Mastering DURING the mix
Let's just say it's not a wonderful idea...
F.A.Q. - Why not just master during
mixdown?
Probably the most asked question in the musical universe next to “what is that noise coming from?"
There are more reasons than I have room for here, but one of the biggest is simply objectivity. Any mixing engineer knows how easy it is to lose focus and start second-guessing your mixes. Hearing the same parts of the same songs over and over again, sometimes it’s hard to see the forest through all the trees. Mastering engineers tend to look at the “big picture” by examining the details. Simple things that might even get overlooked during a mix - Monitor whine, unusually panned instruments, etc.
Also the room and the monitors - No room is perfect. Problems that may occur during recording can easily be multiplied during the rest of the process. Think of a room that sounds a little “boxy.” During setup, the engineer may opt to roll off a little 400Hz on the guitar amps and other instruments. Seeing as it’s the ROOM and not the instruments, it still sounds a little boxy at the board, so he may subtract a little 400Hz again during tracking. Of course, this didn’t fix anything during tracking, so a little more is subtracted during mixdown.
Now there’s a recording that’s had 400Hz subtracted from it on three different occasions. Do you want your recording mastered in that same room?
There are a lot of novice engineers out there that think “mastering” is throwing a multi-band compressor across the mix buss and smashing it to bits. That’s not what it’s about - The “sweetening” portion of the mastering process is about listening to what the mix is asking for and moving forward from there. If throwing a multi-band compressor across the buss is what the mix is “asking for” then there’s probably something very wrong with the mix in the first place. Those problems should be attacked at the track level. A lot of the industry (especially the software people) will have you believe that there are “mastering” plugins that can fix almost anything. That’s simply not true. It’s marketing and little more. MBC’s are only one example - The software companies make you think that they’re the mastering engineer’s “secret weapon” when in fact, it’s rare and fairly specific occasions when they’re used at the mastering stage - Especially on material that sounds good in the first place.
Music is art, and art is well... There is no "one right way" to do anything when it comes to music. The majors know that if they want the best results, they call on specific people to do specific jobs. This is good sense. It gives a project several sets of ears to go through. Each person adds their own unique perspective to a project. I have produced may projects from start to finish - Many times I was the recording, mixing, editing and mastering engineer. I don't really prefer to work this way. Although I've learned to "distance" myself from projects so I can try to keep it fresh, I usually bring in a trusted set of ears to listen over my shoulder. Mastering is your final shot. Mastering is where it all comes together. Mastering isn’t the “car” - It’s the paint. It’s the chrome on the wheels. It’s the detailing and the wax job. Your recording is the vehicle and mastering is the custom showroom finish that sets it apart from the others. Don't rush through it during a mixing session. Take the time, bring it to a qualified mastering engineer, and do it right. In the end, it'll all be worth it.
And at the very least - If your mixing engineer is doing your mastering, wait a day - or two - or a week. This way, the engineer can approach the project with a fresh perspective.
John Scrip - MASSIVE Mastering - http://www.massivemastering.com
Probably the most asked question in the musical universe next to “what is that noise coming from?"
There are more reasons than I have room for here, but one of the biggest is simply objectivity. Any mixing engineer knows how easy it is to lose focus and start second-guessing your mixes. Hearing the same parts of the same songs over and over again, sometimes it’s hard to see the forest through all the trees. Mastering engineers tend to look at the “big picture” by examining the details. Simple things that might even get overlooked during a mix - Monitor whine, unusually panned instruments, etc.
Also the room and the monitors - No room is perfect. Problems that may occur during recording can easily be multiplied during the rest of the process. Think of a room that sounds a little “boxy.” During setup, the engineer may opt to roll off a little 400Hz on the guitar amps and other instruments. Seeing as it’s the ROOM and not the instruments, it still sounds a little boxy at the board, so he may subtract a little 400Hz again during tracking. Of course, this didn’t fix anything during tracking, so a little more is subtracted during mixdown.
Now there’s a recording that’s had 400Hz subtracted from it on three different occasions. Do you want your recording mastered in that same room?
There are a lot of novice engineers out there that think “mastering” is throwing a multi-band compressor across the mix buss and smashing it to bits. That’s not what it’s about - The “sweetening” portion of the mastering process is about listening to what the mix is asking for and moving forward from there. If throwing a multi-band compressor across the buss is what the mix is “asking for” then there’s probably something very wrong with the mix in the first place. Those problems should be attacked at the track level. A lot of the industry (especially the software people) will have you believe that there are “mastering” plugins that can fix almost anything. That’s simply not true. It’s marketing and little more. MBC’s are only one example - The software companies make you think that they’re the mastering engineer’s “secret weapon” when in fact, it’s rare and fairly specific occasions when they’re used at the mastering stage - Especially on material that sounds good in the first place.
Music is art, and art is well... There is no "one right way" to do anything when it comes to music. The majors know that if they want the best results, they call on specific people to do specific jobs. This is good sense. It gives a project several sets of ears to go through. Each person adds their own unique perspective to a project. I have produced may projects from start to finish - Many times I was the recording, mixing, editing and mastering engineer. I don't really prefer to work this way. Although I've learned to "distance" myself from projects so I can try to keep it fresh, I usually bring in a trusted set of ears to listen over my shoulder. Mastering is your final shot. Mastering is where it all comes together. Mastering isn’t the “car” - It’s the paint. It’s the chrome on the wheels. It’s the detailing and the wax job. Your recording is the vehicle and mastering is the custom showroom finish that sets it apart from the others. Don't rush through it during a mixing session. Take the time, bring it to a qualified mastering engineer, and do it right. In the end, it'll all be worth it.
And at the very least - If your mixing engineer is doing your mastering, wait a day - or two - or a week. This way, the engineer can approach the project with a fresh perspective.
John Scrip - MASSIVE Mastering - http://www.massivemastering.com