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What is Mastering?
When bands leave most recording studios with either a DAT or CD it is usually the raw results of a recording session. This will not sound as good as it could. Professional CDs have been through an additional process in which the sound is processed for optimum sound on CD players in the home. |
It is not, as is often thought, merely making the tracks louder! It is an audio improvement in an all round sense. As well as simple EQ and volume improvements, the whole soundstage can be enhanced giving more space to the recording - letting it breathe.
Compression/Limiting: Compressing and carefully limiting the recording will give it more punch than the original by squashing the dynamics and making the sound appear generally louder and more powerful. It also gives instruments lost in the mix chance to show through. For example it often greatly improves harmony vocal mixes by pulling distant parts into the mix.
Soundstage/Panning: The soundstage (stereo wideness and depth) can be enhanced to increase the 'size' of the music in a spatial sense.
Equalisation Manipulation of the equalisation of the raw recording, along with compression, will bring your recording alive. This process can also compensate for dull or bright recordings resulting from only having heard them in a studio control room.
This is all done using Focusrite, T-Racks, Alesis, Arcam, Quad, and Tannoy audio gear, and M-Tech/LG/Sony CD writing. Results are listen-tested on high-end valve audio gear, mid-range solid state, and ordinary consumer audio systems - not to mention years of experience and knowing what great records should sound like!
