mastering school

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Novocaine Records Engineer
Member Since: Feb 21, 2009

anyone know of any schools for mastering in the LA area, I'm currentyl going to Pasadena City College for my radio production certificate, and I'll have my SBE (sound board engineer) certificate in 13 weeks,
i work as an Audio/Video tech and wold like to learn how to master part time while i work, just to wider my job choices in the future, any ideas?

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Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Mar 14, 2009 08:41 pm

Just Googled up a bunch for you to check out.

www.google.com/search?q=A...lient=firefox-a


I'll say this though. I don't know any true mastering engineer that just simply went to school and started mastering. All that I know did time as interns for an engineer and worked as an engineer before venturing into that profession. I'm not trying to deter you at all but I would seriously think about getting good at simple mixing first before even thinking of venturing into a mastering type atmosphere.

MASSIVE Mastering, LLC
Member
Since: Aug 05, 2008


Mar 15, 2009 01:14 am

I can think of a few "mastering workshop" type things (I've worked a few myself), but I don't know of (and can't really imagine) a specifically "mastering" school.

You can drop $40k on "audio school" that'll touch on mastering for a week (mostly glancing off things that really aren't useful for "real world" mastering), or you can drop half that on a worthy monitoring rig and just study sound on your own.

If you take a bunch of courses, you're still going to need to invest in the gear later. If you invest in the gear and spend a few years studying the intricacies of the 2-buss and how that gear affects it - and maybe just a basic audio engineering course, I'd think you'd be ahead of the game in the end. There's no governing body or "certified mastering engineer" awards out there (although I've seen some interesting claims over the years).

And no surprise, I'm with Noize... If you're just getting started in audio, work on it for at least several years while intensively studying audio (not engineering audio - STUDYING audio) before you start looking into a rather specialized field that's relatively difficult to break into. As if audio engineering wasn't hard enough to break into...

Mastering isn't a "broaden your job choices" thing... It's a job that chooses you. Sometimes under protest for that matter.

Novocaine Records Engineer
Member
Since: Feb 21, 2009


Mar 16, 2009 12:46 am

gotcha, thanks
just throwing some ideas around as far as school goes

i've worked for a pro sound company since freshman year of highschool, sodering things in the shop at first then moved out to do actual jobs
i've been in bands since 7th grade, and love music, i got into recording when i fell in love with "sound" while working for that live sound company, it started as a great thing to learn, as to save money on studios for my band, but i really love it, and it brings great joy to my life and keeps me very busy, and away from the dealer, i got 13 months sobriety, off meth and heroin, and i figured i'm turnin my life around now, might as well focus and do the bst i can at it, ya know? so i've been going to school, only into my second year, and i try to do as much recording as a can, practice, practice, practice, right?

any well rounded tips, if you got any, areas to focus on in school? other ways to keep practicin? anyting would be appreciated

thanks

-Dan

Czar of Midi
Administrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002


Mar 16, 2009 04:58 pm

To focus on in school. Right now I would say work on mic position and placement fro different instruments in different rooms.

I suggest saving as much money as you can to later invest in better gear as you move on.

But really it is a matter of practicing with what you have and getting the best sound you can with it.

I know guys that can take a plastic PC mic and make it sound stellar. It is all a matter of putting the time into it and getting it to do the best job it can capturing the sound.

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