So in the space of a few months, I've managed to learn how to mix and got something I'm quite happy with. I was all set to sent this to some randomer to master but am now thinking that I may be happier doing it myself so as to not ruin what I'm happy with. I've got a clear vision of what I want it to sound like and I've achieved that with my mix.
That said, I don't have the ability to objectively hear the music in a better room, so I have a feeling that it might be better served going to a professional to get the mastering done.
What say you internet wise ones?
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Thanks, mate, any advice on where to go for mastering services?
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Bandcamp
Spotify, Apple et al
View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
What they probably can do is make it louder and/or fit with the required technical specifications for different streaming services but you could probably achieve that yourself with master bus processing if you put some time in.
You don't get professional mastering for £30 a track.
I don't master my own tracks because it is more than simply a technical exercise.
Different ears in a different room is a big part of it.
I use Metropolis, they are excellent.
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I was very lucky to be put in touch with a pro mastering engineer when I started mixing 10 years ago. I told him I was inexperienced and would value his opinion on my mixes before I sent them to him to work on. He taught me a lot. His evaluation of my mixes helped me and made his job easier going forward.
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This was for some gritty lo-fi synthpop stuff though and if I had the chance to release stuff in future that was more “conventional” I would seek the services of a good professional (not send off a file to be done for £30).
I know this from bitter hard won experience.
That said, I do often master things myself because I can't justify the expense involved in going somewhere good - some of the jobs of mastering like ensuring a degree of consistency across a multi-track release and lining up the playlist with suitable transitions etc can be absolutely done by you, the only thing you can't do is notice the problems that are inherent in your system, style, methods, taste and hearing; eg if you love high end to a fault, you'll still love high end to a fault as you master it.
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There are a few people on here who would be able to give it a good crack -- happy to do so if you like.
PM'd thank you very much!
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Or maybe hes just having me on ?
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Amazing, thank you, @spark240, very much appreciated. I'll get in touch with him
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It's a different level of service from, say, Fluid Mastering, who I've also used a couple of times though they're 2x to 3x the price.
Pete definitely has a starting point - he works fast, and he'll use his years of experience and the fact he knows the norms of a genre inside and out to get your music to a particular placeplace. It's all remote, web based, and he'll do a revision if you're not happy.
Fluid Mastering is quite different - they prefer an attended session (this is all pre-covid of course), so you're there in the room. You get asked if there are any particular issues you struggled with during the mixing, or any particular sonic things you want to achieve from the mastering. You get to hear your mix for the first time in a room where the acoustic design alone cost more than you might spend on audio gear in your life, and maybe that gives you some perspective of your own - I know I learned more about how shit I was at mixing in 10 minutes of humbly sitting in that room than any other point in my life!
And if you're a great mixer, they might do basically nothing, and you walk out having spent a load of money still feeling good. If you have opinions, you might say "I don't mind less limiting or "I want the bass to be deliberately overblown here for an artistic reason" and they take that on board. If you're not a great mixer, you'll do what I did and sit just watching a master at work - maybe see them try a compressor then turn it off because it's not helping the next track, or hone in on a boxy acoustic guitar resonance you didn't even know existed....
They're different price points, and they're just totally different experiences, and they're both great.
Bandcamp
Spotify, Apple et al
I think the expectation from any mastering service can be somewhat greater than it actually is…I mean if you can’t hear the issues with your own mix, then how will you know if the master is any better ?
For the amateur I think mastering is more to make your track a bit more radio friendly, I hears so many songs where folks have said “ I mixed and mastered it myself”…and they just don’t cut it cause frankly they aren’t very good at doing either.
would I spend say £150 on mastering for one track….well no ….but that said I would like to have the experience of being there .
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