mastering for digital downloads!

[stjohn]

im looking to launch a digital download thing soon enough... and i expect that if i want people to download this music and play it out...the mastering has to be some what on the mark. ill be learning this in the next year or so...but in the meantime, any ideas on what i should do?

theres no money invloved in the downloads, so id like to avoid having to pay someone.

[dirty_bass]

The world is your oyster.
No need to worry about putting bass in mono and cutting top end etc for vinyl.

This is what you need basically.

EQ tweaks
Excitation - optional
Multi band compression
Brickwall with look ahead

I`d still cut on the bass, say roll off at 35, but other than that there is no real advice that can be given in a short answer.

If you post more specific questions, such as multiband advice, I may be able to help though.

[Andy]

I know of people who dont have any idea about mastering, compression\limiting or EQ who whack their tracks through T-Racks with dreadful results! and then they stick them up on digital download sites for people to buy!!

My advice would be to read up on compression\limiting first, then have a play around with whatever software your planning to use.
Do some trial mastering for a few weeks until you know what your doing.
Then after that atempt to master your tracks properly, try mixing them with other mastered tracks and get people who know what they are on about to give you feedback

Also less is more!!!
Try not to go overboard and avoid changing any EQ settings unless you have no choice (i'd advice going back and redoing the mixdown if theres EQ changes to be done)

[dirty_bass]

Yeah essentially eq at the mastering stage is purely for very small adjustments.
You need to learn about compression and limiting, but the most important thing is to educate your ears, as at the mastering stage there are few hard set rules.

[Mindful]

Theres a few decent little pointers here Rory http://www.waves.com/content.asp?id=174not great but still.

Just do what you do now on your own tracks mate....unless you know somebody who can do a better job that will do it for free.

[MARKEG]

this is the best most recent thread about this reckon:

http://www.blackoutaudio.co.uk/portal/index.php?name=PNphpBB2&file=viewtopic&t=54210

but if you really wanna learn about mastering, there's a hell of alot to do.. the best book i ever read was by bob katz... but it's HUGE!!!!hahaha


GOOD LUCK MATE

[loopdon]

free things i can offer that might be helpful:

mastering with ozone:

http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/ozone/OzoneMasteringGuide.PDF

and the har-bal tutorial:

http://www.har-bal.com/mastering_process.php

http://hdqtrz.com/Files/Har-Bal_Mastering_Process.pdf


computer music shiznit:

http://www.computermusic.co.uk/tutorial/mastering/mastering1.asp


something else:

http://www.ugm-records.de/tuts/Mastering%20Tutorial%20English.pdf



also check these programs:

AAMS:

http://www.curioza.com/


and

har-bal:

http://www.har-bal.com/