody else has too :D

[thecity]

Originally Posted by Babaluma

I regularly master Techno with what some people might call "an RMS of -13 or -12". My clients appreciate dynamic range, know it will sound better on a big club PA, and trust the DJ to know how to use a gain control (that last bit is always a bit risky though, DJs are the new drummers... it's a joke, it's a joke...)

Check out the so called RMS levels of some Basic Channel 12"s (likely mastered at Dubplates and Mastering mentioned above), you might be surprised, and no one is complaining that they sound too quiet on Beatport...

I just checked out some Basic Channel and Maurizio tracks that I transfered from vinyl, and the dynamic range is between 12 and 14db, Phylyps Trak II-II even more, 14-15db, and they sound incredible compared to some newer techno releases that have been mastered at Dubplates (but I read that in the early days Henke und Oswald himself mastered many record).
I then compared it to the M4.5 track from Beatport and that only had around 8db dynamic range left and sounds very different, more compressed, with louder background sounds and less punchier drums.
I know that there are a few remastered versions of classic tracks out, like that Phylys Trak II-II, I hope those haven't been limited to death.

I then checked out Kraftwerk's Trans-Europe Express and that had around 18db dynamic range

[Babaluma]

yeah, agree with all you say!

afaik kraftwerk haven't let the evil limiting goblins anywhere near their re-presses. the man machine album sounds fantastic both on vinyl and an early CD pressing i have.