Aug 13, 2008 04:59 pm Quote:
What do you look for to check and see if you have a good master
There's a big (BIG) difference between "a good master" and "a good sounding master. The two are in no way related, although they're one and the same.
Assuming you're talking about a good sounding master - That's it. You listen to it and see if it sounds the way you want. If it does on one system and not on another, it's not translating well - usually due to poor acoustics, inaccurate monitoring, lack of listening skill, or a combination of the three.
Quote:
what's wrong
It doesn't sound right. That's what's wrong.
The mixing engineer should produce a recording that translates fairly well on its own. The mastering engineer should produce a collection of recordings that translate well (hopefully even better) as a project, holistically.
I hate to say "blame your mastering engineer" but it's probably his fault. If that's you, blame your mixing engineer. If that's you, then the recording doesn't actually sound the way you think it sounds - Or your system isn't accurate enough to give you the big picture.