Mastering Engineer-ATMOS Mixer

Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

A: People often don't really know what Mastering is.... Audio mastering is the final step in the music production process. It’s the post-production process of taking an audio mix or album and preparing it for distribution.The mastering stage involves a series of subtle audio processes including equalization, compression, saturation, stereo enhancement, and limiting. The purpose of mastering is to balance the stereo mix, make all the elements sound cohesive, and to reach commercial loudness. It also ensures playback optimization across all systems and media formats.WHY IS MASTERING IMPORTANT?Mastering ensures that your audio will sound the best it can on all speaker systems, streaming platforms, media formats, and devices. It’s also the final stage that prepares your music for distribution. Below are several other reasons why artists master their music:Emphasize or reduce frequencies to improve the overall mix. Fix problematic frequencies and improve imbalances missed in the mixing process. Create tonal balance, so there is an even distribution of frequencies. Manage dynamics, control transient spikes, and glue tracks. Remove pops, clicks, and other unwanted noises. Stereo enhancement to add dimension and balance the stereo field. Widening your mix will help it sound bigger. Stereo enhancement can also help tighten the center image by focusing the low-end.Increase overall perceived loudness to reach commercial levels. Ensure all the songs in an album or EP sound consistent and balanced. Matching levels allows for listening to an entire album without having to adjust the volume for each song.Create fades or cross fades for smoother transitions between songs in an album or EP. Arrange songs into a final sequence for an album or EP. Add space at the beginning and end of songs in an album or EP. Add metadata and ISRC codes for cataloging and tracking a song. Insert track markers for CD replication. Bit-depth reduction and sample rate conversion. Converting the audio is necessary for distribution and playback on different platforms. The standard bit-depth for most cases is 16-bit/44.1 kHz.Finally, it’s a standard requirement for all record label releases. WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MIXING AND MASTERING? Mixing and mastering are two separate stages in the music production process that are often conflated. These two stages can become blurred since today’s music producers wear many different hats in the studio. THE MIXING STAGE - Mixing is the act of combining multiple layers of audio to make one final track. The mixdown process makes sure all the parts in a song sound good together. Mixing involves balancing levels, panning instrument positions in the stereo field, equalizing, compressing, harmonics enhancing, fixing problems, and adding effects like reverb and delay. Mixing also involves automation, editing sounds in creative ways, and giving instruments their own space in the mix. The goal is to treat all the separate tracks of a song to create a cohesive mix that sounds amazing. THE MASTERING STAGE - The mastering stage enhances the mixdown and prepares it for distribution. This final step applies many of the same tools and techniques as mixing. However, the process involves making a series of small and subtle moves to create a final ‘polished’ stereo track. MASTERING YOURSELF VS. AN ENGINEER - With the advent of advanced and affordable music software, just about anyone can try and master their music, but while there are mastering tutorials, nothing can beat experienced ears. Mastering is an art that can take many years of practice to master (pun intended!). Moreover, experienced mastering engineers have trained ears, musical intuition, expertise, and years of knowledge.. The mastering stage is meant to add the final polish to a great sounding mix. It’s critical you prepare an amazing mixdown first. So, if you want the best results, go with a trained engineer. Experienced ears will get your music to a level that competes with everything else out there. MASTERING MISCONCEPTION - A common misconception is that mastering will make a bad mix sound good. Mastering will not fix a bad mix. It’s vital that your mixdown sounds excellent before sending it out for mastering.Also, mastering accentuates everything in your music. It makes the good parts sound great, and the bad parts sound terrible. There are also mix issues that are hard to fix during the mastering process. So, don’t send your music out for mastering if you’re not satisfied with your mixdown. You may not like what your engineer sends back. Don’t count on them to fix your mistakes! CONCLUSION - Whether you’re streaming your music online, distributing CD’s or pressing vinyl, mastering plays a critical role. Think of this final stage as the bridge between your creation and a world of listeners.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: My Tuned Room (Mastering Lab) My Custom Speakers Sontec EQ Forssell AD/DA Converters Some kind of power generator...desert island?....need power.....

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Communication is key. I like to know as much as I can about the style of music, the goals of the artist and how the mix was done.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: A musical sensibility. I was signed to a major label in my early life as a singer and songwriter. I find that a lot of Mastering Engineers focus on the technical aspects more than the musical aspects. Someone who is a great engineer but also has a musical ear can really bring a lot to a project, and that is who I try to be every day.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I've been doing this for about 25 years. I was in a signed Major Label band in the early 90's, but I owned a studio as well, and that is where I started getting excited about Mastering.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: The three stages of making a record - Tracking - Mixing and Mastering should be respected as individual processes (for example - don't master while you mix, intentionally or unintentionally). Because of the nature of dynamic range, and the compression that we use to control it, the best sounding records are the ones where these steps are respected as individual tasks.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Right now, my most famous clients are in the R&B and urban world, but I literally work on music in every genre.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: I have Mastered literally millions of songs, and I have what it takes to make your record the best that it can be. My ears are my greatest asset. Back in the day I used to master in a replication/duplication facility, and I Mastered all day- every day. The more experience an audio engineer has, the better, as listening is a learned skill.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: I try to stay in the Analog domain when I can, but I use plug-ins when it makes sense. It's important to make sure the AD and DA conversion is top of the line, so that is something that I pay a lot of attention to.

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I've got a custom monitoring setup designed and built by Francis Mazella, in a Mastering Lab designed by Chris Bowman. Grear Highlights include - a Sontek EQ, a Maselec MEA-2 EQ, a Tube-Tech Multi-band compressor, a custom Manley Mastering console, Vintage Manley Variable Mu Compressor, Manley Massive Passive EQ, Analog Peak Limiter by Pendulum Audio, Avalon Mastering EQ, a TC System 6000, converters by Crainsong, and custom converters by Forsell. I have a ton of Plugs-In's that I use in a Sequoia DAW, including all the UAD plugs. I also own an SSL room next door to my Mastering Lab, so I have a ton of other analog gear that I have access to including 1176's, LA-2A's. and too much other stuff to mention (and, of course, the SSL itself which I sometimes do stem mastering through).

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: I've been a Mastering Engineer for 25 years. I've worked on many, many albums in every genre. My job is to make you sound great!