THANK YOU for not suggesting mono-ing the low-end! I cut 10-20 sides per week and all too often mastering engineers will mono the lows unnecessarily. All of these tips are great and what I personally recommend.
@@Chullie1122 The only reason to use elliptical EQ is if the correlation of the program material is causing the stylus to raise so much that it narrows the groove to a point where the playback stylus can't track. There's no need to ever apply elliptical EQ by default, it's on an as-needed basis. Even when I do apply processing because of excess low-frequency stereo width, I won't use an elliptical EQ. Instead, I'll use something like Ozone Imager or Steinberg's MasterRig, which will allow me to gently reduce to low-frequency side information just enough to prevent the cutting error. Tokyo Dawn's forthcoming Simulathe plugin will make it a lot easier to see what parts of a program might be of concern for cutting.
@@matthewjbarnhart2068 Extremely useful. I'm curious, would you say the tip about mono bass is true for all genres? I do mastering for bass-heavy electronic music like dubstep and drum & bass, and I've found that for digital mastering, if I don't mono the bass, or use a plug-in like Center from Waves to move all or most of the low sound to the center channel, then on sound systems some sub cancellation results, which for sound system-oriented music is not ideal. I'm uncertain what to do for vinyl mastering, since I'm not the cutting engineer, but I'm leaning towards just leaving the bass alone for the vinyl masters, but I'm concerned the cutting engineer will not center the bass properly. Is this unfounded? Should I be concerned or should I just pass it on and let them deal with it?
@@Cheyne_TetraMFG Hi! There are two distinct issues here: mono-ing the lows for artistic/production/general playback reasons, and mono-ing the lows to improve vinyl playback. My point is that the master you submit for vinyl cutting should ideally be the same as what you submit for digital delivery. If you find mono-ing the low frequencies improves the digital master, go for it! (I do the same quite often.) Just don't go changing your clients' vinyl masters by rote, as the cutting engineer knows the limitations of their cutting system better than you ever will.
Great tips! Thx! One thing you also should consider is the order of the tracks. Tracks close to the center of vinyl may sound a bit duller because the speed is slower. Therefore you might consider putting ballads or tracks with less important high end at the end of each side.
Great information and tips. I've always done a separate master when submitting final masters to client's (who need digital and vinyl formats) I too do not cut the lacquers but work very closely with cutting engineers :)
Depends on the length of the sides. If it's a long album, the cutter will be forced to make space for it to fit and will typically engage an HPF & LPF and/or cut it quieter, all of which will allow you to fit more music on each side.
why are LP records mastered by parrallel cutting when played back radially? why not radial cutting to match most record players? this simple geometry fact is a hifi contradiction....
THANK YOU for not suggesting mono-ing the low-end! I cut 10-20 sides per week and all too often mastering engineers will mono the lows unnecessarily. All of these tips are great and what I personally recommend.
Thanks for your feedback, much appreciated! 🎶👍 /Thomas
Hey Matthew, interesting you say that. I use a EE @ 150Hz. Should i not use it any more when cutting?
@@Chullie1122 The only reason to use elliptical EQ is if the correlation of the program material is causing the stylus to raise so much that it narrows the groove to a point where the playback stylus can't track. There's no need to ever apply elliptical EQ by default, it's on an as-needed basis.
Even when I do apply processing because of excess low-frequency stereo width, I won't use an elliptical EQ. Instead, I'll use something like Ozone Imager or Steinberg's MasterRig, which will allow me to gently reduce to low-frequency side information just enough to prevent the cutting error.
Tokyo Dawn's forthcoming Simulathe plugin will make it a lot easier to see what parts of a program might be of concern for cutting.
@@matthewjbarnhart2068 Extremely useful. I'm curious, would you say the tip about mono bass is true for all genres? I do mastering for bass-heavy electronic music like dubstep and drum & bass, and I've found that for digital mastering, if I don't mono the bass, or use a plug-in like Center from Waves to move all or most of the low sound to the center channel, then on sound systems some sub cancellation results, which for sound system-oriented music is not ideal.
I'm uncertain what to do for vinyl mastering, since I'm not the cutting engineer, but I'm leaning towards just leaving the bass alone for the vinyl masters, but I'm concerned the cutting engineer will not center the bass properly. Is this unfounded? Should I be concerned or should I just pass it on and let them deal with it?
@@Cheyne_TetraMFG Hi! There are two distinct issues here: mono-ing the lows for artistic/production/general playback reasons, and mono-ing the lows to improve vinyl playback.
My point is that the master you submit for vinyl cutting should ideally be the same as what you submit for digital delivery. If you find mono-ing the low frequencies improves the digital master, go for it! (I do the same quite often.) Just don't go changing your clients' vinyl masters by rote, as the cutting engineer knows the limitations of their cutting system better than you ever will.
Great tips! Thx! One thing you also should consider is the order of the tracks. Tracks close to the center of vinyl may sound a bit duller because the speed is slower. Therefore you might consider putting ballads or tracks with less important high end at the end of each side.
Great tips, thank you :) My final advice would be : always ask a prototype from the cutting engineer and test your masters.
Very good video! I am glad vinyl is making a comeback! Great information! Thank you and hello from Texas USA!
Thanks Michael! Greetings from Sweden 🎼 /Thomas
thanks for useful insights Thomas, as always.
Thank you very much for the informations and tips. The best explanation out there.
Great video, and thanks so much for the background on how vinyl cutting and the related processes work! That was really cool to learn about.
Great information and tips.
I've always done a separate master when submitting final masters to client's (who need digital and vinyl formats)
I too do not cut the lacquers but work very closely with cutting engineers :)
Yup, separate masters here as well. Always like to hear the test pressing as well if possible. /Thomas
@@MasteringExplained oh yeh 100% about getting a TP. :)
Thank you !
Tack, bra info.
Hello, Thank you for the content.
I had read that vinyl recordings were HPF at 47Hz and LPF at 12Khz
Is this still the norm?
I made 3 different records on vinyl (2009, 2010, 2012) and the mastering engineer never cutter low or high frequency
Depends on the length of the sides. If it's a long album, the cutter will be forced to make space for it to fit and will typically engage an HPF & LPF and/or cut it quieter, all of which will allow you to fit more music on each side.
Golden!
When mastering for vinyl, do you need to be in the project of the songs, or can I just master the final wav file?
I just riaa eq the wav file and then send it to the vinyl cutter.
good talk, just no images as sample...
why are LP records mastered by parrallel cutting when played back radially? why not radial cutting to match most record players? this simple geometry fact is a hifi contradiction....