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Author Topic: Better off left alone....  (Read 9175 times)

OTR-jkl

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Better off left alone....
« on: March 07, 2011, 10:50:11 PM »

How many times do you come across a mix that nothing you do really improves it? What you do may change it and it may sound fine that way, but it really isn't any better than the original.

That happened to me today. Maybe it was just the nature of the material. Maybe better gear would do the trick. Or maybe I just couldn't hear what it needed - I don't know. But whatever I tried just didn't warrant changing it. Its not a high profile project by any means so it won't be the end of the world if its not "perfect" but it just has something by itself that gets taken away by processing it.

So I just left it alone...

Any input...?
Thanks.
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J Lowes · OTR Mastering
Professional Audio Production for Life
www.ShoutLife.com/OTRMastering

jdg

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Re: Better off left alone....
« Reply #1 on: March 07, 2011, 11:11:33 PM »

did two projects this year where i did nothing but top/tail, PQ, burn and QC.

are those good projects?
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john mcCaig
-Mothery Earworks Clarifold Audipure

Waltz Mastering

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Re: Better off left alone....
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2011, 09:28:58 AM »

I got a call last week from a new client who at first seemed adamant that all he wanted was "commercial levels" and didn't want anything else changed with the songs.

I mentioned that shouldn't be a problem if everything is in order,... but also found out after a little digging that he had ME phobia after just paying someone a good amount of money that totally whacked his songs up with audible clipping and some crazy eqing.
Everything turned out fine with some minimal eqing and level and I restored his faith in ME's again.

Thomas W. Bethel

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Re: Better off left alone....
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2011, 09:54:04 AM »

Waltz Mastering wrote on Tue, 08 March 2011 09:28

I got a call last week from a new client...

he had ME phobia after just paying someone a good amount of money that totally whacked his songs up with audible clipping and some crazy eqing.

Everything turned out fine with some minimal eqing and level and I restored his faith in ME's again.


GREAT for you.

Unfortunately this whacking and clipping seems to be getting more and more the way a lot of "mastering engineers" do things. They immediately reach for the MAX loudness knob when they really need to listen to what the client wants. I am glad you were able to help him. A lot of our clients also get the MAX level treatment from some of the less professional mastering engineers that they go to before coming to us. I guess some people want to win the loudness war before war is declared...
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-TOM-

Thomas W. Bethel
Managing Director
Acoustik Musik, Ltd.
Room With a View Productions
http://www.acoustikmusik.com/

Doing what you love is freedom.
Loving what you do is happiness.

Waltz Mastering

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Re: Better off left alone....
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2011, 10:50:39 AM »

Thomas W. Bethel wrote on Tue, 08 March 2011 09:54

Waltz Mastering wrote on Tue, 08 March 2011 09:28

I got a call last week from a new client...

he had ME phobia after just paying someone a good amount of money that totally whacked his songs up with audible clipping and some crazy eqing.

Everything turned out fine with some minimal eqing and level and I restored his faith in ME's again.


GREAT for you.

Unfortunately this whacking and clipping seems to be getting more and more the way a lot of "mastering engineers" do things. They immediately reach for the MAX loudness knob when they really need to listen to what the client wants. I am glad you were able to help him. A lot of our clients also get the MAX level treatment from some of the less professional mastering engineers that they go to before coming to us. I guess some people want to win the loudness war before war is declared...


I was curious as well who had done the work,..and to be fair, it was not any of the big dogs or any bed room studio....but it was someone with a respectable set up.

OTR-jkl

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Re: Better off left alone....
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2011, 05:19:13 PM »

jdg wrote on Mon, 07 March 2011 22:11

did two projects this year where i did nothing but top/tail, PQ, burn and QC.

are those good projects?

1- Did it sound good? If yes, good project
2- Was client happy? If yes, good project
3- Did you get paid? if yes, good project
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J Lowes · OTR Mastering
Professional Audio Production for Life
www.ShoutLife.com/OTRMastering

jdg

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Re: Better off left alone....
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2011, 12:00:13 AM »

yes ^3
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john mcCaig
-Mothery Earworks Clarifold Audipure
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