[Mr.Will]

"Mike Rivers" wrote in message
...
On 5/8/2011 8:28 PM, Mr.Will wrote:

Now, Ive sat with the mixing engineer and am going off his advice (and
numerous others) about the need for mastering - radio play etc and the
final
sound, and it all makes sense, but wondered if folks in here would share
benefits of their experience.

Does mastering change the sound much?

Let's stop using the term "mastering" and come up with another word. I'll
use "changing. 'It depends on what it sounds like before changing, and
what's changed. By putting your project in the hands of someone who calls
himself a "mastering engineer" you're telling him to change it in ways
that he thinks it needs changing. He may or may not be influenced by where
it's going next.


That makes sense - I guess I just have to see where it goes and if I like it
or not!

Radio airplay? Really? Spend your money on a good publicist first, not a
mastering engineer.


Sorry if I gave the impression I thought that would lead to more radio
airplay.
I have several things lined up already, and that was the advice I was given
for when the tracks are played.
Not that I expected mastered tracks to get me more airplay or anything.

I get that it brings the average level
and the peak level closer together, so that it always sounds the same on
every system, but does it actually change things that much?

That's just one thing that a mastering engineer can do to change your
recording. That's not always the goal. And it may not even be the right
thing to try to make it sound the same on any system. It depends on so
many things.

I must admit Im happy with
how they sound now, and I guess I will only know once the tracks are
back......

Yup. And how will you know if you're really happy? But if you're happy
now, why ask someone to change it before you get some feedback from your
customers? I'm not suggesting that you shouldn't get it mastered, but
that you should understand what you might want to change and express that
to the person you put in charge of changing it.

I get you, I will speak to the mixing engineer again - he seemed convinced
and he has done such a great job so far that Im convinced.
You are right though I havent any idea now about this realm!
Thanks bro

Mr.Will