Happy to report that the newest tune, Seduction, is finally wrapped up. I’ve received the mastered copies back from the engineer and it now plays at “commercial levels”. I’ve added it to the player above, but there’s a link below just in case it doesn’t appear in your browser. Turns out that you need to clear your “browser cache” whenever I post a new song into the playlist. Oh well…

Seduction Mastered Version

My mastering engineer, Brian Lucey, informed me that the mix I sent him was apparently an improvement from my previous tunes. Turns out that’s a good and bad thing because one one hand, he was able to get a better “sound level” out of Seduction; but on the other hand, it shows the need for improving (the mixes) on my prior tunes. This has been a typical outcome of my music journey – and I suspect that many traveling on a similar road experience this as well: Improvements reveal shortcomings in your prior work… So, do you go back and fix it, or just move on? My tendency, unfortunately, is to go back and fix things so I may take a detour and explore that before moving on to a new tune – we’ll see.

I credit a good portion of the so-called improvement to some relatively new gear, namely some NEW mix studio monitors (aka speakers). Again owed to Brian’s recommendation, I invested in a pair of hand-built Barefoot MM27s which are absolutely top of the line nearfield monitors even by professional standards. The difference has been remarkable as I can now produce a mix that is “transportable” across virtually any playing environment. There’s a whole science behind this challenge, but suffice it to say that achieving a transportable mix is an allusive yet foremost objective in music production. Most of it comes from experience, but you also need the right tools and a properly (acoustically) treated room. So I’ll leave that as a segway for an upcoming post to delve into that stuff a bit further.

Thank you to everyone for your feedback during the evolution of Seduction. It was fun to chronicle a project from beginning to end!

We’re now at the final stage of the process! Thanks to the guidance provided by Brian Lucey, my Mastering Engineer, the mix is now sufficiently dialed in… Hopefully this sounds a bit “less congested” than what you’ve previously reviewed.

Seduction Premaster Mix

I should caveat all of these mixes have all been “processed” so that the volume approximates commercial levels. This is just so you and I can hear without having to make big adjustments to our settings. AND, you’ve been listening to MP3 files, which are significantly compressed in size. The version I sent out for mastering is a high-resolution file that’s more than 10 times the size of the MP3! It’s also stripped of the limiter because bringing up the volume, amongst other things, is part of the mastering process.

So what is Mastering? It is the practice of taking audio that has been previously mixed in either the analog or digital domain and preparing it for use in distribution, whether by physical media or as some method of streaming. Translation: Mastering is the final polish! When you hear that “commercial sound” on a CD, it’s courtesy of the skill and specialized equipment of a professional mastering engineer.

Many will argue that Mastering can be done using today’s software programs all within the digital realm. And while it can be debated, I’ve come to appreciate the subtleties. To me, it’s more about the skill than the technology or the domain, analog v. digital. Sure, I have collected my fair share of technology (remember, I’ve already confessed to having GAS – Gear Acquisition Syndrome), but I prefer to hire the skills I lack. Besides, it is truly the best way to learn!

I think you’ll hear the difference after Brian applies his craft to the mix this week. Perfect timing because I’m off to London this evening!

I sincerely appreciate the inputs you’ve all provided on Seduction. In particular, I received some very helpful and critical feedback from professional mastering engineer Brian Lucey. Brian is a well known industry professional I got to know through the GearSlutz.com forum. Great name, no? GearSlutz has over 40,000 members and nearly 2 million posts and is moderated by industry professionals. There is no better way to learn the craft of production than to tap the experience and insight of those that do it for a living! But as the name implies, its real purpose is to help members cope with a common ailment we affectionately label as GAS: Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

Brian not only knows his stuff, but also shares his opinions CANDIDLY… and of course, he does great work! In fact, he’s mastered all of my (finished) tunes so he’ll eventually apply his craft to Seduction, but not until I fix a few things. Also, Brian definitely has serious GAS, and he frequently passes it my way! My best studio additions as of late have come courtesy of his recommendations…

Brian took a few listens and replied back with “It’s fairly congested toward the end … more of a pile up than a mix with space and depth. Do you have limiting on the mp3? What about middle to width balance … have you considered that? It seems too much in the middle by the end, and the low mids are overfull. Once the Sax comes in it begins to get crowded … look at possible cuts in the 280 and 500hz range as a center freq, on the sax, guitar lead, and bass to a lesser extent”.

This feedback is all about dialing in the production. As mentioned, I didn’t spend a great deal of time on my trial mix due to those sinus issues (which are thankfully behind me), but it’s feedback like this that helps chart a more specific course of action! Brian has basically given me a recipe to get the mix in better shape, and that’s important to do before I turn over to him for mastering. So thank you Brian, and now it’s time to “go back to the board”… the mixing board, that is…