The Mastering Show

At it’s heart, mastering is simple - but there are plenty of more sophisticated techniques available, too. In this show we talk about some of these - and why you might not want to use them. Topics include: - Stereo width & M/S (mid-side) processing - An impossible EQ challenge - Stem mastering - Mix buss processing - Tape emulation & saturation - Creating a production master Links Stereo width in mastering – how to measure, monitor and modify

Loudness is still one of the hottest topics in mastering. In this episode we discuss why louder is better, but Too Loud is worse. And... - Why you must set the gain FIRST - How your plugins are fooling you - Optimising dynamics for online loudness - How loudness matching can be liberating - 90% of mastering in nutshell Links: Audio Bloggers Live http://productionadvice.co.uk/audio-bloggers-live/ Radio loudness – the Truth Loudness research Perception plugin Spotify loudness Dynamic range

Mastering EQ is about balance, not matching. In this episode we explain what the difference is, why it matters and and ways you can get it right. Topics include: - Why “radio ready” sound is a mastering myth - How you can affect the balance of instruments in the mix, even within a stereo file - A simple but crucial point of mastering technique - The pros and cons of phase linear EQ - Ian’s recommended EQ plugins Links Loudness means NOTHING on the radio - the

Compression explained - using pillows and punchbags. Yes, you read that right ! And in this show we also talk about: - Why mastering compression is all about loudness. Except it’s not. - How compression in mastering is different than in mixing - How to make mastering compression invisible - Ian’s suggested starting-point settings for mastering compression - Why you might want to use multi-band compression Links Using compression to add punch, warmth and power to your

In this show we take a deep dive into the topic of limiting. We explain why you need limiters, important Do’s and Dont’s, recommended plugins – and why there’s a good chance you’re using them wrong… Links: Are brickwall limiters nothing but pure evil ? http://productionadvice.co.uk/brickwall-limiters/ Video demonstrating inter-sample peaks and how they affect Mastering for iTunes http://productionadvice.co.uk/mastered-for-itunes-video/ Intersample peaks and why they matter - more about why you

We’re kicking off the show with a short mini-series covering every aspect of the mastering chain in turn – levels, EQ, compression, limiting and metering. We’re going to be starting at the end and working backwards – and in case you’re wondering why, Ian explains during the show ! So in this episode we cover the “Three M’s” of mastering- and to find out what they are, you’ll need to listen to the show. Show Links: The acoustic treatment material we talked about in the show is Owens Corning 703,

In this first introductory episode, we introduce ourselves and talk about what we have in store for the show. We then cover some mastering basics that will give you a solid grounding for the rest of the shows. Not sure what mastering is ? Start here ! Show links: What is mastering ? Photoshop for audio http://productionadvice.co.uk/mastering-as-photoshop/ LUFS, dBFS, RMS… WTF ?!? How to read the new loudness meters http://productionadvice.co.uk/lufs-dbfs-rms/