Unit 9: Mastering research

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I researched three different topics. These included what mastering actually is, tips on how to master, and what the difference is between mixing and mastering.

First i wanted to get a better understanding of what mastering actually is.

I researched using this website https://www.abbeyroad.com/news/what-is-mastering-why-is-it-important-productionhub-2957

It states that "Mastering serves as the final stage in the creative process" and that "the goal of mastering is to keep the original intentions of the artist and producer and ‘polish’ the sound, bringing the listener closer to the emotional content of the music."

The techniques I learnt to use on a master from this website include 

- Compressing, adding or limiting

- Adjusting volume levels

In my final master, I ended up adjusting all three of these techniques and it definitely made a huge difference in my mix.


The website also included a video giving tips on how to prepare a mix for mastering.

These we're the key points i picked out from the video

- check the levels aren't too loud 

- Remove any limiters or compressors on the mastering output

- Make sure there's no red lining on any tracks

- Try and fix any Sibilance on the vocals (harsh S sounds)


I also looked through this other website to learn more about mastering tips. I didn't however find it very helpful as the person demonstrating these effects was using FL studios, and most of the terms he was using i didn't understand. https://www.sageaudio.com/articles/top-7-quick-mastering-tips

These we're the tips that we're included on the website.

-Use 2 limiters and split the processing between them

-Use a High pass filter on your side-image

-Sandwich a Multi-band Expander Between 2 limiters-

-Try EQ Matching Your Master to Another to Compare-

-Use Parallel Compression with Low-Level Compression

-Set a Quicker Limiter Release for A Transparent Sound

-Listen to Your Master with Multiple Devices


While mixing the tracks for the cd, I decided to research what the difference between mixing and mastering was since it confused me a lot. Mastering is making the music sound as balanced as possible, which seems very similar to what mixing is.

I watched this video and picked out key points to help me understand mastering a bit better

 Mixing is the process of balancing and blending individual tracks or elements within a song.

Mastering involves preparing the final mix and getting it ready for distribution by optimising it's overall tonal balance, loudness, and other sonic qualities

Not being able to hear an instrument even though it's peaking on a channel meter and making it louder could overtake the mix is often caused by frequency masking

Frequency masking: occurs when two or more sounds share the same frequency range and one sound obscures or "masks another"

To fix this apply EQ to one of the instruments sharing the same frequency as another and slightly cut some of the frequency. Or adjust the volume levels on each track to get more clarity and separation in the mix.

I found this video pretty useful as it helped me identify different faults you can come across in a mix and also told me how to fix them. The only thing i did'nt find too good about this video was that it was using a different digital workshop to mix and master rather than logic so it included different settings that logic doesn't to fix solutions.



For my track I decided to use Logic's mastering assistant to make my mix sound even better on top of my own mastering. I was unsure how to use it at first so I watched a video explaining it.

With this plug in, you can click a button called bypass which lifts the audio slightly, there's also a button called "loudness compensation", this keeps the original volume on the track.

This plug in also allows you to select loud or quieter section of the track and use the plug in on them individually, that way it can just effect that one section rather than it mastering everything all at once.

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