There is a step past the mix of your project that really should be done. It’s called audio mastering.

What is it?

Quoting from a great article at Wikipedia, some of the things a mastering engineer can do to a sound recording include:

• Transferring the recorded audio tracks into the Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) (optional).
• Sequence the separate songs or tracks (the spaces in between) as they will appear on the final product (for example, an audio CD).
• Process or “sweeten” audio to maximize the sound quality for its particular medium.
• Transfer the audio to the final master format (i.e., Red Book-compatible audio CD or a CD-ROM data, half-inch reel tape, PCM 1630 U-matic tape, etc.).
• Editing minor flaws
• Applying noise reduction to eliminate clicks, dropouts, hum and hiss
• Adjusting stereo width
• Adding ambience
• Equalize audio across tracks
• Adjust volume
• Dynamic range expansion or compression
• Peak limit

What difference does audio mastering make?

I can explain it best by using a current commercial for “Claritin” allergy medication. They show a blurry screen and then focus it up till the images are perfectly sharp and clear, representing “Claritin clear” of allergy symptoms. When you properly master a recording, the results should sound like a much bigger “sonic envelope” of sound. The mastering engineer can tweak the mixed audio until the comparision would leave you never wanting anything other than a mastered mix ever again.

I just had my pop client Emil Bishaw’s project mastered at Masterfonics by Tommy Dorsey.  After hearing the difference in the sound between the final mix and the mastered final mix, Emil’s financial investor is absolutely thrilled that we took this last step.  Tommy Dorsey masters projects for some of the biggest artists and major labels in the world. He and other mastering engineers at this level of expertise and experience are expensive. (At the moment, his mastering fee is $250 per song) If you can’t afford it ask your producer or engineer to advise you on cheaper ways to get this done. If you want to hear the difference, get someone to play you the before and after. It is amazing.

Note of Clarification: People get mixed up about this word “master” which can refer to several completely different things:

• Audio Mastering: Explained in this post, the clarifying and maximizing processing done to a final mix.

• Master scale: This is a recording rate  set for musicians and singers through the musicians’ union (AFof M)  and the singer’s union (AFTRA).

• Master recording: This is the final audio file of the completely processed (mixed and mastered) original recording that can be used for duplication.