liquidair

Thanks for the support guys. I do support DIY mastering too. Not that I think by any means that I or anyone can do a job on par with the big guys from the home studio, but many times it's the only option. There's a reason the big guys use $30,000 speakers. There's a reason mastering is done in a special room and have equipment that is beyond even the best studio stuff (sometimes). And...there's a reason why Chuck Norris jokes are so funny.

Hated (yes, I know I know it's death), I don't know where you got your info from, but that is not the technique they teach in schools and books. I was lucky enough to be at Full Sail (before they started rushing people through just to keep the money flowing) and had Bob Katz actually come and talk to us about mastering. For one, there is no method. None. The method used to master a song is solely based on the strengths and weaknesses of the song. Questions like, "are the important dynamics empathized enough? Does a certain instrument need help? How's the sprectral image? Will sibilance be an issue for a broadcast?", all determine what should be used and where. Eq before or after compression will have drastically different effects, even when both have the same settings. Therefore, giving a set method just about those two (possible, but not manditory) processes is just plain wrong in itself. Not to mention, limiting, de-essing, dynamic equalization, stereo imaging...throw those all into the mix and a "method" becomes a scary thing. Besides, method implies you are fixed into one thought process, one solution, and if you or anyone settle into that, you will not be able to adapt and improve your skills after a while. Here's the deal. I don't doubt that your method may sound good on your system but there's a big problem that I notice happens to people all the time. I saw other posts of yours, not unlike some of the others here, and I noticed that your choices of gear where the cheapest you can get. If you are using Magix software and looking at a $30 toy drum machine, then you also are probably using your computer's stock soundcard and either headphones to monitor, or your computer speakers. Even if you are at a slight upgrade, say an SoundBlaster soundcard and some M-audio Monitors, you will still have the same problem. The problem is a quality fog that blankets your sound. This phenomenon is what causes people to say that a POD sounds just as good as a real amp, that Behringer effects sound better than Eventide and a Mackie preamp is not that far off from a Neve preamp. On their systems, they are right...I think most people would agree if they were there and listening. But that's only because the quality of the monitors, converters, room, etc. mask the "true" sound. The more the quality of the gear you get increases, the more you will hear the short comings of the gear that was just as good. It's happened to me too, but that's how I know. Your mastering method is victim to the same forces at work here, which is why an entire "forum of losers" is jumping all over you. And that is probably why you are so hot about this issue. "I mastered my songs like this, it sounds good, and an entire forum says I'm wrong. They must all be fools". The sad thing is man, is you've been fooled by your own gear. A-str8's stuff sounds very good on my system. The reason his sounds bad on yours is due to the fact that like all home studios, the imperfections in our rooms and gear makes us mix and master to sound good on our own systems, overcoming those imperfections. On your speakers, if you hear mud it's because your system is boosting nasty frequencies, and when you mix you mix to notch those frequencies out. I'm sorry, but you have been fooling yourself. When everyone disagrees with you, the whole world isn't {censored}ed. It's usually you.

offramp, Listen in six months we will see not only that Hated or Death has kick ass sales but the respected record company that signed him insuring sales far beyond what any of the members of this forum have accomplished or hope to in their lifetime, will let this guy master his own record cause he knows the 'technique'. We look forward to seeing your name Htaed on that credit as well.

oooh...I totally missed that. Death is even scarier.

I don't know if anyone has pointed out that htaed is a simple anagram for hated. Sounds like someone seriously gets off on the fact that he can make a forum react like we have. But come on man, you have not been building 15 band shelving Eq's for 15 years, and amps and guitars and pedals like you said. If you have that kind of tech knowledge, then you would clearly not be looking at cheap drum pads to make your demo. You would either build it yourself or be able to buy something substantial. Techs get paid good money. And not to mention, when you were testing you 15 band 'shelving' Eq on the bench, you would clearly see that when you boost 1Khz by 3dB, that everything up to 20Khz was also boosted by 3dB. That's what a shelving EQ is, it creates a "shelf" above or below the frequency boosted or cut. But why would you stop at 15 bands, why not 31 bands of awesome shelving Eq? You should also know that you don't want to flatten out a song when mastering. The only time you want flat is when you are monitoring so you can hear the spectral dynamics that make a mix what it is. Take a look at any respectable Cd you like on a spectrum analyser, it's not flat. Far from it. If it was, it would sound like crap. Dude, it's great that you can hide behind an anonymous name on the internet and have some perverse fun. But if you are going to have all these record sales, then why are you wasting your time on a forum? That is the last thing I would be doing. I would spend my time perfecting my art, my debut CD which the band name you haven't specified so we can all take note and be humbled by your guitar playing and all your custom equipment. Face it, you are out of school for the summer which is why you have all this time on your hands. Go out and do something with your life man, this may be the only one we get. So I find it an incredible waste to be on a forum not trying to help or learn, just starting a roose so you can soak up any energy you can get from another human being, whether it's positive or negative. I'm sorry that you don't get enough from friends and family, it's unfortunate. But you can change all that. Go see the world while you are here, get lost in your music and hobbies and bond with other humans. No sense wasting it here.