I've been working on mastering my friend Steve's album for the last four hours or so. I thought I'd share a few things that I've been reminding myself over and over today as I work.
When mastering:
1. Listen at low volumes 90% of the time.
2. Walk away and do something else every hour or so. (Keeps your ears from fatigue)
3. Don't focus too much on making the tracks "match". These songs are a family, but not identical twins. Remember: albums where every song sounds like it was recorded on the same day are EXTREMELY BORING!
4. Referencing other peoples albums is useful- for pretty much nothing. (you recorded different songs with different mics on different instruments with a different guy singing in a different room in a different studio, with a different mixer, and you think they might sound similar?)
That's all for now. I was just following point 2. Thanks for reading.
Jeremy
Also, make sure the waveform looks like a solid block when you're done.
Posted by: Jason Poe | August 11, 2011 at 04:54 PM
I'm glad that you put the volume thing as #1. Too many people are worried about listening at the 85dB level that Bob Katz suggests, when, in reality, the vast majority will never hear the music at that level.
Posted by: Phillip Emery | August 11, 2011 at 05:00 PM
Great words as always Jeremy. I agree the songs should still have a unique character to them. It rare to find mastering engineers that do more than just...master. But then again what doesn't Jeremy do.
Miss seeing ride your bike on commercial street. Hope the shop is running well.
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