At it’s heart, mastering is simple - but there are plenty of more sophisticated techniques available, too. In this show we talk about some of these - and why you might not want to use them. Topics include:
- Stereo width & M/S (mid-side) processing
- An impossible EQ challenge
- Stem mastering
- Mix buss processing
- Tape emulation & saturation
- How to make a production master
Links
Stereo width in mastering – how to measure, monitor and modify it
Hi Ian and Steve,
I really want to thank you for taking the time to put out this podcast. The info is invaluable and extremely practical. Unlike other shows (where one can sense that the hosts are "holding back", and are really just trying to up-sell one of their products), your sincerity and genuine willingness to share your knowledge with us really comes through. Once again, thank you for that.
If possible, can you dedicate a future show to audiobook mastering? I track, edit, and record audiobooks (no music or foley, just voice), and am not getting the results I would like. Noise floor optimization; pops and clicks; etc. These are some of the problems I typically have to address when raising the overall level to meet the client's submission requirements (e.g. ACX: -23 to -18dBFS Loudness; -3dBFS Max Peak; <-60dBFS Noisefloor). Any assistance is greatly appreciated.
Kind regards,
Will
I would like to know more about what to do after you finished doing a master mix. Like getting it ready for mass duplication.
Great show, guys! Learned a lot about what to expect from he mastering process.
The minimalist approach is a great rule of thumb. I guess it's just too tempting to put your stamp on everything instead of earnestly listening first and then working to let the mix shine.
Hi!
Being French, I had a hard time figuring out what Ian said he was using as a stereo widener: "mould production", "merda production"... ? 😉
After some research, I found this https://www.meldaproduction.com/guides/stereo? which I suppose is the one. 🙂
A good idea would be to list all the plugins mentioned, for each show.
I would also have appreciated a little bit more details about stereo wideners, how much is too much? As an example: I use the Waves S1 imager with just width set to 1.2, it sounds to me a little more spacy without altering the mix too much.
About tape emulation, I've used the Waves J37 and I was wondering where it's best to put it: at the beginning of the mastering chain (which I did) or in the end?
Of course, I agree with using the minimum plugins, but in a low-budget home studio situation, I find those simple enhancements interesting.
Thanks anyway for all the information! 🙂
Thanks for the comments, I have "stereo processing" down as a future podcast episode, but meanwhile try this:
http://productionadvice.co.uk/stereo-width/
Already watched this one. 😀
thanks!