Hey dudes.
I was just wondering exactly what mastering is? and if it is something you can do on your computer? which I somehow doubt or take it into a studio to get mastered?. I sort of have an idea what it is but would like a little more info, it's sort of like a final, FINAL mix right?, burnt down to a proper cd? which can then be pressed or whatever. Taking it in to get it mastered at a studio would be the way to go aye?, get a more professional sound and all that?. anyway that is all, cheers.

mastering = adjusting the instrument levels and adding the final touches to the mix.

yes it can be done on the computer, provided you have a good software, a fast processor, and loads of RAM.

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not to mention you need the skill....

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What?, so mastering is basically just fiddling around with the mix more, it's not a seperate stage or anything?, I use cakewalk to record and mix, I can get it sounding pretty sweet, I just thought mastering would of made it sound even sweeter. Also, say if I recorded and mixed the material that I need, would I then be able to take it in to a studio and mix it a bit more and get it sounding a bit better?, just wondering if it's possible with the Mp3 tracks you make or if you would have to somehow get the direct file things for them.

Dislexic - I'm only gonna get the skill by learning and doing it a lot aye.

its like post mixing

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my advice to any recording/mixing/drum machine/mastering problem would be - get hold of cubase sx or nuendo. with acrid semblance, we record in cakewalk, but we do all the mixing and mastering in nuendo. with narsil, its nuendo throughout.

yes, mastering is a separate stage. its the most important stage and is not "just" fiddling around with the mix. mastering needs the most amount of patience, computer requirements , and ofcourse, skill. if you feel that the guitar is too low in the mix, you may increase the guitar levels, just to find that the bass has got drowned completely in the process...thats where the patience comes in

mastering gives you the final song.


not its not possible with the mp3s or the mixes. for mastering, you need the individual tracks. unless there are programs that can separate the mp3s or the final mixes into separate tracks, which i dont think there are.


\m/

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Sweet. Thanks a lot mate, I have cubase but I don't like it much, I actually got it free with my interface but it works the worst for recording for me. I'll check out this nuendo and see how I go, thanks again.

Ps - I'm pretty sure you can convert the separate tracks to mp3 in cakewalk, but it would end up a cd where like track 1 is Gtr1, track 2 is Gtr2 and track3 is bass etc..., is that what you mean by seperating the tracks?, cause I'm quite sure this can be done.

ok i thought you meant separating the tracks from a mp3...as in you have a complete song in mp3 format and you want to resolve it into the component tracks. thats not possible.

however, if you want the exact same track (just as you recorded it), then dont change it to mp3...cuz changing to mp3 would incur data losses, even if its a high bitrate mp3. if you want to take the track to the studio or to any other software for that matter for mixing/mastering, just use the wave dump your recording software creates. it'l be named something like r33hffbk.wav...so locating your track can be an ass

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Yeh that's true... I can't find it??, it's not the actual .wav convert of the track i'm looking is it?, it's like a data looking file?.