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So, you've recorded and mixed your
own material. Now your at the mastering stage.
Are you thinking of mastering your project yourself? Before you do,
ask yourself this question. What is my definition of
mastering? If you answered, I simply
want to make it as
loud as commercial releases, then your understanding of what
mastering is needs to be expanded. The definition of
mastering is: To Enhance the
presentation of a mix so it sounds its best on the widest
variety of playback systems.
Unless
you have the experience and the proper tools to achieve that
result, you may not really be mastering. You could just be changing the mix.
Except in extreme cases, mastering shouldn't change the mix. It should enhance the presentation.
Here are additional questions you should ask before you begin to
master your project yourself...
1. Did my favorite music equipment dealer tell me I could
master my own projects if I purchased Brand X audio
software?
2. If I master my own project, what do I expect to accomplish that's different from what
I've already
achieved in the mix?
3. Am I going to master in the
same room I mixed in, using the same monitors, the same
gear, and of course, the same ears?
4. If my answer to #3 is yes, will I really be able to hear
what needs to be improved?
5. Will I be making adjustments during the mastering stage that should really be
made by going back to the
mix?
Seriously think about your answers to these questions before
you proceed. Many artists have become confused while facing the
challenge of mastering their own projects.
Unfortunately, far too many do it yourself artists think
that mastering simply means making it louder. This is
untrue. Just making it louder isn't mastering at
all. It's simply making it louder. Anyone can
slap a brick wall limiter on the output buss, raise the
level 8 to 10 dB, and call it mastering. But that's
not mastering.
You can
search high and low on the Billboard Charts, and you'll never find a
song that
was recorded, mixed, and mastered, by the same person in the
same room, using the same gear. When a song hits the charts, you can
be sure it was mastered in
a tuned room with proper monitors, specialized
gear, and most importantly, an experienced engineer with a
fresh set of ears.
Mastering is the quality
control phase of a project. It should never be taken
for granted, especially if the recording and mixing took
place in a home studio.
Equipment dealers are only too happy to confuse the do it
yourself mastering issue. After all, it's their job is to sell
products. They'll be more than happy to sell you a computer with
a DAW and the latest software. However, what they can't
sell you is the experience it takes to enhance the
presentation of a mix so it sounds its best on the widest
variety of playback systems.
Having the right gear is great. However, it's the mastering engineer (not the gear)
who listens objectively and makes
the right decisions. The talent to make the right
decisions cannot be found in hardware, software, or plugin
presets.
If your project is just for fun, then master
it yourself and have fun. However, if you're serious and
plan to market your music,
I strongly recommend having
your project mastered by an experienced mastering engineer.
Remember, mastering shouldn't change
your mix. It should
preserve the musical intent of your mix while enhancing the presentation.
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