WHAT IS MASTERING !!
Mastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device (the
master); the source from which all copies will be produced (via methods such as pressing, duplication or replication). Recently, the format choice includes using digital masters
although analog masters, such as audio tapes, are still being used by the manufacturing industry and by a few engineers who have chosen to specialize in analog mastering.
In order to make a deterministic process, mastering requires critical listening; therefore, it cannot be achieved without the presence of a mastering engineer. There are
software mastering tools available to facilitate this last step For Eg :- Fruity Loops (FL Studio), Pro-tools, Sonic Studio etc etc, but results still depend upon the accuracy of
speaker monitors and person doing it. In addition, "music mastering" engineers may also need to apply corrective equalization and dynamic enhancement in order to improve
upon sound translation on all playback systems.
Mastering vs. Mixing !!
Mastering requires an entirely different "head" than mixing. The first principle of mastering, Every action affects everything. Even touching the low bassaffects the perception of the extreme
highs.Mastering is the art of compromise; knowing what's possible andimpossible, and making decisions about what's most important inthe music. When you work on the bass
drum, you'll affect the bass for sure, sometimes for the better, sometimes worse. If the bass drum is light, you may be able to fix it by "getting under the bass" at somewhere
under 60 Hz, with careful, selectiveequalization. You may be able to counteract a problem in the bass instrument by dipping around 80, 90, 100; but this can affectthe low end
of the vocal or the piano or the guitar - be on thelookout for such interactions. Sometimes you can't tell if a problem can be fixed until you try don't promise your
clientmiracles. Experience is the best teacher.
Process Of Mastering !!!
The source material, ideally at the original resolution, is processed using equalization, compression, limiting, noise reduction and other processes. More tasks, such as editing,
pre-gapping, leveling, fading in and out, noise reduction and other signal restoration and enhancement processes can be applied as part of the mastering stage. This step
prepares the music for either digital or analog, e.g. vinyl, replication. The source material is put in the proper order, commonly referred to as assembly (or 'track') sequencing.
If the material is destined for vinyl release, additional processing, such as dynamic range reduction, frequency dependent stereo–to–mono fold-down and equalization, may be
applied to compensate for the limitations of that medium. Finally, for compact disc release, Start of Track, End of Track, and Indexes are defined for disc navigation.
Subsequently, it is rendered either to a physical medium, such as a CD-R or DVD-R, or to a DDP file set, the standard method of secure delivery for CD and DVD replication
masters. The specific medium varies, depending on the intended release format of the final product. For digital audio releases, there is more than one possible master medium,
chosen based on replication factory requirements or record label security concerns. Regardless of what delivery method is chosen, the replicator will transfer the audio to a
glass master that will generate metal stampers for replication.
The process of audio mastering varies depending on the specific needs of the audio to be processed. Mastering engineers need to examine the types of input media, the
expectations of the source producer or recipient, the limitations of the end medium and process the subject accordingly. General rules of thumb can rarely be applied.
Steps of the process typically include but are not limited to the following:
*Transferring the recorded audio tracks into the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) (optional).
*Sequence the separate songs or tracks (the spaces in between) as they will appear on the final release.
*Process or "sweeten" audio to maximize the sound quality for its particular medium (e.g. applying specific EQ for vinyl)
*Transfer the audio to the final master format (i.e., CD-ROM, half-inch reel tape, PCM 1630 U-matic tape, etc.).
Examples of possible actions taken during mastering:
1) Editing minor flaws
2) Applying noise reduction to eliminate clicks, dropouts, hum and hiss
3) Adjusting stereo width
4) Adding ambience
5) Equalize audio across tracks
6) Adjust volume
7) Dynamic range expansion or compression
8) Peak limit
List Of Software Can use For Mastering Purpose
- Ardour
- Adobe Audition
- Audacity
- BIAS Peak
- Cakewalk Sonar
- Digital Performer
- Eisenkraut
- FL Studio
- Flux
- iZotope Ozone
- Jamin
- Logic Pro
- Nuendo
- PreSonus Studio One
- Pro Tools
- Soundblade
- SADiE
- Sequoia
- Sonoris Linear Phase Equalizer
- Sound Forge
- Steinberg WaveLab
- T-Racks
- Waves
- WaveBurner Pro
- Waves Audio Processors
- Steinberg Cubase
- Ableton Live
- SPL plugins
How To Master a Track !!
Yeah here is a Small Tutorial For you all. Though Its Not a Proffesional way to master a track but yeah it'll surely give you a cool result...
1st Step
Start by adding a stereo track to accommodate your un-mastered track. This should be an exported or recorded version of your entire mix-down.
For best results this should be in the highest bit rate possible. For example, if you original project was recorded at 24 bit then this should also be at 24 bit.
To allow maximum flexibility at the mastering stage there should be as little processing as possible taking place on your exported pre-master.
This means no compressors, limiters or EQs on the master output when you commit your final mix to disk.
Remember, you can add processing but not take it away.
2nd Step
Check you have enough headroom for your mastering processors to work in.
Do this by playing back the track at its loudest point and check the maximum level on your master output.
Of course, clipping isn’t as critical as it used to be in analogue systems, but it remains good working practice to avoid huge overloads if at all possible.
3rd Step
There are obviously a few different ways to construct a mastering chain but the following collection of processors will get the job done with minimum fuss.
The first plug-in in our chain is a compressor. Strapping a compressor across the entire mix buss in this fashion is known as buss compression and its main purpose is to ensure
the dynamics across the entire project are as uniform as possible.
This compression will also act as a ‘glue’ for your mix, marrying different elements together.
Long attack and release times and low ratios are the name of the game here, for as much transparency as possible. As far as the type of compressor you use, any compressor of
a good quality will do the job, but it might be worth thinking about investing in a dedicated mastering buss compressor plug-in if you strive for absolute quality.
With the right compressor you can get away with quite large amounts of gain reduction, whilst still retaining the original feel of your track.
4th Step
The next stage is to think about whether or not the track needs equalisation.
In this case not a huge amount was needed, I just added a very small amount of low end shelving EQ to enhance the bass and so on.
Some slight dips in the lower and upper mid frequencies and a gentle boost to the highs finish the process.
Whatever you feel you need to do here keep the Q points low and the amounts you add or reduce to a minimum. This way you won’t colour any particular group of instruments
too much. If you find yourself adding a lot of EQ in one area it might be time to go back to your mix.
If you have access to one, try to use a linear phase EQ or a dedicated mastering plug-in, as these processors impart less ‘character’ to the final mix. If you don’t have any of
these, reach for the best you have.
5th Step
To allow the rest of the processors in the chain to work correctly–and not be overloaded by sub-sonic frequencies–it’s a good idea to remove everything under 30Hz at this
point. This will allow everything to breathe and remove any unwanted rumble. Of course, you can do this at the EQ stage but it keeps things clear if a separate plug-in is
designated for the task.
6th Step
If you feel there are still areas in your mix that are too loud or quiet, even if it’s just in a small section of your mix, an excellent tool to use here is a multi-band compressor.
Most DAWs come with a multi-band compressor bundled and there are plenty of third party plug-ins around as well.
Basically, using this sort of processor you can clamp down on a certain frequency and boost or cut it dynamically. This is much more transparent and organic than heavy use of
EQ and it’s well worth looking into.
7th Step
Sometimes some light stereo enhancement can go a long way in the mastering process. Of course, don’t apply this as a rule of thumb as every track’s requirements are
different.
There are a many different available processors for this purpose, so choose a plug-in that suits your needs.
Whatever you choose to use, remember to only spread the upper frequencies of your mix, leaving the lower end of the spectrum intact. Otherwise, you will end up with a
confused low-end mix and the master will not translate well to other systems.
8th Step
The final dynamics process in our chain is brick-wall limiting. This is purely here to increase the perceived volume of the final mix. A mastering limiter works in much the same
way as any other, the only difference being is that it has a ‘brick-wall’ type setting so that the audio can only reach a certain point set by the user.
Add a gain on the input and the result is a dense and maximised sound, making your master sound louder.
A dedicated mastering limiter is a must here. Other hard and fast rules include not dialling in too much gain and preserving some of your original dynamic signature!!!
9th Step
The very last step before trimming and delivering our master is exporting and dithering of the mix. If your mix was recorded and exported at 16 bit then no further work needs
doing here (apart from trimming the start and ends of the file). If your mix was mastered as a 24 bit file, however, dithering has to take place at this point.
Dithering is a number crunching process that allows a 24 bit file to be reduced to 16 bits without too much loss of quality. This should only be done once during the mixing and
mastering stage and it’s always a good idea to try and use the best algorithm available.
