Preparing mixes for mastering?

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 12:26 pm

Hi

Just a quick question?

What are your thoughts on the idea of adding stereoimage widening and a master bus compression to a final mix before sending it to mastering?

i find that these 2 area drastically change my mix therefore feel i should add them.

any thoughts?

Posted: Mon Mar 24, 2008 2:28 pm

Not sure about the stereo image widening, but I would say that's a definite no on the master bus compression. They will do that in mastering, and if you send it to a good place, they'll do it with better equipment in a way that works best with the final mastering steps they take.

So why do something possibly wrong when you know they will do it right?

Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 8:11 am

rdetoledo wrote:

Hi

Just a quick question?

What are your thoughts on the idea of adding stereoimage widening and a master bus compression to a final mix before sending it to mastering?

i find that these 2 area drastically change my mix therefore feel i should add them.

any thoughts?

Master buss compression is ok as long as you aren't smashing it to hell. Knocking off a couple db isn't a big deal. The stereo image widener I would do without. If you feel the stereo image is too narrow just communicate that to the ME and they should be able to handle it for you.

Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 10:26 am

Gotta be careful with software "stereo-widening" effects. Search for how some of it is done, and you'll see that a lot of them can have a bad effect on your mix. Be careful what you try to use to do that, if you insist on trying it.

Kapt.Krunch

Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 1:17 pm

Consult your mastering engineer of choice on this and be prepare to supply them versions with and without bus processing.

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:20 am

if your sendning in for mastering anyway- i would do as little as possible to your master buss track. especially too much comp. they can fix to much eq at the mastering house but once its too squashed it cant get unsquashed. let them handle the stereo imaging there. they are pros

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