What do you use to master?

[Ammitsboel]

Nah, I'm just trying to get a process that I can use on my tracks so that the vocals sound more professional. Just trying to get heard, and then I'm gonna make a demo album so that I can get into the game more and more. Its not like I'm starting a label or something. lol.

If it's vocal sound you are asking about you should post over at the recording forum, I'm sure they can give you some advice there.

As to mastering there is no "solution" you can always put on your mixes that makes them sound great. Instead there is only hard work in form of learning your gear's do's and dont's so you can get better at knowing what to do with your mixes.
I will also strongly recomend that you get Bob Katz book: http://www.digido.com

Best Regards

 

[Cash]

From my experience.
The best process to get a pro vocal track starts with an experienced vocalist, then a quality mic, preamp, cables/connectors, & decent recording levels recorded flat with little to no eq/compression. (the last one is just my preference).
Keep it simple but with a quality signal chain.
ed

Alright... I think I got a high quality chain. But even though it doesnt sound professional at all.

 

[Cash]

Nah, I'm just trying to get a process that I can use on my tracks so that the vocals sound more professional. Just trying to get heard, and then I'm gonna make a demo album so that I can get into the game more and more. Its not like I'm starting a label or something. lol.

If it's vocal sound you are asking about you should post over at the recording forum, I'm sure they can give you some advice there.

As to mastering there is no "solution" you can always put on your mixes that makes them sound great. Instead there is only hard work in form of learning your gear's do's and dont's so you can get better at knowing what to do with your mixes.
I will also strongly recomend that you get Bob Katz book: http://www.digido.com

Best Regards

Thanks for the advice.

 

[TrilliumSound]

Hello,

If you have all good gear chain and it does not sound "professional" , I would suspect your monitoring system that has been used while tracking. It probably does not translate what it is really happening. Did you try to track the voice with good mic and pre straight and listen to it somewhere else as is ?

Greetings,

Richard

 

[Cash]

Hmm.. what do you mean with 'monitoring system'? Sorry I'm being ignorant. lol. But yeah I did listen to it somewhere else and it sounds pretty much the same, bcuz no one I know has got real studio monitors. And I mix my tracks with my monitor headphones.

 

[TrilliumSound]

Hi Cash,

I meant the monitors first. What I was trying to say is mabe your monitors (headphones) are not translating correctly what you actually record. So, you probably eq and tweek to make it sound good in your headphones but it results that the result in reality, is not right or sound the way you like.

If you record the voice straight, no eq, no comp and directly in the mic pre and listen to it in your car or anywhere else it should sound quite good. If it is not the case then, there is something wrong somewhere in the rec chain.

Hope this help,

Regards,

Richard

 

[Cash]

Alright, yeah thanks, it helps! Ive always been told to get me some monitors bcuz they give you the real sound, but however, right now I don't have the money for some .. I'm broke!! Lol.

But however, somehow my recordings arent as clear as some pro-recordings that we know from the radio etc. and they don't sound like those. And I don't know why... is it just the effects, or is it the EQing or what? I mean I got a pretty good mic, soundcard and preamp .. and they're supposed to give me specially a clear sound.

 

[Massive Mastering]

The greatest gear in the world will only sound as good as what's in front of it (the talent). And the talent will only sound as good as what's surrounding it (the room).

Two of the most forgotten about things in the industry...

There are "levels" of this, but as a rule of thumb, a great sound will continue to sound at least "somewhat" great through less than wonderful gear.

A bad sound recorded through stellar equipment will make a stellar recording of a bad sound.

 

[mixandmaster]

Alright... I think I got a high quality chain. But even though it doesnt sound professional at all...

Alright, yeah thanks, it helps! Ive always been told to get me some monitors bcuz they give you the real sound, but however, right now I don't have the money for some .. I'm broke!! Lol.

Not to be a pain in the ass, but if you're so broke you can't afford even decent monitors, I don't think you've got what most would consider a high-quality input chain. And if you don't have decent monitors, you won't be able to get things sounding good no matter what advice you are given.

 

[Cash]

Alright... I think I got a high quality chain. But even though it doesnt sound professional at all...

Alright, yeah thanks, it helps! Ive always been told to get me some monitors bcuz they give you the real sound, but however, right now I don't have the money for some .. I'm broke!! Lol.

Not to be a pain in the ass, but if you're so broke you can't afford even decent monitors, I don't think you've got what most would consider a high-quality input chain. And if you don't have decent monitors, you won't be able to get things sounding good no matter what advice you are given.

Naw, since I bought my current setup I'm broke ..

 

[Michael Fossenkemper]

Maybe you bought the wrong things first...

 

[Cash]

^ What do you mean? That I should have bought me mon's in the first place? Then I wouldnt have been able to record at all.

 

[Massive Mastering]

Well, it is the most important part of the chain... You make make some pretty decent recordings with "rookie" gear IF you can HEAR it properly.

 

[TrilliumSound]

Cash,

Everything starts with what you hear and if it is acurate and representative. If this reference is not correct, forget about all the rest. It is like having sunglasses on and wondering why it is not as clear as it should be.

Richard

 

[Cash]

I got monitor headphones tho. Someone I know that also does professional recordings told me that he tried to mix with them and they've done a pretty decent job. All i want is a decent process. That is all. Even if it meant it just sounds good on my puter speakers, because this didnt even happen yet.

 

[eddies880]

Good day all,

I wondered what you mastering pros use to master vocals. Do you just use the things everyone knows (like CEP's EQ, compressor, etc), or do you have special mastering equipment (which makes that pro-sound we all know from i.e. the radio) that you use?

And is it possible to professionally master a track with just a random program (like CEP)?

Ive been looking into mastering vocals myself,and the more I look into it,the more $$$$signs I see,I have learned one thing from the folks here at RO,you need top notch gear for good results ie:mic,preamp,compressors,and hole lot of expierence------------------I personnaly plan on going to a local studio to see how they do it.

 

[Ammitsboel]

^ What do you mean? That I should have bought me mon's in the first place? Then I wouldnt have been able to record at all.

There is an old saying in danish that goes "you can't blow and have something in your mouth at the same time"

Witch basically means that you can't have less gear and expect pro resullts at the same time!

 

[Michael Fossenkemper]

There is an old saying in danish that goes "you can't blow and have something in your mouth at the same time"

That's what i keep telling my girlfriend.

 

[Ed Littman]

Don't keep telling her that ....she may end up whisling instead :shock:

 

[Ammitsboel]

There is an old saying in danish that goes "you can't blow and have something in your mouth at the same time"

That's what i keep telling my girlfriend.

Ups... I have to be more carefull about translating from danish!!
he he