Your Mastering Process

[BillJV]

I'd love to get some details on how the ME's on here approach a session. While agreeing that every project is different and has it's own needs/approach based on the music, is there a specific set of steps you use to get going? How long do you review the music before starting to edit? Are there certain things you do or apply for every session? What makes a good starting point for you? Is there one tool that you can't do without (besides great ears!) ? What makes the job easier or harder for you? Give us a brain dump on your technique and style...

[moses]

Is there one tool that you can't do without (besides great ears!) ?

yeah, a top of the line monitoring system.

[BillJV]

yeah, a top of the line monitoring system.

Okay... so surely you can enlighten us on your process more than just a half sentence, right?

[A_Str8]

I know you asked for MEs and I'm not one, but I pseudo-master my own projects and I've done a few other people's projects too. I figure if you can't afford to go to a real mastering engineer, pseudo-mastering is better than none at all.

Now that the disclaimer is out of the way:

- First I throw all the tracks into a session together and adjust the gain on each track so they have the same (perceived) volume. I do this before I even really listen to everything because it's easier to compare sounds that are the same volume. I'll find a spot where I think where I think each song is it's average volume (usually during a verse) and base my comparisons off those spots. Gain adjustment always involves turning things down. If a track is not loud enough, I'll turn all the others down. This way, clipping is never an issue unless a track was clipping before I got it.

- Now I listen. I play the whole thing through and I jump around between random points. I'm listening for: any tracks that sound unnaturally loud or low compared to the others, any tracks where the EQ sounds unnaturally different than the others (e.g. too bassy, not enough bass, muffled, etc.), unwanted sound artifacts (pops, clicks, etc), problems with the transitions between tracks. I keep using the word "unnatural" because of course there will be differences between the tracks. Some are supposed to have more bass than others, some parts are supposed to be louder than others. By "unnatural," I mean where it doesn't sound appropriate or "natural." For example, if you have to turn the volume down and change the EQ on your stereo in the middle of the CD, that's a sure sign that there is some "unnatural" loudness and bassiness.

- Next is the fixing round. Whatever was wrong in the last step, I fix in this one. Sometimes, if I'm mastering someone else's project, there will be problems that are impossible to fix during the mastering stage. In that case, I do my best to improve them. I can't turn a doo-doo pie into filet mignon, but I can at least spray some febreeze on it.

- Now I add a multiband compressor to the master bus. I usually start from a mastering pre-set and then adjust. My goal is to even out the levels between tracks so they all sound like they belong to the same project. I try to keep it subtle. Then I add a limiter and Destroy FX's rmsBuddy plugin. I set the limiter so that the average level that rmsBuddy shows comes out to be somewhere between 13 and 15 dB (I forget which type of decibal measurement this is, but I can check when I get home)

- Next I go through all the tracks to see if they're individually registering rms values that are between 13dB and 15dB. If a track is not in that range, I have to figure out why. Sometimes a track is supposed to be lower than the others. If that's the case, then it's fine that it doesn't hit my target range. Sometimes the volume does need to be adjusted. it's important that in this step, I'm not using the measurements to make my decisions for me, just to call my attention to places where there may be a problem.

- Now I'm done, but I always double and triple check. I listen to the project on my monitors, on bookshelf speakers, on a car stereo and through headphones. I spend a few days doing this so each time I listen, I have a fresh set of ears. If I hear any problems, I go back and fix them, otherwise, I'm done.

[BillJV]

A Str8,

Thanks so much for the great, detailed reply! That is exactly what I was hoping for.

It amazes me that so often someone will post on here about how they are approaching a certain technique or approach, and then immediately they will get shot down in flames by others who supposedly know better. Yet, when asked to describe how they approach things, all of these people who are so quick to flame others are so silent!

Okay, maybe what I'm asking are worn out questions, or maybe they feel it's been covered in the sticky threads. I dunno. But big kudos to you for the detailed reply. I think your approach is good, too...

Bill

[GIJOE]

word up son. Good post A Str8. And i know exactly what u mean. Like u said, dont know if people are getting irritated or wat, but turn the post into something that it shouldnt b. I thought that was what FP was for. Question like so. I remember one instance where i asked a similar question, and some dumb azz motherphuker, being that he thought he was a big shot cause he worked in a major studio and had all these other credits, that his shyt aint stank. Had to let that dude know. And if u stay here at FP, u will prolly run into this phuck hole. Although i will admit, phuck hole knows his stuff. Just a lil too cocky fo me. . . ummmm. . . .maybe that's why he's a cockk. :-}

[A_Str8]

Um, while moses' post didn't address every part of the original question, I think it was a very good answer for the part it responded to. He was't shooting the thread down or anything like that. Threads do get shot down and people are rude on FP sometimes, but by bringing it up in this thread, these last two posts are taking the thread off track. There have already been plenty of threads that ended up being about how people on this board talk to eachother. Please, let's let this one just be about mastering.

[BillJV]

Good point, Str8... and I wasn't speaking about Moses in my post... just general observations. Anyway... anyone else wanna respond?

[Marol]

Dont have a "mastering" process, I have a PRE-MASTERING process, which is my final mixdown, with all sounds including vocals blended together into one big sound..


But no "mastering" process for me, I leave that to the "masters"

[sellinbeats]

i agree with astr8 on his first post. the fundamentals are there and the rest is up to the ears. most people on here dont need to spend 1000 on mastering cause there mixing isnt up to that level any way. and dont get me started on mixtapes.