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Recording Advice, Getting Started
Rammikin
Jun 22 2012, 04:42 PM
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Joined: 4-November 10

On the topic of mixing, I would highly recommend "MIxing Secrets for the Small Studio" by Mike Senior. That should be required reading for any recording musician smile.gif

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Alex Feather
Jun 22 2012, 06:19 PM
Instructor
Posts: 4.332
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From: Los Angeles
QUOTE (Sparrow @ Jun 22 2012, 02:28 PM) *
This is what I am scared of! I will buy something very complicated and will be in over my head. I think it would be best to learn on the most basic thing first. I have no idea about gainstaging, signal flow, bouncing flow. So much to learn! What is RML? Can I still buy an old 16 track RML thing?



On the other hand, so many people are recommending Mac, even though it is known they are the devil tongue.gif. An Imac would be nice, I don't need to have a laptop. Alex you must know all about making good mixes laugh.gif So I would need some help!

Get Mac it's is more stable and reliable! For a budget of 2K I would suggest this combination:
iMac will be around 1300 http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_mac/family/imac
Logic 9 you can find it anywhere from $250 - 500 http://store.apple.com/us/product/MB795Z/A
For the sound card I would go with Apogee the best quality out there! Recording studios running pro tools but composers Logic and apogee!
There are two options:
Two channel duet
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/a...terface-regular You can find one in Mint condition or previous generation for $300
Or Gio for guitar recording
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/pro-audio/a...-controller-mac this one new for $400 used for $250

I found this to be the best combination and very good equipment that will not loose the value!
Let me know if you have any questions!

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Rammikin
Jun 23 2012, 03:31 AM
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Posts: 1.127
Joined: 4-November 10
Many great ideas on this thread. On the subject of audio interfaces, I'll just add: the choice of an audio interface depends greatly on what you'll be plugging into it.

If you're using an outboard guitar processor like a Line6 Pod, then you may not need an audio interface at all. The built-in audio interfaces on recent Macs are actually quite good.

If you're using an in-the-box software amp simulator like Guitar Rig or Overloud TH2, then you don't need an audio interface with mic preamps and you can simply use something like an Apogee Jam.

It's only if your'e micing an amp that you'll need mic pres. You could either use a mic preamp and run the output from that directly into a Mac, or you could get a combination audio interface/mic pre (there are many to choose from, for example a Focusrite Scarlett) if you'd rather not use the audio input on your computer.

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thefireball
Jun 23 2012, 06:27 AM
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From: United States, Arkansas
Indeed, it is possible to have a humble setup and still record. I, for one, have a Dell Inspiron 1545: 2.1 GHz Dual Core with 8GB of RAM that lags just a little bit with Reaper, but not by much. (I have so much on this laptop, but it is the only PC I have. sad.gif Things are REALLY REALLY TIGHT for me right now. I use a POD GX from Line 6 as an interface, through POD Farm 2 and a few expansion packs. I do have Alesis M1Active Mk2 monitors, but where I am temporarily staying right I have no place to put them like I did at my old house. So I have ..... earbuds again.... >_> . But that's okay, because I take it into my car stereo and listen for a better mixing reference.

Even so, I'm not the one mixing and mastering my stuff. WideK is doing my mixing and mastering when it is all done. I know it would not be recommended by some engineers (since he most likely uses software instead of hardware for mastering, but he is probably one of my only options. I also know of Keith Merrow, and he has about the same prices, but I am afraid to use him. I have heard that nasty distortion Tony has talked about on some threads here at GMC. I hear it clearly in his latest work. Probably only because of the knowledge I have gained here at GMC....what little that may be. biggrin.gif Otherwise, I probably wouldn't notice. It's just a distortion you hear on top of his distorted guitars... like... clipping! I have never heard that from WideK... huh.gif ? So, I dunno. If you have the money to get it done right and professionally, then I would say go for it! But I have a limited budget. Oh, and btw, I use a bass vst happy.gif because I have not a real bass guitar. And I use EZdrummer DFH pack, AND some free synth vsts I have found on the internet to spice up the tracks.

I am working on my first EP and will release it on bandcamp.com. I literally JUST started work on my EP - like, a week ago.

Go for whatever floats your boat man! Windows or Mac...something will work for ya! Good luck!!!

-Brandon Burch

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Alex Feather
Jun 23 2012, 08:07 AM
Instructor
Posts: 4.332
Joined: 21-November 11
From: Los Angeles
QUOTE (Rammikin @ Jun 23 2012, 02:31 AM) *
Many great ideas on this thread. On the subject of audio interfaces, I'll just add: the choice of an audio interface depends greatly on what you'll be plugging into it.

If you're using an outboard guitar processor like a Line6 Pod, then you may not need an audio interface at all. The built-in audio interfaces on recent Macs are actually quite good.

If you're using an in-the-box software amp simulator like Guitar Rig or Overloud TH2, then you don't need an audio interface with mic preamps and you can simply use something like an Apogee Jam.

It's only if your'e micing an amp that you'll need mic pres. You could either use a mic preamp and run the output from that directly into a Mac, or you could get a combination audio interface/mic pre (there are many to choose from, for example a Focusrite Scarlett) if you'd rather not use the audio input on your computer.

Even if you are running a processor it's better to have preamps! You can use a processor like POD and run it through the preamp and you will get better sound!
The way preamp work is basically boosting up your signal without boosting noise and coloring the signal! That's pretty much it!
So you can run preamp with anything! You can even plug in your pedalboard into preamp and will get a huge difference in the sound!

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Saoirse O'Shea
Jun 23 2012, 09:41 AM
Moderator - low level high stakes
Posts: 6.173
Joined: 27-June 07
From: Espania - Cadiz province

Sparrow - RML produce a DAW that few people seem to have heard of: http://www.sawstudio.com/products_sawstudio.htm

It's probably closer in layout and workflow to an old analogue in-line console than any other daw on the market and so for those who apprenticed on analogue it may be more intuitive and immediate. The guy who sent us his project mixed it on RML specifically because, a bit like me, he apprenticed in studios way back before daws existed. It's not however a cheap or visually pretty option.

There are however plenty of options and if you're on a limited budget I'd strongly recommend Reaper if yu want a more standard but full featured daw. You can download and assess/test a full working copy of Reaper and if you like it a single user license is only about $60 - don't assume from the price though that it's some basic daw, it's very capable and can hold it's own against full version of PT/Cubase whatever.





QUOTE (Rammikin @ Jun 22 2012, 04:42 PM) *
On the topic of mixing, I would highly recommend "MIxing Secrets for the Small Studio" by Mike Senior. That should be required reading for any recording musician smile.gif


Completely agree - Mike's book is highly recommended


QUOTE (Alex Feather @ Jun 22 2012, 06:19 PM) *
... Apogee the best quality out there! Recording studios running pro tools but composers Logic and apogee!
...


Apogee is a good choice for macs. It is not the 'best quality' however but more at the top end of the 'prosumer' tree. Other good 'prosumer' convertors come from the likes of MOTU, RME, Lynx, PT-HD. Good 'prosumer' that have say 8 or more in/out with preamps tend to be in the $1500 range.

Some recording /mixing studios are PT-HD based but many are not.

Best quality is a bit subjective but the convertors here would include Lavry, Prism, Cranesong, Forsell, Mytek. Those are all however above your budget - they all cost over $4000.

One of the real and very noticeable differences in quality between pro and 'prosumer' occurs if you clip the ADC. 'Prosumer' equipment goes in to nasty distortion stragiht away whereas pro equpiment doesn't. Us mastering engineers use this ability to drive the ADC to help you achieve higher levels of gain without things getting nasty. If you look at Fireball's post the nasty distortion he mentions is quite probably due to clipping a 'prosumer' ADC.


QUOTE (Alex Feather @ Jun 23 2012, 08:07 AM) *
... it's better to have preamps!...


Very true

QUOTE
The way preamp work is basically boosting up your signal without boosting noise and coloring the signal! ...


Not really Alex. Preamps boost noise when you use them to boost signal - the way to minimise an increase in the noise floor is to gainstage properly. Also, preamps colour the signal. There's a world of difference in the colour that a Neve imparts to a Focusrite ISA. The issue tends to be whether you like the colour that the preamp imparts.

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Saoirse O'Shea
Jun 23 2012, 10:28 AM
Moderator - low level high stakes
Posts: 6.173
Joined: 27-June 07
From: Espania - Cadiz province
QUOTE (thefireball @ Jun 23 2012, 06:27 AM) *
... is doing my mixing and mastering when it is all done. I know it would not be recommended by some engineers (since he most likely uses software instead of hardware for mastering, but he is probably one of my only options. ...


The issue tends to be more about objectivity then the sole use of software. It is very rare to find a mix engineer who is objective enough to be able to master projects that they have mixed even if they leave some time between the two. Someone who places a mix for mastering normally thinks that it is already of sufficient quality and that they have done the best that they can. As such they are not objective enough to critically listen to it.

Unless the engineer has separate studios for mixing and mastering then one or the other or both will end up compromised as the two have different requirements with regard to acoustic treatment and monitor type and placement. I have to say that as a minimum any good mastering engineer should tell you what their monitoring chain - convertors and monitors etc - is if asked. If it's one that is recording/mixing based then be careful. If you can't hear it then you can not master it.

With regard to only using software.

It's quite possible to do good work only using software. Experienced pro mastering engineers however often use hardware as it allows us to get a more natural sound and a wider and deeper stereo stage and so on. Mastering hardware is considerably more expensive than software though. Any mastering engineer who uses hardware is thus also much more likely to have been in the business for some time and have plenty of real experience.

It is also very easy to butcher a project using software. Far too many people claim to be able to master but do little more than use a preset in some software package. Presets don't work in mastering. Software that tends to really be good enough for mastering also tends to be relatively expensive - not as expensive as hardware but more than standard vsts. Much of it is made and sold as individual, specific vsts rather than suites/packages. So you might buy a specific eq or compressor or limiter but you would rarely, if ever, buy them as an 'all-in-one' vst. It's possible to get good results from an 'all-in-one' but you need to spend time using, experimenting and learning what works and what doesn't rather than just use the presets.

Mastering hardware to look out for includes:

Convertors from - Prism, Lavry, Forsell, Mytek, Cranesong...
Monitors from - ATC, PMC, K&H, the Nautillus, Focal, Event, Lipinski...
EQs - Great River, Sontek, Cranesong, Millenia, Gyraf, GML, Maselec, API...
Comps - Maselec, Manley, Millenia, API, Thermionic, Cranesong, Elysia...
... and so on

Software:
Flux, Sonoris, Elephant, Algorythmix...

What tends to be missing in the above are names that are highly regarded in recording/mixing - mastering hardware/software is not the same as recording/mixing.

You are at GuitarMasterClass.net


Don't miss today's free lick. Plus all our lessons are packed with free content!

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--------------------
Get your music professionally mastered by anl AES registered Mastering Engineer. Contact me for Audio Mastering Services and Advice and visit our website www.miromastering.com

Be friends on facebook with us here.

We use professional, mastering grade hardware in our mastering studo. Our hardware includes:
Cranesong Avocet II Monitor Controller, Dangerous Music Liasion Insert Hardware Router, ATC SCM Pro Monitors, Lavry Black DA11, Prism Orpheus ADC/DAC, Gyratec Gyraf XIV Parallel Passive Mastering EQ, Great River MAQ 2NV Mastering EQ, Kush Clariphonic Parallel EQ Shelf, Maselec MLA-2 Mastering Compressor, API 2500 Mastering Compressor, Eventide Eclipse Reverb/Echo.
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thefireball
Jun 23 2012, 04:24 PM
Learning Roadie
Posts: 4.537
Joined: 9-March 10
From: United States, Arkansas
QUOTE (tonymiro @ Jun 23 2012, 04:28 AM) *
The issue tends to be more about objectivity then the sole use of software. It is very rare to find a mix engineer who is objective enough to be able to master projects that they have mixed even if they leave some time between the two. Someone who places a mix for mastering normally thinks that it is already of sufficient quality and that they have done the best that they can. As such they are not objective enough to critically listen to it.

Unless the engineer has separate studios for mixing and mastering then one or the other or both will end up compromised as the two have different requirements with regard to acoustic treatment and monitor type and placement. I have to say that as a minimum any good mastering engineer should tell you what their monitoring chain - convertors and monitors etc - is if asked. If it's one that is recording/mixing based then be careful. If you can't hear it then you can not master it.

With regard to only using software.

It's quite possible to do good work only using software. Experienced pro mastering engineers however often use hardware as it allows us to get a more natural sound and a wider and deeper stereo stage and so on. Mastering hardware is considerably more expensive than software though. Any mastering engineer who uses hardware is thus also much more likely to have been in the business for some time and have plenty of real experience.

It is also very easy to butcher a project using software. Far too many people claim to be able to master but do little more than use a preset in some software package. Presets don't work in mastering. Software that tends to really be good enough for mastering also tends to be relatively expensive - not as expensive as hardware but more than standard vsts. Much of it is made and sold as individual, specific vsts rather than suites/packages. So you might buy a specific eq or compressor or limiter but you would rarely, if ever, buy them as an 'all-in-one' vst. It's possible to get good results from an 'all-in-one' but you need to spend time using, experimenting and learning what works and what doesn't rather than just use the presets.

Mastering hardware to look out for includes:

Convertors from - Prism, Lavry, Forsell, Mytek, Cranesong...
Monitors from - ATC, PMC, K&H, the Nautillus, Focal, Event, Lipinski...
EQs - Great River, Sontek, Cranesong, Millenia, Gyraf, GML, Maselec, API...
Comps - Maselec, Manley, Millenia, API, Thermionic, Cranesong, Elysia...
... and so on

Software:
Flux, Sonoris, Elephant, Algorythmix...

What tends to be missing in the above are names that are highly regarded in recording/mixing - mastering hardware/software is not the same as recording/mixing.


mellow.gif I don't know what to do, Tony. (Only because of my very limited budget) Maybe I should get someone else to mix my stuff and then get someone else to master. WideK knows of me and remembers me well and I would hate to not use him at all. I already told him I want him to mix and master my stuff when it's ready. (I'm just too nice, I guess.) biggrin.gif I wonder if he is a capable masterer. Tony, what do you think of his quality of his latest work? I know you have critical ears because you are trained, but honestly, I love the way his stuff sounds. But Kreepmaster, eh...I have to say I don't like the way his stuff is done. It's like his drums are fighting with the rest of his mix! sad.gif

Take, Sithe Aye, who mixes and masters his own stuff. My ears are satisified with his result. I think his material is amazing! Anyway, WideK is the only of these three dudes I mentioned in this post that offers services.

-Brandon

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Rammikin
Jun 23 2012, 04:27 PM
Experienced Rock Star
Posts: 1.127
Joined: 4-November 10
QUOTE (Alex Feather @ Jun 23 2012, 07:07 AM) *
Even if you are running a processor it's better to have preamps! You can use a processor like POD and run it through the preamp and you will get better sound!
The way preamp work is basically boosting up your signal without boosting noise and coloring the signal! That's pretty much it!
So you can run preamp with anything! You can even plug in your pedalboard into preamp and will get a huge difference in the sound!


Can you use a preamp with a processor like a Pod that already amplifies your guitar signal to line level? Yes, it's possible to do that. Does a preamp boost signal without boosting noise? No, that's simply impossible with the physical laws that govern our universe smile.gif. Should the original poster buy a preamp from his $2000 budget if he's using a processor like a Pod? I wouldn't recommend it since that would be redundant so he'd probably be better off spending that money elsewhere.

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Alex Feather
Jun 24 2012, 08:21 AM
Instructor
Posts: 4.332
Joined: 21-November 11
From: Los Angeles
QUOTE (Rammikin @ Jun 23 2012, 03:27 PM) *
Can you use a preamp with a processor like a Pod that already amplifies your guitar signal to line level? Yes, it's possible to do that. Does a preamp boost signal without boosting noise? No, that's simply impossible with the physical laws that govern our universe smile.gif. Should the original poster buy a preamp from his $2000 budget if he's using a processor like a Pod? I wouldn't recommend it since that would be redundant so he'd probably be better off spending that money elsewhere.

I probably didn't explain it right! This way will be easier! smile.gif
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone_preamplifier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preamplifier
Should the original poster buy a preamp from his $2000 budget if he's using a processor like a Pod?
My advice was to get a soundcard that has preamps built on instead of going with apogee Jam I only suggested the next level of soundcard! The original question was to get a home studio for 2K
This is the best solution for this amount of money IMHO! The reason is simple all devices are working fine together and designed to do so! So what is the point of trying to invent a wheel if you can get simple and reliable equipment for the amount of money!
smile.gif










QUOTE (tonymiro @ Jun 23 2012, 08:41 AM) *
Sparrow - RML produce a DAW that few people seem to have heard of: http://www.sawstudio.com/products_sawstudio.htm

It's probably closer in layout and workflow to an old analogue in-line console than any other daw on the market and so for those who apprenticed on analogue it may be more intuitive and immediate. The guy who sent us his project mixed it on RML specifically because, a bit like me, he apprenticed in studios way back before daws existed. It's not however a cheap or visually pretty option.

There are however plenty of options and if you're on a limited budget I'd strongly recommend Reaper if yu want a more standard but full featured daw. You can download and assess/test a full working copy of Reaper and if you like it a single user license is only about $60 - don't assume from the price though that it's some basic daw, it's very capable and can hold it's own against full version of PT/Cubase whatever.






Completely agree - Mike's book is highly recommended




Apogee is a good choice for macs. It is not the 'best quality' however but more at the top end of the 'prosumer' tree. Other good 'prosumer' convertors come from the likes of MOTU, RME, Lynx, PT-HD. Good 'prosumer' that have say 8 or more in/out with preamps tend to be in the $1500 range.

Some recording /mixing studios are PT-HD based but many are not.

Best quality is a bit subjective but the convertors here would include Lavry, Prism, Cranesong, Forsell, Mytek. Those are all however above your budget - they all cost over $4000.

One of the real and very noticeable differences in quality between pro and 'prosumer' occurs if you clip the ADC. 'Prosumer' equipment goes in to nasty distortion stragiht away whereas pro equpiment doesn't. Us mastering engineers use this ability to drive the ADC to help you achieve higher levels of gain without things getting nasty. If you look at Fireball's post the nasty distortion he mentions is quite probably due to clipping a 'prosumer' ADC.




Very true



Not really Alex. Preamps boost noise when you use them to boost signal - the way to minimise an increase in the noise floor is to gainstage properly. Also, preamps colour the signal. There's a world of difference in the colour that a Neve imparts to a Focusrite ISA. The issue tends to be whether you like the colour that the preamp imparts.

Again didn't explain myself right:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone_preamplifier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preamplifier
I was suggesting apogee because it is better than Mbox or LE for the money you will spend on it!
From my experience Apogee mostly used by composers for arranging and producing for mixing and recording pro tools!
I am getting away recording for big LA studios with Ensemble a few mics and Avalon preamp and everybody seem to like it!
I don't think it's about equipment as much as about ears! smile.gif

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This post has been edited by Alex Feather: Jun 24 2012, 08:19 AM
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Saoirse O'Shea
Jun 24 2012, 11:28 AM
Moderator - low level high stakes
Posts: 6.173
Joined: 27-June 07
From: Espania - Cadiz province
QUOTE (Alex Feather @ Jun 24 2012, 08:21 AM) *
...


Again didn't explain myself right:)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microphone_preamplifier
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preamplifier
I was suggesting apogee because it is better than Mbox or LE for the money you will spend on it!
From my experience Apogee mostly used by composers for arranging and producing for mixing and recording pro tools!
I am getting away recording for big LA studios with Ensemble a few mics and Avalon preamp and everybody seem to like it!
I don't think it's about equipment as much as about ears! smile.gif


Hi Alex -neither of those articles disagree with the point that boosting using a preamp will raise the noise floor. As Rammikin states it's a physical law. You can only minimise/control for this by proper gainstaging. One of the issues that we see all the time in problem mixes is that many people do not seem to understand gainstaging.

I'm not suggesting that you can't get a good recording/mix using an Apogee. They're one of the better 'prosumer' interfaces. What I am stating though is that they are not the best convertor available based on the quality of the conversion. (If you want to define 'best' by some other parameter such as value for money you can of course come up with a different end result.)

WRT conversion quality: An ideal AD/DA would induce no distortion and be perfectly flat in the pass band up to the transition band. That ideal is not achievable but as an ideal the closer you come to it the better the AD/DA. So the 'best' AD/DA is whichever comes closest to the ideal. Mastering AD/DAs are generally designed to physically separate filters and convertors in order to come as close to the ideal as possible but that comes at a price. Lavry/Cranesong/Forsell/Prism etc all cost considerably more than an Apogee. From what I remember of the Ensemble design they use a single chip for conversion and filtering. That is a compromised design common in 'prosumer' and consumer AD/DA and it's done to keep costs down. It often leads to ripple distortion and other issues. If you multiply process a signal through the Ensemble you can often hear a small amount of induced ripple distortion and other artefacts. Small amounts of ripple in recording and mixing can be acceptable and is often mistakenly thought to be 'musical colour' but it is not good in mastering.

If someone wants to hear what convertors sound like, why mastering engineers pay $000s for convertors, and particularly the difference between a 'prosumer' and a mastering AD/DA, then they should go to a mastering studio.

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This post has been edited by tonymiro: Jun 24 2012, 12:10 PM


--------------------
Get your music professionally mastered by anl AES registered Mastering Engineer. Contact me for Audio Mastering Services and Advice and visit our website www.miromastering.com

Be friends on facebook with us here.

We use professional, mastering grade hardware in our mastering studo. Our hardware includes:
Cranesong Avocet II Monitor Controller, Dangerous Music Liasion Insert Hardware Router, ATC SCM Pro Monitors, Lavry Black DA11, Prism Orpheus ADC/DAC, Gyratec Gyraf XIV Parallel Passive Mastering EQ, Great River MAQ 2NV Mastering EQ, Kush Clariphonic Parallel EQ Shelf, Maselec MLA-2 Mastering Compressor, API 2500 Mastering Compressor, Eventide Eclipse Reverb/Echo.
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Saoirse O'Shea
Jun 24 2012, 11:57 AM
Moderator - low level high stakes
Posts: 6.173
Joined: 27-June 07
From: Espania - Cadiz province
QUOTE (thefireball @ Jun 23 2012, 04:24 PM) *
mellow.gif I don't know what to do, Tony. (Only because of my very limited budget) Maybe I should get someone else to mix my stuff and then get someone else to master. WideK knows of me and remembers me well and I would hate to not use him at all. I already told him I want him to mix and master my stuff when it's ready. (I'm just too nice, I guess.) biggrin.gif I wonder if he is a capable masterer. Tony, what do you think of his quality of his latest work? I know you have critical ears because you are trained, but honestly, I love the way his stuff sounds. But Kreepmaster, eh...I have to say I don't like the way his stuff is done. It's like his drums are fighting with the rest of his mix! sad.gif

Take, Sithe Aye, who mixes and masters his own stuff. My ears are satisified with his result. I think his material is amazing! Anyway, WideK is the only of these three dudes I mentioned in this post that offers services.

-Brandon


Sorry Brandon but I can't really comment as I don't know what he did as we have no 'before' mixing/mastering to compare with the end result and we also don't know what the client/producer wanted from the mix/master.

You need to listen critically and not be affected by whether you like the music, guitar tonality etc. Too often people get carried away with how much they like a song or the vocalist or whatever and are not objective about the mix and so don't really think about whether the balance is good, levels appropriate, mistakes corrected, etc.

It's also worth remembering that mastering isn't first, last and always about processing to achieve a given sound. It's more about ensuring quality of the end result and that it is fit for purpose. Unintended signal distortion/clipping and shearing as far as I'm concerned can rarely be fit for purpose and of requisite quality. Good communication between the engineer and the producer is really important. Critically listening to a mix and discussing issues and intentions with the producer is, to me, a basic requirement for a master. So if you ask the engineer to critically comment on the mix they should do so.

If you decide to use him to do the master and someone else to do the mix (or vice versa) I'm sure he'll cope. It's part of this business and one of the earliest lessons that any pro engineer learns: you haven't got the session until you've done the work and been paid.

Ultimately if you like his work and he fits your budget for mixing or mastering or both and you can work and communicate with him then use him.


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