Mastering experience

[conleycd]

Thought I'd share some neat stuff....

So I've just received back proofs from Sterling Sound in NY from a CD I've finished mixing (in DP 5.13). I used their afterhours service but UE Nastasi mastered it (he's actually a Senior Engineer now with his own room).

I would have loved to have sat in and watched (although it is twice the cost)... I can only describe it like this: It's as though he deconstructed the mix, made everything instrument sound cleaner, improved every musicians' performance, and then put it back together flawlessly. Amazing.

He was a really nice guy too. Called me on my cell phone to double check some instructions about some fades.

Just thought I'd share.

CC

[monkey man]

There's nothing like a pro who knows what he's doing, IMHO.

Great that your money was so exceedingly well spent, conleycd.

[resolectric]

I've had a similar experience with Alex Oana (www.alexoana.com)

Though his main activity is as a mixer/producer he also does some mastering work.
He mastered one of the albums i have produced here and the final result came as if everything had been re-recorded in a much better room, with better gear and everything.
Everything sounds SO defined and crystal clear.
I even discovered sounds and harmonics i didn't knew i had recorded in the first place.
Amazing guy and an amazing work.

[bongo_x]

You probably really don't want to be there. It's way more boring than watching someone else mix, maybe on the level of watching someone else comp vocals.

I also feel that being there distracts the mastering person, like a band sitting in the room with someone mixing their record does. I've sat in on mastering a few times and even tried to learn something. I knew what they were doing in a general sense most of the time, which was just not that interesting, but it was almost impossible to learn anything specific without constantly asking "what are you doing now?" "why?" like an annoying 5 year old, or member of the previously mentioned fictional rock band. Even though I usually just sit back and don't say much, I've actually often felt that it would have been better if I'd not been there, then they could concentrate on the job and not me.

inevitably I will say something about how I want it to sound, and then often I can see the guy second guessing his thoughts on it, and then I wish I'd just kept my mouth shut.

I also have nothing to contribute to the process and feel that it's really foolish to try in most cases. The guy should know his room better than me, he should know the job better than me. Besides telling him how the fades should go, what else am I going to chime in with? If it's not right, afterwards I'll ask him to do it again. If it's still not right I've got the wrong guy.

Then they're going to ask you "how does that sound", just because they have to because you're sitting there. How the hell do I know? I'm sitting in a room I've never been in, usually with gigantic weird monitors I've never heard. It sounds loud, bright and bass-y! Mastering rooms almost always sound crazy to me, and the mixes sound weird in them. It screws with my objectivity.

I always think it should be fun, or at least interesting, but it's not. And usually hinders the process to be there.

bb

[bongo_x]

I do wish I had the budget on some things to send the same thing to different mastering guys and compare, like people with money sometimes do. But that would be something I'd probably only need to do once.

I think people underestimate the value of a good mastering person.

bb

[monkey man]

I agree Bongo; most seem to.

[jlaudon]

I recently recommended some mastering houses (Peerless, Mayfield, Digido - that's THE Bob Katz) to a person here in HK, but this person wanted to be there (as if that person can tell what's 'right' in a room they've never been in). So, they booked with a guy here in HK who has mastered some stuff I did (I wasn't the client though, though after I heard it, I couldn't believe how bad it sounded - the bass was boomier, and the mix lost it's punch, really helped to 'kill' the song). He has all the 'right' outboard gear, but the room I can't say, since I've never seen the new room (the old room was small and cramped).

The punch line...- this guy charges more than all the guys I recommended! It's always much better to stay away from the mastering house, and trust the engineer to do his stuff. About the only comments I ever have are possible level changes (very minor) and gap timing.

I'm discussing with Bob Katz about mastering an upcoming CD I'm working on - I can't wait to get it all to him. He is incredibly helpful with all my questions as well - great guy.

[monkey man]

Man, if you can get Bob to have a go... I mean, that album I heard sounded sweet, John.

[jlaudon]

Man, if you can get Bob to have a go... I mean, that album I heard sounded sweet, John.

thanks Nicky for the constant encouragement the English version should be coming...

[monkey man]

Yay! At last!