General Music Chat

This doesn't mean place it in a Library with bar code and forget about it.
I have to admit that I actually haven't been doing this, which perhaps is a little remiss of me, but things are what they are, or where until this point.
Last week I made reference to the LOUD, PROUD and OVER Compressed, almost mutilated music that comes from various, and sometimes very famous houses of musical heritage.
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NOTE: The reason I posted this was because I wanted to match up EQ's/RMS values/DB Values on the final mix.
I was actually really shocked!

Yep, I am a pretty big fan of using reference tracks for both final mix and mastering. Getting your song to sound sonically like a well recorded platinum recording is a good target. That is how all the big boys do it. "Sounds fantastic" is the goal and not necessarily just loud or hyper compressed.

I also prefer to have a fresh set of ears handle the mastering and not me. They will be true to the goals of the project without emotional attachment to specific parts of the song. I tend to become too attached to certain vocals or guitar lines and it clouds my judgement.

Yep, I am a pretty big fan of using reference tracks for both final mix and mastering. Getting your song to sound sonically like a well recorded platinum recording is a good target. That is how all the big boys do it. "Sounds fantastic" is the goal and not necessarily just loud or hyper compressed.

I also prefer to have a fresh set of ears handle the mastering and not me. They will be true to the goals of the project without emotional attachment to specific parts of the song. I tend to become too attached to certain vocals or guitar lines and it clouds my judgement.

Well said.

Hi there J7.
I use, (sometimes). HalBal for EQ's, this also allows for inserting a mastering reference track. I haven't I admit used that much either.
What I do find, and I'm supposing this is the general case. That there is no golden rule of thumb. But having seen images of so called clarity in terms of the finished product cannot see any peaks, points, in fact nothing, just a sound splodge

I'm not nuts, but like everyone have highs and lows, I thought and in fact at least proved to myself that in the old days, highs and lows were recorded as such with some headroom to allow for the high points which I think is a classical view, not the view of a HIP HOP artist for instance who just wants the bang of drums and to hear his own particular take on poetry in a fast passing car ......

No offense brothers, it's way things are going.

Yep, I am a pretty big fan of using reference tracks for both final mix and mastering. Getting your song to sound sonically like a well recorded platinum recording is a good target. That is how all the big boys do it. "Sounds fantastic" is the goal and not necessarily just loud or hyper compressed.

I also prefer to have a fresh set of ears handle the mastering and not me. They will be true to the goals of the project without emotional attachment to specific parts of the song. I tend to become too attached to certain vocals or guitar lines and it clouds my judgement.

Besides a reference track, what you need is good monitors and a well-treated room to listen.

Like YOD mentions, someone else's ears tolisten (and master) can make a lot of difference, too.
My recording/mixing room is way less than ideal, I know I can't hear the bass problems, but the guy who mastered my upcoming album (Splendourmastering) could and did some work on the sound that way.

Hi Mike, thank you.
Yep have those and plenty of good ears too. I'm starting to get know a lot of people in the classical music world where I am. I'm not too sure how many of course have worked in a studio? I'm no stranger to studio work at all though having been drafted in many times in the past.
My setup is less than ideal too, Vocals are the biggest pain in the neck.
I was just surprised that an industry standard didn't in fact help me one iota!

I remember a singer from one famous band saying that engineers hated them going into the mixing bay, they liked to play around with knobs and sliders
Defining the best recording I'm thinking will always be subjective, hence my post and questions on this.
Glad you got what you wanted from you guy. Best wishes.
Chippy

Besides a reference track, what you need is good monitors and a well-treated room to listen.

Like YOD mentions, someone else's ears to listen (and master) can make a lot of difference, too.
My recording/mixing room is way less than ideal, I know I can't hear the bass problems, but the guy who mastered my upcoming album (Splendourmastering) could and did some work on the sound that way.