Reply To: The Mastering Process

[Adam AyanParticipant]

Hi Anders,

Thank you for the question!

It is a pretty wide open question, with many potential answers. It would not be possible for me to give you a step by step, but here are a few things of note:

My first listen for each track I master is when I dig right in. Some engineers prefer to listen through, or do comparisons, I like to get right to it. My first listen is also the one where I am focused on any "corrective measures/EQ" that I may have to perform. For example: Is the low end way too much and out of whack? If so I'll correct that first before focusing on other aspects of the mix/master.

One of the most common problems I run into are over compressed mixes. Unfortunately, there are not many ways to fix those issues. I find that the most important think I can do in those cases is not exacerbate the problem. This seems intuitive, but at times my job is just as much what not to do as it is doing something.

Hope these are helpful!

Best,
Adam