Generation DIY: Mastering Your Mixes

posted in: Features

Young artists always dream about breaking into the limelight and having their music played on the radio, in movies and on TV shows. In this day and age that dream isn’t too far fetched, as long as you have the right song and, of course, a solid mastered copy. This week on “Generation DIY,” we will talk about ways you can achieve that album-quality song for very little cash. Forget the small talk; it’s time to get down to business.

Let’s begin by talking about what you’ll need to have your songs mastered. First and foremost, good quality raw recordings are the foundation, whether you did it in your own home or in a professional studio. Make sure the quality is clear (this means NO MICROPHONE CLIPPING!!!). Bad quality remains bad quality no matter what. Just like a graphic designer can’t turn a blurry, low-resolution image into a masterpiece, mastering engineers aren’t Gods (as much as we may want to believe) so give them something they can work with. If you can’t afford to go to a studio then check back to my earlier how-to post on  home recording and keep that DIY motto alive and well.

After searching online for something that was worth writing about, I came across an article written for TuneCore by Dave Locke of JP Masters. He explains the goal in mastering music comes in a 3-step process. The first step works with the flow from track to track on the CD (making sure the beginning and endings of each line up properly and give a nice transition into the next). Think of it as making a mixtape. Mixtape aficionados  know to listen to the first 15 seconds and the last 15 seconds of each song to make sure there is a continuous flow of awesome jams. Engineers work in a similar way. A CD is a lot like a book, and your engineer is your editor, making sure each chapter flows properly into the next. Otherwise, you might end up with a product that is completely disconnected from itself and probably won’t be enjoyed as much.

Step two is to create an overall sound for the album, which consists on levels of bass, drums, vocals, as well as anything from brightness to a low-fi sound etc. Along with that continuous flow, songs with similar production value give an album a sense of consistency ” again this will be more enjoyable than, say, listening to an album that has loud vocals on one song but quiet vocals on the next. Don’t get me wrong. Some bands (like Brand New) aim for these discrepancies which is fine when you’ve already been around for years (or gone over the edge). But, at this level, we’re looking to capture an audience and keep it.

The third and final step is creating a master copy that can be sent out and duplicated at a duplication-processing warehouse (Disc Makers is one example of such a facility).

Dave Locke gives a nice run-down on what mastering engineers do however it’s not necessarily a “write down on paper” type of process. It takes years of experience and music knowledge to really work out great sounding products for various types of music. Many of the home recording software comes equipped with plug-ins for mixing/mastering your tracks but this isn’t the traditional way of doing so. Many engineers will have a expensive (think $10,000+) stereo EQ that sits in rack systems. And yes, these have knobs on them that you turn (i.e. not digital). When you submit your music to a mastering company, make sure you’re happy with your mixes, address issues that you’d like fixed in the master, don’t play with them too much and don’t heavily compress anything ” this can be done in the later mix down of the mastered copy. Also, when I mentioned “clipping” earlier in the post, I mean it. Do not let your music distort or overload. When recording, make sure the highest peaks don’t reach 0db on your faders. I cannot stress this enough. The mastering facility will walk you through these steps but remember recording takes time, so exercise some patience and do it right the first time.

As always, research mastering to find the best possible prices. For instance, JP Masters offers $45 per song which includes a consultation, mastering and sequencing, as well as total satisfaction on the final product. This is definitely a great deal, and considering you want your music stand out from the crowd when submitting material to record labels, radio stations or even to music supervisors for television or film placement, it’s a great investment in your future. Remember, this is the time for young artists to strive without the benefit of record label money. Keep that hustle strong Generation DIY!