What is mastering?
Mastering can be loosely defined as the fine-tuning of a track, preparing it for replication and broadcast.
Mastering is the last creative process and QC checks in the production chain before duplication.
This includes optimizing the average levels and peak volume of a track using mainly compression, equalization and other tricks to achieve a balanced level that’s consistent with other recordings at present.
Other chores a mastering engineer typically handles include cleaning up unwanted noises (clicks, pops, etc) arranging tracks into a final sequence, placing the proper amount of space between the tracks and inserting track markers and other codes required for replication.
Why is mastering necessary?
In the right hands, mastering can transform a collection of good mixes into a great album.
Once a track is written, recorded and mixed, the final step in the production chain is referred to as “Audio Mastering“
Not only can it improve your recordings in a number of ways, audio mastering significantly improves the quality of the sound of your audio itself.
Using digital and analogue gear gives your music more depth, atmosphere and balance and can even correct imperfections in the audio itself.
This is the most important aspect of audio mastering in terms of why you need to get someone with a good ear who knows what they are doing in a none biased way.
Generally speaking, the goal is to make it as easy as possible for the listener to get through a collection of singles or an LP without needing to adjust playback volume or EQ.
How will making my music loud affect its quality?
For the past 20-30 years, albums have seemed to get louder. This trend is sometimes referred to as “The Loudness War.”
Some people feel that the louder their track sounds, the better it is. This is not true, its a trend that we hope to help reverse. It is surprising how little understanding there is of the compromises that have to be made in order to make a recording louder than respected. Unfortunately, there is no “11” on the dial.
That said, if having your finished product loud is important to you, then we will do our best to get the track to the level you desire with the least amount of negative consequences.
Will you give us feedback on our mixes before mastering them?
To put it simply. Yes!
Before you even submit your final mixes for mastering, we are happy to listen to your music and provide you with our feedback, helping you to achieve a better mix before mastering in order to get the best possible result.
Please note.
Please do not send stream links to your track, we prefer an MP3-320kbps or WAV. file when requiring feedback on your tracks.
Will you do a free mastering sample for us?
We will send you a clipped export of the mastered content on any given track supplied.
The first track we master usually takes an hour or so. There’s no quick way to give you a good-sounding sample demo that will represent the work we can do for you as a paying Client.
We take our work very seriously and want you to be happy with the end result, so we encourage you to get back to us if there is anything you feel could be done differently to achieve your sonic goals.
Do you accept examples of other artists to reference?
Absolutely, If another album encompasses your desired finished sound we will listen to it,
This will help us understand your creative direction and sonic preferences,
Please provide us with the original CD or wave file ripped from the original CD. MP3s or CDs made from MP3s will not be helpful as they degraded audio quality in the stereo image
What are your turnaround times with mastering?
Though this is the most popular question asked, it’s also the trickiest to answer
We take all the work sent to us seriously, we do not like to cut corners or rush anything for the sake of getting the job done. As we offer different styles of audio mastering this also takes effect on the turn around time.
contact us with the amount of work and a deadline you’re aiming for and we will help you hit your deadlines.
Grab Your Pre-Master Check List Here!
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