The "IdOMusic" Blog (Powered By PatchWerk): Show Me The Master

So you have created your masterpiece. Now let me ask you? Is it truly a MASTER piece? Everyone dealing with music has to stop and ask themselves this very serious question. Before your project goes to the press its important that mastering is fit into the planning and budgeting of a recording project. Never knocking whatever equipment you choose but many a times mastering goes unspoken and falls short of a sure shot single.

Mastering has been described as the last step in the creative process and the first step in the manufacturing of a recording. Nothing can take away the clarity of impartial and experienced ears listening to your work.

This last step includes making adjustments to the final mixes, stitching together pieces, and forming the MASTER piece. Any of the following processes could factor into the ending project:

Spectral Refinement and Correction with EQ & other tools
Dynamics Enhancement and Optimization
Stereo Image Enhancement
Song Editing, Sequencing, Spacing, Fading
PQ Coding (setting the start and stop times)

Maybe you decide to utilize your recording studio to master it as well. Convenient? No doubt! Grade A material? *crickets* Immediate warning signs go up with this approach. The engineer who tracks, mixes and masters an album, using the same room, the same set of ears, and the same perspective can end up compounding problems that wont be apparent until the work is all done.

Mastering rooms whole set up is different then your average recording studio. The need for equipment and tools to shape the song is eliminated. Its more like a great sounding, calibrated living-room. The perspective is what your looking for.

Excellent recording engineers recognize the value of quality mastering and build their relationships with mastering studios. Please understand that nothing can substitute a quality mastering job. NOTHING!!!!!

Don't forget to come out and experience "I do Music" for yourself on the 1ST THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH!