getting into mastering

DamagedTrax

recently been doing a lot of reading on mastering - re-read the bob katz book, it makes a hell of a lot more sense now then it did 4 years ago!!

anyway, i pre-ordered the sonalksis mastering suite to get me started and it arrived today.

been messing around with it all day and this is what ive come up with

**warning - its techno** so if you wanna skip thru the intro, the first break is at about 1:50

www.chrome-metronome.net/rhythmtechnologies/format_b-_something_suitable_(rhythm_technologies_rmx).mp3

any advice on the mastering (or indeed the mixbe appreciated

cheers

Anima

Why don't you throw up the unmastered version as well so we can make a comparison?

Sounds a bit too loud to me especially the high end, its tiring on the ears. Although I'm using headphones so maybes its just that. It does sound like other techno records though, the compression sounds about right so fair play. Just needs a bit more EQing and tweaking I reckon. Also some parts seem a bit too loud and its sounds unbalanced.

My amateur opinion anyways

iquinn

i don't really listen to that kind of techno...but some constructive feedback in my very humble opinion...

i think yes it's a bit too loud/squashed.
You have to think as well about how it will sound on the radio, the more squashed it is now, the more ****e it'll sound on the radio.

It could do with more of an impact when the kick comes back in after the breaks, think about how it'll sound in a club also, maybe give it a bit more drama. Don't be afraid to let the quieter parts be quieter. In those environments it's going to be played really loud so you can afford to let it be more dynamic.

I think the kick is a bit undefined and lacking in punch, some of that will be due to the limiting, but it's difficult to tell without hearing the unmastered version.
Places like dubplates mastering in Berlin like to keep the bass quite tight and focused, even a tad on the lean side, especially if they think it'll be played in the clubs, as the bass will be hyped in that enviorment.

It could do with more meat in the mid and lower mid, that may be more of a mix issue, but again hard to say without hearing the unmastered version.
And a bit more meat in the mid area should take away the harshness in the high end.

any ho, take what you want from that.
i mention things like clubs and radio as obviously it'd be nice if they were played in those environments, so you should take them into consideration if you're happy with the mix and you're putting it out there.

now, lets get mad out of it!!!!
Let's 'av it!!!!

PaulBrewer

The big thing in Mastering is being able to hear what you're at.

That must mean 2 things....

frobisher

PaulBrewer wrote: »

The big thing in Mastering is being able to hear what you're at.

That must mean 2 things....

As Meatloaf said, you took the words right out of my mouth....

Mastering takes a kind of critical listening that takes some good ears and a room and a monitoring set up to match. That said, not everything needs to sound like it's come out of Abbey road and I personally master many of my own projects and am happy with the result.

PaulBrewer

frobisher wrote: »

I personally master many of my own projects and am happy with the result.

Ah!,But is anyone else;)

frobisher

PaulBrewer wrote: »

Ah!,But is anyone else;)

Very much so. Why?

DamagedTrax

frobisher wrote: »

As Meatloaf said, you took the words right out of my mouth....

Mastering takes a kind of critical listening that takes some good ears and a room and a monitoring set up to match. That said, not everything needs to sound like it's come out of Abbey road and I personally master many of my own projects and am happy with the result.

well i have a treated room and some 824s but it certainly aint no mastering set-up!!

i usually use blacklisted mastering but just wanna learn the mechanics behind it for the moment.

PaulBrewer

DamagedTrax wrote: »

well i have a treated room and some 824s but it certainly aint no mastering set-up!!

i usually use blacklisted mastering but just wanna learn the mechanics behind it for the moment.

Talk to them! Or give Richard in Wav or Fergal in Suite a call.

If you want the right answer, ask the lads what know!

It's an even more speciailsed area than 'regular' engineering - using much different tools (even their monitors are different!)

It's such a relatively affordable thing to do too, compared to other bits of recording too.

frobisher

PaulBrewer wrote: »

It's such a relatively affordable thing to do too, compared to other bits of recording too.

And boring!

PaulBrewer

frobisher wrote: »

And boring!

.... oh and usually, much superior. So, ya pays yer money (or not) and takes your choice . I , like most people, have tried it myself, but never topped a proper Mastering Job.

tweeky

PaulBrewer wrote: »

.... oh and usually, much superior. So, ya pays yer money (or not) and takes your choice . I , like most people, have tried it myself, but never topped a proper Mastering Job.

+1

We can all buy a box of paints but it doesn't make us Van Gough, Picasso, kandinsky, Caravaggio
etc........

PaulBrewer

tweeky wrote: »

+1

We can all buy a box of paints but it doesn't make us Van Gough, Picasso, kandinsky, Caravaggio
etc........

or Behan!