Master a Jazz track?

[Tweek Audio]

Who would be interested in mastering a jazz trio track I recorded just for fun and to compare results?

I always love interactive forum posts where anyone can participate.

I'd love to see people of all skill levels and gear arsenals give it a shot and post their results.

I figured I'd ask before posting the song (24 bit 44.1Khz) to see if there are enough people interested.

There's a lot of great talk on the forum but it would be cool to see some action too!

[Joe_caithness]

Yeah, why not!? I've not mastered any full jazz tracks before, only solo piano and it would be a nice little challenge!

Would be interesting to hear what different MEs on here come up with.

Could be potential for a blind test in there too maybe.

[Chris Riot]

Yes, that would be really interesting!! would also like to give it a try!

[Tweek Audio]

Cool, I'll post it in a few...

[Tweek Audio]

For the mix:
A few UAD Pultec Pro's, a couple of Plate 140s, and that's it.
We recorded it in my student's studio and with mostly his own mics. He wanted to learn to use his gear and studio rather than take the class at the school I work at. I brought my RE20 and used it on the kick.

The keys were amped and the amp distorted a little bit. The class was only 2 hours and we wanted to get 5 songs recorded, so we just dealt with the keys as they were.

I apologize that it's 80MB.

http://www.TrueShare.com/DirectLink/...8G3goXnWmah5yu

Have fun!

[Tweek Audio]

Originally Posted by SafeandSound

Hi there, I will give it a bash when I get some time.

Action usually gets paid for, we need to earn a living too !

I engineer the balances and programme elements for the radio programme Jazz on 3 for BBC Radio 3 for 5 years, still do
from time to time freelance.

cheers

I'd be happy to have you aboard!
Action certainly does deserve payment. Well said!

This is a track that would never have been mastered or seen much light of day outside of this post or perhaps my students demo reel. The trio that were the ginuea pigs on this session didn't even ask me for the recordings, I had to drop it off as a surprise at one of their gigs!

Please, certainly feel free to master only 1 or 2 minutes of it as well. I'd love to hear it.

Perhaps the performers will hear a master they like and may want all 5 tracks done? Doubtful, but who knows.

I'd just love to hear different takes on this. And I feel it's a particular challenge since it's such a basic mix and because of the genre.

I don't expect too many 3 dB dynamic ranges. This type of music really forces the M.E. to think about what they're doing rather than just boost the lows and highs, spread the stereo out, and smash it agains a wall.

[Tweek Audio]

"This type of music really forces the M.E. to think about what they're doing rather than just boost the lows and highs, spread the stereo out, and smash it agains a wall."

...As should every mix ideally :0)

[RedTuxedo]

I sent back an example. That sounded like good ole Rhodes distortion to me. Was not crazy. I thought the Acou Bass could have come up a good bit in the mix.

[TNagler]

Great idea! I'm no ME, but out of necessity I've done some 'mastering' for stuff with no budget, nothing commercial. I'm going to have a go at this and see how it compares to the pro guys on here as a learning experience.

Cheers

[tsvisser]

My attempt. (doh, be back in a few with a file under 6MB quota for attachment)

[Chris Riot]

so, that would be my attempt ( i thought it would be better to post it here than to send you a pm with the link, so everybody who's interested can compare the different versions)

jazz_trio_master-chris riot.wav

i did this one after finishing a metalcore mix, so, hopefully it's not too squashed

cheers

Chris

[Emiliano]

Yes, I,m download the track.


Regards!
Emiliano Rodríguez

[Tweek Audio]

Great! Thanks for playing!

I see that 30 individual people downloaded so far.
Wonder if well have 30 masters to compare?

I guess I'll throw mine in the mix as well, so 31!

[Tweek Audio]

What would really be cool is if people looking for mastering (maybe even jazz in particular) decide to download all the masters that folks post here and compare them to help decide on a studio to send their project to!

I will be the first to say, do NOT trust my master as a comparison!!!
For all you know, I have hindered the download that everyone else is using.
I'm an honest guy and I'll tell you I didn't but still, you never know.
This is not a ploy to make me look good. I just love interactive posts!

But then again, my master may very well not be as good as some of the other 30+ folks!

From what I hear, they are all very conservative which I like. Mostly it's just getting the track to peak at 0dBFS and smoothing out some of the stand out peaks.
A couple very subtle uses of EQ and even a MBC (I guess my mix was lacking?)

I'm glad to say I have not yet heard a 3dB dynamic version yet!

[Tweek Audio]

Actually, on second thought, I will not post my own master as I am the OPer of this thread and I do not want to have any self promoting material on here.

[Tweek Audio]

When the thread was on the general mastering forum it might have been appropriate for me to include my master but since it was understandably moved, it is not appropriate.

[Emiliano]

Here my mastering



RapidShare: 1-CLICK Web hosting - Easy Filehosting





Regards,
Emilianothumbsup

[Emiliano]

I, am really sorprised because my mastering sound very simil to the master Chris Riot;
Hi Chris, can i ask you what equipament user? thanks!

Emiliano Rodríguez

[Chris Riot]

hey!! hope it's not too off topic if i answer the question bout the equipment used...

my master was done totally in-the-box, just using some very subtle compression with the waves rcomp, and some equalization with the sonnox oxford eq and the waves req

cheers

Chris

[dimitvel]

Originally Posted by Boro

...of course, it would be interesting to have some people with skills in critical listening to compare the whole bunch and come with evaluation and conclusions!

Here's my master: Download Jazz Trio For Mastering-MASTERED-hms.wav from Sendspace.com - send big files the easy way

I'd suggest we invite some luminaries to assess and estimate all different masters - one certain Bob Katz springs to mind, as he is known to be extremely good and easy to communicate!

[Tweek Audio]

dimitvel and Boro,

That is a great idea but I doubt (but hope) we can get someone as busy as Bob to dowload all of these masters and asses them. (is that a challenge?)

And Boro, hopefully anyone who posts on a mastering forum as a mastering engineer has critical listening skills and the room/speakers to use them. To hear the difference takes skill. To envision that difference and use the correct tools to make the appropriate changes, that takes a mastering engineer.

So far I have been able to accurately pin point what was done in each master I've recieved according to the M.E.s who sent me them. Except I thought Boro added a bit of highs at first but then realized I hadn't turned off the EQ I was using to get similar results on another master.

Red Tuxedo said, "Great observations. Not looking at the session, I think you're pretty close on the guesses. "
Thanks Red!

Keep em coming!

And if you are an M.E. with a grammys or other award/ credentials and would like to pick your favorite master, I would LOVE to turn this into a contest.

Again, I will not participate as I am the O.P.er and that would be shameful self promotion.

[Tweek Audio]

Originally Posted by Chris Riot

hey!! hope it's not too off topic if i answer the question bout the equipment used...

my master was done totally in-the-box, just using some very subtle compression with the waves rcomp, and some equalization with the sonnox oxford eq and the waves req

cheers

Chris

Heck no! It's not OT. Please feel free to explain what you did and how you did it to get the results you were after, and why!

That's half the fun!

[Emiliano]

Originally Posted by Chris Riot

hey!! hope it's not too off topic if i answer the question bout the equipment used...

Thanks Chris, i used other equipament, thank you very much for your coment, if you want, after more post i talk to my gear for this mastering.

[Emiliano]

Originally Posted by dimitvel

Here's my master: Download Jazz Trio For Mastering-MASTERED-hms.wav from Sendspace.com - send big files the easy way

I'd suggest we invite some luminaries to assess and estimate all different masters - one certain Bob Katz springs to mind, as he is known to be extremely good and easy to communicate!

Great idea!thumbsup

[dimitvel]

Originally Posted by Emiliano

Great idea!thumbsup

Yeah! Why not? If it is a serious research - let's do it!

[jazbina]

Hi, gujz
this is my first post and i want to tell you that is great to be here.



I'm rec/ mix engineer but I' ll contribute this challenge just to check my
set of ears as a mastering engineer.

Here ' s the link:


RapidShare: 1-CLICK Web hosting - Easy Filehosting

[Tweek Audio]

Let's keep this civil Boro.

I didn't say I had better ears and expertise. I said I was able to tell what was done.

Again, being able to hear the difference takes skill. Being able to decide what needs to be done and doing it takes a mastering engineer.

I should hope you, being a highly respected mastering engineer, are capable of both both as well.

[Tweek Audio]

Here is Red Tuxedos. He asked me to post the link (I think that's what you asked, please let me know if I miss understood)

http://files.me.com/paintandrecord/b6ty3k.wav

He brought out the lower mids which I liked a lot.

[RedTuxedo]

Yessir. You surprised me how close you got in evaluating what I did. I mentioned that I wished there was more upright bass in the mix, and I tried to bring some out, as well as adding that low end. I felt the ride cymbal was too far forward and added a low ratio de-esser with a quick attack just to tame the attack of the cymb. That also helped the bass IMO.

[Thumpy]

ah nice i was sent this by my mate TNagler =) figured it'd be something interesting to do =D.