For folks who master their own mixes

lord_bunny · 7th December 2009

This is a thread for mixing guys who own project or pro studios who master their own productions.

My philosophy for mastering my own stuff is that the budgets I deal with don't really speak to the need for an outside mastering studio.

The way I mix I try and compress and limit as much as I want the track to be compressed and limited. My mixes in the "dense pop" genre can be -11 to -9. My philosophy in mastering is to get the various mixes on a record to gel cohesively taking in to account their track order by using e.q., very light compression on some and very light limiting.

A month ago I wrapped up a project and had a listening party out in the tracking room with folks who played on the record as well as other musicians and local industry folks. I have a pair of pwoered 3-way JBL's that we're positioned nicely. I hadn't mastered yet, I just wanted feedback on the mixes.

I heard all kinds of stuff in one song in particular that I didn't hear on the nearfields int he control room. It was great to get a little objectivity by using a different set of speakers in a much different room. My tracking room is around 1400 sq ft, where my control room is big enough for a desk, couch and chair with a little room to spare.

My mastering process went so much more smoothly... I was able to listen in the big room, take notes... listen in the control room and then do a tweak and head back out to the big room. I found I could hear the problems on the nearfields so much more after hearing them clearly on the larger JBL's.

It's the nicest master i've done. My thought was maybe to get a monitor, keyboard/mouse etc on a mobile desk and roll it out to these JBL's for mastering... even mixing perhaps. Has anyone else done this?

I know they aren't mastering monitors by any stretch, but I just feel that having a vastly different listening environment and going from 6.5 woofers to a 15", 12" and horn will give me better objectivity. Besides the room is big and treated with 703, so any monitoring problems my control room has (although it's filthy with 703 and foam in the corners) it's got to be a positive change.

Thoughts? (besides "send it to an ME")

Surbitone · 7th December 2009

We've got a mid sized recording / mixing studio, but I mainly get mastering jobs and master them in the control room. Both the live room and the control room are properly treated , but with the console, chairs etc in the control room, theres not enough space to get a)well positioned subs, or b)full range floor-standers. The live room is often unused so were thinking about getting some wilmslow audio 'prestige' floor-standers, amp, keyboard & mouse set up linked to the PC in the control room. thumbsup

hipass · 7th December 2009

I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on good monitoring, a proper and professional acoustical design buy one of the worlds leading studio designers.
I have spend tens of thousand more on of mastering quality tube and solid state outboard. I have 30+ years of experience so do I really need a mastering studio?
I have had projects mastered outside and I don't really feel is was worth it for me.
I have done several projects for labels and they just ask me to do it.
I also do mastering for a few smaller labels and other studios as well.

Musiclab · 7th December 2009

I have mastered projects when I have to, I prefer not to but sometimes the budget won't allow for a separate mastering engineer that I trust.

bbgallaway · 8th December 2009

I always advise bands on getting projects properly mastered. However, like you I work on a lot of projects where it's not really feasible or practical - when a band wants a full album recorded in a few days on the cheap they're not likely to put up for a decent mastering session. In those cases I'm happy to set aside some time at the end to do it. I'm far from a real mastering studio, and I always make sure to be very clear on that fact - I usually avoid simply saying I'm mastering the album and say something like "fake mastering". I'd rather not find out I'm credited with mastering something that hasn't really been properly done, and I don't want the band to educate themselves on the subject later on down the road and then decide I misled them.

7th December 2009	#1
lord_bunny Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada Posts: 1,280 Thread Starter	For folks who master their own mixes This is a thread for mixing guys who own project or pro studios who master their own productions. My philosophy for mastering my own stuff is that the budgets I deal with don't really speak to the need for an outside mastering studio. The way I mix I try and compress and limit as much as I want the track to be compressed and limited. My mixes in the "dense pop" genre can be -11 to -9. My philosophy in mastering is to get the various mixes on a record to gel cohesively taking in to account their track order by using e.q., very light compression on some and very light limiting. A month ago I wrapped up a project and had a listening party out in the tracking room with folks who played on the record as well as other musicians and local industry folks. I have a pair of pwoered 3-way JBL's that we're positioned nicely. I hadn't mastered yet, I just wanted feedback on the mixes. I heard all kinds of stuff in one song in particular that I didn't hear on the nearfields int he control room. It was great to get a little objectivity by using a different set of speakers in a much different room. My tracking room is around 1400 sq ft, where my control room is big enough for a desk, couch and chair with a little room to spare. My mastering process went so much more smoothly... I was able to listen in the big room, take notes... listen in the control room and then do a tweak and head back out to the big room. I found I could hear the problems on the nearfields so much more after hearing them clearly on the larger JBL's. It's the nicest master i've done. My thought was maybe to get a monitor, keyboard/mouse etc on a mobile desk and roll it out to these JBL's for mastering... even mixing perhaps. Has anyone else done this? I know they aren't mastering monitors by any stretch, but I just feel that having a vastly different listening environment and going from 6.5 woofers to a 15", 12" and horn will give me better objectivity. Besides the room is big and treated with 703, so any monitoring problems my control room has (although it's filthy with 703 and foam in the corners) it's got to be a positive change. Thoughts? (besides "send it to an ME") __________________ Adam Miner: Songwriter, producer, mixer, studio owner www.adamminer.com

7th December 2009	#4
Musiclab Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Elmont NY Posts: 6,016 3 Reviews written	I have mastered projects when I have to, I prefer not to but sometimes the budget won't allow for a separate mastering engineer that I trust. __________________ Lou Gimenez www.musiclabnyc.com

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7th December 2009	#2
Surbitone Lives for gear Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: in your cellar Posts: 1,733	We've got a mid sized recording / mixing studio, but I mainly get mastering jobs and master them in the control room. Both the live room and the control room are properly treated , but with the console, chairs etc in the control room, theres not enough space to get a)well positioned subs, or b)full range floor-standers. The live room is often unused so were thinking about getting some wilmslow audio 'prestige' floor-standers, amp, keyboard & mouse set up linked to the PC in the control room. thumbsup

7th December 2009	#3
hipass Registered User Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 1,084	I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on good monitoring, a proper and professional acoustical design buy one of the worlds leading studio designers. I have spend tens of thousand more on of mastering quality tube and solid state outboard. I have 30+ years of experience so do I really need a mastering studio? I have had projects mastered outside and I don't really feel is was worth it for me. I have done several projects for labels and they just ask me to do it. I also do mastering for a few smaller labels and other studios as well.

8th December 2009	#5
bbgallaway Gear addict Join Date: May 2009 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 327	I always advise bands on getting projects properly mastered. However, like you I work on a lot of projects where it's not really feasible or practical - when a band wants a full album recorded in a few days on the cheap they're not likely to put up for a decent mastering session. In those cases I'm happy to set aside some time at the end to do it. I'm far from a real mastering studio, and I always make sure to be very clear on that fact - I usually avoid simply saying I'm mastering the album and say something like "fake mastering". I'd rather not find out I'm credited with mastering something that hasn't really been properly done, and I don't want the band to educate themselves on the subject later on down the road and then decide I misled them.