Just started the projuice forum ( http://projuice.org/forums/ ) and i wrote this little guide to mastering.
Could be useful to anyone here is is releasing or planning to release tunes.
arlo in the projuice forum wrote:
What is mastering?
In basic terms, mastering is the last process in making a record, before manufacture.
It consists mainly of EQ, Compression/Limiting and a little bit of Editing.
The traditional method of mastering, results in a 'Master' of your disc, from which all copies are made.
How will a mastered version sound, compared to my original mixdown?
The Mastered version of your track will always be louder than the original mixdown. the Limiting process will squash down all the peaks in volume allowing the whole mix to be turned up. This can dramatically increase the perceived volume of your track even though the peaks will not be any louder than 0db. The mastered version should have an overall tone more similar to a comparable release. For example; a radio single might have a very bright top end and a lot of volume. A dubstep track may have a large swelling sub bass that would be suitable for club play and comparable to other tracks of that genre, even tho I wouldn’t sound very loud through a clock radio.
If you are making a track for clubs the mastering will be different compared to a radio single or even an album track.
What is better digital or analogue mastering?
Neither; Each mastering studio and each engineer should be judged on their ability, their sound (always listen to previous work, first) and their flexibility.
The mode of operation makes little difference compared to the above factors and, at the end of the day, Digital / Analogue mastering is more about personal taste, as they have both been used very well and/or very poorly over the past few decades.
How much should I pay for mastering?
As a simple guide you will find mastering ranges from $40-$150 (AUD) a track. $40 will be digital only mastering, probably done in a home studio in the engineer's own time. This may have a long lead time, but depending on the engineer may also be very good quality. You will receive the mastered versions of the music via email.
$150 a track will give you an engineer in a purpose built studio with a lot of releases under his/her belt. You will also be able to participate in the session and provide input while the music is being mastered. If you are making an album for CD release and radio play this is where you will see the most benefit from 'top end' mastering. If you are making tracks for club play and digital download, it is probably not worth paying a lot for top end mastering.
Should I master my music again for a vinyl release?
Absolutely, mastering for vinyl is a completely different thing. There are factors that need to be considered for a vinyl master which make no difference to digital.
These factors include phase, stereo width and dynamic range.
Vinyl also colours the sounds where Digital shouldn’t. EQ is added to compensate.
How do I prepare a track for mastering?
Most engineers will prefer a digital file at high res (example: 24bit/48khz) but they may accept a DAT or CD. Check with the studio first. Mastering may influence the balance of certain parts in your mix;
Some people recommend having a few mixes of the track with slightly different levels for example: Louder vocals in one, louder bass in another. etc. If you are confident in your mix, it may not be needed. However if you are paying a premium for top end mastering and you want to guarantee best results, it probably not a bad idea
I've written a track today and I want to try it out in a club tonight. I don't want to pay for mastering. What should I do?
It makes sense to do a simple master in your home studio so that the sound is at least close to a released track.
Use your software to EQ the mixdown, so your track has a similar tone to a comparable release. Then hard limit the mixdown so that it's at an appropriate volume. It's better to use too little compression/limiting rather than too much, especially for a club tune. Too much compression will make the track sound hard and flat removing the ‘bounce’ or ‘pump’ in the bass. Top and tail the track (if needed) in a wav editor, Then render the track down at 16bit 44.1khz, ready to burn to CD.