Mastering suggestions requested

Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In article <1120542232.776017.160310@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com> JustAndrew@gmail.com writes:

> I've been working with a band that has just finished an album and while
> I've been out of the music biz for a decade, I've decided to attempt to
> jump back in and see if I can help them.

What's your role here? Advisor?

> They have finished recording and I've suggested to them that it is
> worth the money to have it mastered. This isn't going to be a huge
> project - going to try to get 500 or so copies to press and another 500
> to college radio and send them out to tour from Labor Day to Christmas.

Getting 500 copies to the press and 500 to college radio stations is a
pretty big job if you actually expect to get them in the hands of
someone who will actually listen to the CD.

> So they don't have a huge budget - I think it would have to be kept
> under $1k for them to agree. I've done some searching online and
> pulled out some CDs that I like the sound on and of course everything
> I've noticed so far comes from the really expensive houses.

That's probably because you like big bucks productions. You should
know that any of those 1000 people who receive your promo disks, if
they actually decide to play it at all, will not be interested in
hearing more than about three songs. Pick the three that you think
will show off the band best and get those professionally mastered. If
the recording was good, you should be able to get a competent job for
under $500. Spend the rest of your $1K on attractive artwork
(including on the disk itself) and packaging. It's more important to
catch the eye of a potential customer than to catch the ear. If they
like how the band looks and that the disk and publicity package looks
professional, they aren't going to care about a top grade mastering
job. It just has to sound OK on the boom box at the listener's desk.

> Also to note - it was all recorded on Pro Tools, so I'm not sure what
> the mastering houses would want - the Pro Tool sessions themselves?

Unless you want them to mix your songs again (and sometimes that's the
best first step to mastering) they want a stereo mix, probably a
24-bit file, with no attempts at home mastering. Peak levels should be
a couple of dB below full scale, and that should be the real mix
level. If someone's already squeezed the piss out of it and peaks are
at full scale, don't just make a new file with the level reduced a
bit. That's cheating, and they'll find you out! <g>


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Archived from groups: rec.audio.pro (More info?)

In the short term I'm the band's advisor, label, manager and booking
agent.

The $1k is just the budget for the mastering - we'll do an initial
pressing of 3k discs and the artwork is done and looks very sharp.

I had a record label a little over a decade ago and several of the
bands I worked with did quite well on college radio/press, so I know
the ropes and the work involved. Sure, I'd love Rolling Stone to
review it, but I already know the odds of that happening - the focus
will be on the outlets that I know will give it a chance.

Was planning on giving Sterling Sound a call and will look up Don
Grossinger too - thanks again for the suggestions and please keep 'em
coming.