Topic: Mastering
Any Do-It-Yourself-ers out there??
I need some help mastering my project. I have a whole bunch of Waves plug-ins and I don't really know what to do with them! Please help?
Re: Mastering
compresser on master bus, and things that arent powerful in the mix, simple pans can do a lot to the track, but mainly compression is the main thing to do for self mastering
- FFT
Newbie - Offline
Re: Mastering
Overcompressing is an easy trap to fall into, though. Make sure you're only compressing things that actually need to be compressed, rather than just because you can.
Re: Mastering
I personally don't compress a whole lot other than the kick and a few other things, it's not necessary. People use it as a crutch and their mixes really do suffer for it
That being said, mastering is overrated. 90-95% of the work should be done in the mixdown, mastering is just to get that final "shine" on the track.
Re: Mastering
One thing that I've been taught is to always add a bit of global reverb. To paraphrase my professor "no sound exists in a vacuum" meaning that nothing should sound entirely dry. Adding a subtle global reverb will give all of your sounds a little warmth. Additionally, it helps everything to sound like it belongs together.
(You didn't really say what your project was, but there's my acousmatic oriented suggestion.)
Re: Mastering
crudus wrote:
One thing that I've been taught is to always add a bit of global reverb. To paraphrase my professor "no sound exists in a vacuum" meaning that nothing should sound entirely dry. Adding a subtle global reverb will give all of your sounds a little warmth. Additionally, it helps everything to sound like it belongs together.
(You didn't really say what your project was, but there's my acousmatic oriented suggestion.)
yes, i've learned this awhile ago, usually a go with a reverb with a very long delay and big space, but very dry, it like makes it sounds fuller, though it might not work with every genre
- kraftim
Newbie - Offline
Re: Mastering
working with good clear wav's prevents a lot of unnecessary afterward mastering. The waves plugins are nice when you wanna treat the original wav's a bit. Compression indeed is very critical. What often helps is removing very low frequencies below 20 Hz that are inaudible but can cause a muddy sound. I use Soundforge for that (paragraphic equaliser). Further only a bit normalizing can be helpful.
here's a nice site, there are tons, also on youtube,,, http://www.izotope.com/artists/dave_moulton.asp?id=1
- bittertooth
Casual Poster - Offline
Re: Mastering
I just use a compressor to get the volume up if it's too low while simultaneously keeping the song from clipping. I do some EQing too for some frequency adjustments and shiz... I also roll off the extremely low frequencies, although I can't notice the difference 
.
bt was here
- arkarsenal
Newbie - Offline
Re: Mastering
Not sure what waves plugins are, but I'd agree that EQ and compression are important, and a limiter can be used if needed. Compressors and limiters should be used sparingly, anything more than a few flickers and you'd better go back into your mix and play around with the levels (unless that's the sound you're going for!).
As Tarekith says (http://tarekith.com/misc.html), mastering shouldn't have to take place if everything in your mixdown is sounding as it should. Most problems will likely be found with a good objective listen (not after you've been mixing for 10 hours straight). Read some of the above guides and you should be good to go.
Re: Mastering
I need advice too, if you guys dont mind. www.reverbnation.com/sdanansubekti
Thank you.
- MVNIHVD
Casual Poster - Offline
Re: Mastering
Mastering also involves track sequencing for cd release-tonal balancing between tracks, ensuring suitable level matching, getting the gaps (including the absence of gaps) between tracks just right, encoding track information, adding hidden tracks etc. These areas are critical for the overall vibe of an album.
Trent Reznor famously brought the well known Bob Ezrin purely to assist with the track sequencing on his magnum opus The Fragile.
i am therefore i am.
..at least i like to think i am.
..at least i like to think i am.
- MVNIHVD
Casual Poster - Offline
Re: Mastering
Bob Ezrin was a producer for Pink Floyds' The Wall.
MVNIHVD wrote:
Mastering also involves track sequencing for cd release-tonal balancing between tracks, ensuring suitable level matching, getting the gaps (including the absence of gaps) between tracks just right, encoding track information, adding hidden tracks etc. These areas are critical for the overall vibe of an album.
Trent Reznor famously brought the well known Bob Ezrin purely to assist with the track sequencing on his magnum opus The Fragile.
i am therefore i am.
..at least i like to think i am.
..at least i like to think i am.
- www.manyhead.biz
Newbie - Offline
Re: Mastering
print articles are a great way to educate ones-self! most of us here on tindeck will be looking to do it ourselves for various reasons, not least of which would include financial pressures and not wanting to deal with know it all industry dinosaur types..
nobody likes to be made to feel like an idiot..
i offer the following links:
http://www.clickmastering.com/mastering-recordings.html
http://www.clickmastering.com/parallel-compression.html
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug04/a … ering.html
http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/sep05/a … ation.html
and my favorite page, featuring a host of sage advice, flowing freely from one of the best mastering engineers on the planet (bob katz) :-
http://www.digido.com/articles-demos.html
enjoy kids, and dont forget to use your search engines.
much love.
- www.manyhead.biz
Newbie - Offline
Re: Mastering
..now me personally, i recognize that i am only at the demo stage of my overall career and my production skills reflect this (as do the tracks on my profile) However having a go is nothing to be afraid of and I enjoy the impact that my own efforts at mastering have had upon my mixes.
mixing itself is where i am growing the most and i have had to be careful that in sucking up all these articles and information i do not abandon my natural instinct for finding and trusting in my own way.
indeed is one aspiring to produce the next black eyed peas record or making avant garde noise art on an old xp laptop?
everything is an option, there is no law beyond Do What Thou Wilt.
as aspiration leads me through the gates of commercial release and other growth areas i look forward to ultimately finding a professional i wish to deal with, and assigning mastering work to them. the results will be worthwhile, but theres no point in going there untill:
A) the work is ready
B) refer to point A ;>
personally i still have some way to go, indeed i hope i always remain teachable.
meanwhile, my art is my life-no matter how well i am or am not able to get it 'sounding good' just yet. i have learned to never be discouraged (or rather to persist through those periods..)
in remembering that i make it for me i always return to the center from where all things come and all things go.
with electronic music production we are truly making something out of nothing and thats gotta be a bit of a black art me thinks. it takes years of time and love to even get the ball rolling..
meanwhile enjoy yourselves and enjoy the gift of creativity-not every one has what we have.
Last edited by www.manyhead.biz (2 May 2012 22:00:00)
Re: Mastering
i put Stereo enhancer, EQUO(leveling up the high band), and compress it with maximus on FL Studio. Please check if these are god or not.
the address had changed to www.reverbnation.com/bbamb
Re: Mastering
I was looking for this, it will really lead good help in my work.
Boardwalk
Re: Mastering
Overcompressing is an easy trap to fall into, though. Make sure you're only compressing things that actually need to be compressed, rather than just because you can.
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Re: Mastering
What does mastering exactly means?