Hip-Hop Beat Needs Mastering

[Dave12345]

Hey mastering folk - I've got a 2 minute Hip-Hop track that needs mastering - its a simple instrumental - Please PM me with a quote and availability for next week .... I will post a snippet if anyone can do a sample.

cheers

[bob katz]

Originally Posted by Dave12345

Hey mastering folk - I've got a 2 minute Hip-Hop track that needs mastering - its a simple instrumental - Please PM me with a quote and availability for next week .... I will post a snippet if anyone can do a sample.

cheers

Dear Dave: Generally if an instrumental is going to be used later in conjunction with a vocalist and/or other tracks to form a complete master, then not only do you NOT NEED MASTERING but you should NOT "master" the beat! Unless this means: "help me get the best sound and EQ for this beat".

But even then it's best to wait until the beat is auditioned IN CONTEXT with the rest of the elements that will form the song. If it gets "too boomy" for example while you attempt to "master" it as a solo beat, then its sound quality will go downhill when you reduce some of that boominess after you hear it against a vocal.

Are you trying to get attention and compete with other beat producers? Loudness is a hidden issue, but honestly, make the best sounding beat you can and save any "loudness maximizing" for the final stage after it is all mixed. By the way, mastering is not the same as "loudness maximizing" and you may be confusing the two. And frankly, I believe that the "beat" should remain flexible in all of its elements. Just the two track output of a beat box is not the best way to go if a song is going to be constructed from it.

Now if you want to produce a "demo" of beats for auditioning, I can see some advantages to having that demo of various beats "mastered", but god forbid if they then take that demo and try to run with it for the song. Because mastering is NOT taking a "mastered beat" and a "mastered vocal" and "mastered strings" and mixing them together. You'll get a "mastered" piece of sh*t!

Hope this helps,


BK

[Cellotron]

There's lots of hip-hop instrumentals out there that ARE in fact the finished track - so maybe it's jumping to a very wrong conclusion to say that the original poster want his instrumental track "mastered" prior to having a vocalist dubbed on it.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

[bob katz]

Originally Posted by Cellotron

There's lots of hip-hop instrumentals out there that ARE in fact the finished track - so maybe it's jumping to a very wrong conclusion to say that the original poster want his instrumental track "mastered" prior to having a vocalist dubbed on it.

Best regards,
Steve Berson

Let's not forget he called it a "beat" in the headline, not an instrumental. So it was not a very big "leap" or even a jump. When Dave reposts we'll see if it was the wrong conclusion, however, my advice remains a good one for those who think their "beats" need mastering.

BK

[Dave12345]

Hi guys - It is a finished track / instrumental. Bob - I'm about to send you a pm.

Thanks

[kevinjhcw]

I must agree with the other guys, don't master your track. I have been running my tracks through BBE's Sonic Maximizer Plug with some Nomad Factor Blue Tubes Limiting just so people who need to write to a booming tack have something to bump to but I back both of those out when we actually recording vocals. Good Luck. Also, remember, if you don't like the sound of your mix, fix your mix, don't master.