Audio Mastering Techniques

Explore essential mastering concepts and techniques used by experienced audio engineers to create a cohesive album from a set of mixed tracks.

Introduction

• Welcome

1. What Is Mastering?

• Introducing mastering
• The history of audio mastering
• Mastering professionally versus doing it yourself

2. Prepping Your Tracks for Mastering

• Mixing with mastering in mind
• Mastering session documentation
• Printing alternative mixes

3. Monitoring for Mastering

• Evaluating your listening environment
• Beginning with the basic listening technique
• Deciding between monitors and headphones

4. Tools for Mastering

• Overview of mastering tools
• Exploring the dynamic ranges of different music genres
• Understanding compression
• Understanding limiting
• Understanding equalization (EQ)
• Using a de-esser
• Metering while mastering
• Exploring the mastering signal path
• Listening in your digital audio workstation (DAW) using the A/B method

5. The Mechanics of Mastering

• Making a loud master
• Compression tips and tricks
• Achieving competitive level
• Understanding the pitfalls of hypercompression
• Balancing frequencies
• Reducing sibilance with a de-esser
• Inserting fades
• Eliminating noise and distortion
• Using multiband limiting
• Adjusting the stereo image
• Bringing out specific elements in a mix

6. Mastering for CD

• Using dither
• Using the appropriate workstation
• Adjusting the spreads
• Using International Standard Recording Codes (ISRC)
• Using Universal Product Codes (UPC)
• Creating CD-text discs
• Delivering or receiving a DDP master

7. Mastering for Online Content

• Encoding using the MP3 format
• Understanding MP3 metadata
• Creating a great-sounding MP3
• Generating a FLAC file
• Submitting music to online stores and services
• Submitting music to online song databases

8. Mastering for iTunes

• Understanding AAC, the iTunes file format
• Mastering for iTunes tips and tricks
• The Mastered for iTunes format
• The Mastered for iTunes tool package
• Using the iTunes Plus tools: iTunes Droplet
• Using the Mastered for iTunes Audio To WAVE Droplet
• Using the Mastered for iTunes AURoundTripAAC Audio Unit tool
• Using The Mastered for iTunes tools Test Pressing Feature

9. High-Resolution Mastering

• Mastering for high resolution
• Mastering for television

10. Archiving the Master

• Delivering the master to the replicator
• Archiving the project

Conclusion

• Next steps