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The Art of Mastering...


itswac

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So I recently got Logic Pro and I didn't even know it, but it comes with a mastering toolkit. I was psyyyyyyched to see that. So, I took a couple of my band's last recordings that needed some finalization and I mastered them.

 

I'm trying to share what I'm learning with the INTERNET so I wrote up a little piece about it. I would deeply appreciate anyone taking some time to click on the requisite hyperlink and:

 

a.) check out the recordings

 

b.) let me know if I got something wrong in either my concept or execution of mastering

 

Requisite Hyperlink

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It is like self-dentistry.

 

Suggestion: go to digido.com and read several of Bobs articles about levels. This will give you an overview, from which to have a better handle on what you're trying to accomplish.

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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Correct me if I'm wrong, Bill, but I have never, ever, ever known an ME to apply reverb to a whole mix.

 

Actually, it is pretty standard these days with all the isolation. Mastering Reverbs pull the stereo image together so it sounds more like a live recording.

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The addition of reverb is something that I would consider to be a mix decision, and should have been applied at that stage.

 

But the truth is that so much junk is passed on to the mastering guys now, that it is really stupid. People now want to send stems to the mastering guy and let him apply different solutions to different aspects.... hello... THATS MIXING! and you hear the mix guys dodging crapy aspects of the mix by saying, "Oh, they'll fix that in mastering..."

 

Mastering is like the final coat of paint on a car. It should just require a very thin application to make things perfect, shinny, and new. If the work that went before is substandard, you can't pile enough paint over the shit to hide it.

"I believe that entertainment can aspire to be art, and can become art, but if you set out to make art you're an idiot."

 

Steve Martin

 

Show business: we're all here because we're not all there.

 

 

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The addition of reverb is something that I would consider to be a mix decision, and should have been applied at that stage.

 

But the truth is that so much junk is passed on to the mastering guys now, that it is really stupid. People now want to send stems to the mastering guy and let him apply different solutions to different aspects.... hello... THATS MIXING! and you hear the mix guys dodging crapy aspects of the mix by saying, "Oh, they'll fix that in mastering..."

 

Mastering is like the final coat of paint on a car. It should just require a very thin application to make things perfect, shinny, and new. If the work that went before is substandard, you can't pile enough paint over the shit to hide it.

 

Precisely what I was driving at. I'd call it the clearcoat that goes on after the primer (raw tracks), and base coat (mix). No amount of clearcoat will cover up a poor sanding job, or runs, or drips, or missed spots.

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