Audio mastering is perhaps one of the most important and the most difficult elements of music production. If you want to master from home, what you are going to need is a really good audio mastering software.
Audio mastering is often mistaken for mixing - it'not, and it is a completely separate process. So what is it you may ask?
It is the audio step that comes just before the pressing of a CD, and most professionals would say it is a vital step in creating an awesome CD. So, after you have finished recording and mixing your songs, you need to master them.
Mastering involves the shaping, sculpting, equalizing and compression of your final tracks. It is vital because it is what creates the clarity, volume and intensity of your finished songs. Without it, your songs just don't have that same professional sound.
Until recently, mastering was mostly done in the studio by a mastering professional, but now, with great advances in technology you can get great audio mastering software and you can master your tracks yourself more affordably from home, giving you access to that same great professional sound!
Mastering is not an easy process. It can be pretty tricky and takes a whole separate set of skills to making the actual music. But this doesn't mean only experts should do the mastering. With all the great online audio mastering software available, it would be silly not to try it yourself!
Audio mastering software not only tightens up your recently studio recorded tracks but it can also do wonders for tracks that you might have recorded in a live gig recording. You could just copy the recording and sell that, but mastering the track gives a much better listening experience and will make your homemade track sound much more professional.
When you are using audio mastering software, you have to make sure that you go through the following steps to get your track to a professional standard.
1. Volume level maximization
2. Balance frequencies
3. Reduce any unnecessary noise
4. Encoding
5. Re-check for any errors.
Any audio mastering software you choose should take you through the above steps, but how easy these steps are will depend on the design of the user interface. Most audio mastering software are specialized editing audio programs, which offer great navigation so that you can zoom right in on wave forms and draw out any clicks.
It depends on how demanding the tracks you want to master are, or how tight you want our mastering to be. Some mastering can be done using conventional multi-track beat recording programs.
And even though these programs don't do all the tricks that the pro software does do, they can do some little things that the pros can't... so it really depends on what you want. You need to do your research on the audio mastering software so that you get the program that is in your budget and really does everything you require of it.
The great thing about audio mastering software is that you get a chance to practice and to learn about the mastering process. You might not always do your own mastering, but start out learning the skills that will help you to understand your own music composition better.
And who knows you might find a hidden talent and another money making venture within your own creative skill base!
Audio mastering is often mistaken for mixing - it's not, and it is a completely separate process. So what is it you may ask?
It is the audio step that comes just before the pressing of a CD, and most professionals would say it is a vital step in creating an awesome CD. So, after you have finished recording and mixing your songs, you need to master them.
Mastering involves the shaping, sculpting, equalizing and compression of your final tracks. It is vital because it is what creates the clarity, volume and intensity of your finished songs. Without it, your songs just don't have that same professional sound.
Until recently, mastering was mostly done in the studio by a mastering professional, but now, with great advances in technology you can get great audio mastering software and you can master your tracks yourself more affordably from home, giving you access to that same great professional sound!
Mastering is not an easy process. It can be pretty tricky and takes a whole separate set of skills to making the actual music. But this doesn't mean only experts should do the mastering. With all the great online audio mastering software available, it would be silly not to try it yourself!
Audio mastering software not only tightens up your recently studio recorded tracks but it can also do wonders for tracks that you might have recorded in a live gig recording. You could just copy the recording and sell that, but mastering the track gives a much better listening experience and will make your homemade track sound much more professional.
When you are using audio mastering software, you have to make sure that you go through the following steps to get your track to a professional standard.
1. Volume level maximization
2. Balance frequencies
3. Reduce any unnecessary noise
4. Encoding
5. Re-check for any errors.
Any audio mastering software you choose should take you through the above steps, but how easy these steps are will depend on the design of the user interface. Most audio mastering software are specialized editing audio programs, which offer great navigation so that you can zoom right in on wave forms and draw out any clicks.
It depends on how demanding the tracks you want to master are, or how tight you want our mastering to be. Some mastering can be done using conventional multi-track beat recording programs.
And even though these programs don't do all the tricks that the pro software does do, they can do some little things that the pros can't... so it really depends on what you want. You need to do your research on the audio mastering software so that you get the program that is in your budget and really does everything you require of it.
The great thing about audio mastering software is that you get a chance to practice and to learn about the mastering process. You might not always do your own mastering, but start out learning the skills that will help you to understand your own music composition better.
And who knows you might find a hidden talent and another money making venture within your own creative skill base!
Dr Drum Beat Maker - I recommend this software that creates beats automatically.
K-D Studio - That's the electric guitar course that I'm teaching in Hong Kong.
