Dear Friends! Thanks for the well wishes! Yes, I have the Flu and yes, Eric is safely away in Vegas with his Girlfriend! You all Rock! Thanks for being such an amazing community! There are so many amazingly gifted Mastering Engineers I've had the pleasure to work with, it's hard to recommend any one of them, but of course Bob Ludwig, Adam Ayan, Kim Rosen, Emily Lazaar, Eric Boulanger, Gavin Lurssen...so many to list!! There's plenty more!
I just wanted to say thanks for not only sharing your wealth of knowledge but giving aspiring musicians and producers the opportunity to see and hear from some of the greatest in the industry...
Warren, Thank you for another spectacular FAQ Friday video! I love all of the talk about mastering. A year or so ago I watched your interview with Warren Sokol and reached out to him for mastering. I must concur he was fantastic. He was an absolute pleasure to work with and highly knowledgeable. I got enormous value for my money, and most importantly, his mastering added new life into my music, a kind of organic, full nature to the tracks that's difficult to describe in words. Lastly, he made key melodies pop out and sing like never before while simultaneously gelling the individual parts together to work perfectly in concert with each other. In closing, with the right mastering engineer, it's 100% worth every penny, and then some! Thanks again for building an amazing community both here and in the academy.
We are really impressed working with Tiny Thunder Mastering. You get a streaming and a CD master, multiple re-edits, and great customer service. We "DeadBot" just did a 7 song EP for 70$ a song. You get great clarity and the dynamics are still there, and we are a loud heavy metal-ish(genre fluid metal) band. Depending on what you are going for the Landr Bot does a decent job for really cheap. Thanks for the info Warren. Great Stuff!
Great advice. Before I do the car test I always play professional tracks to see how they sound and then compare it to my own. Altering the car EQ defeats the purpose because then you are no longer are familiar with them.
I'm sorry you're ill! If it makes you feel any better your hair looks particularly rock star today and I mean that as a sincere compliment. Thanks for your passion to bring content even under adversity. There isn't a single site that provides as much content as Produce Like A Pro and makes it the best value for the money by far. Just your devotion alone is worth the price of admission. Cheers! Feel better soon.
Oh no, not the *flu* !!! The wife and I both got to spend Valentine's Day in the ER, and we just got discharged Tuesday. At least it gave me plenty of time to watch your vids and work on mixing the songs I've currently got on my laptop. Been learning a lot from you. Thanks!!!
What do you think of headphones with active noise cancellation, such as the Bose QC series? Would the noise cancellation circuitry tend to add it's own coloration to what you're trying to mix with the phones?
Hi Warren & fellow PLAPers ! The mastering discussion is a worthwhile one & something I agonize over at length with clients. Most independent artists have no budget for it & dont really understand it past making it louder. When they say "cant you do it ?" my answer is usually is "yes BUT........" for all the reasons you mentioned. My main argument ,as you mentioned , is the fresh set of ears thing. If you've tracked an EP or album over a few weeks & months & spent a similar amount of time editing, mixing,recalling tweaking you've probably heard each song hundreds of times with not much fresh insight to bring to the mastering process. With this in mind after i finished an EP for a new client ( Gabbi Bolt - "Grey Into Blue" see spotify ) last October ( that i mixed & mastered ) to satisfy my own curiosity i sent a mix, with everything on the master Buss removed, to an online mastering service called "Cloudbounce". They had a deal for 1 hi-res(?) track for $4.90 ! I compared my version to the cloudbounce version and other reference material & was pleasantly surprised given how convenient,easy & quick the process was. The only comments i would make are that it was 2db louder ( long term LUFS ) than my master, a bit lacking in the bottom octave ( perhaps not a bad thing !! ) & the air ( 12k +) was a bit more compared to reference.The main drum transients (kick & snare) definitly hit a bit harder (more attack ) in the cloudbounce version ( a good thing ). The main vocal also sat in the track rather than on top ( also a good thing ). I note that Abbey Road have a 100eu per song deal that includes input from a real human !! See you in Berlin Marvellous
Thanks for the video! Speaking about referencing with car speakers, have you tried referencing with Avantone MixCubes? Do you recommend them? I read about some people using them instead of cars speakers and they claim that Aventons can reproduce almost “average” car speaker sound! My only problem with cars is that I have to listen in the car then go back to my studio (to make some fixes or adjustments) then go back to the car and come back to the studio and sooo on 😂 maybe I’m too lazy? 😅
I've used Capricorn mastering here in San Diego and he charges 65 dollars a song. He does amazing work too. You're right though, that's the cheapest I've found that is really good. The rest, not so much.
We can see how devoted you are and dedicated to your passion : you won't let "a simple flu" stop you from doing what you have to do. Respect! ;-) Thanks for another very interesting episode of FAQ Friday. Hope you'll get well soon! :-D
Hi Warren, I know this would differ from project to project but in the ideal world how much time do you devote to each aspect of the creative process as a percentage?
Amazing idea! I would love to see a shoutout between a few mastering engineer and online services, Warren could even do it like Glenn does it by making us listen and telling who is who a few days later! It would be sick! (even if I think the difference is gonna be pretty obvious... )Anyway amazing FAQ, I 'm learning so much trhough your vidz!
Thank you Warren! I had people asking me for mastering costs, so I was trying to meet in the middle somewhere around 50-60 €/Song (kicking my own ass for that in mind). Needless to say it didn't happen and i was called expensive. Next time that happens, you provided the perfect answear with this and I don't have to text back and forth for hours. So thanks again in the name of everybody's time that is not going to get wasted. And get better soon!
Hi Warren, I hope you feel better soon! Quick question: A lot of guitarists are using Wet/Dry setups live, is this something that can translate to the studio, or is it more a live technique to replicate some of the sound you get in the studio?
You said TRacks software was the secret weapon of many mastering engineers. Are you thinking of a particular plugin? I'm a fan of the Fairchild 670 emulation and the 432 EQ. I tend to use these with Limiter No.6. Do you have a go to TRacks plugin chain for mastering?
Hi Racing Heart, it's the secret weapon of Mixers who want to get level up and impress their clients! Many of us use it! Particularly the 'Classic' mode!
Warren, please help me decipher your reply! I was wondering to which TRacks plugins you are referring. I'm not aware of a classic mode in any of the TRacks plugins. Did you mean the four "Classic" modules (Clipper, EQ, Compressor, and Multiband Limiter)?
There's at least one "Online Mastering Service" offering to "master your song for as little as $6 per song". Their advertisements on Facebook and elsewhere include a photo of a gorgeous high-end mastering room, and make reference to their "team of experienced professional mastering engineers". What they actually do is run your song through an algorithm which analyzes it's average RMS to peak ratio and frequency response, then applies compression and EQ to make your song conform to a predetermined dynamic range and frequency response curve. No human being, let alone "professional mastering engineer" is involved in this process. It's possible that some entry-level engineer is assigned to listen briefly to the final output, just to make sure it doesn't sound HORRENDOUS, but even that is questionable. If your mix sounds truly awful to begin with, it will probably sound somewhat better after this process, but this is NOT mastering. If you send them a half-decent mix, they'll probably destroy it. Don't be fooled... if it sounds too cheap to be true, it probably IS.
My pleasure. While a vast majority of people in the music business are very honest, we've seen more than our share of shady business practices designed to prey on aspiring musicians' intense desire to succeed, and this one really pissed me off. I hate to see people taken advantage of.
Blue LOLA 's are tough headphones just don't sit on them, had to get another pair. Question, do you use it in passive mode or with the amp turned on, you have the Sadie's I noticed.
Thanks to you and one of your live-stream giveaways, I have the IK Lurssen Mastering console. Thus far, I've used it once, which was on the last harmonica video I posted on my other YT channel, and I was pleased with the result. Of course, that was just mastering a tune with only one instrument for a TH-cam video. I plan to use it again once my bandmate and I finally get around to finishing the current track we're working on, which has multiple instruments, both real and virtual. That will be the true test of the software, especially since my bandmate and I have no idea what we're doing. If the Lurssen can make our song sound good, it should be able to make anybody's song sound good.
It bears repeating and I’m glad you’re saying it Warren - it is never said enough. Although it’s true that all “professional” engineers of any kind or repute have access to the very best kit available, their value is in their ears and world of experience and expertise using that kit. I would like to see plugin and gear manufacturers state that often inconvenient truth while pimping products alleged to make everyone a CLA or Geoff Emerick (RIP).
Amen. You there's no shortcut or way to fake that sort of experience and expertise. The best we can do is keep emphasising patience and hard work I suppose? :)
not only car test: when i think the mix/master is good i put on a compilation from spotify with different music, pop, rock, classic rock so my ears set on a standard quality level, then go back and listen to the song I'm working on to listen if it fit with those songs
When we used to send out to mastering it usually would cost $100 per song but in 2019 we're not doing it anymore because we just do not believe that they are using all of their Hardware like they say they do. I think a lot of guys are just throwing on plugins for small clients that don't give a lot of business. I caught the flu last week when we went to the Grammys and it almost killed me hope u feel better soon.
?? why does it matter what gear they are using? if digital plugins are being used and set properly and intuitively, it shouldn’t matter! what matters is how it sounds, how it translates. if knowing that they ran it thru all their gear is what is most important to you, you care more about cool gear than you do a slammin master. this is such a bummer comment!
Hello Warren, hope you'll get better ASAP.i have a question I have been tracking with the BSS DPR 402 for many years including but not limited VOX .I am used to it and know it inside out I have tried other compressors but I don't seem to like any of them as much..I do have a variety of plugins for mixing in the box , What is your opinion of the DPR 402 ?Is it still up with todays standards?
I've used a great mastering engineer for years. $50 a song. I don't think any indie artist with no sight of major sales is going to spend thousands on mastering. Many are doing the Landr route too.
Hello Warren, when you are charging by the hour for mixing a project, how can you prove you've worked "X" amount of hours so you can get paid properly?
I had a tune mastered buy a college Kid on "five bucks" and was absolutely blown away. It sounded better than any Queen, Rush, or Led Leppelin Disc I;ve ever owned. Just Kidding
@@Producelikeapro hahahha. Made ya Look.....LOve your Shows Warren, I saw Bob Ludwig at a Lecture when I was teaching Studio Maint at Full Sail Back in the early 90s. What a great Person in real life too. I loved it when someone asked, what his most recent mastering Project was, and he said "Mr. Bungle". Yup Mr. Bungle. Made me chuckle. You're awesome dude.
This might be a dumb question, but when you send a song to be mastered, do you send the final mixed track and they master from that or do they master it from stems?
I record a lot of live sessions (audio and video). My live room is not that big so I get alot of cymbal bleed in the singers mic. Do you have any tips on how to approach live recordings for minimizing bleed? Or how to deal with it? (the vocal mic eq, compression, etc).
Not sure if you have been asked this or not but on maybe your next faq Fri . What are your top 10 best Engineered / Produced Albums of the last say 20 years?
Hi Warren. Get well soon! I tend to put Ozone (7) on my stereo out, pretty early in the mix process and mix into that, via a mixbus. Is this a valid way of doing things? P.S. i'm a home studio musician/mixer. Keep on rockin' Alex
alexander ewing marvellous question! Short answer, no I wouldn’t because it’s going to compensate for things as you go, where you will get better results and learn more if fix the problems before your Master bus! Save Ozone for mastering my friend!
Hey I was just wondering , how long should it take the audio guy to master the track and get the final product back to the artist proceeding after their final session together?
Hi Warren , thanks for the reply the other day by the way (garden of England guy back again) although I'm Welsh. By the by, my question is , is there anyway in modern recording techniques to get a sound like the 50s 60s style. Janis Joplin, Solomon Blake etc ? Thanks marvelously. Al.
I am in the same boat of having to do the recording mixing and Mastering due to budget constraints (I Do not want to be the only ears on these projects) That being said because a lot of the time I am the one doing all the work? I have had to get better at it.
Regarding mastering, at least in Europe. You may wanna google some mastering studios and most of them will give you one track for free. But be fair :).
Hy Warren.. loved the mastering topic..Is there any way to make a USB microphone bit decent..??? Mostly I face issues with extreme high end and weak body in vocals
I tried it with a hardrock song and I didn't like it. I prefer cloudbounce because you can hear the full track and you can change the mastering settings yourself.
be well first Warren, we can wait if we need to. Want to ask you how much time if any you schedule per day to learning something new and how much time you spent on that when you were still "in development"?
Interesting, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you do your own mastering. But I always would love to get another set of ears on my stuff. And as you point out in your video, if you have to do your own mastering, tells me your prefer to send it out
Sennheiser HD 280 Pros. I just gave away a spare pair to a friend and he very impressed. The lows are amazing. I use them for spot checking subs and cleaning up mud.
If I have a budget of $200-300 a song, am I in line with at least 90% of mastering engineers? My ideal situation would be a mastering engineer that will do some hand-holding. I.E. - send them the track and get a rejection from the mastering engineer with notes on what needs to be fixed before a quality master can be produced. I'd rather have a door slammed than someone invest time to fix something that is marginal to begin with.
Hi Warren, what do you think about Abbey Road mastering services? They seem very inexpensive and they seem to have good people there, plus, it's Abbey Road, and you can't go too wrong with that.
More and more as I get older, I find myself in this weird habit of mastering separate mix of everything except the dirty Rhythm guitars, then adding those guitars back in to that master, and just adjusting the levels. I'm sure some part of this is superstition on my part, but I really prefer my distorted rhythm guitars left the hell alone. Am I the only one who does this? GET WELL WARREN!
Hi Warren, What do you think about using a metering tool such as the TC Electronic Clarity M ? www.tcelectronic.com/Categories/Tcelectronic/Signal-Processors/Meters/CLARITY-M/p/P0C7T#googtrans(en|en) ------- I know you favor ears first, however as a beginner I think this could help me to "train" my ears. What do you think ?
Some studios offer online mixing and mastering services, Abbey Road is one. Prices on their web site. You can specify any of their outboard equipment be used. Be like a kid in a candy shop. Automated online mastering is making great strides. Check out Pro Master: pmxsb.com
What's your opinion on analog summing mixing? Is it worth the investment, or is just a marketing hoax? Most of the audio interface (converters) manufacturers give this dynamic range specification of the audio converters. I see some great audio interfaces with 118dB dynamic range and some with 133dB dynamic range. What's the real difference between them? How does it affect the quality of sound? I understand what dynamic range is, but i can't understand this marketing tool. Thanks!
If i'm not much mistaken, that's the ratio between the maximum output level, and the noise floor. That 118dB figure is somewhat credible; 133dB sounds a bit suspicious...
@@khronscave as i said i understand what dynamic range is, you told me nothing new. My question was how does dynamic range of a converter affects or not the quality of sound. And as far as 133dB dynamic range, please look at UA Apollo X16....and i wouldn't say UA is a suspicious company that just throws numbers out there, Antelope Audio just announced Orion 32+ HD Gen 3 with 136dB dynamic range. So there are respectable companies out there and i can name more if you want that measure their converters at high dynamic range numbers. But to make things more clear.....how does that dynamic range number affects my sound quality when i record vocals, acoustic instruments, hardware synths and on the other side when i print mixes down on stereo or multitrack summing mixes. I hope i made myself clear enough. I see mastering grade converters at 120dB or 124dB and i see multichannel interfaces way above that level. So what's better at the end of the day?!?
@@woodzzy1 I'd be willing to wager that wind noise (or just the air hitting the mic diaphragm, in the case of a sensitive condenser) would / will swamp out whatever converter noise may still be there. Measureable? Sure, probably. Audible? Yeah, right... Just took a peek in the x16 manual - that 133dB figure is only for the main stereo out. Whatever amplifiers your monitors use will have way higher distortion than that - not to mention the speaker drivers themselves. At the end of the day, it's your decision if you wanna blow that much cash on making yourself feel better, in the back of your mind. What i can say for sure is that, at least for yourself, it WILL sound better. Perception's a fickle beast...
@@woodzzy1 I just remembered - let's keep in mind that tape has (or used to have) the equivalent of about 12 bits (ie. ~72dB) of dynamic range... A bit of perspective always helps, doesn't it?
@@khronscave with the tape thing you made me think a bit....everyone is "crazy" about that tape sound...lol...i don't know for a fact it has 72dB DR, I'll take your word for it(I'll research it later on), but as well i know that CD's have 96 or 98dB DR.....and who really listens at higher than CD quality these days? Almost no one, everyone relies on whatever quality streaming services feed 'em. Besides the times I'm in studio, when i choose what quality i wanna produce or listen to the sound.....myself I listen like everyone else same poor quality you get over from whatever service i use. Bottom line....all these specs are a big BS, a marketing tool. Thanks for giving me the "tape" perspective. I'll look at features and functionality from now on, more than at stupid specs and numbers. Cheers....
car test..all cars has different systems and sound differently to :( ...BUT..some songs sounds great in all cars..systems..speakers..monitor...(for example "Adele - Rolling in the Deep")....a holy grail for us hobbies :(
For being sick this has been one of my favourite FAQ Friday's! What a heap of knowledge to cram into a video
Thanks evert so much Michael! That means lot my friend!
Thanks ever so much Jean! Yes Michael rules!
Dear Friends! Thanks for the well wishes! Yes, I have the Flu and yes, Eric is safely away in Vegas with his Girlfriend! You all Rock! Thanks for being such an amazing community! There are so many amazingly gifted Mastering Engineers I've had the pleasure to work with, it's hard to recommend any one of them, but of course Bob Ludwig, Adam Ayan, Kim Rosen, Emily Lazaar, Eric Boulanger, Gavin Lurssen...so many to list!! There's plenty more!
Wonderful video! Great selection of women and men Mastering Engineers there Warren!
Thanks ever so much my friend!!
I just wanted to say thanks for not only sharing your wealth of knowledge but giving aspiring musicians and producers the opportunity to see and hear from some of the greatest in the industry...
Warren, Thank you for another spectacular FAQ Friday video! I love all of the talk about mastering. A year or so ago I watched your interview with Warren Sokol and reached out to him for mastering. I must concur he was fantastic. He was an absolute pleasure to work with and highly knowledgeable. I got enormous value for my money, and most importantly, his mastering added new life into my music, a kind of organic, full nature to the tracks that's difficult to describe in words. Lastly, he made key melodies pop out and sing like never before while simultaneously gelling the individual parts together to work perfectly in concert with each other. In closing, with the right mastering engineer, it's 100% worth every penny, and then some!
Thanks again for building an amazing community both here and in the academy.
We are really impressed working with Tiny Thunder Mastering. You get a streaming and a CD master, multiple re-edits, and great customer service. We "DeadBot" just did a 7 song EP for 70$ a song. You get great clarity and the dynamics are still there, and we are a loud heavy metal-ish(genre fluid metal) band.
Depending on what you are going for the Landr Bot does a decent job for really cheap.
Thanks for the info Warren. Great Stuff!
Thanks ever so much for sharing your insight my friend!!
Adam Ayan mastered all of my EP City Lights and Warren Sokol has done my singles Side by Side, Fortunes and Conditions. Love their work!
Agreed David! Both are truly amazing!
Great advice. Before I do the car test I always play professional tracks to see how they sound and then compare it to my own. Altering the car EQ defeats the purpose because then you are no longer are familiar with them.
We use Maor Applelbaum & Ethereal Mastering. Rates depends on work requested by artist (4 Song EP normally cost us $550 - $800)
I'm sorry you're ill! If it makes you feel any better your hair looks particularly rock star today and I mean that as a sincere compliment. Thanks for your passion to bring content even under adversity. There isn't a single site that provides as much content as Produce Like A Pro and makes it the best value for the money by far. Just your devotion alone is worth the price of admission. Cheers! Feel better soon.
Aw shucks thanks ever so much! That's my got out of bed got the kids to School and now I'm beginning my work day look! Haha
Oh no, not the *flu* !!! The wife and I both got to spend Valentine's Day in the ER, and we just got discharged Tuesday. At least it gave me plenty of time to watch your vids and work on mixing the songs I've currently got on my laptop. Been learning a lot from you. Thanks!!!
What do you think of headphones with active noise cancellation, such as the Bose QC series? Would the noise cancellation circuitry tend to add it's own coloration to what you're trying to mix with the phones?
Hi Warren & fellow PLAPers ! The mastering discussion is a worthwhile one & something I agonize over at length with clients. Most independent artists have no budget for it & dont really understand it past making it louder. When they say "cant you do it ?" my answer is usually is "yes BUT........" for all the reasons you mentioned. My main argument ,as you mentioned , is the fresh set of ears thing. If you've tracked an EP or album over a few weeks & months & spent a similar amount of time editing, mixing,recalling tweaking you've probably heard each song hundreds of times with not much fresh insight to bring to the mastering process.
With this in mind after i finished an EP for a new client ( Gabbi Bolt - "Grey Into Blue" see spotify ) last October ( that i mixed & mastered ) to satisfy my own curiosity i sent a mix, with everything on the master Buss removed, to an online mastering service called "Cloudbounce". They had a deal for 1 hi-res(?) track for $4.90 !
I compared my version to the cloudbounce version and other reference material & was pleasantly surprised given how convenient,easy & quick the process was. The only comments i would make are that it was 2db louder ( long term LUFS ) than my master, a bit lacking in the bottom octave ( perhaps not a bad thing !! ) & the air ( 12k +) was a bit more compared to reference.The main drum transients (kick & snare) definitly hit a bit harder (more attack ) in the cloudbounce version ( a good thing ). The main vocal also sat in the track rather than on top ( also a good thing ).
I note that Abbey Road have a 100eu per song deal that includes input from a real human !!
See you in Berlin
Marvellous
Thanks for the video! Speaking about referencing with car speakers, have you tried referencing with Avantone MixCubes? Do you recommend them? I read about some people using them instead of cars speakers and they claim that Aventons can reproduce almost “average” car speaker sound! My only problem with cars is that I have to listen in the car then go back to my studio (to make some fixes or adjustments) then go back to the car and come back to the studio and sooo on 😂 maybe I’m too lazy? 😅
I've used Capricorn mastering here in San Diego and he charges 65 dollars a song. He does amazing work too. You're right though, that's the cheapest I've found that is really good. The rest, not so much.
We just paid £28 per track with Pete Maher. He does a special deal with unsigned acts. The tracks sound great! 😊
We can see how devoted you are and dedicated to your passion : you won't let "a simple flu" stop you from doing what you have to do. Respect! ;-) Thanks for another very interesting episode of FAQ Friday. Hope you'll get well soon! :-D
you usually hit on something i'm dealing with (mastering) that helps my cause. thanks so much for sharing your years of knowledge experience!!!
Hi Warren, I know this would differ from project to project but in the ideal world how much time do you devote to each aspect of the creative process as a percentage?
warren could u send one of your final mixes to several mastering engineers and we could listen to the differences..just subbed
Cool idea!
I would love to see this happen 🙂
Hi Greg,m I'd definitely be done to to send to a real mastering engineer and then the online services to compare!
Amazing idea! I would love to see a shoutout between a few mastering engineer and online services, Warren could even do it like Glenn does it by making us listen and telling who is who a few days later! It would be sick! (even if I think the difference is gonna be pretty obvious... )Anyway amazing FAQ, I 'm learning so much trhough your vidz!
@@Producelikeapro How about sending the same mix to Calbi, Van Dette and Ludwig then A/Bing for us?
Thank you Warren! I had people asking me for mastering costs, so I was trying to meet in the middle somewhere around 50-60 €/Song (kicking my own ass for that in mind). Needless to say it didn't happen and i was called expensive. Next time that happens, you provided the perfect answear with this and I don't have to text back and forth for hours. So thanks again in the name of everybody's time that is not going to get wasted. And get better soon!
Brilliant as always Warren. Hope you're feeling better, best wishes from the UK.
Hi Warren, I hope you feel better soon! Quick question: A lot of guitarists are using Wet/Dry setups live, is this something that can translate to the studio, or is it more a live technique to replicate some of the sound you get in the studio?
I can't seem to watch your videos fast enough! You keep coming out with more and more awesome content.
You said TRacks software was the secret weapon of many mastering engineers. Are you thinking of a particular plugin? I'm a fan of the Fairchild 670 emulation and the 432 EQ. I tend to use these with Limiter No.6. Do you have a go to TRacks plugin chain for mastering?
Hi Racing Heart, it's the secret weapon of Mixers who want to get level up and impress their clients! Many of us use it! Particularly the 'Classic' mode!
Warren, please help me decipher your reply! I was wondering to which TRacks plugins you are referring. I'm not aware of a classic mode in any of the TRacks plugins. Did you mean the four "Classic" modules (Clipper, EQ, Compressor, and Multiband Limiter)?
There's at least one "Online Mastering Service" offering to "master your song for as little as $6 per song". Their advertisements on Facebook and elsewhere include a photo of a gorgeous high-end mastering room, and make reference to their "team of experienced professional mastering engineers". What they actually do is run your song through an algorithm which analyzes it's average RMS to peak ratio and frequency response, then applies compression and EQ to make your song conform to a predetermined dynamic range and frequency response curve. No human being, let alone "professional mastering engineer" is involved in this process. It's possible that some entry-level engineer is assigned to listen briefly to the final output, just to make sure it doesn't sound HORRENDOUS, but even that is questionable. If your mix sounds truly awful to begin with, it will probably sound somewhat better after this process, but this is NOT mastering. If you send them a half-decent mix, they'll probably destroy it. Don't be fooled... if it sounds too cheap to be true, it probably IS.
Wow! Thanks ever so much for sharing that my friend! $6! Insane!
My pleasure. While a vast majority of people in the music business are very honest, we've seen more than our share of shady business practices designed to prey on aspiring musicians' intense desire to succeed, and this one really pissed me off. I hate to see people taken advantage of.
Blue LOLA 's are tough headphones just don't sit on them, had to get another pair. Question, do you use it in passive mode or with the amp turned on, you have the Sadie's I noticed.
haha I hear you! I have actually sat on mine a few times! I've quite obviously been very lucky!!
Thanks to you and one of your live-stream giveaways, I have the IK Lurssen Mastering console. Thus far, I've used it once, which was on the last harmonica video I posted on my other YT channel, and I was pleased with the result. Of course, that was just mastering a tune with only one instrument for a TH-cam video. I plan to use it again once my bandmate and I finally get around to finishing the current track we're working on, which has multiple instruments, both real and virtual. That will be the true test of the software, especially since my bandmate and I have no idea what we're doing. If the Lurssen can make our song sound good, it should be able to make anybody's song sound good.
My whole family was sick for 2 weeks. I wish you to get better dear Warren. How we say in Germany, „Gute Besserung.“
Thanks ever so much my friend!!
Great knowledge on a very mysterious subject though. Thanks for sharing this Warren; this one is really an asset. And I hope you get better soon.
It bears repeating and I’m glad you’re saying it Warren - it is never said enough.
Although it’s true that all “professional” engineers of any kind or repute have access to the very best kit available, their value is in their ears and world of experience and expertise using that kit. I would like to see plugin and gear manufacturers state that often inconvenient truth while pimping products alleged to make everyone a CLA or Geoff Emerick (RIP).
Amen. You there's no shortcut or way to fake that sort of experience and expertise. The best we can do is keep emphasising patience and hard work I suppose? :)
not only car test: when i think the mix/master is good i put on a compilation from spotify with different music, pop, rock, classic rock so my ears set on a standard quality level, then go back and listen to the song I'm working on to listen if it fit with those songs
When we used to send out to mastering it usually would cost $100 per song but in 2019 we're not doing it anymore because we just do not believe that they are using all of their Hardware like they say they do. I think a lot of guys are just throwing on plugins for small clients that don't give a lot of business. I caught the flu last week when we went to the Grammys and it almost killed me hope u feel better soon.
I understand my friend! The best are amazing! The rest, not so much! Haha I hope you feel better my friend!
?? why does it matter what gear they are using? if digital plugins are being used and set properly and intuitively, it shouldn’t matter! what matters is how it sounds, how it translates. if knowing that they ran it thru all their gear is what is most important to you, you care more about cool gear than you do a slammin master. this is such a bummer comment!
@@Fire-Toolz Yeah but I've heard that hardware can go to 11, so...
Hello Warren, hope you'll get better ASAP.i have a question I have been tracking with the BSS DPR 402 for many years including but not limited VOX .I am used to it and know it inside out
I have tried other compressors but I don't seem to like any of them as much..I do have a variety of plugins for mixing in the box , What is your opinion of the DPR 402 ?Is it still up with todays standards?
Hi Warren! What is a good sub-woofer to buy for as cheaply as possible? Thanks so much.
I've used a great mastering engineer for years. $50 a song. I don't think any indie artist with no sight of major sales is going to spend thousands on mastering. Many are doing the Landr route too.
Hey Warren, thanks. Get well soon. All the best!
Thanks ever so much Peter!
Get well soon. Thanks for teaching when most would have called in sick.
Hello Warren, when you are charging by the hour for mixing a project, how can you prove you've worked "X" amount of hours so you can get paid properly?
Feel better soon!!!!! Gosh, such dedication, I would have given you the day off but thank you very much for this video!
What is the mastering plug in he talked about in the last question ? Tirax ?
I had a tune mastered buy a college Kid on "five bucks" and was absolutely blown away. It sounded better than any Queen, Rush, or Led Leppelin Disc I;ve ever owned.
Just Kidding
Haha Let's hope every one scrolls done for the punch line! haha
@@Producelikeapro hahahha. Made ya Look.....LOve your Shows Warren, I saw Bob Ludwig at a Lecture when I was teaching Studio Maint at Full Sail Back in the early 90s. What a great Person in real life too. I loved it when someone asked, what his most recent mastering Project was, and he said "Mr. Bungle". Yup Mr. Bungle. Made me chuckle. You're awesome dude.
This might be a dumb question, but when you send a song to be mastered, do you send the final mixed track and they master from that or do they master it from stems?
Hey Warren, have you ever checked the Sony C 100? I read many good things about it.
Rest... Rest... my good man. Don't worry about us... we will continue to be here. All the best and be well soon.
I record a lot of live sessions (audio and video). My live room is not that big so I get alot of cymbal bleed in the singers mic. Do you have any tips on how to approach live recordings for minimizing bleed? Or how to deal with it? (the vocal mic eq, compression, etc).
Oh man the flu is rough! Hope you feel better soon. I know you don't really sleep, but sleep. 🌷
Thanks ever so much Audrey!
Not sure if you have been asked this or not but on maybe your next faq Fri . What are your top 10 best Engineered / Produced Albums of the last say 20 years?
Hi Warren. Get well soon!
I tend to put Ozone (7) on my stereo out, pretty early in the mix process and mix into that, via a mixbus. Is this a valid way of doing things?
P.S. i'm a home studio musician/mixer.
Keep on rockin'
Alex
alexander ewing marvellous question! Short answer, no I wouldn’t because it’s going to compensate for things as you go, where you will get better results and learn more if fix the problems before your Master bus! Save Ozone for mastering my friend!
Hey I was just wondering , how long should it take the audio guy to master the track and get the final product back to the artist proceeding after their final session together?
Get well soon! And thanks for doing this while being ill! Much appreciated!
Hi Warren , thanks for the reply the other day by the way (garden of England guy back again) although I'm Welsh. By the by, my question is , is there anyway in modern recording techniques to get a sound like the 50s 60s style. Janis Joplin, Solomon Blake etc ? Thanks marvelously. Al.
Get well soon...great vid as usual
Thanks ever so much Johnny!
Which T-Racks plugin are you mastering with?
The Classic! The yellow one!
@@Producelikeapro Thanks!
Great selection of women and men Mastering Engineers there Warren! Great video!!
You're very welcome Darlene! There are so many great Mastering Engineers!
Hi Warren, great FAQ Friday as usual, love the new academy website, awesome! hope you get well soon bud, all the best, Darren Ross.
To answer your question: 11 minutes 31 seconds (before you mentioned Queen)! 🤓. Get well soon!
Haha yes, indeed!!
Get marvelously well
Thanks ever so much my friend!!
What about online mastering like Landr?
Love you videos! Get well soon and God bless.
Thanks ever so much Randy! You Rock!
Thanks for that Warren, good video - get well soon!
HI Paul, thanks ever so much my friend!
Thank you sir for the valuable information... Can you share some basic mixing tips?
When in the life of a song do you comp tracks?
Marvellous question Sam! Often immediately! The vocals are the most important part of what we do after all!
Produce Like A Pro great, thanks! One more question, do you have to be an academy to purchase a mix feedback session?
Warren, do you have any thoughts on DB25/TT patch bays vs 1/4"? Thanks!
Marvellous question! The old school engineers I know ALL love the larger patch bays! However it's all about practicality!
I am in the same boat of having to do the recording mixing and Mastering due to budget constraints (I Do not want to be the only ears on these projects) That being said because a lot of the time I am the one doing all the work? I have had to get better at it.
Get well soon, Warren. Thank you for today's Faq Friday.
Hay warren thanks a lot from your knowledge, I want ask you something, I want a start with a home studio, how much I could ask for record a song?
Thanks for mastering advices!
Get well soon Warren!
Thanks ever so much my friend!!
I love the topic about mastering. Thanks warren and get well soon!
Ooh, that reminds me, I didn't get round to watching the full Bob Ludwig vid. I think I'll do that now
Please do! I loved that video so much!!
Bob is an amazing talent, humble and very cool indeed!
Time well spent man, I just might rewatch it, Bob Ludwig is really incredible!
Regarding mastering, at least in Europe. You may wanna google some mastering studios and most of them will give you one track for free. But be fair :).
Thanks ever so much for sharing Peter!
Feel better Warren...
Oh no! You got the thing that I got in January... hope you don't get the ear ache! It lasted forever. Get well soon!
Hy Warren.. loved the mastering topic..Is there any way to make a USB microphone bit decent..??? Mostly I face issues with extreme high end and weak body in vocals
Hi Adarsh, Marvellous question! I'm going to have to do a big USB Mic shoot out!
@@Producelikeapro thank you very much sir...😊😊
Bouncing off of the mastering questions. What do you think about LANDR?
I tried it with a hardrock song and I didn't like it. I prefer cloudbounce because you can hear the full track and you can change the mastering settings yourself.
be well first Warren, we can wait if we need to. Want to ask you how much time if any you schedule per day to learning something new and how much time you spent on that when you were still "in development"?
Interesting, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you do your own mastering. But I always would love to get another set of ears on my stuff. And as you point out in your video, if you have to do your own mastering, tells me your prefer to send it out
Thanks Warren, informative as usual and so very much appreciated. 👌🏻
Very informative!!
Thanks ever so much!
Not even a day off with the flu! You are the champion, Warren!
I'm using a pair of 17 year old Sennheiser HD 250 Linear II's. I just replaced the foam, that's all. :-)
Sennheiser HD 280 Pros. I just gave away a spare pair to a friend and he very impressed. The lows are amazing. I use them for spot checking subs and cleaning up mud.
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing Lasse!!
Wonderful fakshen1973! Thanks for sharing your insight!
Get well Warren with your health!!! Take care man!!!
Get well soon Warren, rest up as best you can.
If I have a budget of $200-300 a song, am I in line with at least 90% of mastering engineers? My ideal situation would be a mastering engineer that will do some hand-holding. I.E. - send them the track and get a rejection from the mastering engineer with notes on what needs to be fixed before a quality master can be produced. I'd rather have a door slammed than someone invest time to fix something that is marginal to begin with.
Apparently Dr May is in L.A. just now, maybe that will make you feel better!
Hi Roy! I know, I've sat front and watched him play! That was quite something! Haha
@@Producelikeapro I think I remember seeing the photo you posted, yep, jealous haha!
Hi Warren, what do you think about Abbey Road mastering services? They seem very inexpensive and they seem to have good people there, plus, it's Abbey Road, and you can't go too wrong with that.
I'm interested in them as well.
I would imagine they are AMAZING! They have incredible Mastering Engineers there!
I'm sure they are great!
More and more as I get older, I find myself in this weird habit of mastering separate mix of everything except the dirty Rhythm guitars, then adding those guitars back in to that master, and just adjusting the levels. I'm sure some part of this is superstition on my part, but I really prefer my distorted rhythm guitars left the hell alone. Am I the only one who does this?
GET WELL WARREN!
I got it also. It is the worst flu ever. Get better soon. Rest, rest, rest
I can tell you’re feeling rough man - well done for getting through it. I’m guessing after this you felt like s””t again
get will Warren
Thanks Dan!
Don't make Eric sick! :) Get well soon.
Haha He went to Vegas for a long weekend with his girlfriend!!
@@Producelikeapro Nice.
Yes! It's a good life! Haha He does work a million hours!
@@Producelikeapro Indeed. He loves it, certainly.
Man...you are so good that you are too good to be true! 😅😅😅 thank you for the video 😊
Thanks ever so much my friend!!
Hi Warren, What do you think about using a metering tool such as the TC Electronic Clarity M ? www.tcelectronic.com/Categories/Tcelectronic/Signal-Processors/Meters/CLARITY-M/p/P0C7T#googtrans(en|en) ------- I know you favor ears first, however as a beginner I think this could help me to "train" my ears. What do you think ?
Some studios offer online mixing and mastering services, Abbey Road is one. Prices on their web site. You can specify any of their outboard equipment be used. Be like a kid in a candy shop. Automated online mastering is making great strides. Check out Pro Master: pmxsb.com
Why not cheap out on mastering when you're paying a bundle for professional studio time?
Warren take care
What's your opinion on analog summing mixing? Is it worth the investment, or is just a marketing hoax?
Most of the audio interface (converters) manufacturers give this dynamic range specification of the audio converters. I see some great audio interfaces with 118dB dynamic range and some with 133dB dynamic range. What's the real difference between them? How does it affect the quality of sound? I understand what dynamic range is, but i can't understand this marketing tool. Thanks!
If i'm not much mistaken, that's the ratio between the maximum output level, and the noise floor.
That 118dB figure is somewhat credible; 133dB sounds a bit suspicious...
@@khronscave as i said i understand what dynamic range is, you told me nothing new. My question was how does dynamic range of a converter affects or not the quality of sound. And as far as 133dB dynamic range, please look at UA Apollo X16....and i wouldn't say UA is a suspicious company that just throws numbers out there, Antelope Audio just announced Orion 32+ HD Gen 3 with 136dB dynamic range. So there are respectable companies out there and i can name more if you want that measure their converters at high dynamic range numbers. But to make things more clear.....how does that dynamic range number affects my sound quality when i record vocals, acoustic instruments, hardware synths and on the other side when i print mixes down on stereo or multitrack summing mixes. I hope i made myself clear enough. I see mastering grade converters at 120dB or 124dB and i see multichannel interfaces way above that level. So what's better at the end of the day?!?
@@woodzzy1 I'd be willing to wager that wind noise (or just the air hitting the mic diaphragm, in the case of a sensitive condenser) would / will swamp out whatever converter noise may still be there.
Measureable? Sure, probably. Audible? Yeah, right...
Just took a peek in the x16 manual - that 133dB figure is only for the main stereo out. Whatever amplifiers your monitors use will have way higher distortion than that - not to mention the speaker drivers themselves.
At the end of the day, it's your decision if you wanna blow that much cash on making yourself feel better, in the back of your mind. What i can say for sure is that, at least for yourself, it WILL sound better. Perception's a fickle beast...
@@woodzzy1 I just remembered - let's keep in mind that tape has (or used to have) the equivalent of about 12 bits (ie. ~72dB) of dynamic range... A bit of perspective always helps, doesn't it?
@@khronscave with the tape thing you made me think a bit....everyone is "crazy" about that tape sound...lol...i don't know for a fact it has 72dB DR, I'll take your word for it(I'll research it later on), but as well i know that CD's have 96 or 98dB DR.....and who really listens at higher than CD quality these days? Almost no one, everyone relies on whatever quality streaming services feed 'em. Besides the times I'm in studio, when i choose what quality i wanna produce or listen to the sound.....myself I listen like everyone else same poor quality you get over from whatever service i use. Bottom line....all these specs are a big BS, a marketing tool. Thanks for giving me the "tape" perspective. I'll look at features and functionality from now on, more than at stupid specs and numbers.
Cheers....
Are you in the process of finding new monitors? Every time I come back here you’ve got something new sitting next to your gene’s!
keep taking the vitamin C
Thanks! I will!
🤗
car test..all cars has different systems and sound differently to :( ...BUT..some songs sounds great in all cars..systems..speakers..monitor...(for example "Adele - Rolling in the Deep")....a holy grail for us hobbies :(