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Audio Mastering Secrets is the first audio mastering books that focuses entirely on how to master audio to radio quality standards, all from the comfort of your home recording studio. No expensive gear required to get amazing results!
Written by John Rogers of JR Mastering, this guide outlines (step-by-step) the techniques John has used to professionally master songs for over 8,000 clients, since 1999 (that’s 6-8 per week).
Whether you need to know how master songs in fl studio, pro tools, audacity, garageband, cubase, logic or abeleton the information provided applies to all of these programs.
My book covers the following:
This Book Is An 7 x 9 Learning Guide (192 pages)
It focuses on how to master audio, how to become a great audio mastering engineer, and how not to be a bad one.
I do not get into the specific brands of gear you should buy, the history of sound engineering, or 1,000's of compressor settings (of which maybe 40 you'll ever use). In this book I focus on mastering audio!
Common Mastering Problems And Their Solutions
In audio mastering, you will face common problems like a mix being too thin, tinny, distorted, over-saturated, muddy, or not bright enough. Sometimes you can't get the song loud enough, boomy enough, no separation, too much bass, no sparkle, and many other problems. I explain in detail which effects processors to use and their exact settings to solve these common problems. This is a great tool to refer back to when needed.
My Step-By-Step Audio Mastering Session
You will learn the 18 steps I take in the audio mastering process. From importing your file, down to loudness maximization and finally exporting a perfectly mastered song!
This Entire Book Is Based On Real-World Experiences
Not on theory, what I learned in school, or what I heard from some other engineer. I teach from real world experiences with satisfied clients.
Mastering Different Genres
Here s where I break down the sonic qualities of sixteen different genres. How much brightness, bass, boominess, compression, etc., you re trying to achieve for each genre. And several tips on what clients are looking for.
My Audio Mastering Laws
In this section, I cover a series of dos, do nots, and facts that basically apply to all audio mastering jobs regardless of genre. I also cover several pitfalls you will experience (just like I did) as an audio mastering engineer, and how to get through them.
Setting Up You're Listening Environment
In this section I cover calibrating your speakers, learning your speakers, speaker placement and room size. And, the myth about soundproofing your room.
The Effects Processors Used In Audio Mastering
The basics of what they all do, how to use them, when to use them, and my initial settings templates.
This Book Is A Very Easy Read
I left out all the high-tech jargon and rarely used words that slow down sentence flow.
And Much More!
In a matters of weeks, you can learn all of the audio mastering secrets, tips, and techniques that took me over 20 years to learn!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION (PAGE #)
- Audio Mastering Secrets (1)
- Table Of Contents (2)
- Who This Book Is For (8)
- What You Will Learn From This Book (9)
- About The Author (11)
- Testimonials (12)
- What Is Audio Mastering? (13)
- How Does Audio Mastering Compare To Mixing? (14)
- What's The Main Goal In Audio Mastering? (15)
- Why Do Songs Need To Be Mastered? (17)
- Can Anyone Become A Great Mastering Engineer? (18)
- How Long Does It Take to Master A Song? (19)
- Should Your Mix Sound Close To A Mastered Song? (20)
- Does A Radio Ready Mastering Standard Exist? (22)
- Some Of The Terms I Use In This Book (23)
- What Is Headroom And Dynamic Range? (25)
- Why Does A Mix Need Headroom And Dynamic Range? (26)
- How To Create Proper Headroom In Your Mixes (27)
- What Is A/B Comparison Listening? (28)
- What Are Mid-Side Effects Processors? (29)
MASTERING EQUIPMENT FAQ
- What Hardware Do You Need For Mastering? (30)
- What Software Do You Need For Mastering? (30)
- Which Mastering Software Plugins Do I Recommend? (31)
- Analog Mastering Equipment vs. Digital Software (32)
THE 8 EFFECTS PROCESSORS USED IN MASTERING
- Standard 5-Band Equalizer (34)
- Mid-Side 5-Band Equalizer (35)
- Multi-Band Compressor (36)
- Multi-Band Spectral Enhancer (Harmonic Exciter) (36)
- Multi-Band Stereo Widener (37)
- Multi-Band Mastering Reverb (38)
- Loudness Maximizer (39)
- De-esser (40)
- Volume Meter Software (40)
- What Signal Path Should You Use? (42)
SETTING UP YOUR LISTENING ENVIRONMENT
- Room Size (44)
- Speaker Choices (44)
- Speaker Placement (45)
- My Personal Speaker Placement (46)
- Learning And Calibrating Your Speakers (47)
- Sound Proofing Your Room (48)
PROTECTING YOUR HEARING
- What Is Tinnitus? (50)
- How Is Tinnitus Caused? (50)
- How Did I Get My Tinnitus And How Did It Sound? (50)
- Is There A Cure For Tinnitus? (51)
- Can You Mix And Master With Tinnitus? (51)
- How To Prevent Tinnitus In Everyday Life (52)
- How Loud Is Too Loud When Mixing And Mastering? (52)
- How To Protect Your Hearing As A Sound Engineer (52)
- The Rules I Follow During Mixing And Mastering (53)
THE 18 LAWS OF AUDIO MASTERING
- Audio Facts Are Facts, Not Just Opinions (54)
- Know The Genre Of Music You're Working On (55)
- Don't Do Counter Productive Processes (56)
- Always Think Natural Sound First (57)
- Don't Get Stuck In Familiarity (58)
- Don't Be Afraid To Make Drastic Changes (60)
- Don't Underestimate Your Capabilities (61)
- If You're Going To Miss, Go Slightly Over Not Under (62)
- Certain Actions Have Exponential Affects (63)
- When Using EQ Always Think Cut First (64)
- The Lead Vocal Is Your Main Focus (65)
- Listen To Your Feedback (67)
- Learning Decibel Amounts By Ear (68)
- Working In Decibels And Percentages, Not Fader Slides (69)
- You Have To Make Everything Sound Good (71)
- Let Your EARS Be The Final Judge, Not Your EYES (73)
- Always Finalize On Fresh Ears (74)
- Mastering Is An Art Form, Treat It Like One! (76)
The 4-Band Frequency Ranges In Multi-Band Processing
- LOW (20hz-130hz) (79)
- LOWER-MIDS (130hz-1.5k) (80)
- UPPER-MIDS (1.5k-9k) (81)
- HIGH (9k-20k) (82)
- Closing Thoughts On 4-Band Frequency Ranges (83)
WORKING WITH SONIC QUALITIES
- The Sonic Qualities In Audio Mastering (84)
- Adjusting Your Sonic Qualities With A/B Comparison (87)
- How To Handle A Song That Has Erratic Sonic Qualities (89)
- What's The Difference Between EQ And Spectral Enhancement? (92)
SOLUTIONS TO COMMON MASTERING PROBLEMS
- Brightness, Tone, Sparkle (UPPER-MIDS & HIGH Band) (93)
- Clarity And Separation (Any BAND) (103)
- Bass Volume, Boominess, Kick Punch (LOW Band or LOWER-MIDS) (108)
- Warmth, Thickness, Presence (LOWER-MIDS And/Or UPPER-MIDS) (111)
- De-essing (On Song's Effects Bus) (113)
- Stereo Width (HIGH Band & UPPER-MIDS w/ Mid-Side EQ) (114)
- Overall Volume (116)
COMPRESSION MADE EASY
- Which Compressors Are Used In Audio Mastering? (120)
- What Can Compressors Do In Audio Mastering? (121)
- Working With A Compressor's Threshold And Ratio Settings (124)
- What Are Your Compression Goals By Band? (135)
- The Power Of Thinning Out A Band (139)
- Why Would You Want Less Dynamic Range? (141)
- Compression Mostly Affects The Loudest Parts Of A Song (141)
- Why Do I Never Remove Compression As A Remedy? (143)
AUDIO MASTERING PROCEDURES
- Should You Export Your Mix Or Mix And Master At The Same Time? (144)
- But What If The Mix Is Terrible, Shouldn't You Fix It? (145)
- The Importance of Good A/B Comparison And Mix Evaluation (146)
- Getting Your Songs To Translate Well on Different Mediums (147)
- How To Create A Cohesive CD (148)
AUDIO MASTERING STEP-BY-STEP
- Initial Mastering Template Setup (151)
- 1. Let's Start The Audio Mastering Session! (153)
- 2. What File Types Are Used In Audio Mastering? (153)
- 3. Import Files (154)
- 4. Visually Evaluate The Song Mix File (155)
- 5. Use Your Ears To Evaluate The Song Mix (159)
- 6. Slightly Compress Each Of The 4 Bands (160)
- 7. Loudness Maximize The Song (160)
- 8. Adjust Anything Moderately Sonically Off (161)
- 9. Initial Master (Speaker Monitor Volume) (162)
- 10. Setting The UPPER-MIDS (1k - 9k) (163)
- 11. Setting The LOW Band (20hz - 150hz) (165)
- 12. Setting The LOWER-MIDS (150hz - 1.5k) (165)
- 13. Setting The HIGH Band (9k - 20k) (166)
- 14. Check Volume And Adjust (166)
- 15. Listen To The Song As A Whole And Adjust (167)
- 16. Break Time! (168)
- 17. 2nd Master And Tweak On Fresh Ears (169)
- 18. The Final Export - Loudness Maximization (171)
MASTERING DIFFERENT GENRES
- How Do I Know The Sonic Qualities For Each Genre? (172)
- Vocals And Instrumentation May Change Your Sonic Approach (173)
- How To Master Different Genres (176)
- How To Master Metal And Hard Rock (176)
- How To Master Classic Rock (178)
- How To Master Pop-Rock, Punk, Alternative, And Country (179)
- How To Master Hip-Hop And Rap (180)
- How To Master R&B (181)
- How To Master Pop-Dance, EDM, And Synth (182)
- How To Master Movie Soundtrack, Classical, And Jazz (183)
WORKING WITH CLIENTS
- Should I Ask Clients For A Reference Song? (185)
- Using The Initial Preview As A Reference (185)
- Go With The Client's Mix Or With What You Know? (187)
MY MAIN RESOURCES
- My Main Resources (188)
- Thank You (190)
- Contact Info (192)