Mastering

So what is mastering and why do you need it? Mastering can entail many aspects, but all mastering shares one common goal; to make the album be competitive in the marketplace. The job of the mastering engineer is to listen to the mix and assess exactly what kinds of processing are needed to achieve this goal. This could include various combinations of EQ, compression, level adjustment or other types of processing. This combination is different for every song and experience is paramount for achieving consistent results.

Now that you know what mastering is, let's talk about what it is not. Mastering is not for adjusting individual levels of instruments. A particular instrument can be accentuated but individual adjustments need to be done during the mixing phase. Mastering is not for making your album sound like someone else. "Give me that Rolling Stones type of sound." Not going to happen. If you want a Rolling Stones sound then you need to hire the Rolling Stones to play on your album.

So why would you choose THI Studios to master your album?

The most important aspect of mastering any project is the experienced ears of the engineer. Robert Honablue has been mastering records since 1968 and he knows exactly how to tailor eq, compression, etc, to emphasize the most important aspects of a mix. His credits for over 70 gold and platinum certified recordings backs this up. Having high quality gear only makes it easier to maintain a high quality signal, but high quality gear without an experienced operator won't get you very far. Think of it this way, would let a kid who just learned how to fly a kite pilot an jet?

 In the music world today, there has been a small, but significant resurgence in the pressing of vinyl records. Especially in Indie rock, it is common for a group to put out a special edition LP. This gives fans something tangible to hold on to and to listen to and increases the sense of connection between bands and their fans. The knowledge of how to properly cut a master disc for vinyl is being quickly lost simply because young engineers have never done it. The engineer needs to control how deep the groove is, how close the grooves are, and pay attention to the low end of the mix. Improperly mixed and mastered low end can cause the needle to jump out of the groove. Not a good thing. Too little signal and your record sounds weak. Too much and you blow the cutter head on a very expensive (and difficult to repair) Scully or Neuman cutting lathe, for example. A mastering engineer with knowledge and experience will ensure that your LP or EP has the best possible sound quality and consistency between tracks. Who do you want for an engineer, the kid with the kite or the jet pilot?

Click here if you would like to hear "before and after mastering" examples.