Online Mastering
Experience the unparalleled expertise of Oakwood London Studios’ mastering team with our online mastering service.Music songs are mastered through a process that involves several key steps to enhance their overall sound quality and prepare them for distribution. Here is a general overview of how music songs are mastered
Preparation
Listening And Analysis
The mastering engineer carefully listens to the audio tracks to understand the sonic characteristics and identify any issues that need to be addressed. They analyse aspects such as frequency balance, dynamics, stereo imaging, and overall clarity
Compression And Dynamics Processing
Compression and other dynamics processing techniques are applied to control the dynamic range of the music. This helps ensure that the loud and soft parts of the song are balanced, resulting in a more consistent and impactful sound
Equalization (EQ)
EQ adjustments are made to balance the frequency spectrum and correct any tonal imbalances. This may involve boosting or cutting specific frequencies to enhance the overall clarity and impact of the music
Stereo Enhancement
Stereo imaging techniques may be used to widen the stereo field and create a more immersive listening experience. This can involve adjusting the panning, adding spatial effects, or enhancing stereo width through processing.
Volume Maximization
The mastering engineer increases the overall volume of the music to achieve a competitive loudness level suitable for various playback platforms. This is done using techniques such as peak limiting and normalisation while ensuring that the music retains its dynamic range and clarity
Sequencing And Editing
If mastering an album or EP, the mastering engineer arranges the songs in the desired order and ensures smooth transitions between tracks. They may also perform any necessary editing or cleanup to remove any unwanted noise or imperfections
Quality Control and Final Checks
The mastered audio is meticulously reviewed to ensure that it meets the desired sonic standards and specifications. The mastering engineer listens for any artefacts, distortion, or other issues that may have been introduced during the mastering process and adjusts as needed
Delivery
Once the mastering process is complete, the finalised audio files are delivered to the client in the appropriate format for distribution. This may include formats such as WAV, AIFF, or high-quality MP3, along with any additional deliverables requested by the client
Preparation
The mastering engineer receives the final mix of the song or album from the mixing engineer. They ensure that the audio files are correctly organized and formatted for mastering
Listening and Analysis
The mastering engineer carefully listens to the audio tracks to understand the sonic characteristics and identify any issues that need to be addressed. They analyse aspects such as frequency balance, dynamics, stereo imaging, and overall clarity
Equalization (EQ)
EQ adjustments are made to balance the frequency spectrum and correct any tonal imbalances. This may involve boosting or cutting specific frequencies to enhance the overall clarity and impact of the music
Compression and Dynamics Processing
Compression and other dynamics processing techniques are applied to control the dynamic range of the music. This helps ensure that the loud and soft parts of the song are balanced, resulting in a more consistent and impactful sound
Stereo Enhancement
Stereo imaging techniques may be used to widen the stereo field and create a more immersive listening experience. This can involve adjusting the panning, adding spatial effects, or enhancing stereo width through processing.
Volume Maximization
The mastering engineer increases the overall volume of the music to achieve a competitive loudness level suitable for various playback platforms. This is done using techniques such as peak limiting and normalisation while ensuring that the music retains its dynamic range and clarity
Sequencing and Editing
If mastering an album or EP, the mastering engineer arranges the
songs in the desired order and ensures smooth transitions between tracks. They may also perform any necessary editing or cleanup to remove any unwanted noise or imperfections
Quality Control and Final Checks
The mastered audio is meticulously reviewed to ensure that it meets the desired sonic standards and specifications. The mastering engineer listens for any artefacts, distortion, or other issues that may have been introduced during the mastering process and adjusts as needed
Delivery
Once the mastering process is complete, the finalised audio files are delivered to the client in the appropriate format for distribution. This may include formats such as WAV, AIFF, or
high-quality MP3, along with any additional deliverables requested by the client
Overall, mastering plays a crucial role in refining the sonic characteristics of music songs and ensuring that they sound polished, cohesive, and optimized for various playback environments.