11/03/2024
just completed my first ever proper mastering session, that's what it feels like anyway. i'm not the fastest or most efficient learner, but i really put the time and care into what i enjoy, and music production has had my focus for a while now.
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this mastering session involved putting all of the tracks for CLOSEUPWHISPERS into the same session, exported from their original sessions with no master compressors and at -5db. i then sent them all to the same bus, which had 2 compressors and a limiter.
the first compressor was aimed at reducing sharp peaks in the songs, notably from kick drums or harsh transients on synths, or both at once. these sharp peaks are rare but in order to normalise and maximise volume, which was my goal here, softening the sharp peaks was my first step. this involved a high threshold for the compressor with a high ratio, as well as a fast attack and release. this means that when a weirdly loud sound occurs, the compressor quickly reduces the volume for a short period of time.
the second compressor was the main one for volume normalisation. its objective was to make quiet sections louder, and louder sections quieter. not in a way that destroyed the dynamics of the song, but in a way that smoothed them out a little bit, making for a more enjoyable experience. the compressor had a medium threshold, so that quiet parts would be less affected than loud parts, with a gentle ratio, only about 1:2 or less. the compressor also featured a medium attack and release, so that quick loud sounds would still pass through unaffected, to keep the "bounce" of songs. i found that this compressor actually accentuated the dynamics of the songs, making the kicks stand out more without ruining the beauty and richness of the sounds.
the final limiter was the hard cap. i had the limiter soft clipping, so it was a bit of a timid limiter, but that's okay as it's my first time having a proper go at mastering, and these songs are old and weird too so i didnt want to be too harsh with them. this final limiter ensured that the final volume output didn't stray above a certain threshold.
keeping the compressors the same for all 29 songs on the album obviously made it a lot simpler, and it also gave them a consistent sound. i adjusted the input gains for each compressor slightly to suit the needs of each song, while still keeping the overall shape the same.
i then exported each track back into the song in order to study the final waveforms. i could see that in the ORIGINAL tracks i had put into the song, before i went back and re-exported them at a lower volume and without compression, that there were plenty of sections in the waveform that have been visibly clipped haphazardly, and i could hear that there was "digital distortion" occurring. after my mastering process, i was pleased to see no blatant evidence of clipping or digital distortion.
the final product of the album is a collection of songs which can be enjoyed better. the songs sound clearer and louder, so you can enjoy them at quieter stereo volumes alongside your other CDs without having to turn the volume to max just to hear what's going on. putting the songs all together in one track has also allowed me to handcraft the transitions between the songs better, rather than just guessing. the volume of the songs is also more functional and intentional, so you can listen to a quiet song and then a loud song back to back without changing the volume, as both songs have been adjusted to work like that. how good!!!!
note -- i didn't apply much EQ at all in this "mastering" phase of mine, the reason for this is that i had also gone back and remixed all the songs just before this, so i was already feeling quite comfortable with the final frequency make-ups.
also, the loudest points in each song have been designated to the volume level of -8 LUFS, used as a reference point for quiet sections too.
i have thoroughly enjoyed this experience. i feel like i have crossed into new territory, and im getting a feel for the lay of the land. i hope you enjoy my products today or any day in the future.
below are some pictures of waveforms i found enjoyable.
