the level of the drums is a mix thing hence a production thing and not a post production thing, imo
i don't request stems
if the client hears the master and starts to ask why couldnt i do this or that, i will explain to them.
then maybe next time they will mix it better or supply stems if they choose, and i will charge more for that type of service as well, 16 years ago that's how i started out was as a producer and a mixman, after a couple years tho i went into post production and found i had a talent and a liking for it, and clients were happy so i was doin something right i guess.
i do often get requests to actually mix the piece and master it for them, and i explain why i wont, but i do have friends in the business i can refer them to for that.
not that i can't mix , it's just that i am a m.e. now, and that is where i'd like to keep my focus, since that is where most of my experience comes from anyway.
i like that were having this discussion
because were figuring out in certain ways what should and shouldn't be expected from someone who's doing post production work.
i've never tried seperation mastering but know about the concept
basically being able to dig deeper with the eq on certain tracks that needed it while leaving others as is and not messing with levels too much, or possibly compressing a kick drum or snare to make it a little more even, but still, i think this is cutting a little too close to remixing, and if m.e.'s are going to be expected to remix we ought to charge double our rates.
otherwise i can see something like this happening:
an amateur records some tracks, does not produce it well, does not even try to mix it and then says "here, since you're a mastering engineer, take this project and make it sound good,"
were not making masters at that point anymore were going back to being producers
seperation mastering is a nice concept although not new,
but i think it will make it harder to keep production and post production "seperate"
and the reasons for keeping these two parts of the process seperate i'm sure have already been discussed elsewhere non these forums so i won't bother with that here.
this is aslo the reason why, with a client, i have to hear the track first, give it a good listen, and i'll tell the potential client straight away what i can and can't do with it, based on what they're expecting from me, and if they decide that's ok or they gotta go back to the mix themselves that's their decision, but if they accept this and want me to start working, i require a 50% deposit of the estimated cost. i'd say more than 80% of my clients eventually come back with more projects for me to do, so i would assume i'm doing something right
i guess what i'm trying to say is, if the producer has done their job, then we can do ours.