Guitar Gear Forum

I'm considering it for my homemade album project ~ sending off my mixes to be mastered by a studio. Anybody have experience with that sort of thing? Worth it?

Yep, definitely worth it, that final bit of polish.

Yes, makes sure the tracks match sonically. They do lots of technical things to make sure it plays well on lots of different systems. They also pointed out errors in our source material that we had to fix and bring back over.

I would want to be present when its being done though.

skybluegary wrote:I would want to be present when its being done though.

Yes, you'll learn lots of stuff.

Awesome, thanks y'all!

EugeneTheJeep wrote:

skybluegary wrote:I would want to be present when its being done though.

Yes, you'll learn lots of stuff.

Plus you can deal with any issues as and when they arise.

Yes. The point of mastering is to get a second opinion on the sound, and to get the final product sounding comparable to other music that is out now. All done in a purpose built mastering studio.

Would you consider having someone else mix them? That would make a bigger difference if you're not confident about how your stuff sounds.

nakedzen wrote:Yes. The point of mastering is to get a second opinion on the sound, and to get the final product sounding comparable to other music that is out now. All done in a purpose built mastering studio.

Markdude wrote:Would you consider having someone else mix them? That would make a bigger difference if you're not confident about how your stuff sounds.

I would, but money is an object, frankly. I can swing the mastering; I doubt I could swing the mixing and the mastering, at present.

I'm actually fairly confident about my mixes -- perhaps foolishly, I freely admit. It's the overall final sound that I don't think I can achieve on my own, gnome sane?

Honestly, you should just get some basic Mastering Software and call it a day.

Send me one of your songs and I'll master it.

I'd rather have it professionally mixed. Mastering a crap mix is pointless.

Seriously, let me have a go at one of your tunes. No charge! I've already done it for JT and Stein. You could be next!

All right, I'mma just put my stuff out there for vicious truth... Re: that it's pointless to master a crap mix ...

I figure if I'm gonna have tracks professionally mastered, I need to remove the "mastering" software processing I used (that's built into my digital recorder) when I did my "final mixes," ya?

So here's the first couple tunes. I bypassed the built in mastering algorithms and readjusted the eq & levels on each of the 16 tracks per song. So, crushing honesty time: are these mixes too crap to send off for mastering?

For A Song

Waiting For Tomorrow


Slobber ~ very generous offer. What format would I need to have my stuff in to send it to you ... and, just out of curiosity, could you pm me an estimate on a 14 song project?

I'mma start drinking, so let me know what y'all think...

draelyc wrote:All right, I'mma just put my stuff out there for vicious truth... Re: that it's pointless to master a crap mix ...

I figure if I'm gonna have tracks professionally mastered, I need to remove the "mastering" software processing I used (that's built into my digital recorder) when I did my "final mixes," ya?

So here's the first couple tunes. I bypassed the built in mastering algorithms and readjusted the eq & levels on each of the 16 tracks per song. So, crushing honesty time: are these mixes too crap to send off for mastering?

For A Song

Waiting For Tomorrow


Slobber ~ very generous offer. What format would I need to have my stuff in to send it to you ... and, just out of curiosity, could you pm me an estimate on a 14 song project?

I'mma start drinking, so let me know what y'all think...

It's nothing you would want to pay for, just for fun type of deal.

PM me an unmastered wav file of one song if you can.

draelyc wrote:

nakedzen wrote:Yes. The point of mastering is to get a second opinion on the sound, and to get the final product sounding comparable to other music that is out now. All done in a purpose built mastering studio.

Markdude wrote:Would you consider having someone else mix them? That would make a bigger difference if you're not confident about how your stuff sounds.

I would, but money is an object, frankly. I can swing the mastering; I doubt I could swing the mixing and the mastering, at present.

I'm actually fairly confident about my mixes -- perhaps foolishly, I freely admit. It's the overall final sound that I don't think I can achieve on my own, gnome sane?

I'm not sure if you're expecting more from mastering than what it is.

It's basically removing noise, offensive frequencies, just generally improving and EQing the overall sounds so all the songs you've recorded match sonically. Yes, they can edit little bits, but don't expect them to turn a turd into a diamond (I'm talking about the process, not saying anything derogatory about your songs).

Personally speaking, i wouldn't get something mastered unless I was happy with the initial recordings and the mixes, hand them diamonds to polish.

Slobber Rod wrote:

draelyc wrote:All right, I'mma just put my stuff out there for vicious truth... Re: that it's pointless to master a crap mix ...

I figure if I'm gonna have tracks professionally mastered, I need to remove the "mastering" software processing I used (that's built into my digital recorder) when I did my "final mixes," ya?

So here's the first couple tunes. I bypassed the built in mastering algorithms and readjusted the eq & levels on each of the 16 tracks per song. So, crushing honesty time: are these mixes too crap to send off for mastering?

For A Song

Waiting For Tomorrow


Slobber ~ very generous offer. What format would I need to have my stuff in to send it to you ... and, just out of curiosity, could you pm me an estimate on a 14 song project?

I'mma start drinking, so let me know what y'all think...

It's nothing you would want to pay for, just for fun type of deal.

h ...

PM me an unmastered wav file of one song if you can.

Still playing with the mixes -- everything magically changed when I bypassed my recording deck's internal mastering, lol...

skybluegary wrote:
I'm not sure if you're expecting more from mastering than what it is.

It's basically removing noise, offensive frequencies, just generally improving and EQing the overall sounds so all the songs you've recorded match sonically. Yes, they can edit little bits, but don't expect them to turn a turd into a diamond (I'm talking about the process, not saying anything derogatory about your songs).

Personally speaking, i wouldn't get something mastered unless I was happy with the initial recordings and the mixes, hand them diamonds to polish.

That's pretty much what I figured mastering is, along with the things other folks have posted -- making sure all the songs have consistency with each other, making sure the project will play well on different systems, that last bit of polish to make the project "pop," &c. .

Yeah, I have.. Worth it? ehhh, maybe, sure, kinda.. lol..

I DO like having other ears involved in the mix/mastering process, but in the end I've been happiest doing everything myself.. Not ALL the time.. But my favorite sounding albums that Ive recorded, Ive also done the mix/master on.. But Im not looking to sound like anything else.. I dont really care if my mixes stand up next to other current styles.. I care if it translates from source to source, but beyond that, Im trying to sound different from whats out there. Cause having a mastering engineer who is receiving the mix via email and has had virtually no connection or time with the band is rolling the dice, IME.. Cause Ive received Masters that were so far REMOVED from what I was hoping for or had talked about with them, that it was like they completely did not get the vibe.. And in the end, thats still more important. The vibe and energy is more important than sonic quality, imo..

Your mixes aren't bad but they're a little bland. I remember a while back you posted a version of one of your tunes that a professional mixed and I thought his mix was a lot more exciting and lifted the song up a bit. I wouldn't say they're "too crap" for mastering (e.g. the frequency balances aren't wonky beyond repair or anything like that), but I don't think mastering is going to make them pop as much as revising the mixes. Right now they sound kinda like karaoke mixes (except with the guide vocal track being front and center). They're fairly well balanced and everything has its place, but it sounds far too safe, tidy, and compact and it just ends up making everything sound a bit dull and small.

Modesteban wrote:Honestly, you should just get some basic Mastering Software and call it a day.

+1

IK Multimedia Stealth is amazing and easy to use
Ozone and other stuff is out there too.

If I was going to pay for Mastering, it would be expensive 2" 2 track reels and sick outboard gear. But for that cost, the performance and mix will need to be a super high level.

Markdude wrote:Your mixes aren't bad but they're a little bland. I remember a while back you posted a version of one of your tunes that a professional mixed and I thought his mix was a lot more exciting and lifted the song up a bit. I wouldn't say they're "too crap" for mastering (e.g. the frequency balances aren't wonky beyond repair or anything like that), but I don't think mastering is going to make them pop as much as revising the mixes. Right now they sound kinda like karaoke mixes (except with the guide vocal track being front and center). They're fairly well balanced and everything has its place, but it sounds far too safe, tidy, and compact and it just ends up making everything sound a bit dull and small.

I can tell I'm out of my depth here, because reading your post I realize I'd have no idea how to make a mix less safe or more risky, or less tidy ... or more exciting.

Understand, I'm not disagreeing with your comments at all ~ I can hear what you're describing in my mixes. I would just have no idea how to address it.

draelyc wrote:

Markdude wrote:Your mixes aren't bad but they're a little bland. I remember a while back you posted a version of one of your tunes that a professional mixed and I thought his mix was a lot more exciting and lifted the song up a bit. I wouldn't say they're "too crap" for mastering (e.g. the frequency balances aren't wonky beyond repair or anything like that), but I don't think mastering is going to make them pop as much as revising the mixes. Right now they sound kinda like karaoke mixes (except with the guide vocal track being front and center). They're fairly well balanced and everything has its place, but it sounds far too safe, tidy, and compact and it just ends up making everything sound a bit dull and small.

I can tell I'm out of my depth here, because reading your post I realize I'd have no idea how to make a mix less safe or more risky, or less tidy ... or more exciting.

Understand, I'm not disagreeing with your comments at all ~ I can hear what you're describing in my mixes. I would just have no idea how to address it.

I think you might just be focusing too hard on having every instrument perfectly occupy its own little space in the puzzle. Don't be afraid to let certain elements dominate and maybe don't neuter their EQ too much with concerns about clashing with other instruments. Sometimes things need to have a little bit of raw imperfection to them.

General mix critiques:

I would bring the room sound (and/or overheads) up on the drums a bit to give the mix a bit more sense of space

I would bring the harmony vocals down a small bit and give the lead vocals a bit more reverb (experiment with pre-delay timing so they sound fuller but not washed out and distant) and possibly a very low delay in time with the song

Bring the guitars up a bit, maybe throw a small amount of compression and plate reverb on them so they're a little less plinky and more full

Give the bass a lot more low end to really fill out the bottom of the mix

Markdude wrote:

draelyc wrote:

Markdude wrote:Your mixes aren't bad but they're a little bland. I remember a while back you posted a version of one of your tunes that a professional mixed and I thought his mix was a lot more exciting and lifted the song up a bit. I wouldn't say they're "too crap" for mastering (e.g. the frequency balances aren't wonky beyond repair or anything like that), but I don't think mastering is going to make them pop as much as revising the mixes. Right now they sound kinda like karaoke mixes (except with the guide vocal track being front and center). They're fairly well balanced and everything has its place, but it sounds far too safe, tidy, and compact and it just ends up making everything sound a bit dull and small.

I can tell I'm out of my depth here, because reading your post I realize I'd have no idea how to make a mix less safe or more risky, or less tidy ... or more exciting.

Understand, I'm not disagreeing with your comments at all ~ I can hear what you're describing in my mixes. I would just have no idea how to address it.

I think you might just be focusing too hard on having every instrument perfectly occupy its own little space in the puzzle. Don't be afraid to let certain elements dominate and maybe don't neuter their EQ too much with concerns about clashing with other instruments. Sometimes things need to have a little bit of raw imperfection to them.

General mix critiques:

I would bring the room sound (and/or overheads) up on the drums a bit to give the mix a bit more sense of space

I would bring the harmony vocals down a small bit and give the lead vocals a bit more reverb (experiment with pre-delay timing so they sound fuller but not washed out and distant) and possibly a very low delay in time with the song

Bring the guitars up a bit, maybe throw a small amount of compression and plate reverb on them so they're a little less plinky and more full

Give the bass a lot more low end to really fill out the bottom of the mix

Thanks, mang! I'll play around a bit along these lines ~ much appreciated!

Modesteban wrote:Honestly, you should just get some basic Mastering Software and call it a day.

I'm sorry but to me that just completely misses the point of the process. You pay for the know-how, not the gear.