My new song completed - need mastering?
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Posted on Feb 18, 2004 04:32 pm
Tomson
Member Since: Feb 18, 2004
I have just start reading about mastering and have been thinking of getting Ozone 3.
Do you think it would do a lot on the music I'm working on? I've downloaded demo version, have tried some presets, but I gues it takes a lot of time to make a good master copy.
I've been working on this song just for fun and have been wondering, should I do the mastering for induvidual instruments and the vocals and then the over all mastering or how is it done.
Which presets should I use when mastering instruments, which mastering vocals, and which for over all mastering?
I will post links for this song I'm working on, one just mixed verison, and the other "mastered" version, If I can call it that way
Tnx for all the tips and advices!
www2.arnes.si/~ssljglbl6/MyMusic/JanDemo.mp3
www2.arnes.si/~ssljglbl6/MyM...emoMastered.mp3
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Feb 18, 2004 05:13 pm Well, Mastering is actually anything that you do to your mix after it is mixed down to a two-track stereo file. So, no, you don't "master" separate instruments, you mix seperate instruments. I sometimes do use some of the effects in Ozone such as the EQ, compression, and excitation on separate instruments, but that really taxes your computer CPU, and the effects in Ozone are more geared to mastering an entire mix. Ozone 3 is a GREAT plug-in (which I own, along with many others here), but the presets it offers are only starting points. If you want your mix to sound good you're going to have to tweak them to fit your song. I personally never use the presets, although I do make my own to act as starting points for mastering my other songs. I would strongly recommned you download the Ozone Mastering Guide from Izotope.com. It will answer alot of your questions and really teach you a lot about where to start. I'm going to check out your song, and, if you'd like, I could try mastering it myself with Ozone and sending it back to you if you'd like to hear what Ozone can do. I'm not the greatest at mastering, but I'm always looking for stuff to work on to improve :)
Anyways, good luck-- I hope I've clarified some things for you!
-Porp
Feb 18, 2004 05:15 pm Hmmm... The links don't seem to be working, Tomson.
TomsonMember
Since: Feb 18, 2004
Feb 18, 2004 06:17 pm Tnx, your post really helped understanding few things.
I would really like you to do some mastering on my song, so I would really hear, what the mastering / Ozone can do to a mixed song.
Hmm... It seems something is realy wrong with the links. I'll try to fix them.
Jup, I UL the files in the wrong DIR, the two were the same.
Here are the fixed links:
The song I'm working on now:
www2.arnes.si/~ssljglbl6/MyMusic/JanDemo.mp3
Few songs I've done last year:
www2.arnes.si/~ssljglbl6/MyMusic/EntranceFinal.mp3
www2.arnes.si/~ssljglbl6/MyMusic/PileKontrabas.mp3
I really like this one I wrote last year:
www2.arnes.si/~ssljglbl6/MyMusic/JazzGuy.mp3
It is instrumental, so I'm curious, should be mastering done too on this song, or becouse there are no vocals it doesn't have to be done?
You can choose whichever you like to make mastering.
And tnx again for your help!
cooloFrisco's Most UnderratedMember
Since: Jan 28, 2003
Feb 18, 2004 07:16 pm Just a quick note, mastering is usually done to all types of music, not just songs with vocals. Mastering usually helps give your tracks that "finished" sound.
TomsonMember
Since: Feb 18, 2004
Feb 19, 2004 03:04 am I see ... So if I have different songs, should the mastering be the same for all of them to get the same sound, or does the mastering differ from song to song?
TomsonMember
Since: Feb 18, 2004
Feb 19, 2004 03:29 am Is Ozone 3 all I need for mastering or are there other tools which are needed too?
Feb 19, 2004 04:48 am Mastering is an art, each song is different. You don't want them all to sound the same, you want them to sound like they belong on the same album...very different thing. Ozone 3 is a cool mastering effects plugin, I have used and still do from time to time, but, if the tracking/mixing engineer did a good job, many time the only tool I need is Har-Bal for the final step of harmonically balancing the sound so it sounds it's best in any type of speaker set up, and maybe a warmer like Magneto or PSP Vintage Warmer.
I do A LOT of mastering, and those last two or three mentioned are by far my main tools.
Feb 19, 2004 09:12 am Okay, Tomson, I'll try one of 'em out.
TomsonMember
Since: Feb 18, 2004
Feb 19, 2004 09:38 am Ok, Tnx. I'm really hardly waiting to see the result! :)
Oh, and don't pay too much attention to vocals, 'couse "JanDemo" is a parody song to a balad singer here in SLovenia, so it must sound that way. :)
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Feb 19, 2004 06:39 pm I gave a listen to your tunes. Very good stuff, I like the JazzGuy and Entrance Final. They are all very well done though. Is this with a full band or on your own? It sounds as if you have doen a very good job getting them mixed well, everything is in its place and the sound is great.
olddogMember
Since: Jul 02, 2003
Feb 19, 2004 09:36 pm To tell ya the truth all your songs sound pretty dang good as is, I don't know that Ozone would do that much for them.
Grate job.
Dan
TomsonMember
Since: Feb 18, 2004
Feb 20, 2004 03:38 am Really? :) well, tnx. I didn't realize what the quality is, couse all the stuff I did, I did it for my selve. So no one, except my friends never gave me an opinion on them. So, tnx a lot.
All the songs, except JanDemo were done by Roland JV1080 modul and with Shure SM58 mic, composed and recorder at my home on pc.
I'm really opened for any suggestions or critics, so If you have any more comments, pls, bring them out. :)
I'm thinking for over some time now, to maybe start composing commercial (games, internet sites, animations ...)
Do you think the quality of composing and sounding is good enough to go in the bussines?
Feb 20, 2004 11:12 am My understanding of mastering is this. When you play a mastered track on the radio, with all the compression the DJ or the engineer is giving the audio it will sound clean, but the un mastered track will sound all whompy and well.. plain old bad. If your tracks are not mastered, theres no way they would be "good enough to go into the biz", in my opinion. i didnt even listen to the songs, those are just my 2 sence on mastering. its worth the couple extra hundred if your trying to make your money off the recordings. hope all works out for you!
TomsonMember
Since: Feb 18, 2004
Feb 20, 2004 11:53 am I see ...
Well, yesterday I tried mastering every individual track, after 6hours I realized it did't make almost any difference. Maybe this digital (virtual - synth) instruments dont need any special work or just I don't know how to do them yet.
If you have a few minutes, I would really apriciate if you could listen to a song or two, maybe JazzGuy or Entrance and tell me what do you think. Are there things that would really need some more attention or is the overall impression good.
Feb 20, 2004 11:54 am That is a very minimal definition of what mastering is. Bottom line is this, if you don't know what it is, pay somebody to do it for you. It is a complex and multi-faceted task that really should be done to any recording anyone plans on selling.
Feb 20, 2004 12:23 pm After lisening to parts of three of the four, I can say, based on the mp3's that you have done a decent production job. Over the weekend I am going to put them thru some frequency analysis' and see how they come out. Typical more electronic music can get by with less work becasue the samples being used I hopefully produced well enuf that the music made with them is decent as well. However, I can still hear that some mastering can be used to make the sound better from song to song. Tho each ones may stand up on it's own, if they don't flow together sonically it can make a poor full CD.
Feb 20, 2004 01:03 pm Yeah, I did some work on JanDemo, but I found that your stuff, being made how it is, and the style that it is, dosen't tend to need much by way of harmonic excitation, compression, stereo widening, or anything of the sort. A touch of room reverb and maximization (not over the top) helped it out, along with a bit of tape saturation, but the overall EQ (harmonic) balance is already very good. As dB said, the songs are good by themselves, so I would think the only thing that would need to be done is to make them sound good relative to each other (IF you're planning on making an album out of them, which you may not be planning on doing in the first place.) And as I said before, a good maximizing job and some small tweaks. I hope that clears some stuff up for you.
TomsonMember
Since: Feb 18, 2004
Feb 20, 2004 03:57 pm I decided to work on vocals some more with JanDemo, so I finnaly got them to sound right (I think) :) So now, I just have to some more mixing with the instrumental part, 'couse I'm not satisfied with it, then I'll mix everything down and try to play a little with Ozone3. Then I'm gonna put the new version up, 'couse I would like you to tell me if I made a difference. (in a good way) :)
And thank you all, somehow you filled me with enthusiasm.
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Feb 20, 2004 07:50 pm That is a nice differance. The vocal seems to sit much better in the mix now. The sound you got for an mp3 is very good. the low end is very present and the backing vocals are very present as well without distracting the mix and they sound much more pleasant as well. the mix is very bright without goin over the edge.
TomsonMember
Since: Feb 18, 2004
Feb 21, 2004 03:58 am Well tnx, I did my best. It took me a lot of time, 'couse I wasn't completly shure what I was looking for, but I got some expiriences out of it, so it was worth it! :)
