mastering

Fact and fiction about mastering

Everyone has heard about mastering and how it can take a lame, poorly engineer track and make it sound like a million dollar production. Well, not quite. But, mastering can bring out the best in your tracks, and even compensate for some minor deficiencies. Here’s some fact and fiction about mastering.

Mastering will make my music sound better.

In general, true. Subtle adjustments in volume, EQ, compression can enhance the overall sound. It won’t fix a track that is poorly recorded or performed.

If it’s not mixed well, mastering can fix it.

Mastering can compensate for subtle mix problems, such boominess in the bass, or reduce vocal sibilance, but if the vocal has too much reverb, or the guitar is sitting too far back in the mix, it’s time to go back in the studio and re-mix the track.

Here’s the bottom line:

Most every track can benefit from the mastering process; It can compensate for volume discrepancies between tracks, add a little “punch” to the overall sound by adding compression and limiting, allow you to make seamless transitions between CD tracks as well as add IRSC codes.

How we can help:

We have a sophisticated suite of mastering tools at our disposal at our in-house mastering facility. We also have connections with some of the top mastering facilities in Nashville. Either way, your production will sit proudly side-by-side with music produced by the big labels. And isn’t that what you really want?

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