Mastering is the final step in the process of producing audio before the song is ready for duplication and distribution. Mastering requires that a song be looked at from an artistic as well as a scientific point of view. Editing can be applied which helps eliminate unwanted sounds such as clicks, hisses, and hums. Also adjusting equalization, compression, limiting, and volume can help shape the overall dynamics and quality of a song. The correct design of the mastering room is a crucial factor for engineers to hear precise details of each song. The experience of an engineer is also a key part of getting the best results because they offer the expertise and knowledge that can only come from years of practice. Learning about how to prepare your song for mastering is a great way to really help the engineer really get the most out of your music. Pre-mastering tips and tricks are a vital necessity for a musician's success. There are numerous online social media outlets, live shows, festivals, tours, that once you're a part of, mastering is a must. Once the music is at a professional level and reaches its full potential, you will be ready to proudly share your music with the world.
Eq matching has become a popular way to either match or separate instruments quickly. With that in mind it helps to know which EQ Matching plugin offers the most for your money. We decided to compare two of the most popular equalizers with EQ matching software, the Izotope Ozone 6 Equalizer, and the FabFilter Pro […]
Most of us have heard the saying, “there are no shortcuts in audio.” Although this may be true in most situations, sometimes new technologies come along that drastically speed up the audio editing, mixing, or mastering process. For example, imagine trying to perform your digital edits on analog tape. The process would take hours as […]
Today, a lot of newer plugins offer frequency specific distortion or compression. A lot of the classic and some of our favorite plugins still don’t offer this function, and probably won’t in the near future. With this in mind it’s definitely helpful to know, how to distort or compress the frequencies you want, while leaving […]
Engineers have been trying to avoid plosives for as long as the voice has been recorded. There are of course many ways to avoid recording plosives during tracking, but what if that option is long past, and you’re stuck with a plosive heavy track? You can remove plosives in post production by attenuating or fully […]
If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a hundred times – don’t record too hot in a digital recording set up. The reason for this being, that by doing so, you’re limiting your headroom. But is this truly the case? Does recording hotter really mean you won’t have any headroom? Furthermore, could there be […]
Parallel compression is a well known and often used method for creating a great sounding mix. It can be used before or during mastering, on instrument groups, and even on individual instruments. Although the method may be well known, it isn’t always used in a way the optimizes its effectiveness. To achieve the best parallel […]
New software is constantly changing how we make music, and think about producing audio. One of the most innovative technologies to emerge recently in the audio world is eq matching. EQ matching plugins read, analyze and match the frequency response of your audio, with that of another audio source. Simply upload your song, and capture […]
Sometimes a mix, 808, kick, synth or bass guitar needs some help. More times than not, the issue lies in the lack of harmonics in the instrument or mix. If the fundamental frequency isn’t prevalent, or the sound is run through some speakers with a weak low end response, the bass will be lost. […]
If you’ve ever been made curious or confused by a plugin, you’re not alone. At one point or another, we’ve all looked at a plugin and not known what the settings or functions meant, or what they did. Although some functions are the same from plugin to plugin (i.e. ratios on compressors, or bands on […]
The SSL and 1176 compressors have been wildly popular since their inception. That’s why it’s so surprising that two of their most unique characteristics have often gone without mention. If you’ve used these compressors, or intend to do so in the future, read along to know some strange but incredibly important facts about how they […]