mastering question! (intrigued yet??)

[petermontg]

Your M.E will look for NO processing on the master bus. Ask him how he wants to receive stereo wav.

[Franco]

From experience, the best way to go about it IMHO is to let the dude that's doing the Mastering work with your dude that's doing the Mixing. Best possible outcome because the ME will be able to tell the mixer how to get the mixes to be optimal and the two of them can discuss it in more technical terms; avoid being in the middle relaying messages back & forth between the two.

[lowland]

I see this quite a bit: by all means have the 'premastered' version sent over (I've found something useful in that a couple of times and it can give an idea about where things might go) but make sure there's also a version with no mastering-type processing.

99 times out of 100 I'll end up using the unprocessed track - as you might expect, apart from anything else I can usually get it louder and cleaner than the mixer's version.

[Laurend]

More "pre-ruff master" means less real mastering options for the ME.

[Adam Dempsey]

No harm in sending both, but as always if there are any concerns then communication between mixing engineer (or yourself) and mastering engineer is vital.

The key really is: was the processing of the pseudo-master version inherently part of the decisions made in the mixing process, or (I suspect) only added after mixing, for fear of what may happen later?

On a basic practical level, whether EQ is best applied pre or post dynamics processing can be the deciding factor in leaving things well alone for the mastering engineer. All we really want is the best mix you can make, and that involves you monitoring (hearing) the affect of any processing of the mixing stage within that stage, rather than added after the fact.

Often I'm finding that artists simply allowing themselves time to live with the mixes prior to mastering is far more the missing ingredient than any lack of processing.

Similarly, great painters require adequate light (and colour temperature of said light) and regular distance from their work in order to finish it to satisfaction.

[lu432]

Send both, If you working with a real mix engineer and a caliber mastering engineer they can work with pretty much the bulk of what is sent to them. Especially if a mix engineer working in a caliber facility is working with a mastering facility of reputation, they will both know how to get that project of the ground in a pretty straight forward fashion.

[fastlanestoner]

You should send the mastering engineer a 2mix with no processing on the master buss, and one that is fully mixed

[misjah]

i get this question about 5 times a day....send both versions

[Cheebs Goat]

Originally Posted by petermontg

Your M.E will look for NO processing on the master bus. Ask him how he wants to receive stereo wav.

...unless the processing is part of the mix.

[dcollins]

Originally Posted by Cheebs Goat

...unless the processing is part of the mix.

Which it frequently is, rendering the recommendation to not use compression on the mix you send to mastering highly questionable.

Limiting for level is another story, and that you can definitely leave off.


DC

[grandmasters]

Originally Posted by dcollins

Which it frequently is, rendering the recommendation to not use compression on the mix you send to mastering highly questionable.

Limiting for level is another story, and that you can definitely leave off.


DC

Generally, I agree with this. I tell my clients to do what you do in regards to master bus. Don't over think it. Just try and give me some dynamic range and leave the limiter either off or at 0 if you want to use it just to avoid overs.

Often times a mixer will use a plug-in that he/she set they way they want it to sound and nothing you can do in the mastering studio can make it sound that way, so ultimately you'll be looking at an automatic revision if it's removed from the mixbus.

[Razik]

I agree with all suggestions above and I have little chart here if it can help.

Preparing your track for mastering


Razik Mastering

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