The Definition of Mastering

the definition of mastering is to finalize your production by taking every song on your project that were mixed and recorded at different times and tamming the frequencies and dynamics of every song on the project. And making every song sound continuous in loundness and character from song to song it a medium wheather CD and so on.

---------- Post added at 05:45 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:30 PM ----------

Wrong explination. Compression controls your dynamics ur up and downs in levels, limiting do not bring ur lows up. Limiting is the samething as compression just soft knee, a higher ratio(10:1) or higher, and a faster attack time and release time. and Eq is only for boosting and cutting frequencies. And I wouldn't be so confindent about saying no mastering engineer makes better music than if u. From what I see if u don't kno what a compressor eq or limiter is really doing u not even messing with me.
 
We have to accept the term "mastering" meaning whatever people reffers to. I think you don't have to be so smart to guess if the one you are speaking with uses the "mastering" to refer to mastering a recording (vocal, sound effect..) or to master a song...or to master an album. It's obviously if you know why are you speaking about.
 
Not sure where it came up along here - but - high ratio compressors and limiters are slightly different.

There are some folks (Moses, I'm lookin' at you) who can explain this better than me. But, both compressors and limiters are designed to attenuate level when a signal exceeds a threshold. A limiter is a very specific compressor type designed to apply attenuation in a way so that the threshold is never exceeded. This requires a very fast attack and release - so fast that when limiting is applied for any duration of time it would cause self modulation. The design of a limiter is to handle this fast attack, release, and peak stopping function in as musical/clean a way as possible (depending on the designers intentions).

A high ratio, fast attack, fast release compressor will still probably leave peaks that exceed the threshold. A limiter will not, or will only do so minimally.
 
I actually did not know these things. Mastering has taken on a life of its own, I guess only a few people know nowadays what real mastering is. With all these DIY tutorials and tips everyone assumes that they can master a track... and some really can!
 
Good statement, but why don't you simply check youtube, there you can actually SEE HOW MIXING is done... :)
 
Mastering is so cool. I have been mastering my own stuff for years. Usually I get all of the mix compressed with a slight bit of reverb and make duplicate copies of the low end and pan them opposite from each other
 
Questions are bad nowadays i see..

Theres plenty of knowledge here but most arent not blessed with it..So asking a question shouldnt be answered with a firing squad..Besides that i was always told a stupid question is one thats not asked...So if you got questions dont be scared off to asking them...nuff said.
 
And if you can hear the Quality Differences between two Different TRS Cables like Greg Calbi then. and kids please you do not master in your room send that crap to a Master Engineer. AND!, like the man said ask them about the codes PQsubcode and make sure you have your code ready. If your are in a professional level. and your Credit card redy >: ) BUAHAHAHAH that's the moment when ur wife stab you.
 
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Don't bother to try mastering your beats if you know you can't.
You can, and will make everything ten times worst.
Sometimes you may have lost that edge for the long haul.
 
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