Five Common Mastering Mistakes That You Must Avoid

Mastering is a special practice that demands human expertise no matter how advanced and expensive your equipment and tools are


Contemporary professional mastering websites are powerful and highly effective too. Take advantage of these online resources and be sure to avoid the following mistakes.

1) Self-mastering a project is not recommended

When you hear your tracks repeatedly, over-familiarity pushes you to ignore the mistakes. You need a fresh perspective and therefore you need a third-person, preferably an expert to master your tracks. Someone who is hearing the music for the first time holds a better chance of recognizing the subtlest aspects and fixing the mistakes for optimal results.

2) Has the mid-range area been treated carefully?

Careless handling of the midrange EQ during audio mastering can mess up with the whole work easily. More than often, EQing while mastering is focused upon the extremes and there is very subtle dip in the mids. This approach is fine but must not be repeated too often. The mid-range of a song must be heavy enough to bring out the richness of the harmonics and ultimately offer a more pleasant experience.

3) Ask about the compressors for mixing

Talk to your mastering engineer about the compressors used for mixing. Multi-band compressors are the ideal choice as they make the entire process flexible, easy and transparent. The multiple bands of the compressor must be treated with different settings to ensure that there are mild shifts in frequency and the different contours of the musical arrangement are justified. Music mastering services with multi-band compressor must be chosen as this avoids the use of more complex techniques like automating a static EQ.

4) Mastering is more than commercializing music

While amateurs focus on turning the track into a commercially attractive one primarily, in fact there is more to it. The mastering process is aimed at giving the track a final check and detecting all technical flaws. From balancing the track from left to right to centring all elements appropriately, mastering is your final chance to look over the track and set it right. If you are opting for a reliable online mastering service, then you are in safe hands.

5) Mastered track must fit into a range

When you listen to mastered songs, each track will vary from one another drastically and yet listening to them one after the other will offer a good experience. For instance, one track may be too thick and smooth while another one may be thin but punchy. It is the duty of the mastering engineer to ensure that despite the tonal differences all songs fall within the norm. Keeping a set of reference tracks can help the musician to pitch against the best.

The author is working as a technical services manager in a reputed online mastering studio. He loves blogging & researching on latest trends in the music mastering service. Visit https://www.solamastering.com/ to know more.

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