Mixing and/or Mastering definitions

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Mixing probably needs the least amount of explaining, but mastering it seems is thrown around a lot.  I may not know what it means, or I hear it misused a lot.

As per usual the internet is full of different definitions.  As I understand it, it goes beyond mixing and is done after all mixing and recording is done.  It is done to equalize track to track volume, and sometimes requires some individual track tweaking.  My analogy would be paint matching a vehicle's body components.  Each piece (track) is painted (mixed).  Each piece was painted separately on a different day, location, by a different painter with a different mix and a different gun.  Each piece looks great on it's own and are technically all the same color, but upon assembly, all the pieces are a slightly different color.  Per the analogy, you can't match paint after the fact, but if you could, it would be an example of mastering.  Biasing tubes might also be an example of mastering.  Different outputs, but biasing equalizes them to act uniformly.

Thoughts?

 

[dNA]

There are tons of different things people do in mastering, and it varies as widely as mixing approaches or recording approaches.

Typically speaking, mastering is the final stage of the production process in which only the final stereo mixdown is basically polished. Generally speaking, mastering is minimal and conservative. But sometimes a lot of compression or EQ is necessary to make things work.

For instance, let's say you have a band that recorded it's album recently. They may have tracked half the songs in one studio, half in another. They may have worked with more than one producer at times, and may even have had tracks mixed by multiple engineers. A mastering engineer would then take all those tracks and, without changing the feel or character of the songs, tweak the material so that is sonically cohesive and has a certain unifying thread in its sound.


they do lots more than what i know. but that's a good chunk of it

 

[AndyG]

Mastering has really become a bit of a "Black Art" ...  witchcraft that nobody can really explain anymore.

But, it wasn't always this way!  Back in the days of vinyl, mastering was crucial.  Things like total recall on consoles were in their infancy, and plugins did not exist ... EVERYTHING was outboard.  So, in order to get a consistant sound from track to track, eq and compression was applied to make sure everything sounded like it belonged together.  More importantly, you could only cut so much bottom end on a vinyl record.  Essentially, "mastering" came from creating the master from which the records were to be produced.

Fast forward to today, and mastering seems to be squeezing the life out of the songs to make them as loud as humanly possible for some people, while others still take the old-school "sonic consistancy" approach.  Some engineers apply mastering plugins to thier mixes, so that what the band listens to sounds as close to a "final product" as possible (a practice I don't really agree with, but to each his own).  A talented mastering engineer can really make your tracks shine, using multiband compression, eq, and limiting to kind of nip and tuck .... and to continue your car analogy, it would be like taking the car for detailing.

 

[mayfly]

In this day and age, I've found that mixing and mastering are combining into one step. 

Just last night my singer and I were mixing three tracks for our new record, and then we did a quick mastering job (using t-racks with a preset that I like) before we listened to them.  We ended up tweaking the mix AFTER we listened to the mastered versions.  Compression, especially muti-band compression, can really make things pop out in a mix and we ended up turning the violin down in several spots.  The original mixes sounded fine.  Very interesting.

In any case, I take it easy with mastering, just applying enough EQ and compression to make the tracks sound similar.  I also like to get a good level out of them, and some tracks need to be turned up more than others.  So that'd be my definition - making the tracks all sound similar.

 

[Wana_make_a_guitar]

So, pretty much, what I gather from this is that  mixing is like the organizing of all the tracks and getting them to sync up in order and kinda messing with the levels, and mastering is adding the affects such as eq and compression just to equalize the tone so nothing stands out where it isn't needed or to highlight something, and then another final check on the levels?

 

[Steve_Karl]

Other sometimes overlooked aspects of mastering are about creating the consistency of volume, timing between tracks, and track IDs for the final CD.
These images ( screen shots of a "CD Architect" project ) should shed some light.

The full project: http://www.sightsea.com/renders/mastering/Untitled-1.jpg

Timing between tracks and a fade in at the front of a song: http://www.sightsea.com/renders/mastering/Untitled-2.jpg

Multiple Track IDs withing one song: http://www.sightsea.com/renders/mastering/Untitled-3.jpg

An other fade out / fade in: http://www.sightsea.com/renders/mastering/Untitled-4.jpg

 

[AndyG]

So, pretty much, what I gather from this is that  mixing is like the organizing of all the tracks and getting them to sync up in order and kinda messing with the levels, and mastering is adding the affects such as eq and compression just to equalize the tone so nothing stands out where it isn't needed or to highlight something, and then another final check on the levels?

Not really ... mixing is indeed putting everything together, with any and all effects you think you might need.  Compression and eq are great tools in a mix to get all of the tracks to blend together properly.
You can look at mixing like creating a cake ... if while you're putting all of your ingredients together, and, say add too much sugar ... you cannot take that ingredient out ... you have to start over (remix!).  Mastering would be taking 3 or 4 cakepans of batter, and putting them into the same oven at the same temperature to make sure they all come out baked to the same consistancy ... then you add the same icing to all of them so that when you present them, they all look as good as the other to eat!

 

[taez555]

There are always exceptions, but In general....

Mixing is combining/EQing/effecting/panning all the multi tracked recorded tracks together in order to create a single stereo mix of a song.   The track is usually done at this point.

Mastering is tweaking the completed stereo mix.  You could do to single track to alter the EQ or something just like you do with your stereo system's EQ at home, but most of the time you'd do this as a whole album to make sure each song has the same eq curve, compression, volume, spacing, fades, etc. to make a cohesive album.  You don't want one song to suddenly be piercing in the 11K range with no low end and then the next song to come in 20 seconds late and is 20dB louder with huge boomy bass.    You want it to flow from one song to the next.

Unless of course you don't.

I kinda like the cake analogy, although I'd say mixing is more like assembling a baked cake.  Icing, layers, etc...   (The baking of the cake was the recording)  Mastering is cutting a piece to be served after it's done.  At this point you can put some chocolate sauce or whipped cream on it to tweak the finished product, but the cake was done a while ago.

 

[dNA]

I think what we have learned here, children, is that food analogies for the music industry just don't work. Just say no to comparing music to food.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Great stuff, great answers.  It's mostly to do with track to track volume and consistency then?  What is meant when someone is having a single track mastered?  Could adding compression and final EQ fall under the "mixing" umbrella, whereas mastering would refer to multiple tracks.

 

[Steve_Karl]

Could adding compression and final EQ fall under the "mixing" umbrella, whereas mastering would refer to multiple tracks.

I always run a final EQ and sometimes slight multi-band compression or occasionally brick wall limiting on the final stage of an individual song,
and most always have EQ on individual tracks and sometimes compression and / or limiting on individual tracks.
There are times I'll also use subtle compression / limiting and sometimes very subtle EQ on the whole project when it's inside of CD Architect.

When mixing, I usually add the final eq and compression when I'm getting close to what I see as a finished mix.
Reason is, those 2 final plugins can change the subtle relationships between instruments volume, and how they interact in time.

I often refer to mastering an individual song, but then again mastering a full CD project is valid terminology also.

I see it as the term mastering is about final stage, where as mixing always involves individual separate tracks,
where we're able to mix the level of individual volumes.

There are no rules anymore and everyone develops their own work flow as they gather more experience.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

All that would fall under mixing though, right?  EQ, what to scoop, boost, etc. within a track.  I'm used to mastering being a final step, often done by a different person at different location, and when done well, costing as much and taking as long as the initial tracking.

 

[Steve_Karl]

You can call it anything you like. Since I do all my own work I just call it getting it done.

EQ on a final project, for me, can be as subtle as a .1 or .2 dB boost between 400K - 500K and a slight bit of roll of on the sub sonics and ultra highs.
I might also do that on the final stage of an individual song.

EQ on individual tracks, in the mixing process, can be radical as all get out sometimes.

 

[ptirman]

I like this guy's definition and explanations: http://tarekith.com/assets/mastering.html
Kind of an all encompassing guide for beginners. I found it quite helpful.

 

[Volitions Advocate]

The most important thing in that last post was probably the "experienced fresh set of ears" part.  You shouldn't do your own mastering because you did all the mixing, and you did it for hours and hours and hours and you're used to what you've done now.  You need somebody objective to make the final minor adjustments and polish.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

My experience with the mastering process, which is very limited, mastering is done by someone else, usually at a different facility, and can take as long and cost as much as the tracking did.

 

[Steve_Karl]

someone said " you shouldn't do your own mastering" ...

Of course, that's what the mastering houses want you to believe.
Other wise, the have half as much business.

There are no rules!

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Point taken.  Also didn't realize I did the redunda-post.

 

[Volitions Advocate]

someone said " you shouldn't do your own mastering" ...

Actually it was a combination of colleagues (who are producers, not masterers) and professors who handed this nugget of wisdom to me.  I've never personally met somebody who considered themselves a dedicated "masterer".  Having a friend whos audio skills you trust would be sufficient.  The point here is a fresh ear, not paying somebody "pro" the thousands of dollars they want.

 

[Steve_Karl]

The point here is a fresh ear, not paying somebody "pro" the thousands of dollars they want.

And for some this might be something they'd want to choose ... others might not see any need.

No rules!