Recording vs Mixing vs Mastering

[terry1982]

Recording- The foundation of creating music that touches people soul. The base of the music is that the artist is making the music relevant. So therefore, What does this tell us?

Mixing- The measuring of different sounds within a musical composition. When mixing you incorporate effects, panning, and equalizing.
Mastering- Mixing the final levels of tracks. (Post Production) When you own your masters you basically own everything. This is like adding the last needed piece to a puzzle.Without it u have a unfinished product and to master in music is to make whole.

My Opinion!!!!

I think that we need all three (Recording, mixing and mastering). Without one, you're missing all three. You got to have the music recorded. The music has to be mixed. The more time you spend mixing, the better the quality of the music will be.

Question

In my opinion, producers have no foundation without comprehending all three factors (Recording, Mixing, and Mastering. Without these three factors, what's the main ingredient?

 

[CPhoenix]

I don't believe mixing is time dependent. I think it's decision dependent. If something is recorded correctly, it may not need much time spent on it to sound good.

Also... I don't feel mastering is important for the producer to know how to do.. b/c the level of knowledge (along with the gear needed) to properly master collections of music is great. Can't expect everyone to have the ability to master. Most people think they are mastering but are actually mixing anyway. It's usually a better idea to hire someone else to master for you, unless you've been in the business of mixing for years and year... and you have the appropriate equipment to master. Mastering isn't the final touch or final polish... it's making something "sound like" something else. So.. albums are normall mastered so they are congruent, and share similarities in sound from track to track. Singles are mastered so that they sound like other commercially released songs in that genre, with that feel... so that when a radio station is flipping between songs... they are in the same ballpark.

But I totally agree that a producer/recording artist needs to have well mixed music.. something pleasing to the ear. That doesn't have to mean is amazing or fantastic... since early 90s hiphop was mixed pretty poorly compared to today's standards but... it has to be presentable, understandable, relate-able, and give the illusion that it's professional. An amateur mix can be spotted a mile away lol. To me... if you don't really know how to mix at all, it's almost like not knowing how to produce. it's just.. a part of what you do.

 

[terry1982]

Good personal response!!!! I like how you think!!! But!!!! Guess What!!! (Am I'm Only Here To Help So Don't Feel Disrespected)


I noticed you said you feel mastering is not for producers.

Note: Why do you feel that master's aren't important to producers.

I understand how you feel- BUT!!!

Important Question!!!

Who masters an artist music to where the artist/label owns 100% of the music that is mastered?

Take Your Time And Think Guys!!!

 

[steffeeh]

Mastering- Mixing the final levels of tracks. (Post Production) When you own your masters you basically own everything. This is like adding the last needed piece to a puzzle.Without it u have a unfinished product and to master in music is to make whole.

Do you mean adjusting the volume faders for the sounds in the mixer? Because that's part of the mixing-phase.
Mastering is about doing what's necessary to polish your track as a whole i.e. everything you do on the master channel in the mixer after completing the mixing-phase, not adjusting the faders for each instrument.

Just thought it sounded a little strange to mention setting the final levels for the different tracks at mastering.

 

[WeissSound]

Just a quick FYI - having a record mastered and owning your masters are two completely different things. Totally unrelated.

Mastering a record = creating the print of a record from which all duplicates are made. This often involves a track sweetening process that works like a second layer of mixing and is generally done by a mastering engineer.

Owning your masters = owning the rights to the physical sound recording (or virtual-physical production). the other side of this is the copyright which is the intellectual/public performance ownership. hiring out a mastering
engineer does not infringe on either of these.

 

[Salem Beats]

I think that we need all three (Recording, mixing and mastering).

I gotta ask... what is the point... of this thread?

This thread...

It's like saying:

"Taking a Shower vs. Making Money vs. Brushing Your Teeth: I think we need all three!"

I just don't understand... why would you start this thread? Lol...

I don't believe mixing is time dependent. I think it's decision dependent. If something is recorded correctly, it may not need much time spent on it to sound good.

+1

Spending too much time on a mix can cause you to over-think it and ruin it (or never finish it!).

-Ki
Salem Beats

 

[bandcoach]

he believes he has something to contribute but really the point is the links in the sigfile - aka stealth marketing

there is nothing in the terms of use that prohibits this type of post, nor is there anything in the moderator guidelines to help limit this type of post

 

[Salem Beats]

he believes he has something to contribute but really the point is the links in the sigfile - aka stealth marketing

there is nothing in the terms of use that prohibits this type of post, nor is there anything in the moderator guidelines to help limit this type of post

He could at least say something that makes sense, though.

Lol...

-Ki
Salem Betas

 

[bandcoach]

yeah, you'd think we could actually delete the rubbish but unless it is overt spam can't touch it at all....

this is not a criticism of the rules, merely an observation on the limitations as they currently exist.....

 

[Salem Beats]

yeah, you'd think we could actually delete the rubbish but unless it is overt spam can't touch it at all....

this is not a criticism of the rules, merely an observation on the limitations as they currently exist.....

If only the NI Maschine Forums admins were like this -- Got a temp ban there for making Jahrome feel bad, and then the mod goes and rips on him in my stead. Sigh.

We could just keep talking back and forth to dilute the OP's posts. Nothing against that.

-Ki
Salem Beats

 

[terry1982]

The answer is already in the question.

Its all about thought process based off the title.

 

[sswmastering]

Your definition of mastering is a bit off. Mastering means the final stage of production before the music is heard by the world in a nutshell. The masters you speak of as far as ownership are the end product that either the label , publisher, or the artist has control/ownership over and nothing more.
Producers should not master music, that is the job of a dedicated mastering engineer but people take shortcuts and attempt to do everything themselves in an attempt to save money which is the result of so many poor sounding recordings these days. Also to add an extra 3 cents, just because someone makes hip hop beats does not define them as a producer. Look up the definition of what a music producer is and I guarantee you will not get the same definition as a music composer or beatmaker.

 

[theProducer]

LOL +1 for dilution