My first attempt at mastering.

[BlindSummit]

I know it will be difficult to offer thoughts given that you didn't hear the mix I had to work with but comments on the overall sound, flaws or how I could have achieved better would be much appreciated.


I've called it something boring like '13' so that it wouldn't be interesting if someone finds it on soundcloud lol.

But here ya go, I'm pretty sure the girl forgets her lyrics at 0.54 lol

EDIT: I'm terrible for forgetting the link http://soundcloud.com/marcpope/13-1

[TKMJ Productions]

I know it will be difficult to offer thoughts given that you didn't hear the mix I had to work with but comments on the overall sound, flaws or how I could have achieved better would be much appreciated.


I've called it something boring like '13' so that it wouldn't be interesting if someone finds it on soundcloud lol.

But here ya go, I'm pretty sure the girl forgets her lyrics at 0.54 lol

EDIT: I'm terrible for forgetting the link http://soundcloud.com/marcpope/13-1

Nice try Marc. How about putting up the mix you mastered for comparison. That way we can hear the differences.

[BlindSummit]

Yeah, I think I should lol. Bare with..........

[BlindSummit]

Here we go

The aptly titled '13 original' http://soundcloud.com/marcpope/13-original

[shaaregeulah]

The topic should read "My first attempt at post-processing a mix".

When you have the proper tools, use them to make adjustments and properly balance a collection of mixes and deliver a proper, error-checked Redbook standard master... then it's called "mastering".

[TKMJ Productions]

I hope you are not the person who tracked and mixed that song. I detect more errors in the mix then mastering would allow. I would send it back for a remix and possibly retracking. All your attempted mastering did was highlight a bad mix. When you mix a turd, the mastering engineer winds up with crap on his hands to work with.

I detected some overall EQ adjustments and limited compression. Not much difference then the mix. I wouldn't call it mastering.

Sorry Marc. Just being honest.

[BlindSummit]

Cheers, I didn't realise the PC police were in town. Nah lol. I get ya but the term mastering has evolved to be used in this way, like it or loath it, indies need a word and that's it.

[BlindSummit]

I hope you are not the person who tracked and mixed that song. I detect more errors in the mix then mastering would allow. I would send it back for a remix and possibly retracking. All your attempted mastering did was highlight a bad mix. When you mix a turd, the mastering engineer winds up with crap on his hands to work with.

I detected some overall EQ adjustments and limited compression. Not much difference then the mix. I wouldn't call it mastering.

Sorry Marc. Just being honest.

That's fine, I'm not looking for sugar-coated nonsense. How would I ever get better? Yeah the mix isn't great to be fair. In theory, is it possible to get even an average master out of this?

[shaaregeulah]

If mastering a stereo mixdown of your own mix is what you're doing, it's not the proper workflow. I used to do the same thing until I learned better. It doesn't make any sense. The correct way to do it is apply the processing within your mix session directly! That way, you have more control of every component within the mix.

[jordancolburn]

If mastering a stereo mixdown of your own mix is what you're doing, it's not the proper workflow. I used to do the same thing until I learned better. It doesn't make any sense. The correct way to do it is apply the processing within your mix session directly! That way, you have more control of every component within the mix.

Do you mean you do the mix, then add some sort of limiter and possibly eq on the output bus in the same mix session. Kind of two separate processes, but in the same session just to make fixing any mistakes you find easier?

I've always done some basic "post processing" just to increase the volume of the mix and make it competitive, but my mixes are still weak for my full band multitracked recordings, and I'm trying to figure out if the problem is in the mixing or the "mastering" or both.

[shaaregeulah]

Yes, u can use a buss compressor, limiter and EQ on the master bus and make the fine tuning adjustments and corrections to levels and signal processing to the individual channels. Much easier to get better results that way.

The problem almost always lies in the mix.

[BlindSummit]

If mastering a stereo mixdown of your own mix is what you're doing, it's not the proper workflow. I used to do the same thing until I learned better. It doesn't make any sense. The correct way to do it is apply the processing within your mix session directly! That way, you have more control of every component within the mix.

In fairness I think that's wrong. I think mastering and mixing should be treated as separate stages of the production process.

[shaaregeulah]

Not if you're mastering your own mixes. Mixing down your own mix just so you can then load the stereo mix in a new session for further processing makes absolutely no sense. By doing so, you're limiting the amount of adjustments you could make to just the stereo mixdown. It's just stupid. I've been there and learned from my mistakes.

[Mr. Cloggy]

If mastering a stereo mixdown of your own mix is what you're doing, it's not the proper workflow. I used to do the same thing until I learned better. It doesn't make any sense. The correct way to do it is apply the processing within your mix session directly! That way, you have more control of every component within the mix.

In fairness I think that's wrong. I think mastering and mixing should be treated as separate stages of the production process.

They should be, in fact they should be done by two different people, both with different ears and different tools. If you are the mixing engineer AND the 'mastering' engineer you listen with the same ears and have the same tools at your disposal, so why not keep it in the same session and try to fix errors in the mix anyway? You have acces to it.

After I think my mix is ok I'll slap a compressor/limiter on the 2-bus for 'mastering' and if my mix doesn't fall apart (usually it does) I'll call it a day. If my mix does fall apart (again, usually the case) I'll go back and adjust individual tracks.

[BlindSummit]

It's not my mixdown

[Mr. Cloggy]

I'm sorry, bases on the last few posts I misunderstood it...