Mastering tips/Techniques

[MKojo]

So it's coming to the point where i need to master one of my tracks, but i can't afford a professional to do so.
My mastering on my tracks has be fairly poor so far.

Could i get some tips on Mastering, to produce as clean and polished sound as possible.

I use FL 10,so advice centered around that would be great,but i would be just as happy with tips in general.

Also are there any Plugins that would aid in mastering.

Thanks!

[Tarekith]

Try this:

http://innerportalstudio.com/articles/Mastering.pdf

[Sendy]

Before you master, you might want to go back to your mix and clean it up, in particular, grouping channels into separate busses and giving them some gentle (or not so gentle) compression, adding some low cut or highpassing non-bass elements, and most importantly, using a lot of EQ cut to remove harsh frequencies.

Can't stress that last point enough. Solo each part, play it fairly loud, then use an EQ to sweep through the frequencies. That's a good way to find problem frequencies which can build up, especially when you've used distortion or resonant filters. Don't be afraid to cut highs either, it's a common mistake to think lots of treble gives a good hi-fi sound - treble tends to make things sound better for a while, then start to grate on your ears. Add to that that digital processing preserves treble almost TOO well, and some gentle rolloff for warmth can be just what's needed.

Once you've got a good mix, mastering becomes a LOT simpler.

[manducator]

I'm no pro mastering engineer, but I would like to fiddle with your track, if you allow me.

[V0RT3X]

FLStudio has a bunch of plugins and you should learn how to use them before buying others. I am actually quite impressed at how much you get for so little money with FLstudio. I might have to demo this when the Mac version hits ..

Anyhow to the OP, you should go over this. Take your time! Read how this stuff works, and then go find tips on how to mix with these tools. If you don't have any music to work on then maybe try mixing the demo songs that it comes with by stripping all the effects off the demo songs mixing channels and start everything over from scratch.

Breakdown of the FLstudio mixer
http://www.image-line.com/help/help.htm ... /mixer.htm

Breakdown of the integrated Mixer effects
http://www.image-line.com/support/FLHel ... kprops.htm

Breakdown of the Stereo enhancer (Stereo widener)
http://www.image-line.com/support/FLHel ... hancer.htm


Breakdown of the FLstudio compressor/Limiter
http://www.image-line.com/support/FLHel ... ressor.htm

Breakdown of the FLstudio Multi-band compressor
http://www.image-line.com/support/FLHel ... ressor.htm

Breakdown of the Sound Goodizer (Cutdown version of Maximus their Maximizer plugin)
http://www.image-line.com/support/FLHel ... odizer.htm


There is more than enough here to get you started in learning the concepts. Once you learn how to use this and think you need more you should maybe try these out.

http://varietyofsound.wordpress.com/vst-effects/

Honestly these are some of the best mixing and mastering plugins you can get without having to pay anything. They might even be of better quality than what you get with FLstudio.

If you need more effects you should also check out these freebies.
https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/plug ... ilter.html
https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/plug ... anger.html
https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/plug ... _solo.html
https://www.plugin-alliance.com/en/plug ... ep_v2.html

And these
http://www.voxengo.com/group/free-vst-plugins/

http://kunz.corrupt.ch/Products (If you need a good commercial analog synthesizer vst then check out the Bassline-101 & U-NO-LX which are both incredible value for the money)

Also on the Analog VST synthesizers, you should check out U-he Tyrell N6. (sorry im a synth nut)
http://www.u-he.com/cms/tyrelln6

ANYWAYS! back on track..

All of these plugins I listed are more than capable of professional results when used properly. Honestly you might not "need" anything else except talent and patience in learning how to use them all together.



NOW if you still feel you want more, then save up a bit of money and go pick up a copy of Computer Music at your local magazine dealer. They usually have a great deal of plugins to use.

[nineofkings]

Mastering of an album takes balancing various songs to fit together. But mastering a single song is a bit simpler. The major steps are:

1) Getting a good frequency balance. This can be done with EQ, harmonic exciters and multiband compression. Careful of frequency buildup; too much 2.5kHz or 10kHz can be fatiguing or painful.

2) Controlling RMS levels. This can be done with gentle compression and tools like SlickHDR by Variety of Sound, as well as multiband compression.

3) Controlling stereo image. A good m/s processor can increase the volume of the sides by a couple dB to give the illusion of a super wide stereo image. You can hear this effect in most commercial releases across almost all genres (barring classical).

4) Loudness. This is the last step. You don't need to go crazy, as the song will still sound powerful if the rest of the steps are there first. Shaving off peaks with soft clipping and then limiting is the conventional way to achieve a loud track. It can be remarkably transparent - if you hear distortion or the drums lose their punch, back off a little.

[Hermetech Mastering]

Start with the basics, an EQ, a compressor, and a limiter. I could do 99% of my processing with just those three tools. Learn them like the back of your hand. Nothing is ever done by default, only if the track calls for it. Stereo widening and multi-band compression by default is just plain wrong. I'll occasionally do the former via pulling down the sum signal slightly (never more than about half a dB, can't believe people are suggesting a couple!), and the latter I've used less than a handful of times in the last five years (I usually find if it NEEDS multi-band compression, a mix tweak can acheive better results). But yeah, by all means have a go, only way to learn! And listen to your master on as many systems as possible, and ask your friends to do the same, to make sure you're getting good translation.

[Tarekith]

Too true on the stereo widening, 95% of the time I'm actually reducing the stereo width (by reducing the Side 0.2 to 0.5dB) in mastering to counteract some of that.

[DJ Warmonger]

There are no easy tips. In fact, "mastering" own track is confusing. You don't really improve it at mastering stage, just at mixdown / synthesis stage.

I use only two actual effects in master chain. It's multiband mid/side compressor to control stereo width (but not increase it, only reduce) and propertiary ensemble of limiters. I just set settings that are known to be just right and manipulate mostly instrument tracks to make sure they match my goal. There is little value added in "mastering", everything happens in the mixdown.

In general, I suggest top-down approach. First set your goal (A/B comparison helps), identify problems and fix them. There is no point in twiddling single instruments if they have no effect or actually negative effect on the mix.

[JD Young]

Hi Mkojo,

I’ve been mastering my own music for quite a while now. I spend a lot of time figuring out how to get the best results in my home studio. A month ago a released a short guide about it. You can download a chapter at www.homestudiomastering.com to see if it covers the info you’re looking for…

Although not everyone agrees, I think you can get great results mastering your music yourself. In my opinion, just by following an appropriate workflow and maybe changing your setup a bit, it’s surprising what you can achieve. And moreover, you’ll learn a lot and it’s fun!

Good luck, and send me a pm if you have any specific questions…

JD