If you are reading this then hopefully the question of "Should I get my Sound Mastered" has been answered. If not, then this article will quickly discuss this issue. If this question is bothering you, then your answer is more than likely "yes". Mastering is just as important as your recording and mixing process. Let me ask you this? You recorded your music, did you mix it yet? If yes, why? Is it because you wanted it to sound better? Well, what if I told you that the improvement you made from the recording to the mixing is the same type of improvement you will hear from the mixing to the mastering process. Yes, that is correct. Your sound will be so much louder and crisper you and your friends will all be amazed.
Now, you are convinced to get your music mastered, but the professional part has not been talked about. Well, let us talk about this issue right now. Let me paint a picture for you. You are 55 years old and worked on a great job all your life. You have 2 wonderful grown children and 4 grandkids. You and your significant other are making a huge decision today about the rest of your lives. You are deciding to retire after 30 years service from your company. Now, your objective is to live off your 1 Million dollar nest egg you have built up over the last 30 years. That may sound like a lot of money, but consider the fact that you are used to living off of $60,000 per year. Being as smart as you are, you do the math and realize if you put that money in your bank or try to play the stock market, your savings may only last for 16 years. You have probably figured out by now that you will run out of money when you turn 55. Not to mention, cost of living increases. So, are you seeing the picture I am painting you? My question to you is, would you rather take a chance on your money and try to do it yourself in the market, or would you rather give this problem to a professional and have them do their job? Do you know anything about beta, dollar cost averaging, rebalancing? Do you think it might be a good idea to get a professional? If you answered yes for a professional, then you are on the right track. If not, then best of luck in your musical career.
Think about your music in the same way. If you do not get it mastered by a professional and you are as serious about it as you say you are, then you could be potentially throwing your money away. You are an artist and are assumed good at what you do or you would not be reading this. Mastering engineers are just like you, good at what they do. They would not pick up an instrument and attempt to show the artist how to play their own song. Their expertise is in the studio making your music sound even more hard and crispclear. Use them, that is what they do and that is why they are so valuable. Have I made my point yet?
If you are lucky enough to have an audio engineer that can mix and master at the same time, then a straight transfer could do the trick. If not, you need to consider getting your audio mastered by a professional. Some studios do their mastering in house and some studios have to send it off.
Most of the time there are many improvements that can done to the mixes. The market is demanding. Now, if you're reading this, then you are probably wanting your disc to be competitive in-store play, homes of consumers, and in radio markets, it has to be correct sonically. Think of it like a brand new car -without a good wash and wax, few people will appreciate how great it looks. You have to also remember that the mixes were recorded over a week or so at different times of the day. This makes the level and tones all different. Mastering creates a seamless whole out of a collection of individual tracks.
The mastering studio has state of the art digital processors that are built to handle stereo signals. Obvious as this may be - it is one thing to run a guitar through a limiter and equalizer, and another thing to run your whole mix through it. A completed mix is a complex balance that can be made better or just as easily be made worse. It's worth using the best equipment available.
