Mastering audio is one of the most important elements of music production. A mastering job is typically structured similar to a separated recording which follows a rigid Been & preference mixing approach. In a nutshell, the audio production job involves a series of 1st Group Consistency – Aaganists keeping track of the sound in the mix using primarily an anacrusis. In a 3-in-3-out system, the audio engineer keeps the dynamics and the levels consistent for the entire record while recording all groups together.

You may often find the mastering engineer or a handful of other people in a mastering facility. This is typically where many record labels and producers are located in major cities like New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Houston. They will typically be located on the first floor of a typically four-story building. Since the floors of a building are determined by the building session, it is quite common to have engineers and producers located on the fourth floor while artists and engineers are located on the floors above.

In a mastering facility, all audio tracks that are mixed for a record are tracked for later remixed for public release. These portions of the audio are then further edited to meet overall song and album goals before the final mix are finalized and ready for a mastering session.

Generally, mastering audio is mixed for a release using two separate sessions – the IN (in mastering) and the out (for the public release). The IN session is used to tweak the mix for physical fidelity. The goal is to get a final product that is clear without needing a final mix to be Ready for a Mastering session. For example, song intros and hook parts may need to be much quieter or louder in the master version than the live performance. One thing that the mastering engineer will do is to check for clipping in the physical version of the recording. clipping is a situation where some frequencies are amplified louder than desired in the physical mastering session.

The final mix should sound great live and “warm” without any sound clipping. Musically, it is okay to use compression but never at maximum settings, and never at volumes that will change the dynamic range. For the mastering engineer, it is much more important to get a record that sounds good in all dynamic levels, thus allowing the mastering process to be more efficient and successful.

In mastering, the average microphone is used for the main mix. Many big and project studios use a single large-diaphragm condenser for all vocal tracks, drums, percussion, and bass. Single coil pick-ups are used for guitars, flutes, keyboards, and acoustic guitars because they have a faster response and a smoother response than other types of pickups.

When using several microphones for a part, it is important to select the ones with the best signal-to-noise ratio. The signal-to-noise ratio describes the extent of noise being amplified by the microphones within a specific frequency range. For instance, a two-inch condenser microphone will have an average signal-to-noise ratio of 90 dB. A four-inch condenser will have an average signal-to-noise ratio of 105 dB.

It is not unusual for vocals to be recorded in microphones as compact as two-inch, twenty-four frequency response (fifth octave and beyond). Measuring the frequency response of a condenser microphone may be a bit complicated due to the small size of some of these types of microphones. However, the frequency response of a condenser mic could be overestimated or underestimated due to the design of the chambering used in the microphone.

Conclusion

An aspiring artist or music producer needs access to high-quality studio mics for the best possible mix. By having the right type of microphones, appropriate settings can be set for each recording. By using these simple rules, engineers can produce the best possible mix for any recording session. The best possible mix will be achieved only when the correct choice of studio mics are used for the specific recording project. This will assist in ensuring the studio equipment is properly outfitted for the best mix possible.