Hi MEs', lurkers & enthusiasts,
I just got here, am a member of other forums, and am pretty much a newbie to the 'black art' of mastering - Ha Ha ! :)

I work in my 'garage' lab and make attempts at continually improving the sounds of my mixes, quality of equipment, listening area, and listening. I expect that the best I can do in my current circumstances is to gradually 'push' my 'pre-masters' towards the quality I find in some of my excellent commercial material.

It would make sense for me to improve my 'rig' thru a few more equipment upgrades but I kind of feel right now that I would have to make a big decision before buying the 'Manley Massive' grade of equipment - if you follow. I may or may not go commercial enough to justify the purchase. If I don't then I won't have the best equipment possible...big catch !

Anyway glad to meet you all - I'm here to search, listen, learn, and sometimes share. Sometimes the best way for me to learn is to join in and see if I get a response. Sometimes I do other times not - Ha Ha ! The way of the forum !

This looks like a good one ! :cool:
kylen

Welcome Kylen to the forum!
:p:

Do Mastering engineers consider themselves more expert than recordists (kind of GP and specialist), or are they actually more knowlegable than recording engineers? Do they make more money than their recording friends? If that is the case then I will dedicate myself to MAstering only.

This is just a question for knowlege and I hope it doesn't bring controversy.

Attached files

Considering that mastering engineers get their pay from recordists, it's safe to assume that there are far more recordists than there are MEs. :)

And there's also a reason that their skills are in such demand (well, at least, by quite the majority of sane recordists), so I think you can deduce the rest.

Attached files

Still my questions have not been answered.

No Buzain.

Mastering Engineers dosn't make more money than recording eng.(to my belive).
But you can take the surf around the world and compare the prices.

Regards.

Originally posted by BUZAIN:
Do Mastering engineers consider themselves more expert than recordists (kind of GP and specialist), or are they actually more knowlegable than recording engineers?

You can't lump them all together and expect a generic answer? You would have to ask EACH mastering engineer to get an accurate answer.

Do they make more money than their recording friends? If that is the case then I will dedicate myself to MAstering only.

More money per year?, per project?, per month?, per hour? Most of the Recording and Mastering engineers I know all have various rates depending on the work done so it constanlty changes.

I suspect we ME's get less than Recording Engineers / Producers because of the lack of "points" or percentages of the overall take on a project. Just a guess...at least on major projects.

Originally posted by BUZAIN:
Do Mastering engineers consider themselves more expert than recordists (kind of GP and specialist), or are they actually more knowlegable than recording engineers? Do they make more money than their recording friends? If that is the case then I will dedicate myself to MAstering only.

This is just a question for knowlege and I hope it doesn't bring controversy.

Buz,

I think it's a different thing...... the question (in my mind) is like asking what's better an architect or an engineer?

And the answer is neither - it isn't a matter of better - just different.........

As far as the money goes....... my reccomendation would be the same to you as to all of my children........ find what it is you would do for free in life - and make that your profession......... make the money secondary to the love of your craft.......

Believe me - when you get to your later years you will be much happier working because you love your job - than working just to make a buck....... in my humble opinion - anyone who is able to have that is truly a success.... regardless of how much they earn.....

Rod

Isn't that just oh so true. Money doesn't buy happiness. Doing what you love most does.

Doing what you love with some money is much better actually.

doing what you love because you have money is the best

Is that it for you michael?

I have always figured out a way to make money doing the things I love. For me that's been performing, recording, teaching, and running a music store.

I wish it was me, unfortunately I haven't got the money part, so I'm stuck with the love what I do part.

Originally posted by DmDreams Sound Design:
Money doesn't buy happiness.

No but is sure makes being miserable a lot easier! I have had money, and I have been broke. Having money is better!

Sure, but you have to agree that money alone isn't gonna cut it happyness-wise. I'm talking being able to make a living and still do what you love most like Rod stated. :)

My, aren't we getting philosophical (lol).

The best answer is to start by doing something you love & then develop it into something that alows you to lead a comfortable life (by whatever your definition of that may be). Without losing sight of why you got into it in the first place.

How's that??

Originally posted by Don Grossinger:
The best answer is to start by doing something you love & then develop it into something that alows you to lead a comfortable life (by whatever your definition of that may be). Without losing sight of why you got into it in the first place.

How's that??

That, my friend, is perfect........ :c:

I know tons of people who moan and groan about having to get up and go to work in the morning..... what a suck-arse way for one to live their life..........

For them work is a yoke they wear around their neck that gives them the bread to enjoy life.....

I think it's sad that they can't enjoy their WHOLE life.......

I wake up excited every morning at the challenges that face me at work...... and was blessed enough to be able to take the love i have for this profession and turn it into a lucrative source of income.........

But it all began with the descision to do what i loved most - and screw going for just the money.... If i had listened to my father - i would be working at a place called Electric Boat making maybe 40 grand a year - and hating every minute of it....... but i would have made a lot more money for the 1st 10 years of my career than i did struggling and establishing myself as a player in my chosen profession........

I never regret what i do - or the choices i made getting here......... and that is what i encourage my children to do more than anything else...........

BE HAPPY 1ST........

:p:

Rod

I must say that i agree with Rod :)
You're the man :p:

Yeah, yeah, but until you pros are finally willing to divulge your secrets of writing the perfect song, recording the perfect mix, mastering the perfect CD, and achieving eternal youth and beauty (come on, guys, I KNOW there are quick and easy answers to all those things!) then I must agree with the original poster: this forum sucks! :s:

"The secret's in tha sauce: it's easier to suck up if you use a straw." - the summer sausage folk

defending the masters...we slaves are at your beckoning........NNNNNNOOOTTTT.......it is a skill required over time and thast million dollar thang before is not present for me....I have mastered my own works and others and have gotten similar and or better results than sending it out to a mastering house....yes you need good spacial equiptment and such but with a little knowledge and common sence...you can do it....ok ok so I lied I am an electronic engineer and I do sound engineer...plus I build studios and sound proof environments....and have been working in studios for over 12 years and I know all theres is to know about waveforms and fields....ok ok....go ahead guys ...tell the forum dudes that there is an industrystandard to quality tell them the frequency of each spacial character in a mix....you are the last of the free masons...I know its your living your bread and butter and all those blasted wannabee studio owners doing there own thang and that blasted internet with all of its cracked and hijacked software...putting a squeeze on your income......tell them do the right thang give it up like the tobacco industry and the gladiator dude ....rat them all out someone rat them out...its not gonna be me......you think I want joe blow next door not giving me his money...hell naaawww...I promote the mastering house cause as long as they are charging the high fees...I'm in business

Lionyouth:

Actually, I do not keep all my "secrets" hidden. Anyone who comes in for a session and asks questions about how I am working on their project will get answers. They can watch over my shoulder & learn all they want to. I'm actually hoping that by being open to them their next project will be better recorded & mixed & they will appreciate what I am doing that much more. Hopefully they will come back.

We M.E.'s try to make the most of what is given to us. I welcome input from my clients on the sound they want. And yes we do live by our repeat customers.

It is not as sinister a situation as some would have you believe. It's just true that we cannot tell you how to EQ a given project of yours without listening to it in our rooms. I do NOT hate the "home mastering" folks out there. I do hope their clients will value good mastering & "graduate" to use my services someday. I do hope that some inexperienced M.E. will not screw up a project & turn a potential client off to all mastering because of that.

I'm glad you know all there is to know about room design, noise isolation, mastering, recording & mixing. I hope you will become an active member of our RO community & share your knowledge with us.

good gear and extremely nice ears/talent can recah similar results of guys with top end expensive/good ears.
wow, I think this statement did not help very much -lol

I think Don has his finger on the pulse here. Sure, a less experienced person can potentially do comparible work but will they be able to repeat that success with a wide variety of material? I have done some junior mastering, enough to know that if you have the money you go with a pro. David