This could be an interesting topic but my question is "How can we know" if it is a bad Mastering job and not a bad mix? Bad and squashed mixes are all over ! In my opinion, it is very hard to know without hearing a before/after example.

Richard

I think, in most cases we are able to distinguish bad mixes and mastering and pick only those were it is obvious.
If in doubt, we can let those tracks aside or use them as example how not to do it and check if we can still better the sound and what tools work the best for that.

That really is a rough one... Some of the worst sounding stuff that comes out of here shows some of the most improvement. What I would consider a "great" mastering job on some pretty lousy recordings.

And no doubt, many of them still sound lousy. Even if they're much better - Or much less irritating (lack of a better term).

I agree with everyone on anything... even on yet unheard objections..lol...

Before we sink a delicate frail attempt to form an idea for a future thread to the bottom of the sea...
let's wait, if anybody wants to suggest any CDs of some known bands, at all.
Up to now, sorting them out is not keeping my sekretary very busy..
;-)

I don't have a copy anymore, but the worst I ever saw was a prerecorded backing track that someone wanted to sing in front of (I think for a wedding). It had dynamic range of a sort - soft, medium, and loud parts. But each part was an absolute brick. The waveform looked like someone was playing Tetris. The sound was absolute mush. I did what I could, but I didn't know much at the time, and I'm sure I couldn't do much with it now. Can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.

I'll throw something in sideways -- I'd love to hear the "pre-crushed-to-death" version of Wolfmother's first album. I'm not accusing the mastering guy of crushing it - It may have been a Metallica situation where it was smashed to death before it got there. But I'd love to hear what those tunes sound like "for real" as opposed to what they sounded like on the shelf...

Hahaha, .. yes, I worked on 2 demo productions myself, lately, that had the dynamic range of a -0 dB test tone...lol... I could give them some up & down wiggles back on the wave signature,
but I still think, deleting them for good would have been a brave duty to the art of music... Uncompressing... a story of frustration and despair....
I pressed them hard to get me other versions, but I was simply stuck with the existing mixes.....Biiiig Suck!!..

How about letting the day-to-day work aside and concentrate on well-known CD productions by famous bands with reasonable budgets ??
The 2 candidates, I have in mind for a start, I need to re-check if it actually was mastering that destroyed them or a brainless Vinyl master-to-CD job, done by a pre digital saurian...
Maybe you know them, as well, and maybe in another, better version...: Phil Collins "No Jacket required" and Jethro Tull "Crest of a Knave".

I find that most of the crushed to death stuff comes in that way. I'm not seeing nearly as many requests to smash something in the last couple of years as the years before.

Some do, some don't abuse dynamic processors...
Failures in mixing or mastering are not restricted to dynamic. There are many productions out there which just sound bad. The two I named above for example...

Are there any more you know, dear members and MEs???

Rise and shine... !!!!
Gimme some INPUT, please... !!!!

 Don't just sit there on your fat bums...lol...

 Don't just sit there on your fat bums...lol...

LOL

That chair, sweat crack fumes penetrating over time is all I'm imagining.

LOL.... Think of the noise floor...

------------------------

ANYBODY ???

This would be a good occasion to learn about the trade of mastering and engineering...

Is this an "Online Mastering Engineer" pic?

No, that is my new intern and he is a smart, very agile whiz kid.
He is also the son of the local brewery owner and brother-in-law to our fav Pizza Guy...lol....

We all love him ... Do you want to see him from the front ???

I think I just threw up in my mouth.

You can be so ....disgusting...
I think, I have a nausea through my nose, ...right now...

He would have worn a posing pouch, of course.
It is his favourite garment at work, anyhow.
It took a bit of getting used to, but in the end...
Free beers and Pizzas makes him look glorious in any clothes...lol..

-----------------------------------------------

Where are the worst mastering jobs of the world....
I guess, there are none, then....they're all perfect...
Strange with that lot of bad sounding music around...

:confused:

I understand there was a Lou Reed LP released using the wrong master, the one without the RIAA curve encoded. They later corrected the mistake with the CD release by remembering to use the right master, the one with the RIAA curve. I'll see if I can get the title for you.

I've read that RHCP's Californication was limited to death.