FAQs: Mixing and Mastering
Although it's possible to mix and master in your home studio or at the same studio you record in, the mixing and mastering process does require specific equipment and skills to polish your sound and to provide you with the best possible result. Most importantly, our studio is fully equipped with the latest and best quality plugins for mixing and mastering and excellent monitoring facilities so that your final master has maximum clarity and dynamics.
A basic mixing session involves importing your individual stem tracks and then analyzing them to determine the best possible mix. In addition to setting levels for each track, particular attention will be given to the following. We will ensure that there is no volume clipping, and that vocals or instruments are doubled or layered to achieve a punchier sound. We will also add any required stereo widening, and ensure that appropriate EQs are added to filter or emphasise particular frequencies and to deal with unwanted audible artefacts such as sibilance (excessive "s" and "t" sounds in vocals). We will also add reverb and delay effects where suitable to individual tracks. Finally, compression of the tracks will performed and the mix outputted with enough headroom for mastering to proceed.
Once there is a finished and mixed track in hand then final mastering processing can begin. Whilst every mix requires a different approach, broadly speaking the final master will commonly involve applying a master EQ effect, a master reverb, compression, an exciter or widening effect and a maximizer. Once these have been applied then the mastered track will be listened to and checked to ensure the best final output quality on a variety of sources, including our own high quality monitors..
