RECORDING - What is mastering? And do you need it?

What is mastering? And do you need it?

These two questions tend to arise again in music-forums on the internet.
They are answered again and again, in slightly different ways, and here's my take on it:

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Mastering is about a couple of thing;

Adjustment of an individual song, of the stereo-mix, altering, and possibly enhancing the sound and the perceived volume loudness
Adjustment of the sound of several songs making them fit together
Making the song or songs ready for distribution by trimming the songs, making fades and entering the track-indexes, ISRC, cd-text and such things
Quality control

Hmm, where's the coffee-machine?

More about #1
There are two main paths of thinking regarding this; one is to mix to the best of ones abilities, and expect a sound enhancing stage—mastering—to make sure the sound is good enough and nothing is forgotten or overseen, sound-wise.

The other path is to mix the song in a way where one tries to make the mix sound exactly as one wants it, at the perceived volume loudness as one wants.

In mastering, such a track would make a 'direct transfer', that is, without processing, just the trimming and the indexes and such.
Some mixers like the idea of having a secondary sound-enhancing stage, and some like to aim for mixing it with the final sound in mind.

Well, maybe I should just use a SM57...?

More about #2
When making an EP, album, or collection of tracks, one has to make them fit together.
Even if one is trying to mix in such a way as to make the mix the final sound of the tracks, differences in mixing from one day to the other will often make it a little different, maybe a little bit difference in the bass or in the treble area, and so, when putting them together, one will have to adjust them a little to make sure the transition from one track to the other goes fluently and the tracks having a similar sound.

Digital only here...

Mostly analog here...

More about #3
Trimming the start point, leaving the necessary blank lead-in (giving cd-players some spin-up and start-up time) and making the fade-outs, and a suitable pause between tracks. Entering ISRC information.
Also, if one wants cd-text; entering the information, and finally, making the deliverance format; cd- ready wav-formats, a wav/cue image for home burning, or a DDP-image for transfer to a cd-making factory.

More about #4
Making sure there are nothing wrong with the final processed result.

Delicate treble from Adam ribbon tweeters

So do you need mastering?
Well, if you are doing just one song and you're not planning on making a physical cd-single out of it, there are really no technical need for mastering; you could just mix the song exactly as you wanted it, and — if mixing down to 24-bit—dither it down to the standard 16-bit, 44.1kHz format afterwards.
If you're good at mixing, this would be it, nothing more to do.

So why then is it so common to think that mastering is something necessary, something one needs to do after a mix?
Well, if the mix sounds perfect, there's nothing to do with it, just leaving it alone.
Still, often it is possible to enhance a song sonically in the mastering stage, sometimes just a nuance, sometimes a very large enhancement.

When tuning bass, you gotta hear it first, so get out those subs!

More about mastering and sound enhancing...

Tools of the trade
The tools of the trade are equalizers, compressors, limiters, and distortion of some kind.

As to compressors and distortion devices; You can think of them as different spices, just like in the kitchen.
Is the Hi-hats salt enough?
Enough garlic here?
What about a little dash of chili for that guitar?
And most people doing mastering have some 'secret trick' they would like to keep for themselves...
Talking about food again, that would be something like using cinnamon on beef or chicken, tastes fabulously, and still most people don't know about it, and no; it doesn't taste like cinnamon, really, it transforms into something new.
Every compressors leave a 'spice' mark on the material, changing something else than just the dynamics, they're adding a 'flavor' to the sound.

The most important things? Good ears, great room, and experience.

The room is the most important thing, besides the ears, and that is often said.
Still, why is the room so important?

The point is, speakers vary by some few decibel from one type of speaker to another.
An untreated room, on the other hand, can vary much more, with dips and peaks at up to 10-20 decibel in some areas.
So; if you're mixing in a room with a resonance peaking at 200Hz, you would probably cut off lots and lots in that area, leaving your mix to thin, when played in other rooms and equipment.

Most playback equipment are optimized to play back current sounding music, and if played back in a room that is not sounding too good, the sound might have some peaks and valleys, still, all music played back in that room with that equipment would have the same valleys and peaks, where as a song mixed in a not-so-good room, compensating for dips or valleys in the frequency response of the mixing room, if this playback room also is un-balanced, any combined unbalanced adjustments together with the unbalanced room, will make that song sound not good in that room.

So, if your room is good, and you trust your ears: as a mixer, why not aim for making your mixes sound like you would like them to sound, without depending on some 'black art' or kind of magic aka the mastering stage?
Still, even if you aim for this, it will be very unusual if you will be able to mix all songs for an album over several days and get them to sound as an album when played after each other.
However, in the adjustment phase, it might be the songs will need just some tiny adjustments in the bass and treble area to fit together, so that you don't need any 'spice' to enhance the sound.

Other thoughts...

The ears
Having cleaned your ears lately?
People talk on and on about speakers, and how they sound, when the elephant in the room is the ears, both the cleanliness of them, and the shape.
Try for yourself; listen to some music and cup your hands behind your ears, you will notice the sound changes dramatically.

And cleaning, how do you clean your ears?
Using cotton-ear buds?
That will actually press the ear-wax tighter into your ears...
The best thing to use for cleaning?
Hydrogen peroxide (3%).
You can buy it in a regular store; Note; remember to not buy anything else than the 3 % solution, as anything stronger would not be safe.
Oh, and don't do this if you have any holes in the eardrums.
For use; either pour the liquid into one ear at a time, get some help from a friend, or use a syringe.
Or, even more easy; soak a cotton ear bud with the liquid, and put it into your ear.
Repeat for the other side.
You will hear some sparkling sound as the ear are getting cleared, and after a while, the sparkles will drop in intensity.
Dip again, and put the buds into the ears, and repeat.
Then, afterwards, you will notice a much clearer hearing, with fresher treble.
Easy and effective!
And almost free.

Hydrogen Peroxide; Best tool for cleaning the ears, remember to get the 3% solution

Temporary Threshold Shift
One more thing about the hearing: many people like the idea of listening on several levels, perhaps soft for awhile, and then very loud for some seconds.
This is a practice that doesn't take into account how the ear operates, and the Temporary Threshold Shift.
After being exposed to loud noises/sounds, it will take quite some time before the ears are back to the normal level of linearity of the hearing.
Sometimes just some few hours, but it can last up to a day or so, depending on the level and time exposed to the sound/noise.
In extreme cases with very loud noise/music, it has been tests where it left dips up to 13dB in the 4kHz area, for 24 hours.
Imagine mixing and adjusting sound with that ear that day...
'Temporary threshold shift' is the name for it.
Google it.

Think about this; imagine you work in a dark room with some delicate things.
Then suddenly you go out in a very sunny field for some seconds, and then you go back down to work.
As you know, it will take more than some few moments before your eyes will be able to see clearly there again.

Same thing for the ears, so if you are going to work, keep the volume down, and don't do the 'play loud for some seconds' thing; sound wise a very bad idea...

Summary of tips for mixing
So when mixing; make sure your room sounds good, read some articles on how to sound-enhance and balance your room, and improve the acoustic.
Make sure to carefully place your speakers and your sub-bass, as the placement has also very much to say for the sound.
Don't listen to the mix loud, not even for just 5 seconds, you will not be able to hear good and balanced afterwards.
Get a habit of cleaning your ears in a non-intrusive and effective way, I recommend using Hydrogen peroxide.

Keep the good music flowing!

Njal Frode Lie
Telemark, Norway, February 22th.

Mixing and Mastering
Online Mixing and Online Mastering at NFL Produksjoner, Norway