Top Industry CD Mixing and Mastering for Artists
Something called CD Mastering is one of the best kept secrets of high-end mixing engineers today. Since most everything is mixed in the digital realm, highend mixing engineers will do something called layback mastering. This is where the digital version is changed back to an analog recording so it can be mastered through analog processors, though many times it is also recorded to an analog two-track system to acheive the richness that analog tape gives to the recording. It also takes the edge away from all digital recordings, and can even out the bottom end giving the bottom frequencies that signature analog sound.
There are pros and cons but the advantages are worth it. Layback CD mastering can cost a bit more than basic digital mastering, since it takes additional time and there are other costs for the analog tape, but for important projects, it can be the end step in getting the best sound quality for the project. Since digital recordings can feel harsh to many people because no matter how loud the signal gets, digital always gives you accurate yet flat reproduction. Analog tape, however, softens as the signal increases in level, so high-ends are rounded rather than clipped, which turns into a warm, nice feel as the harmonic series is balanced out. To the listener, this sound is much more pleasing. Furthermore, a hotter input sound will result in a larger difference. As the highs saturate first, this means that as the signal becomes louder, the highs will naturally smooth out, resulting in a less harsh, and much better sound.
There are many mastering studios around the world that have the equipment to do analog mastering, however, it also requires you have an engineer with the track record to get optimal results possible with the studio gear. I’ve tried out a few mastering studios and one of incredible sounding is www.stevethomasmastering.com. He is a top analog mastering engineer, yet he also has done thousands of albums as a mixing engineer as well. On top of that, his expertise is similar to some of the most expensive mastering houses in the United States. If you already have someone you’re working with there’s nothing wrong with that. But, I would certainly to look him up. You won’t be disappointed!
This entry was posted on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 6:28 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.