Content
1. What is mastering?
2. Can I master in Reason?
3. What can I do with Reason then?
4. So how do I get my mixes sounding their best?
5. Why do I need a mastering engineer and what does he do?
6. What else can I do to make my tracks sound good?
1. What is mastering?
Mastering is the process of transferring the final mix recordings of your music, spoken word, etc, into a "master" that is acceptable for replication or playback.
Some of the steps of the mastering process are straightforward: sequence the songs into the right order, convert from tape or DAT to a Compact Disc, fade or edit songs, adjust levels so that one is not louder than another unnecessarily.
However one of the main aspects of mastering is the sweetening of the audio and it is a process that remains very mysterious to many musicians and engineers alike. It is not voodoo, but the resulting master can indeed be a revelation from the previously supplied mixes. Simply put, mastering is the final adjustment of tone and space so that your album is consistent with great sounding records in your genre.
If you're an independent producer who's labored long and hard over your mixes only to rush out to the CD player to check out the CDR ref of your mixes only to wonder why there isn't the tone, depth, punch of your favorite records, then you are already on your way to understanding the necessity for mastering.
2. Can I master in Reason?
No, Reason doesn't have the capability. So what ARE you doing with Reason? Aside from writing and recording your song, you are mixing. Mixing is not the time for making sure that your record is sounding like the latest hit records due to a number of complications. Long hours of mixing render subtle EQ or compression shifts un-hearable. You're concerned with getting your music to sound good in YOUR song, not comparing them to someone else's.
Monitoring in many studios (and especially home studios) is flawed and you may not be able to properly hear all the frequencies because of room design or poor speakers. Sometimes, you just won't let that mix be finished without pushing your favorite instrument up a notch louder than the others and you later decide it was too much. The list goes on...
3. What can I do with Reason then?
Make the mix sound as natural as possible & don't go over the top. Listen to your mixes in comparison with other programs on the market that are similar in style. Don't over-compress, or over-EQ, or over-process your mixes.
How much compression and EQ is too much? Sorry but there is no hard and fast rule, so start experimenting. It's often more difficult to restore life to a normalized or compressed mix than to do some mastering that will yield better final results. This is true for CD projects as well as for vinyl.
That said, here is a method for getting you mix a bit hotter: turn down the volume in Reason to between 50-55, making absolutely sure there is no clipping. Export the file to a .wav. Open the file in Sound Forge, limit at about -6 dB and maximize with Wave Hammer. One of the best products on the market for maximizing is Waves Ultra Maximizer, available as a VST plug or in for about $300.
4. So how do I get my mixes sounding their best?
For the best shot at a good mix to take to mastering, cross reference your work by playing it in as many places as possible on as many different systems as possible. Play your mixes at home, in a club (where you might know the sound of the system), on a good car stereo, at friend's homes, in your studio, and at a good music or stereo shop (not at peak sales hours, though.)
If the mixes sound good and consistent, with a satisfying amount of bass, treble clarity, vocal presence, etc., then the likelihood that they are ready for the final "touch up" at a mastering studio is good.
5. Why do I need a mastering engineer and what does he do?
What a mastering engineer does is listen to many different records and reference recordings on a specially tuned system. They understand how the best sounding records represent the loose concepts of Bass, Treble, Width, Depth and Warmth. They can instantly recognize that a vocal track needs de-essing to remove harsh sibilance or a snare needs peak limiting.
You know the phrase "a picture says a thousand words"? With a ten second "audio snapshot" of your music, a mastering engineer can formulate a series of adjustments to make your record hold it's place among other records in your genre.
In general, after your album has been mastered for CD, for example, you should be able to put your CD in a multi-disc changer with similar records and not have to reach for any of the tone or volume controls when changing from one disc to another (of course, this brings up the huge dilemma of "is it loud enough").
A simple phrase to describe what mastering does and how it affects your music is "it's the difference between a demo and a record".
The mastering engineer has the responsibility to make your album sound its best. In some cases the recording was so well executed that the only sonic decisions to be made are the relative volume level and sequence of songs- but it takes a skilled engineer to realize when to leave the best recordings intact.
On the other hand, some records are comprised of ten-songs-from-five-studios-recorded-over-three-years- with-two-lineup-changes and require care and skill to best adjust the dynamics and equalization over the course of the entire record. There are no "mastering studio in a box" solutions that even remotely come close to replacing the expertise of the engineer.
6. What else can I do to make my tracks sound good?
First, keep it as short as possible. I know this isn't always achievable, but particularly if hot levels are important, keep it short! How short? A hot club record should be under 12 minutes, 8 to 10 minutes is ideal. Some of the top club DJs say they won't even play records that are over 12 minutes long because they know the levels will be low and don't want to adjust gain.
Also, try to balance the side times, preferably within one minute. If one side has to be longer, put more of the quiet material on that side. This will insure even levels. If the sides are long, remember that the more bass, the lower the cutting level (volume). It is possible to squeeze 30 minutes on a side but the level will be so low you'll have to crank it just to hear it, and you will hear the surface noise!
Watch excessive treble boost in the 8 to 16 kHz range in mixing, you won't get it back on your record. You can't break the laws of physics, sorry. A good idea is to check your mix against a record you like with lots of cymbals. If you hear a lot more sizzle on your demo, chances are it won't make it to the record.
Particularly watch those 'S's. Use a de-esser on vocals. This will give you more overall treble because in cutting your record, the treble limiter won't be chomping on your cymbals too.
Last, Put your hottest, brightest most dynamic mixes on the beginning of the disc and they'll stay that way. If possible keep the quieter material on the inside tracks.