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Thread: Questions about mastering

  1. #1
    Forum Member keefsdad's Avatar
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    Questions about mastering

    My project is finally ready to be mastered. I am new to this, and was wondering if it is like mixing in that you really need to be there, or more of a techy thing you could leave to someone else.
    I have seven songs, and was wondering what would be a reasonable amount of time and money to spend on this.

  2. #2
    Forum Member Wallace's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about mastering

    You should really try and be there.
    Especially if you're paying.

    After all, you are the "Executive Producer".

    The amount of time and money spent on the final mix has to be kept relative to what you can afford and what you think your project is worth.
    I know this doesn't help much.
    But once you get to the matering stage it's usually too late to start re editing those little blips that always creep in.
    You'll know where they are and will hear them before someone not familiar with the tracks will be aware (unless you're paying for Major League production - and those guy's tend to have "Golden ears" and will hear everything!!)



    Love to hear it once it's done
    Wallace.

    "you used Mr Sheen on my what?"

  3. #3
    fezz parka
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    Re: Questions about mastering

    A good mastering engineer is worth his weight in gold, but you should be able to find a good one for $50 to $100 bucks an hour. (I've mastered dozens of soundtracks, but I charge a little more than that)


    Tips:

    1. Make sure your stereo final mixes are the way you want them. Don't expect things to be fixed at the mastering session. It only costs you more money.
    2. Do not compress or normalize your stereo final mixes.
    3. Do not put fades on your stereo mixes.
    4. Do not EQ the stereo mixes. (EQ applied to individual tracks during mixdown is of course fine, just don't EQ the stereo mixes you give to the mastering engineer.)
    5. Do your own mock-up of how you want the songs sequenced, and where you want the fades etc...
    6. Supply the mastering engineer with two sources (CD-R of the AIFF or .wav files, no CD audio, DAT).
    7. Do not get invoved in the volume wars. You don't need to slam the levels like a lot of commercial releases do. Let the tracks breathe...
    8. The mastering engineer's job is to give the sequence consistency, to make it sound like a record. He does this by making subtle changes in EQ, levels, compression. Let him do his job.

  4. #4
    Forum Member JoeP's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about mastering

    Our new album is in the hands of the guys at Sterling Sound in NYC.. Expensive, yep, but, if you want quality, you sure gotta pay for it.. I can't wait to hear it after they get done.

    Usually, if you use a senior mastering engineer, if you attend the session, it costs you more, than un-attended. Ours, is un-attended. We figure there is nothing that we could ever say, that could or would make him do his job any better than he already does.. :lol

    So, it's cheaper.. But, remember, in the studio, or mastering world, you get what you pay for...

    JoeP
    www.liquidgroovemojo.com

  5. #5
    Forum Member chuckocaster's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about mastering

    listen to fezz.

    be there to listen and make sure you like what the guy is doing. cause nothing is worse than dropping money on stuff you don't like.
    "don't worry, i'm a professional!"

  6. #6
    fezz parka
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    Re: Questions about mastering

    JoeP has good advice. Guys like Greg Calbi, George Marino, Ted Jensen etc. have golden ears. If you can afford guys like this, just Fedex the tracks to them and let them do the rest.:yay

  7. #7
    fezz parka
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    Re: Questions about mastering

    :hee

  8. #8
    Forum Member keefsdad's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about mastering

    There are a couple of fade endings to do, and I'd at least like a say in how they're done.

  9. #9
    Forum Member JoeP's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about mastering

    Absolutely you need to say how it's done. When our engineer finished with our mixes, he sat down and made notes to Greg as to the things he needed for the songs to sound ''right''... Fades, scrubbing the fronts and such.

    Also, on a un-attended session, you can call in and talk to your mastering engineer to answer or pose any questions that you'd like. Of course, if we weren't using Greg Calbi, i would prefer to be there also, unless i had heard alot of work that has came out of the studio where the mastering is taking place.

    Get what you want. That's what it's all about. And, a good mastering engineer, is there, to make sure that YOU get exactly what you want.

    JoeP
    www.liquidgroovemojo.com

  10. #10
    Forum Member keefsdad's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about mastering

    Hopefully June, bank account permitting.

  11. #11
    Forum Member JoeP's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about mastering

    March 22....
    www.liquidgroovemojo.com

  12. #12
    Forum Member keefsdad's Avatar
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    Re: Questions about mastering

    Update;
    I settled on a place here in Toronto called the Lacquer channel. They've been around for ages and have done Rush, Peter Gabriel, Kim Mitchell, etc. I was afraid I couldn't afford them, but the guy I'm dealing with was willing to give me a bit of a break. I went to see him last night, the place looks very professional, and he was impressed with the mixes. We're going to do it in about a month, to give my credit card time to recover from the $1000 I spent on my sick cat last week.
    Thanks to everyone who chimed in. I'll post another update when I get the results. I'm actually really anxious to hear what he can do, as the stuff sounds pretty good to me the way it is.

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