Mastering

When I record, I do so straight to my digital multitracker. (A Korg D3200) I
handle all my EQing and compression and effects from there. Then I burn to
CD using the highest quality settings and rip the CD to WMA. I then open up
the file in Cool Edit 2.1 and tinker with additional stuff, Normalization,
further EQ, etc. And I save to the highest quality MP3 possible.

I notice when I play my stuff in the car or on other home audio systems,
everything always seems "narrower" than a professional label recording. Is
this something that mastering would address? I confess that I don't know
much about what the process actually does, let alone what to use to do it.
Thanks!

Nathan
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On Thu, 3 Jul 2008 16:53:36 -0400, "Ivanhoe"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>When I record, I do so straight to my digital multitracker. (A Korg D3200) I
>handle all my EQing and compression and effects from there. Then I burn to
>CD using the highest quality settings and rip the CD to WMA. I then open up
>the file in Cool Edit 2.1 and tinker with additional stuff, Normalization,
>further EQ, etc. And I save to the highest quality MP3 possible.

Why WMA, why MP3? Two lossy compressed formats, both completely
unnecessary. Keep it as WAV.

It sounds like your problem is in the mix phase. Chances are your room
treatment is not allowing for accurate low and low-mid representation thru
your speakers.

Neil Rutman
Executive Producer
Marathon Road Entertainment
"Music For Media"
www.marathonroadent.com

"Laurence Payne" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:edmq6454ks6n2s9m5rveefo7v6tvck6sbj@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 3 Jul 2008 16:53:36 -0400, "Ivanhoe"
> <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>>When I record, I do so straight to my digital multitracker. (A Korg
>>D3200) I
>>handle all my EQing and compression and effects from there. Then I burn
>>to
>>CD using the highest quality settings and rip the CD to WMA. I then open
>>up
>>the file in Cool Edit 2.1 and tinker with additional stuff, Normalization,
>>further EQ, etc. And I save to the highest quality MP3 possible.
>
> Why WMA, why MP3? Two lossy compressed formats, both completely
> unnecessary. Keep it as WAV.

Ivanhoe <[email protected]> wrote:
>When I record, I do so straight to my digital multitracker. (A Korg D3200) I
>handle all my EQing and compression and effects from there. Then I burn to
>CD using the highest quality settings and rip the CD to WMA. I then open up
>the file in Cool Edit 2.1 and tinker with additional stuff, Normalization,
>further EQ, etc. And I save to the highest quality MP3 possible.
>
>I notice when I play my stuff in the car or on other home audio systems,
>everything always seems "narrower" than a professional label recording. Is
>this something that mastering would address? I confess that I don't know
>much about what the process actually does, let alone what to use to do it.

There is a discussion of it in the FAQ for this group. Mastering is the
process of listening to your tracks under a highly controlled environment
with a very accurate monitoring system, and then making changes to address
any deficiencies you might have. Mastering can involve a whole lot of
different tools, from ordinary compression and EQ to somewhat more obscure
tonal and dynamic controls. But sometimes it doesn't involve anything other
than monitoring and saying, "That's good as it stands."
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

On Jul 3, 8:51 pm, [email protected] (Scott Dorsey) wrote:
> Ivanhoe <[email protected]> wrote:
> >When I record, I do so straight to my digital multitracker.  (A Korg D3200) I
> >handle all my EQing and compression and effects from there.  Then I burn to
> >CD using the highest quality settings and rip the CD to WMA.  I then open up
> >the file in Cool Edit 2.1 and tinker with additional stuff, Normalization,
> >further EQ, etc.  And I save to the highest quality MP3 possible.
>
> >I notice when I play my stuff in the car or on other home audio systems,
> >everything always seems "narrower" than a professional label recording.  Is
> >this something that mastering would address?  I confess that I don't know
> >much about what the process actually does, let alone what to use to do it.
>
> There is a discussion of it in the FAQ for this group.  Mastering is the
> process of listening to your tracks under a highly controlled environment
> with a very accurate monitoring system, and then making changes to address
> any deficiencies you might have.  Mastering can involve a whole lot of
> different tools, from ordinary compression and EQ to somewhat more obscure
> tonal and dynamic controls.  But sometimes it doesn't involve anything other
> than monitoring and saying, "That's good as it stands."
> --scott
> --
> "C'est un Nagra.  C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

Hi there, when you say narrower. I think you mean,the stereo mix is
not as wide? If this is the case you might try this. years ago I did
an album for a guy and he got feedback it sounded narrow or too mono.
after listening to pro cd's that were wide I found that if you have
the tracks that are panned to the center too loud it made the mixes
sound more narrow.Usually you put the Lead vocal,kick bass,snare in
the center of the mix. it's ok to have them loud and clear. Let's say
you have a guitar you pan hard left. Then a keyboard you pan hard
right.If you bring up the volume of the guitar and keyboard panned
left and right that will make the mix seem more wide. Another trick
using high end things like panning a hi hat pretty hard right. Put a
shaker or tamborine pretty hard left.
Think of left , center,and right. If the center is too loud it will
make the mix sound narrower. I hope this might help? If you really
mean narrower not thinner as in less lows. GT.

On 03 Jul 2008, "Ivanhoe" <[email protected]>
wrote in rec.audio.pro:

> When I record, I do so straight to my digital multitracker. (A
> Korg D3200) I handle all my EQing and compression and effects from
> there. Then I burn to CD using the highest quality settings and
> rip the CD to WMA. I then open up the file in Cool Edit 2.1 and
> tinker with additional stuff, Normalization, further EQ, etc.

Yuck! Why do the WMA thing? You're lossily compressing to WMA, then
AGAIN lossily compressing it to MP3. You're twice irreparably damaging
your music. That's a major problem, though probably not your only one.
If the "narrowness" you refer to is stereo spread, the compression
stages could be wrecking it.

Stick to uncompressed WAV or AIFF files all the way. Only use WMA or
MP3 for use on portable music players, and keep a copy of the
uncompressed files for your archive.

To: Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe wrote in a message to All:

> When I record, I do so straight to my digital multitracker. (A Korg
> D3200) I handle all my EQing and compression and effects from there.
> Then I burn to CD using the highest quality settings and rip the CD
> to WMA. I then open up the file in Cool Edit 2.1 and tinker with
> additional stuff, Normalization, further EQ, etc. And I save to the
> highest quality MP3 possible.
THat's your first problem. LIsten to regular cd's, not burned to mp3 and
listen carefully.

Mastering is what happens to make sure that your recording plays sounding good
on the widest possible number of systems. Mastering isn't something you're not
going to really be able to achieve at home. Mastering engineers have
acoustically tuned rooms and precision equipment, as well as years of training
and experience.

SOme things that might help you get closer:

DOn't normalize. LET the music breathe. GOod music has dynamics, parts get
louder to a degree as the intensity builds, i.e. coming into the chorus, etc.
DOn't take that away.

Also, take your product before burning mp3 cd's to your car and other systems,
listen that way, to regular higher resolution audio. SOme of what you're
hearing that isn't quite what you want is no doubt due to the conversion to
mp3.

SOme good discussions of what mastering is can be found on bob Ktaz's site,
www.digido.com last I knew. SOmebody else in this group can correct me if
those pages are now at a diferent url.

HOwever, though you may approximate the process, and *can* learn to produce
better recordings at home, what you're doing is no more what a real mastering
engineer can do than you can do open heart surgery on your kitchen table. YOu
can however learn from those folks and others in this group. STay tuned
Ivanhoe.

Also, remember that many of us are actually professionals, and we're rather
irrascible folks. GUys at home telling folks they're doing "mastering" etc. and
undercutting the pros are responsible for a lot of music out there that's less
than it could be. Remember we that do this for our daily bread are often men
and women who don't play well with others, that's why we work in rooms with
closed doors on the technical side of the business <grin>.


Regards,
Richard
--- timEd 1.10.y2k+
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