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Mastering, a matter of taste or numbers?
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Serag
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : May 7, 2008 08:29:56
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what do you think about this?
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cytopia
Cytopia.org
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Posted : May 7, 2008 09:01
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There are different ways you can go with mastering, and that does depend on taste. For example, some people do a balanced master leaving some dynamic range -11 DB RMS and others boost the mids way more and go for -7DB RMS ultra compressed sound that creates some distortion that some people like these days. Some people are even clipping on purpose, so taste definitely plays a role. You can create different kinds of sound on the same equipment.
But equipment does matter, good monitors and room acoustics are important and a decent EQ, compressor and limiter help with how well you can process the sound and experience will help you put it all together.
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Spindrift
Spindrift
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Posted : May 7, 2008 11:06
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I think a big part of the mastering process is dealing with measurable aspects like RMS loudness or overall frequency balance.
Sure there is a degree of taste also when it comes to the objective aspects of mastering....basically people have different taste in the numbers.
But a big part is subjective and very hard to analyse and quantify...hence there is still no wonder plugins that will do a decent job just by pressing a button.
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Elad
Tsabeat/Sattel Battle
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Posted : May 7, 2008 13:14
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Surrender
IsraTrance Team
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Posted : May 7, 2008 15:37
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the idea behind mastering is to bring your music to sound as good as it can on all sound systems. cytopia and Spindrift said some good things.. i'd like to add that in my opinion in our trance scene too much emphasis is being placed on this step of music production.
it is a final step that is made for several reasons... as spindrift said - volume but many times in compilations/albums it is made to unify a "feel" to all the tracks... kind of like making a common ground for the sound.
whats its not made to do is improve the mix. if a ME is telling you you are missing some freq in your mix... it is obviously better to go back into the mix and try to identify your problem... senseless to try to fix it from the outside on 1 wav..
kind of like putting salt on the plate of food instead of in the cooking itself.
if the mix is good, an ME will mostly just raise the volume with tools that you do not have at home and with ears that are not yours, in a room that is far superior to yours.
"On the other hand, you have different fingers."
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shachar
Basic
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402
Posted : May 9, 2008 19:09
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production is a matter of taste.
mastering engineer`s job is bring the final result to a more commercial sounding in reference to already been succeed sounding track (or tracks ).
depth of sound level & harmonic balance can be measured by numbers and compared to other tracks in order to improve aspects your cant really hear in the mix. stereo image and phase issues can be dealt with within the mastering process but should be take care of while mixing.
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heretical
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77
Posted : May 10, 2008 15:27
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tradtionally, mastering is sopposed to be like putting a final finish of wax on a car in order to make it nice and shiny.
In this genre mastering seems to mean painting all cars the same color with the same gloss of paint, right AFTER you put a coat of wax on the car.Then the audience bitches that everything sounds the same...gee I wonder why. |
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Spindrift
Spindrift
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Posted : May 10, 2008 15:50
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On 2008-05-10 15:27, heretical wrote:
tradtionally, mastering is sopposed to be like putting a final finish of wax on a car in order to make it nice and shiny.
In this genre mastering seems to mean painting all cars the same color with the same gloss of paint, right AFTER you put a coat of wax on the car.Then the audience bitches that everything sounds the same...gee I wonder why.
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First of all I don't agree that one of the main objectives of mastering is or ever was about making it "nice and shiny".
You can improve mixes that sound a bit dull, but one of the main purposes has always been to make the sound of different tracks consistent when it comes to spectral balance and levels...and back in the vinyl days to make sure that the material was able to handle the limitations imposed by the medium.
And mastering is hardly to blame for that many tracks sound the same, it just makes them fit together so the listener doesn't have to adjust the controls on their playback system for each track.
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Elad
Tsabeat/Sattel Battle
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158
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Posted : May 10, 2008 19:45
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Psytracked
Inactive User
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Posted : May 13, 2008 04:56
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Quote:
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On 2008-05-07 15:37, Surrender wrote:
the idea behind mastering is to bring your music to sound as good as it can on all sound systems.
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sorry to single you out on this one. But I think this statement is well off. It's the mix engineers job to make sure the mix "travels" well. The need to do this at this stage of the production created the cult of the Yamaha NS-10s. Other small near field monitors are available of course.
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The mastering engineers role is one of examination and correction. And of course level adjustment. oh and perhaps most important of all, a second set of ears.
Just imagine you have done the sound design/programming, composition, recording and mixing of your song. Think you can then evaluate it with out bias? Think you can undo the adaptation process of your mind after all that time you have spent on the track?
http://www.whatacunt.co.uk/ |
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Colin OOOD
Moderator
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Posted : May 13, 2008 05:04
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Quote:
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On 2008-05-13 04:56, Psytracked wrote:
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On 2008-05-07 15:37, Surrender wrote:
the idea behind mastering is to bring your music to sound as good as it can on all sound systems.
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sorry to single you out on this one. But I think this statement is well off. It's the mix engineers job to make sure the mix "travels" well. The need to do this at this stage of the production created the cult of the Yamaha NS-10s. Other small near field monitors are available of course. |
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You're right as far as you go, of course, but Surrender's definition is very close to that offered by Bob Katz in his book Mastering Audio. Not that he's necessarily the be-all and end-all of mastering engineers but his opinion is one to listen to carefully before discarding.
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Just imagine you have done the sound design/programming, composition, recording and mixing of your song. Think you can then evaluate it with out bias? Think you can undo the adaptation process of your mind after all that time you have spent on the track?
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It is possible 
Mastering - http://mastering.OOOD.net :: www.is.gd/mastering
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Psytracked
Inactive User
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Posted : May 13, 2008 06:09
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Bob Katz ISBN 0-240-80545-3? A solid book, can't recommend it enough.
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just some food for though. It is possible of course but We can't all be masters of all the processes.
Musician/songwriter/recording engineer/producer/mix engineer/mastering engineer, I'll leave out the business/promotion elements.
My advice, and it's only advice, If it's going for release do it justice and get a fresh set of ears on it.
http://www.whatacunt.co.uk/ |
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