Mastering suggestions

[taetae]

Who has suggestions on where to go for mastering services? I was on supaslump masters website and i was surprised see that they don't require you to send in the final mix with all the tracks for each song separated out. Isn't that a problem for a mastering studio to try to fix eq problems etc. if all the tracks are lumped into one audio file?

any knowledge is apreciated.

 

[HERESY]

Who has suggestions on where to go for mastering services?

I don't know where you are located, I don't know what type of music you are talking about getting mastered, and I don't know what you actually want done or what your budget is. With that being said it is hard/difficult to say "go here" or "go there".

I was on supaslump masters website and i was surprised see that they don't require you to send in the final mix with all the tracks for each song separated out.

Why were you surprised to see them not requiring you to send the final mix with all the tracks for each song seperated out? It is the FINAL MIX and the song is supposed to be stereo (or 5.1 if mixed in surround sound.) Mastering engineers work with the final mix. While some may take the entire session I know a lot who will charge you extra for that.

Isn't that a problem for a mastering studio to try to fix eq problems etc.

Isn't what a problem? Dealing with a two track mix? It can be if the mix is retarded, but like I said mastering engineers work with 2 track files. Thats what mastering is about. You take the final mix/bounces that have been presented, you make the album sound cohesive, you create your fades, you set your pq codes etc.

if all the tracks are lumped into one audio file?

All of the songs should NOT be lumped into one audio file. All of the tracks within a song SHOULD be lumped into one audio file. This is called a mix down or bounce.

 

[BOOBOO619]

I think what he's trying to say is what if the final mix down that you make sounds good to YOU, but once the Mastering engineer takes hold of it, it sounds like complete $hit to him and unusable to him. For example, lets say your using some basic Logitech or whatever PC speakers and to you it sounds aight, but once it hits those very high quality studio speakers it sounds totally different and $hitty. Or for example, lets say you panned an instrument too far to the left or right thinking it sounds cool or good enough, but to the mastering engineer it sounds like crap or isn't neccessary. So what I guess he also wants to know is, how do you arrange your mix so it pleases the engineer and makes it easiest for him to "fix up?" Do you adjust the mix before hand to how YOU think it sounds good, or do you just leave all the sounds at the same volume level, no effects, no panning, etc... That's why I think he's asking, isn't it better to just split the individual tracks all at the same maximum default level, no effects if neccesary, no panning, then the engineer can decide himself how to arrange those settings when he builds it all together???

I always wondered the same thing.

 

[50cal]

^^^^^^^yeah in cases like that multitrack would be best...
Mastereing is like HERESY said.However these places werent intended for the huge flow of inexperienced home recorders with poor mixes.
In brief,If you record at home and cant mix well cause lack of quality equipment or experience,or being tone deaf..then you take your files and have someone else mix them down.Whether it be a big studio or home studio...they will run the tracks through there quality outboard gear..eq's etc and mixdown proper.Is this extra step gonna cost more money not if you expect the guy mastering to do it....he might charge more

 

[Sick Wid It]

Make sure you have quality mixdowns first... If you don't, don't waste your money mastering something that mastering can't fix. Mastering is not intended to recover for all the mistakes made in mixing down, re-mixing down is. The function of mastering is like Heresy pointed out, it's used to enhance what's already there and balance your album out.

 

[HERESY]

@Bobo you said:

I think what he's trying to say is what if the final mix down that you make sounds good to YOU, but once the Mastering engineer takes hold of it, it sounds like complete $hit to him and unusable to him.

A GOOD mastering engineer is someoen who will tell you what needs to be done and will tell you to go back and change something if it is going to cause a problem. These people will not take your money and master your music because they have a name and rep that far exceeds the amount of money you are paying them to do the job. A good mastering engineer will tell you "I can't fix this, these tracks are too distorted you need to do blah blah blah". You would want someone like that doing the job instead of some guy who takes your music and attempts to master it without telling you where the bad parts are. Also, this is good for the mastering engineer, because when the music comes back sounding unpolished the blame can't be placed on him.

So what I guess he also wants to know is, how do you arrange your mix so it pleases the engineer and makes it easiest for him to "fix up?"

Each person has a different ear. What may sound like a great mix to me may sound like an ok mix to someone else. The same can be said for mastering engineers. Each one has a certain perspective and flavor that they bring to your music. This is why you can have 100 different mastering engineers master your album with the same equipment and get 100 different sounding verions of your album. Now, what they look for is phase issues, volume related issues, compression issues, eq issues etc, peaks etc. My suggestion is to get the mixing sounding good and to do a bounce WITHOUT compression on the master fader. Get your mix to -6db to -3db in volume (just so you don't peak) and let the mastering engineer compensate for the lack of volume by his use of compression and eq.

Do you adjust the mix before hand to how YOU think it sounds good, or do you just leave all the sounds at the same volume level, no effects, no panning, etc...

If you do this the mastering engineer has now become a mixing engineer. YOU want to mix the music or have someone else mix it for you if you don't know how (like the 50cal suggested.) Everything you just listed from panning to effects IS a part of mixing. The mastering engineer takes that product and enhances whatever is there. Can they correct some mistakes in the mix? Sure, but some mistakes CAN'T be fixed from mastering (like Sick Wid It pointed out.)

That's why I think he's asking, isn't it better to just split the individual tracks all at the same maximum default level, no effects if neccesary, no panning, then the engineer can decide himself how to arrange those settings when he builds it all together???

This is recommended for a MIXING engineer. Mastering is a different process. Mastering engineers work with what the mix engineer gave them.

 

[HERESY]

Another thing to do is to try and find a mastering engineer who will do a spec job. I've ran into many good mastering engineers who have done this for clients I worked with and they did it because I had a good relationship (with the mastering engineer), and because they wanted the job. I mix music for people and I do jobs on spec. I ask people to give me the best and worst sounding songs they have, and I get them in the ballpark. I'll give them a version of the ball park mixes just to show them where teh song can go, and if they like what they hear we discuss my fee. Am I going to give someone the full mix and put all of my creativity and time into it when there is no gurantee the person will even pay me to mix the album? NO!

So, find a mastering engineer who may be willing to do a rough master of one song and see if you like how the person works. Most of all you need to work with a person who you vibe with. Work with someone who wants to be a part of your project and feels good about working with it instead of someone just doing it for the money.

 

[taetae]

I was referring more to audio problems like peaking and blowing out on specific tracks. For example if my kick track's bass frequencies are too low and they're blowing out, the only way for a mastering engineer to fix that is to apply compression to the whole song, which may negatively affect the bass line or other low freq tracks. same thing with high freq peaking; how do they fix one tracks sound without affecting all the other tracks in the song? What about clicks or digital pops that may occur on only one track of the song? Do all these things need to be corrected before getting the mix mastered?

Thanks!

 

[50cal]

^ find someone who knows how to mixdown a track

 

[HERESY]

I was referring more to audio problems like peaking and blowing out on specific tracks.

Peaking is fixed during mixing. I am not familiar with the term "blowing out." What do you mean by that?

For example if my kick track's bass frequencies are too low and they're blowing out, the only way for a mastering engineer to fix that is to apply compression to the whole songwhich may negatively affect the bass line or other low freq tracks

Again, I do not know what you mean by "blowing out", but if your kick drum is not hitting how it is supposed to you should do a better job at mixing. However, a MULTI BAND COMPRESSER may be used to compress and raise the kick drum frequencies without compressing the rest of the music. However, any frequencies within the area will also be compressed.

same thing with high freq peaking; how do they fix one tracks sound without affecting all the other tracks in the song?

First of all the MIXES need to be on point. If the mixes are on point there is no need to fix anything, and mastering will simply enhance the mix. Again, multi-band compression is a tool that can be used to tame specific frequencies and instruments even though the song has been mixed down.

What about clicks or digital pops that may occur on only one track of the song?

This may be removed by using a gate or some type of noise reduction technique.

Do all these things need to be corrected before getting the mix mastered?

Please read this thread again. You have three or four people telling you to get the music sounding in the ballpark BEFORE you get it mastered. If you have clicks and pops in the track go back in and find them in the mix and remove them. If you have the mastering engineer do it he or she may charge you more money because it may fall under "restoration." Not only that, but if they don't charge you for that per se, but you are being charged by the hour thats more time devoted to something you (or whoever recorded and mixed it) should have fixed in the first place.

 

[HERESY]

^ find someone who knows how to mixdown a track

exactly.

 

[taetae]

Understood. Thanks for the tips.

 

[BOOBOO619]

Good info, Heresy.

 

[taetae]

Since my studio doesn't have a sub, would you recommend remixing in a studio with a sub?

I may be misinformed but I thought the job of the mastering studio was to make the mix sound consistent on any type of speaker playback IE: headphones, stereo, car stereo, etc. etc. How is a mastering studio going to make the song consistent with each of these formats if they don't get separated tracks for each song? Wouldn't the mastering studio have to adjust EQ/compression on each specific track rather than applying EQ/compression to the whole song?

If the mastering studio's job is (as heresy said) "Now, what they look for is phase issues, volume related issues, compression issues, eq issues etc, peaks etc." Then I would think the best way to deal with those issues would be with separated tracks. Thanks heresy and other cats for a reply.

 

[50cal]

^^^^^^let simplify this
the engineer who mixes down your songs after recording gets all the tracks sounding good.
the person mastering puts the tracks in the order you want...makes sure all those tracks are at the same level....and how much time between the end of one track and beginning of next...and polsihes the overall product

 

[Doberman]

good reads

 

[HERESY]

Since my studio doesn't have a sub, would you recommend remixing in a studio with a sub?

Personally, I don't like subs, and I would be more concerned with mixing in a good room as opposed to aa studio with a sub. Before sub woofers came out people used monitors to mix the tracks.

I may be misinformed but I thought the job of the mastering studio was to make the mix sound consistent on any type of speaker playback IE: headphones, stereo, car stereo, etc. etc.

This is what SEVERAL people here have been telling you since you made the post.

How is a mastering studio going to make the song consistent with each of these formats if they don't get separated tracks for each song?

By sitting down, listening to your songs as a WHOLE, changing the eq and compression to where they are all in the ballpark to each other and by REPEATED listening of the music. This is the "simplified" explanation.

Wouldn't the mastering studio have to adjust EQ/compression on each specific track rather than applying EQ/compression to the whole song?

NO! Part of mastering IS adjusting eq/compression on the entire song. Again, mastering engineers work with STEREO files (unless the format is 5:1 or higher).

If the mastering studio's job is (as heresy said) "Now, what they look for is phase issues, volume related issues, compression issues, eq issues etc, peaks etc." Then I would think the best way to deal with those issues would be with separated tracks. Thanks heresy and other cats for a reply.

You don't understand the process of recording, mixing or mastering, and it isn't a matter of what YOU think. It is a matter of what actually IS, and you need to read up on the subject. Please, before you ask more questions read these links:

http://www.discmakers.com/music/pse/mastering.asp (READ THIS FIRST)

http://www.tcelectronic.com/media/bobkatz.pdf

http://emusician.com/tutorials/emusic_masters_mastering/

http://www.digido.com/portal/pmodule_id=11/pmdmode=fullscreen/pageadder_page_id=31/

http://www.desmastering.com/mastering.htm

 

[MOREBASS]

Lots of good info in this thread ! Thanks !