| It's just plain criminal... Mastering studios that take your | | | | one-on-one with the client throughout the entire |
| hard-earned money and then give you mastered | | | | mastering process to achieve the best result. |
| tracks worse or no better than the original mix! | | | | This is important to maintain the artists vision of what |
| You see, good mastering is balancing act. Because as | | | | they want their tracks to sound like. The last thing you |
| soon as you adjust one part of the audio track (such | | | | want is to work with someone who demands on |
| as boost loudness), then several other factors change | | | | changing the music to how they think it should be, |
| as well. | | | | instead of what you really want. |
| When looking for a mastering engineer, there are 5 | | | | Moreover, a good mastering engineer should also give |
| important qualities you should look for: | | | | feedback on what needs to be done to get the right |
| 1. Experience. You want somebody who knows what | | | | sound. |
| to listen for and what to do when a mistake is noticed. | | | | 4. Good ears. Since every track is different, a good |
| Each type of music has its unique quirks that takes | | | | mastering engineer needs to know what to listen for. |
| hundreds of working hours discover them all. | | | | You should think of a mastering engineer as a musical |
| Additionally, the engineer should have experience with | | | | artist. |
| your medium (such as CDs, Vinyl, or DVDs). | | | | 5. Dedication. Finally, your mastering engineer should be |
| 2. The right equipment. Mastering studios spend | | | | dedicated to doing the best job possible. You want |
| countless thousands of dollars on getting the best | | | | somebody who is going to stick with your project, until |
| equipment for a reason. Each piece allows the | | | | it's the best it can be. Not someone who calls it quits |
| engineer more flexibility in getting the right sound. | | | | soon after they start. |
| This alone is an important reason for going with a pro. | | | | After all, every little bit counts to give you the edge in a |
| 3. Responsive. A good mastering engineer works | | | | very competitive market place. |