mastering

[cal]

Hello everybody!
I've produced some tracks with my PC. Now my question:
How functions a mastering process? What do I need (Software?) to master my files.
In short terms: what is mastering?
Please don't laugh, I'm new to this whole thing.
Cal

[pille'ocheoni]

no need to aplogize,i to am not a musical geneisis like critian here or the other guys,but mastering is just basiclly a final cut,not the rough draft but the final edited verision,after that you master,now you probally dont have a 64 track makie in front of you but to make as clean as possible so you can present it to a record label and feel conifident.there are some software out there like t-rex,havent used it but i know a friend that does, i honestly am still traped in production that mastering hasnt even crossed my mind yet,but i do down mix into sonar.it's allright.but somebody else might have better advice,i just follow the rule if the music is good and a record label heres that they'lltake care of you and everyhting will be easy as pie.[pece]good luck!

[Django]

there´s a very good freeware prog called "dominion".



just click for information



DIGITAL FISHPHONES (http://digitalfishphones.com)

[orgee]

better use waves ultramaximizre+ and waves maxxbass

cheers...sheze

[lukeeyeball]

I went to a mastering workshop about a week ago
its an interesting process, I think it comes down to knowlage and experiance more that expensive gear so much.

chek out http://computermusic.co.uk/tutorial/mastering/mastering1.asp
for an introduction to doing it your self

but yeah the waves plugins seem the business

any one here produce and master there stuff them self???

[Q-ic]

Jes, I'm using Pro-Tools with Waves Ultramaximizer, MaxxBass, Q-10 EQ... i've tried several programs but i keep saying Pro-tools incl necceasary plug-ins still sounds the best and works the most accurate

[OliverH]

I am wondering why there is so little information
about mastering on the web. I am interested in the mastering process, too, but except for well-meant advices like "leave that to professionals" etc (I f++kin won´t) and always the same shitty advises
like "go listen to it in your car" nobody really seems to want to let other people know what he finds out about it. Mastering ain´t magic, for small labels it really is a problem to afford it (on my last bill i had about 440 Euro subtracted for mastering and cutting...for an EP... So if anybody here knows about preparing cd-tracks for vinyl, let me know.

[ischo]

okay chums, here's a little checklist of things you wanna do for mastering cd-tracks for vinyl.

1.) know your "room-sound" as in, do you know in which frequencies the room you produce your stuff in has it's modes (i think that's the correct word). Meaning, if you have a small room for instance, your gonna have problems with the bass-frequencies mounting up and giving you the WRONG impression of the sound, you hear enough bass, but as soon as you listen to it somewhere else, it's like - no bass -....you can only process what you hear, right? like compare to music you REALLY KNOW (like your absolute favourite track that you know for a long time)

search the web for: "raum-moden", "stehende wellen" (translation might be "room-modes" or just "modes" and standing waves" whatever, sorry lacking english)

2.) if 1.) is okay and you trust the room you produce in you can go to the point of thinking where you want your sound to go. compare the sound of your track to the sound of a track where you wanna go. comparing is tough of course, you'll probably never get THE EXACT SOUND, but the path is the way (? ehm, yepp).

3.) so if your okay with points 1+2 you can give it a go with an EQ.
"browse" through your spectrum with a fairly high Q-factor on the EQ to find frequences that sound crappy. find 'em, lower 'em, so the rest-sound is clean. this is done to give more power to the desired frequencies. for vinyl, a highpass at around 75Hz.

4.) good compression ain't that easy, just a loudness-maximizer won't do all the job. it's good to que up 2-3 compressors in a row, each with just a bit of compression, like ratio 1.5 to 2. not too much gain or else you'll clip your output, which then goes to the next comp and will be compressed again...and again...

5.) and then, if you like what you hear, Ultramaximizer......

hey peepz, this ain't no tutorial and everyone does it individually, but you can try a couple of the above mentioned things, maybe it all works out.

cheers

[deccard]

my standard way of mastering is:
-a lil bit eq but not much
(cause it´s better to have the mix right instead of trying to safe something later)
-multibandcompression (waves c4)
-ultramaximizer l2
(sometimes after step 1 i put in some vintagewarmer from psp if i want the sound less clean but i heard t-racks is much better for that but it isn´t a plugin)
and like ischo said....always know your room and your monitorboxes

[namshub]

i think mastering should be done by someone with'good' ears. some one who can fill out thin frequencies and maximize the overall sound without flattening it. i could never do it myself cause my hearing is fukked. mastering ppl i have werked with R quite often eq'ing sounds i can't even fukkin hear. so get someone U trust and know they have very fine tuned hearing...:o)