Should I use Masterbuss Processing (Compression, mainly) at all??

[jamcat]

mastering engineers should thing how to make final mix more interesting,experimenting,learning so on for years - i guess from engineer to engineer difference will be from Earth to The Moon.

I would stay far away from that mastering engineer! I’m the artist and they are mastering my art, not theirs.

I would like to think that the final product should be more or less the same from any experienced mastering engineer.

[oliseo]

As with most questions in life, the answer is;

“It depends”

Making music is no different than making food. If your recipe needs salt, add salt. If it needs spices, add spices.

Take chili con carne for example, there are raging debates with regards to do you add beans or not. Some people say not to add tomatoes even.

But if you want to add beans, tomatoes, mushrooms, and salt, you go right ahead.

Cook for your own tastes, and consider it a blessing if other people enjoy your food.

It’s worthwhile considering who your audience is, and what their needs are.

If you want to sell as many Big Macks as possible, then you’re going to need a heck tonne of processions, because people EXPECT it to taste a certain way.

So take a look at what genre of music you’re making, and work out what customers expect it to ‘taste’ like. If the market expects salt, add salt.

I hope this helps.

[kritikon]

However, if they are distributing to streaming services, they are doing themselves a disservice, because they’re getting turned down to -14 LUFS. This is where having a professional who knows what they’re doing helps.

Quite wrong there. I see no evidence whatsoever that the -14LUFS requirement on platforms has changed heavy dynamics processing one jot. Last time I looked with any depth into it, the professional and mastered tracks on e.g. YT were just as heavily squashed as they ever were. All that happened is they were normalised down. And almost the entire genre of electronic dance actively chose to continue (and even increase the level of limiting) and accept down-normalising as collateral damage. In fact go and have a look and you'll very quickly see that most of those tracks from the names are professionally mastered and at excruciating high levels, knowingly done so by professionals who know what they're doing and take money for it. Actually, choosing to swim against the tide and process less heavily is probably going to do them more harm because their tracks sound weak compared to the sausages. Loudness IS everything in a multitude of genres. Professionals are aiding and abetting all the way.

[jamcat]

When they’re turned down, they don’t sound loud, they just sound dull.

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

mastering engineers should thing how to make final mix more interesting,experimenting,learning so on for years - i guess from engineer to engineer difference will be from Earth to The Moon.

I would stay far away from that mastering engineer! I’m the artist and they are mastering my art, not theirs.

I would like to think that the final product should be more or less the same from any experienced mastering engineer.

Agree but experienced mastering engineer should be able to find and 'pump' dynamics and sweetness of your mix the way you couldn't,otherwise entire mythology of mastering magic seems like cheap fraud

[oliseo]

When they’re turned down, they don’t sound loud, they just sound dull.

This guy is on to something...

I'm going to break from my analogies for a moment, and say how things are.

To the OP, when you're doing your mix, do you listen to it at different volumes. Do you listen to it in Mono? Do you listen to it on headphones? Do you listen to it on an iPad. Do you listen to it on a car stereo. How about a cheap phones loudspeaker.

All of which, will show you where your mix is wrong. For various reasons. Granted, there is only so much you can do to improve your mix, and you have to balance them all.

But then, that is the art of mixing. Balance. You get that right, you'll know exactly how to master. It's mainly EQ and gain. And that's entirely dependent on the other elements of your track.

Remember, the human ear can distinguish at most 3/4 different elements. 2 at most, usually. Half the time, we focus on but one. Usually the lyrics. Everything else, is the foundation.

When the lyrics cease, increase the gain to whatever you want in focus. Then pull that back when you want something else in focus. Like actors on a stage.

You can't talk over each other, as the audience won't hear. that's the essence of mastering. But your script, is the art of the mix. And your dialogue is the composition. If you're having real difficulty mastering, or even mixing. Consider your composition.

If you choice the right instruments/patches that compliment each other, you'll have done 90% of your mix. No EQ needed. Apart from the drums. But those are just fine cuts.

My recommendation is you continue working on your mixes. When you get that right, you'll understand mastering, even if you yourself cannot do it just yet.

[oliseo]

Okay. I didn't break from my analogies. But it's a good skill to have. If you're struggling to understand something, it's often very useful to find an analogy that fits. Because in doing so, it will show you clearly where you're going wrong. Only because you took a few steps back from the problem to work out the analogy in the first place.

I'll shut up now. You do you, and do it the best you can.

[oliseo]

Okay. I didn't break from my analogies. But it's a good skill to have. If you're struggling to understand something, it's often very useful to find an analogy that fits. Because in doing so, it will show you clearly where you're going wrong. Only because you took a few steps back from the problem to work out the analogy in the first place.

I'll shut up now. You do you, and do it the best you can.

[imrae]

I assume that the ultra-loud stuff isn't aimed at streaming platforms, but at incompetent DJs who don't level-match.

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

i guess what i do as mastering now is the same mess i did 10 years ago when start dealing with sound design,but for sure mastering stage is equally important for final sound the same way well made sounds matters for the mix.
Last 4-5 experiments i did as my own mastering on a track had totally different results as sound - super loud,super dull,melodic and sweet,but weak in low segment so on.
Some people say it's about better mixing,but i thing final touch is equal to preparing tasty food without salt - it will always miss something,just because human reception of sweet,salty or bitterly are the same everywhere.
Same with the sound - there is sweet spots in sonic spectrum you need to find and develop further and some unpleasant you need to remove.
Techniques and tools which will allow you to do this better is what i don't know well yet
Go through first 2023 weekend with less bad habits like alcohol
Cheers