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What is MASTERING
Whatis MASTERING?
In the Sound EngineeringWorld there are four steps that normally need to be taken before we arefinished with a production. Starting with recording then followed byediting and mixing and finally we end with mastering. What ismastering and why is mastering so important in the music world especiallybefore we release our finished musical product?
Mastering is the finalstep in production. In the mastering session, the Mastering Engineer willbe working only with the final mixing which is a stereo track. Theminimum format file for mastering delivery should be 44.1 kHz and 16bit for CD Audio quality. The final mixing will bring it down from 24 bitto 16 bit but dithering is required to avoid truncation during theconverting process. Or to make your life a lot simpler, you can just bounceyour final mixing at 44.1 kHz and 24 bit. A high sample rate is not arequirement but it is always welcome in the mastering session.
Since the MasteringEngineer will be working only with a stereo file, it is important for anartist or a producer to understand what can be done in the mastering sessionand what should be done in the mixing session.
BALANCING
Balancing is a processwhere we balance all the tracks and do our best to be sure that there is notrack that is too loud or too soft. Sometimes, some parts just need to stand upa little bit or maybe move back a little bit in order to create depth anddimension. In the mastering session, when there is a track that has been mixedtoo loud or too soft, sometimes we are still able to fix the problem butit is always better if this can be done in the mixing sessionbecause here are multitracks that can be adjusted to create a properbalance.
TUNING
Tuning is a process wherewe try to make an instrument that has been recorded sound in pitch. Normally,the Sound Engineer or Producer will tune a Vocal to make it sound good. Or,sometimes, we need to tune a solo instrument to make it be in pitch.Mostly tuning is just done for a solo instrument but, with current technology,there might be a possibility that tuning can be done on a polyphonicsound that has been mixed with multiple instruments. Meanwhile, tuningmostly needs to be done in the mixing session since there are separate tracksthere that can be adjusted as needed.
UNCLEAN SOUND
Sometimes, during themixing session, the Engineer tries his best to make a clean mixing soundbut it might not be clean enough. In the mastering session, we canmake the mixing sound shine.
UNWIDE SOUND
I have panned the soundfull left and full right but it still does not sound wide enough. Whatshould I do if I want to get a wider sound? We can make it wider duringthe mastering session in order to get better stereo imaging.
MASKING
In the mixing session,mostly, we have to deal with a lot of tracks that can go up to a hundred ormore in number. More tracks provide more challenges in dealing with thefrequencies because the spectrum is just so broad in going from low tohigh frequencies. Often, we experience some frequencies thatmask each other. When masking occurs, the sound will be unclear andcovered. In the mastering session, we can help to solve this problem.
LOUDNESS LEVEL
Usually, peoplealways want to have a very loud mixing sound. Does the mixing really need to beso loud or until it reaches overload? The answer is NO. Mixing is a balancingand creative process where the Engineer, artist and producer will sitdown and put their ideas together to create a good production sound.The loudness level will be taken care of during mastering. As a MasteringEngineer, I highly recommend the Mixing Engineer leave 3 to 6 dB headroomfor the Mastering Engineer with the master fader always at zero. When there isa peak, I recommend the Mixing Engineer should bring down the level of theindividual channel instead of dragging down the master fader. The 3 to 6dB headroom will give room for the Mastering Engineer to usehis creativity and ideas in shaping the mixing sound.
Mastering is not onlyabout making a record sound louder by throwing a plug in andby choosing a preset LOUD AND CLEAR. Mastering is an art thatrequires discerning ears and special care. Otherwise, everything will be ruined. For me, mastering is the finalstep where I will do everything possible in my power to fix the problems thatarise so that the sound of the final mixing can be brought up to andimproved to a higher level. What is a better sound or a worse sound issomething that is very subjective and is highly debatable but that doesnot mean that you cannot feel and hear the difference when youdo a listening test and make a comparison of the various versions of thesounds, which have been recorded.
WhyMastering is IMPORTANT?
There are a couple ofreasons why it is very important to send your final mixes to the MasteringSession before you release your product on the market:
FINAL STEP
Mastering is the finalstep in which you are going to fix the problems as much as you can beforeyou release your product to the market.
BALANCE THE LEVEL
Mastering is the stepwhere you will balance the level of each track of your songs. You do not wantlisteners to have to turn up their volume control when the first songis played and then have them quickly bring down the sound levelduring the second song because it too loud. We want listenersto happily enjoy the music from the beginning of the recordthrough the entire record without the necessity of changing thesound level on every song.
SHINE YOUR SOUND
Like furniture thatalways looks like it has been shined, the same thing is true with audio.We want to have a shining sound and make listeners feel impressed withthe high quality and professional caliber of our product.
INTERNATIONAL QUALITY
It is the dream ofevery musician to have his or her song played on a worldwide basis,not only in their own country but in other nations as well. Toattain that goal, you need to ensure that your song is ready to bereleased worldwide with an excellent sound quality. Sound plays a verycritical role in the music industry and, as artists, we alwaysattempt to deliver the best product possible for our listeners.
ALWAYS USE CLASS A EQUIPMENT
Since the MasteringSession is the final step, a professional Mastering Studio will alwaysemploy Class A mastering equipment. A Class A tool will lead to theproduction of a Class A sound in the final product.
WhatTYPE OF MUSIC can be mastered?
People always ask me whattypes of music can be mastered? Is there a specific genre or style that can orcannot be mastered? In my humble opinion, any style of musicis always welcome at a Mastering Session. Of course, the masteringapproach for every genre and musical style will be different,depending on how the final mixing sounds and also depending onthe final sound that the producer and the artist are seeking to create.
Mastering isnot mathematics or physics. It most definitely is an art. Peoplealways inquire of me as to what the formula is for doing effectivemastering? I just cannot answer that question because there is simply noanswer for it. There is just no formula for doing mastering. There is notemplate or model the use of which will guarantee successful mastering. Thatis why it is so important to work together with a trustable MasteringEngineer who really knows what he is doing, who knows how to use his gear in aproper manner and who is able to deliver and produce the quality masteringsound that you are working to achieve in your music.
什么是母带处理？
母带处理是完成作品的最后一个步骤。在母带处理环节，母带处理工程师将对最终混音的一路立体声音轨进行处理。对母带交付的最低格式文件应该是44.1kHz和16bit的CD音质。最终的混音会将其从24bit降至16bit，但抖动是需要的以避免在转换过程中产生截断。为了简便，你可以将作品最终混音在44.1kHz和24bit。在母带处理环节中，一个较高的采样率不是必须的却总是受欢迎的。
既然母带处理工程师仅能对一个立体声文件进行处理，那作为一位艺术家或制作人，了解在母带处理环节中可以做什么、应该做什么就显得尤为重要。
平衡
平衡是一个我们均衡所有音轨和尽可能确保没有过响或过弱音轨的过程。有时，作品的某些部分需要提高一点或降低一点以便创作出深度和维度。在母带处理环节中，当某一音轨被混音得太响或太弱时，有时我们仍能够解决此问题，但如果在混音环节中能够解决是更好的，因为此时能够调整多轨信号来创作一个合适的平衡。
调音
调音是一个我们试图使已录的乐器声音听起来音准的过程。通常，声频工程师或制作人会对人声进行调音，使其听上去更好。或者，有时我们需要调整一件独奏的乐器使其音准。大部分情况调音仅能对一件独奏乐器进行，但是应用目前的技术，调音也有可能对由多件乐器混合而成的复合音进行调整。同时，大部分情况调音需要在混音环节中进行，因为此时能够根据需要调整分轨的信号。
不干净的声音
有时，在混音环节中，工程师会尽全力确保一个干净的混合声音，但有可能仍不够干净。在母带处理环节，我们可以将混合声音擦亮。
不宽的声音
我已经将声音pan到极左和极右，但听起来仍然不够宽。如果我想要一个更宽的声音该怎么做呢？我们可以在母带处理环节中将其变宽以便得到一个更好的立体声声像。
掩蔽
在混音环节中，大部分情况我们需要处理上百甚至更多的音轨信号。在处理声音频率时，音轨越多，挑战也越大，因为频谱从低频到高频是如此的宽。通常，我们试验一些能够互相掩蔽的频率。当掩蔽发生时，声音会变得不干净并相互覆盖。在母带处理环节中，我们能够解决这一问题。
响度级
通常，人们都希望有一个非常响的混合声音。混音真的需要如此响直到过载吗？答案是否定的。混音是一个平衡和创造的过程，在这一过程中，工程师，艺术家和制作人会坐下来把他们的想法集中起来创作一个好的声音作品。在母带处理时响度级需要注意。作为一个母带处理工程师，我强烈建议混音工程师将主控推子始终保持在0，以便为母带处理工程师预留出3到6个dB的峰值储备。当出现峰值时，我建议混音工程师应该拉下某一个通路的电平而不是拉下主控推子。这3到6个dB的峰值储备会留给母带处理工程师一个利用其创造力和想象力进行声音塑造的空间。
母带处理不仅仅是通过一个插件选择“响亮和清晰”预设使得录音作品更响。母带处理是一门艺术，需要敏锐的耳朵和特殊照顾。否则，所有事情都会搞砸。对我而言，母带处理是最后一步，我将在力所能及的范围内尽一切可能解决出现的问题，使最后混合的声音可以达到和改善高一个更高的水平。什么是更好的声音或是更糟的声音，这是非常主观和值得商榷的事情，但这并不意味着当你做听力测试，并对不同版本的录音作品进行比较时不能感受和听到其中的不同。
为什么母带处理如此重要？
最后一步
母带处理是在你向市场发行你的成品之前尽可能解决出现问题的最后一步。
平衡电平
母带处理是你平衡歌曲每一首曲子电平的步骤。你不会希望听众在听第一首歌时调高音量，然后在听第二首歌时由于太响而必须迅速降低音量。我们希望听众从录音作品的开始到整个录音作品都能愉快地享受音乐，而不需要在听每首歌时都调整音量。
擦亮你的声音
就像家具总是看上去被擦亮一样，音频也是可以擦亮的。我们希望有一个发亮的声音，使听众对我们作品的高质量和专业品质感到印象深刻。
国际品质
每个音乐家都梦想着他们的歌曲能在世界范围演奏，不但是在他们自己的国家，而且也在其他国家。为了达到此目的，你需要确保你的歌曲具有绝佳的音质并为全球发行做好了准备。在音乐产业中，声音起着非常关键的作用，作为艺术家，我们总是试图为听众提供最佳的产品。
始终使用A级设备
既然母带处理环节是最后步骤，一个专业的母带处理工作室会用A级母带处理设备。A级工具会形成最终产品中产生的A级声音。
什么类型的音乐可以进行母带处理？
母带处理不是数学或物理学。它肯定是一门艺术。人们总是问我母带处理有效的公式是什么？我不能回答这个问题，因为根本没有答案。对母带处理来说没有什么公式。没有哪个模板或模型，只要使用保证能够成功地处理母带。这就是为什么与一个可信任的母带处理工程师一起工作如此重要，他真正知道他在做什么，知道如何用适当的方式使用他的设备，能够提供和产生你所想要的有品质的声音。
处理前或处理后DEMO对比
http://www.jemimusic.com/jemimasteringdemo
Mastering Studio 声学环境
作者
JEMI
Online Mastering Engineer
Master of Music Candidate in SoundRecording
McGill University
Berklee College of Music
www.jemimusic.com
翻译
Starslv
托卡塔与赋格
