I think it's the one with the ears. In regards to small budget projects: Last week I sent a project to Future Disc and was very happy with what I got back. It sounds so much warmer and the bottom is nice n tight n punchy. It was a low budget project done in DP. The mastering did wonders. Much better than I could have done with a mac and some plugins. :tu:

First, out of adulthood, hip hop over to the cap lock key and press it. Typing in all capitals is hard on the readers eyes and is considered "shouting". It is also bad netticate.

Got that?

Ok,

It all depends on experience, desired results and well laid out equipment. Mastering is an art more than a science. Mastering involves averaging of many types of systems, from a 200,000.00 set of wilson Whamm speakers to a walkman. I admit I have heard some top facilities fail to do the job. I would not be in business if they had it right all the time! Some folks are cut out for it and some are not. Some of the ones that are not cut from the right cloth are getting the biz....why, I have not a clue.

Sorry Mr Bill. I really respect your honesty . A lot of mastering guys will tell you that it's the million dollar equiptment but I know its not . Bernie Grubman is the studio all my associates go to and to tell you the truth some are happy and some are mad at the results . I would say 50% like the results and 50% dont . So you are definately right: its the person's experience and ears .I use to master demos for neighborhood projects , I found myself using too much compresion and trying to push the levels to the ceiling . Mr Bill I somehow get the feeling that you can master on anything . Whats the cheapest set of equiptment you ever mastered on ?

The truth?

Cheapest equipment?

Ok, I once did a song in "t racks" only..and it flew. The little cheap plug in worked for that tune really good.
I also ran an analog track through a modded SV3700 and whatever it did to it was what we needed at the time. Then I used a lowly RANE EQ to tighten it up some..and that one flew as well.

I never use the same technique on any two songs.

Whatever is the brain vibe is where I start. Some require some significant work that will tear your hair out to get there.

Go for the mastervibe.(tm)

Mr Bill, so its the ear and the experience ..,but how do one go about learning to really master and get as good a you are ? There are hundreds of so-called-mastering engineers in Dc-maryland-virgnia area I dont want to be like them . I just want to learn how to develope my ear like a masterin engineer so that I can have a mix sounding like it has already been mastered. How do I do that?

Originally posted by lefty:
Mr Bill, so its the ear and the experience ..,but how do one go about learning to really master and get as good a you are ? There are hundreds of so-called-mastering engineers in Dc-maryland-virgnia area I dont want to be like them . I just want to learn how to develope my ear like a masterin engineer so that I can have a mix sounding like it has already been mastered. How do I do that?

Fastest way? Get a job at a mastering place and do it on the side....experiance and acess to people actually doing it professionally is the most proven way.

well you know what ? Ive been learning from a guy that has a gold album . These guys master on anything. They showed me how to get the frequencies right in the recording stage so that by the time you masteryoure just sprinkling on some dust. The stuff I've mastered in Wavelab sometimes are as good as whats out there depending on the quality of the recording when I first get it . The stuff I do myself is a piece of cake when its time for mastering. Usually I mix wet with dry, thin with fat sound , and clean with dirty . For example I may use the LA2a compressor on the kick for the fuzz kinda distorted sound , but on the Bass guitar I use the DBX 160 . But to tell you the truth I really disagree with those engineers telling people to allow someone else to master your stuff when these guys don't give a damn about your project. My only advice to people is do it yourself if youre only doing releases under 2500 and by the time you get it right youll be a self contained label. The ear is the greatest tool in recording , mixing and mastering not the so called expensive equiptment . Bill Roberts is a prime example his azz can master with a home stereo system on some radio shack speakers. Its funny I use to feel inadequate with my Wavelab , and T-racks software along with waves 3.1, ultrafunk,VB, Blue,plug-insbecause most mastering guys have units that cost as much as $50,000. But thanx to mr Bill im confident what I have is sufficient . Thanks to mr Bill and all those guys who are helping us semi-pro get the confidence to be the best thy can be .
Oh yeah before I forget , now-a-days the producer or engineer or even the artist are present when the mastering is done not like back in my days when you were left to the mercy of the engineer .It's is not a secret science anymore ..

True, and I definitly would not want it to remain a secret science. All that can, should!

Someone might be better than me! :)

But really, listen to a SACD of Billy Joel and then you can hear the correct direction. Many pop songs are LAME in the mastering. It must sound HUGE!

In this day of home recording there is a an abundance of recordists who have come up the food chain without any mentoring or without the benifit of help from people who have experience. In this climate (imo) it's important to let someone else have a listen to your work. In the old days people would come up through the ranks and by the time they were tracking they would have a good unerstanding of what was needed for air play and record manufacturing. At Abby Road the first thing a recordist was asked to do was operate the tape machines followed by cutting masters on the lathe. After their abilities were proved in that area they would graduate to what was called a balance engineer (tracking). I find it intersting that mastering came before tracking but if you think about it it makes sense. Fats

Well nowa days it's all about the Benjamins (money). If a guy can afford to buy the gear , he automatically put out an add and he's in business. The buying public dont care as long as you've got great songs . EMINEM's album which is produced by Doctor DRE (not a real doctor) one of the industry's leading producer. As i listened to the album I see how hard stuff is compressed but at the same time every instrument in the mix has a unique (awsome ) tonal quality . Anybody's grandma can master that . I thinks the better a ong is mixed the easier it is to master . I now pay more attention to all my frequencies and tonal quality in recording and mixing so if I do send out some work to be mastered making it soundbetter is a breeze...

Hey Lefty!

I would like to hear your sound..so the streaming/critique area is a posting area for tunes. Could you post some work?

I remember working with "precise" (one of Mystikals many producers)..and in 1994-99 when I did a lot of hip hop, his general mix vibe was a good one.

Well Mr. Bill my tracks are heavily compressed , tube saturated thru a 12ax7 tube , heavily overdriven.., matter of fact it's part of the sound our fanbase likes.By any engineers standard you'd say too much saturation and compression but its the sound that fills the speakers without sounding like computer based recording .Our label is small using cubase 5.1 delta66 soundcard , AT 4033, MXLv63m ,Focusrite platinum voicemaster , RNC compressor, Symetrix501 compressor,Aphel type C aural exciter, Beringer composer pro, Behinger Dafex11 exciter, Event 20/20P ,Proteus 2000, MOPHATT, Yamaha DJX, Midex3 usb midi, Presonus mic pre, Mackie 1202Vlz, Wavelab4.0, T-racks. waves goldbundle 3.1 ,Ultrafunkplug-ins, VB, TC, Timeworks, etc.
To be totally honest I feel funny sending m work to be judged , for it's the sound i'm happy with , not saying you cant help me improve on mastering, you probably can .Music is an art that expresses me and my style . And as you knowthe consumer dont really care as long as youre giving them good songs . We one thing I would be interested in is spending a few hours learning mastering tips from you matter of fact i'll pay to learn.