13 replies to this topic

[Teezy1]

Ok! I need some real help here, i have a home studio in which ive been recording ma joints, the mixing has been gud but ive been finding it hard to get the tricks of mastering the songs on soundforge, i have some idea but ive not really gotten the real stuff, can someone plz gimme me a step by step guide on how to master a song.........i wuld so much appreciate it.

[jerrymania]

I got this from a forum site. forgotten the link. a great tip.



If you are sincere about getting the best possible mix out of your productions, then you'll be certain to read the following unknown EQ mixing secrets below:

1) Know what to boost & where to boost - Too many amateur mixers think just because they've discovered a low frequency EQ knob, and know how to turn it up, that they've suddenly become an expert on Equalization. The truth is there isn't a quicker way to ruin a mix than EQing your tracks using the same global EQ boosts. A professional mixer quickly understands that while boosting the same low frequency on a bass guitar as that on a kick drum may sound great when listened separate from each other, when combined the cumulative EQ creates an overall loss of output volume for the entire mix due to lows controlling the mix level.

2) Give each track it's own timbre - A professional mixer understands to avoid using the same frequencies when EQing each track in a mix. In fact, by making sure each track has it's own proper & unique EQ settings, you're overall mix will sound more professional, balanced, and louder. To take it a step further, clearing out frequency ranges with low pass and high pass filters on tracks that don't fill the entire frequency spectrum grants you more control over boosting & cutting EQ where it is needed. For example, opening up the low end of the spectrum with high pass filtering so kick drums and bass can fill in with more definition, as well as, opening up the highs with low pass filtering where cymbals and hi-hats can be heard more clearly.

3) Compensate: Where you boost, you must cut - A professional mixer understands that where he/she boosts, he/she must cut. For example, if your kick drum needs more lows, then give it a 4db boost around 60hz. But...be certain to compensate this boost with a corresponding cut by subtracting the same 60hz from your bass guitar track. Furthermore, before creating unwanted cumulative EQ effects by boosting lower mids on your congas or toms, clear out the EQ path by high passing tracks that don't use natural low mids such as strings, hi hats, and background vocals. By boosting where you cut & cutting where you boost, you keep the overall EQ spectrum balanced. The results will astonish you. Your overall mix will be more balanced, smoother, and best of all - Hotter!

[Lowend]

Mastering?send it in to people that know how to master,trust me on this tip,you won't learn how to master a song after reading a few online articles.Its all about knowing AND listening to your frequencies and their respective behaviors in the audio spectrum.
I used to do mastering but its honestly a tedious and downright time consuming task(if you REALLY want that Dr.Dre clarity then say goodbye to your morning/afternoon),so I got some people that have been at it for some years to get my mixes sounding radio ready,I suggest you do the same to save time and ultimately,money.

[j.Ei]

no doubt, mastering isnt really something you can just pick up........its a field of study on it's own.

i think, if yo have some experience with mixing-down trax (and im talking proper knowledge on mixing!!) then you will be able to get sumwhere reasonable mastering a track. the biggest reason why you cant really do your own mixing is the fact that if YOU did the recording and mixing you cant get that different perspective needed to master the joint....

as said earlier - take it to someone who does mastering.thanks to the net nowadays you can get online mastering studios that make iteasy...............

[pro-dominant]

u cant just how to master by someone..first off u need to have excellent hearing(which most hip hop heads do not) second the programme and devices u use.

[ms.Rain]

pro-dominant said:

u cant just how to master by someone..first off u need to have excellent hearing(which most hip hop heads do not) second the programme and devices u use.

you are right about that! and you have to have to right mastering for your sound. example: if you are mastering R&B tracks make sure its done by some one with an ear and experience in R&B. same with HipHop, just make sure you do your research. make sure you are as detail as the sound of the music; cause not all people can master all sounds.

[j.Ei]

i beg to differ on that one a lil bit....

a good ear does not really have anything to do with genres....its really about knowing which frequencies/instruments sit where in the mix and making sure they sit right there while blending in with the rest of the "frequencies". the mixing/mastering engineers that know what they are doing dont really just stick to one genre, the work accross the board.
if you search for mastering engineers from SA and see the music theyv worked on you'l notice that genrewise, theyve workes from the likes of Bro Hugh throught Mandoza right thru to prokid...........moving easily between totally instrumented genres.....

if you know what an instrument is supposed to sound like when paried with another on a mixing desk.......thats a lotta work covered for you

[ms.Rain]

j.Ei said:

i beg to differ on that one a lil bit....

a good ear does not really have anything to do with genres....its really about knowing which frequencies/instruments sit where in the mix and making sure they sit right there while blending in with the rest of the "frequencies". the mixing/mastering engineers that know what they are doing dont really just stick to one genre, the work accross the board.
if you search for mastering engineers from SA and see the music theyv worked on you'l notice that genrewise, theyve workes from the likes of Bro Hugh throught Mandoza right thru to prokid...........moving easily between totally instrumented genres.....

if you know what an instrument is supposed to sound like when paried with another on a mixing desk.......thats a lotta work covered for you

Most People that master dont have to stick with one genre of music and they dont or they get mastering and a good mixing confused like they are the same. But only few of them that are really good at what they do can make it sound good. not every one knows how to place the "plugs" and "fillers" correctly; then they compress the music too much, not thinking of who else will be compressing the music afterwards, by the time the radio stations ot others get the music and compress it and play the song it sounds over compressed.But then again I am very picky when it comes to mastering and who I choose for job. Thats why I said it is better for poeple to have some one master the music in the genre they have an ear for or specialize in.

ms.Rain said:

you are right about that! and you have to have to right mastering for your sound. example: if you are mastering R&B tracks make sure its done by some one with an ear and experience in R&B. same with HipHop, just make sure you do your research. make sure you are as detail as the sound of the music; cause not all people can master all sounds.

< I didnt mean that ALL people have to stay with one genre of music to be good at mastering. What I meant was that not everyone can do it. So when listening to mastering make sure the person has a ear for that genre, so they can master it correctly.

[j.Ei]

i hear what you saying but don't ignore the fact (proven) that the better producers, engineers and musicians out there are versatile and have exp accross the board and have come to familiarise themselves with MUSIC not specific genres within the artform......

[The Rebbi]

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[The Rebbi]

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[soul power]

THIS ARE THE THINGS YOU NEED TO USE WHEN YOU WANNA MASTER A SONG
1.PARAMETRIC EQ
2.MULTIBAND EQ
3.STEREO EXPAND
4.COMPRESSOR

[bsr]

DoctorGeorge said:

soul power said:

THIS ARE THE THINGS YOU NEED TO USE WHEN YOU WANNA MASTER A SONG
1.PARAMETRIC EQ
2.MULTIBAND EQ
3.STEREO EXPAND
4.COMPRESSOR

+1

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i partly agree. what is the difference btwn parametric and a multiband EQ?? why do u need both? maybe u meant a many-band parametric EQ?

anyway my take on this dark issue of mastering is....

first u need to have a well mixed track/tracks. most mastering is done on albums

the first thing one should do is to Listen to the music for sakes....how do u EQ without listening?

listening is a subjective issue. the most important stuff pertaining to listening are: the quality of your hearing system( ears, brain,musicality....)
next up there is the Monitoring system( monitors, placement, room acoustics). this the signicant thing coz it is the only way of assessing your work

tools u may need are: EQ, compressors( single/multi-band), gates, restoration suites, audio editors, Cd burning softie, reverb, delay line, stereo enhancer(multiband), limiter(volume maximizer), harmonic exciters, MS processors,
u must know how to use these tools and how they affect the audio. so that if u find a track is too dynamic, compress it a bit. if it has too much bass, reach for the low shelf filter n cut appropriately. if the track is ok after initial listening, dont touch it!!! if the track is dull, use highshelf boost or exciters......hope u get the picture. u will soon realize that it all depends on the task at hand. the best way to be adept is to study abit of the engineering techniques so that u can apply them when u need them.
the only thing that seems nowadays is overcompression coupled with heavy handed limiting right from the mixing to the mastring stage. u can hear the harmonic distortion of this in major label releases....since the casual listeners dont complain, it is accepted as normal!!!

well u must first assess the track and identify any problems. if the track has noise, gate it. if it has crackles, decrackle....etc

general things we do include:
put the songs in the right order. this is chiefly an artistic issue.
correct any obvious probz with any track as hinted above....
put the right musical spacing between the tracks
identify a reference track and achieve a sound for the album. then try and match the rest of the tracks in the album to the reference track using the above signal processors as appropriate. ensure tonality matches, dynamics are uniform.....

[wikaman]

soul power said:

THIS ARE THE THINGS YOU NEED TO USE WHEN YOU WANNA MASTER A SONG
1.PARAMETRIC EQ
2.MULTIBAND EQ
3.STEREO EXPAND
4.COMPRESSOR

Hi all...

be carful of the NEED !! a good mastering engineer will only use specific tool needed per track. It is not necessary to have all the arsenal out if the problem is just a couple of frequency. Often, the less you do, the better it sound.

One thing you might consider when sending your files to master is stem mastering. Basically, sending multiple files of your tracks. For example: 1 stereo of the instrumental and 1 stereo of the accapela so the spectral (eq) and dynamic (comp) treatment won't affect one each other.
Sometimes it goes up to separate bass/beat/instruments. That can help working on the problems that are not noticeable in certain mixing environment (going from the bedroom studio to the not so well equipped studio: monitoring system and acoustic being critique).

So as said before, sending your track to someone who know what he is doing, along with an example of what sound you want to get to, can do wonders that some "mastering software" can't really get you to.

My .02 cent

Wika