What should already be perfected before the final mastering stage

[jditmer0]

Hi all,

I'm a fairly knowledgeable producer who has not yet sent in a song to be mastered. These are the things I need to know:

1) Are songs usually mastered with the one big wav file or is each element of the song split up and then sent in to be mastered. (for now I will assume it is sent in with just the one big wav file)

2) Should I leave the "main out" track free of all plugins such as compressors limiters and EQ's (my guess is yes with the exception of EQ's)

3) What type of things do you often hear but can not fix to perfection because the mix has already been put into the single wav file. For-example, I don't know if a mushy/unclean low end can be fixed to perfection in the mastering stage or if I should be doing that before I send it in. I feel like many things can not be fixed once the mix has been created.
__Take the kick and the bass for-instance. Instead of only using eq for separation, I put a side-chained waves C6 compressor on the bass with the kick triggering the compressor. Then I set C6 to compress the bass only at the kick's peak frequencies. With C6 set to "split" mode, I can set the compressor to only listen to the peak frequencies of the kick so that the timing of the compressor is perfect.
__I do this with many different elements in my song to create that nice clean separation between all of my elements. I feel like this would be really difficult to achieve the same clean seporation in the mastering stage with just one big wav file to work with. But regardless of what I think, is this what you guys do when mastering a song? Should I leave this job up to you? If so, to what extent.

4) Will knowing specific mastering techniques greatly improve my mixes and help you guys achieve a more professional final mix? If so, what type of techniques/concepts should I make sure i'm practicing. For example: create separation through the use of eq, side-chained compression with an included side-chained filter, and width differences between elements. maintaining mono compatibility. Give each reverb it's own place in the mix. ....ect.

Thank you for the help guys!

[ritelec]

There are some BK lovers and haters here..but checking this out may help some of your questions.

Delivery & FTP


go to preparing tapes and files

[MASSIVE Master]

1) Generally, a single, stereo interleaved file.

2) You use what you need on the 2-buss. If it needs a dB or two of "glue" compression, that's all good. Almost certainly no limiting. EQ... If it needs EQ, I'd be wondering why it wasn't fixed in the mix. If it's a color thing (I can think of more than a few occasions that mixes were asking for some sort of "nulled-Pultec-ish" sound on the main buss. Putting it another way, I wouldn't be using corrective EQ on the 2-buss unless there's a very specific reason for it.

3) You should be thrilled with your mixes before you send them in. If something needs obvious "fixing" it should be fixed during mixing (and unless it was actually created during mixing, it probably should have been fixed during tracking).

4) There aren't any "specific techniques" that --- How do I approach this...

Mastering is the final "tailoring" stage -- You've already tailored all those elements in the mix to sit well together after putting together the parts during tracking.

When you go buy a suit, you put on a suit that fits pretty damn well in the first place. Then (and only then) you have the tailor do a nip here, a tuck there, a 1/2" brought in here, a 1/4" let out there -- You DON'T have the tailor changing the color and texture of the fabric. The only obvious change is the hems (fades).

OF COURSE, I'm not saying that there isn't plenty of "reconstruction" that happens often in the master phase -- But if you're not happy with the mixes as they are, it's best to figure out why and fix it there.

[Jerry Tubb]

The best thing is to upload a few mixes to the ME, and ask for a mix check.

Most of us are glad to spend a half hour or so evaluating and making suggestions.

It's saved many projects from being 11th hour problems.

JT

[Jim Williams]

I prefer doing independent wav files for each song. Big files are a PITA as you must split them yourself and some stuff blends so I prefer the performers/mixer to decide where to cut them. Then it's real easy slipping them in and out without doing file splitting first.

If the artist/mixer is there for mastering, big files are OK. Then they can decide.

[Adam Dempsey]

Originally Posted by MASSIVE Master

You should be thrilled with your mixes before you send them in.

Originally Posted by Jerry Tubb

The best thing is to upload a few mixes to the ME, and ask for a mix check.

Most of us are glad to spend a half hour or so evaluating and making suggestions.

In a nutshell.

[Fabmaster]

If everything is perfected before mastering you don't need mastering.
Tap a good limiter lightly, done.

[Adam Dempsey]

Originally Posted by Fabmaster

If everything is perfected before mastering you don't need mastering.

Although you may need an experienced someone to help verify that that is, indeed, the case. Plus final QC. Mastering doesn't mean processing, necessarily.

[Fabmaster]

Sometimes we're just glorified copy boys.

[jditmer0]

Thanks for the help everyone. I'll have a few of you look over a couple of my finished projects to receive further input

[rakkaus]

everything. master is for losers or people with no conditions to work with audio. as the guy said above mastering is not needed if the mix is already perfect. ...is very possible that it will degrade a GOOD sounding music, changing it intended freqs balance... taking out dynamics.. etc

[wado1942]

Originally Posted by rakkaus

master is for losers or people with no conditions to work with audio.

This is pure & utter bull crap. Even the best mix engineers with the best studios have their stuff mastered because #1, somebody needs to make the master disk, which is by definition "mastering" and #2, every project needs a second opinion in a fresh environment.

Right now, I'm working on a project with a great mix engineer with a great room, using great equipment who's been in the business for over thirty years and has a lot of big names under his belt. He's sending both the client and me mixes to get our input because it's impossible to stay fresh and objective when you're putting a solid day or two on each mix (very common) before moving on to the next mix. Even though he's doing a great job, the final mix tapes will need to be tweaked a little to help the songs sound like a cohesive project instead of a bunch of singles.

Finally, why do people keep coming to the mastering board to publicly state that mastering is for losers? Oh, because he's a TROLL who has nothing better to do with his time than start arguments.

[whitecapstudios]

Isn't this a bit harsh? Not everybody has a 'top notch' studio to work in and I would venture to say that you are directing your comments to the 1% in the music and mastering world. The 99% have very limited budgets and I'm sure most engineers, both recording and mastering realize the importance of having lots of opinions listening to their work. Don't you believe that even the an inexperienced recording engineer is capable of making a master disk to deliver for distribution?

[Smithcok]

Originally Posted by rakkaus

master is for losers or people with no conditions to work with audio.

Please do not feed the trolls.

[rakkaus]

Originally Posted by wado1942

This is pure & utter bull crap. Even the best mix engineers with the best studios have their stuff mastered because #1, somebody needs to make the master disk, which is by definition "mastering" and #2, every project needs a second opinion in a fresh environment.

Right now, I'm working on a project with a great mix engineer with a great room, using great equipment who's been in the business for over thirty years and has a lot of big names under his belt. He's sending both the client and me mixes to get our input because it's impossible to stay fresh and objective when you're putting a solid day or two on each mix (very common) before moving on to the next mix. Even though he's doing a great job, the final mix tapes will need to be tweaked a little to help the songs sound like a cohesive project instead of a bunch of singles.

Finally, why do people keep coming to the mastering board to publicly state that mastering is for losers? Oh, because he's a TROLL who has nothing better to do with his time than start arguments.

#1 industrial procedures make me laugh.. sorry i'm not from this world and this will soon be gone.
#2 you should know how to stay fresh.. because what you said here its that u do crap after a whole day of work. take it easy ehehe

[rakkaus]

Originally Posted by whitecapstudios

Isn't this a bit harsh? Not everybody has a 'top notch' studio to work in and I would venture to say that you are directing your comments to the 1% in the music and mastering world. The 99% have very limited budgets and I'm sure most engineers, both recording and mastering realize the importance of having lots of opinions listening to their work. Don't you believe that even the an inexperienced recording engineer is capable of making a master disk to deliver for distribution?

yes you are right, many special musics were done under adverse conditions.. buy hey.. a bit of wisdom and there you are at a very good ambient to work.. you don't need all that money.