|
|
|
|
I've done a ton of MIDI tracks, both on to tape and virtual (live to 2 track). In those cases, we'd record some things to multitrack and some would be saved till the mix. The advantages to recording to multitrack are: 1. If you have a limited number of outboard processing gear, it enables you to, say, compress bass tracks to tape freeing up those compressors for the mixdown. 2. Tracks on tape frees up those synths for different patches later. Your bass synth might have some other cool sound that wouldn't be available if not for tape. 3. In the case of analog, some tape compression, the fat bottom, and the silky top end gives many synths and samplers a sweet sound, almost like adding a processor. Just watch the headroom - things with sharp transients or lots of highs should be less hot to tape to keep a clean open sound. 4. Allows eq-to-tape (my preference over cutting tracks "flat" to tape) which means you have twice the eq power - once to tape - once at mixdown... The advantages to not going to multitrack are: 1. No tape hiss or track-to-track crosstalk if you're using analog - no digital conversion loss (A-D and D-A) if using digital - particularly if using older 16 and 20 bit ADATS. 2. Saves analog tracks for more vocals or live instruments. 3. Saves having to buy that extra ADAT machine... oh, and can save tape too... 4. Eq'ing live tracks becomes more specific and tailored to the needs of the mix - plus you're going through less electronics which can mean a cleaner, more immediate sound right to the mix. Since there are advantages to both methods, you can just pick which works best for the sound, the instrumentation, or the production gear available. I have been avoiding the hard disk recording plunge. My straight to 2-track mixes sounded fine to me. A recording engineer friend of mine thinks my mixes will benefit from the additional gain and signal processing of multitrack recording. "Gain" as in benefit? The editing possibilities on a hard disc system are endless.... so are the hours you can spend learning it all... Knowing hard disc recording techniques means you're a part of the future, but have a comfortable chair.... you'll also be a part of crashes, clocking, bit rates, digital media, file housekeeping... a mouse will live in your hand... Remember to balance your computer genius skills with your baseline musical talent. If you haven't been crying for "plugin-type" effects, I'd really weigh what you'll get for the money - real analog processors can be affordable too, and when used with your real-time synths, they can be FAT. Plug-ins recalculate the digital signal and generally sound thinner when put neck-and-neck with real tubes and transistors. Q) What is the primary role of a mastering engineer? -Ed To use recording-engineering and subjective listening techniques to make all final enhancements to music prior to manufacturing. 2.) What tasks does the mastering engineer attend to? Listening to the client's music, processing it as deemed necessary, making a reference master that the client can evaluate, completing any final steps, making coffee or tea, seeing that everybody has a good time... 3.) What is the affect of finely mastered music on the overall sound? Anywhere from no change at all to dramatic night-and-day differences! The goal is to achieve a smooth, clear, full, punchy, robust and appropriate level-adjusted cd that sounds excellent on any system. 4.) Why are mastering engineers important? The final objective "ears" bring a new level of sonic quality to the music. Plus many mastering engineers are older, more experienced, more knowledgeable professionals. The additional perspective rounds out the production and brings it to a new level in some cases. 5.) Is there a strong market for highly trained mastering engineers? Absolutely. 6.) How much (in your opinion) does the average mastering engineer make? There is no average. 7.) What are some of the downfalls related to the mastering engineer occupation? Stress to ears if overbooked. 8.) Where do most mastering engineers work? In mastering studios. 9.) Is the average mastering studio expensive? How much would it cost to create one? Again, there is no average. Mastering can be done on a $1500 computer, although not with the greatest results in my opinion. Million dollar studios are available, so imagine everything in between. Keep in mind that a top studio will have two of everything, so in case one piece of gear needs repair, another is ready to pop into place. So if you were to spend $75,000 for the gear, you'd actually need $150,000 to be on line at all times. 10.) What is the affect of computer technology on traditional mastering? It gives us the ability to do special effects, tempo changes, noise removal, and powerful editing above and beyond the traditional methods. However when analog gear isn't present, for the majority of the tone and dynamics shaping, computer "mastering" program can restrict the sound if not used carefully. 11.) What kind of educational background is required for a mastering engineer? Depends on how good of a mastering engineer you're talking about. Most great engineers have over 25 years of experience, which of course is the best teacher. What helps is a musical education, electronics theory and repair, live sound experience, computer (PC and Mac) and some acoustics theory. However, young up-starting engineers must use a low price, word of mouth, and lots of advertising to reach clients regardless of their education. Q) I'm doing a survey - I am a pathetic college student; please pity me and read this -Blake Do you have a degree in your field? Not a traditional one, I have a couple certificates for educational study programs I've attended, but the Ph.D. is yet to arrive. Has having or not having a degree affected your self-perceived success? Self-perceived would be different than the perception of other. I would say it would have been beneficial to me to have a business degree, but the lack of a recording arts degree has not been an issue. Besides, self-perceived success is most accurate when it isn't influenced from things "outside of ourselves" like degrees. Inner success comes from a knowing of who we are, regardless of any outside circumstances - and usually the more successful we feel on the inside, the more success we create on the outside. What intangibles do you boast as an engineer? I'm over-sexed? What skills outside of technology should any aspiring engineer boast? Honesty, integrity, willingness to ensure the client's satisfaction, a willingness to always grow one's relationship skills (business and personal), a sense of humor, a willingness to let go of the need to be right, a passion for quality, a commitment to release victim-mentality and assumptive thinking, and a philosophy of always trying to exceed the expectations of co-workers and customers at every encounter. I appreciate any amount of feed back you could give me First of all, stop promoting yourself as a pitiful "pathetic college student" because your words tend to play out in real life. You might want to click here and then click on the links on that page, particularly the "Result Language" link. Q) I'm 18, and I'm a singer/performer. I've been doin' biz since I was 6. And I have lots of songs. I know that I've got a place here in the Biz, cuz God gave me talents to reach to ppl. Plz do help me out in the this biz... All I need is exposure..... That's all. Plz do reply to my email. ps: pls reply... thanks alot... - Chester Actually, it takes more than exposure. For starters, if you're going to reach a professional management team, entertainment lawyer or promotional agent who will be absolutely ecstatic about promoting and representing your music, performance skills, commitment to excellence, writing abilities, etc., you may want to consider using a spell checker for your emails. Communicating in a professional and businesslike manner is much more attractive than "street" abbreviations. Be the best of the best in EVERY moment. Knowing less, expressing less, demonstrating less isn't what being the best is about. If you want to fly with the eagles, be one. Raise your own levels of excellence. Check my links page for an abundance of resources. Q) I have a project studio in my basement but there is a lack of bottom end at the listening point. Should I use trapping? - Mark While every room is totally different from every other room, this is a common complaint. Usually it's because the console is too close to the speakers or there isn't enough bottom from the speakers themselves. First walk around the room and listen to where the low end naturally sounds good, and put the console there. I know, they just don't demo home studios that way, and the "where to put the customer" logistics may take some work... With your console about 5 to 10 feet away from the speakers, put on your favorite commercial cds (some good examples are on my commercial cd page) and listen to see if you are hearing distinct differences in bottom from cd to cd. Cds sound different, and you should be able to hear those differences. Next, take some cardboard boxes filled with books, or "quick tubes" from Home Depot, or odd and ends... and use them as portable trapping if there are tubby or boomy sounding areas in your room. Move these portable traps around to where the room sounds tightened up as a guideline for where to install permanent traps - the ceiling corners are good locations to trap without taking up space. Too much carpet or absorptive stuff on the walls can make a room too dead, so watch that too! Q) I found the info on your site to be both depressing and inspiring - depressing because I can't afford the ultra-expensive gear it apparently takes to really make a top notch, commercial quality CD; inspiring because I can use a lot of what you say to get the most out of what I'm fortunate enough to have, and be happy with that. -Scott I found that in retrospect, the times when I had "less" were times when I was forced to be more resourceful, and that gave me an advantage via a deeper level of learning. Without my old Teac 3340 4-track, I wouldn't have done as well on my Otari 8-track. The 8-track experience gave me a better foundation for my 16 thru 48 track days. My only regret was that I didn't let go of needing "more" sooner. I would love to see how some of my mixes would sound when professionally mastered, but I'd also hate to spend a lot of money when the source material I'm sending in is not up to the quality level of the 2" analog tape used for major projects. Many projects that sell records and profit are not analog. Don't worry about the format - the song, the singer, the performances, the star quality is all more important to the consumer. © Copyright 2001 - 2005 John Vestman Created 12/11/01 • Modified 02/02/03 Should we not use any compression during the mix session? DAW Tips Must we analyze digital sound under the microscope when a 13-year old won't know the difference anyway? Studio Rates and Policies |
|
|
Site
Map | Contact John
Vestman Mastering | John Vestman's Bio |
 |
