The Mastering Show

As much as I love dynamics, in some ways mastering loud is easier. So what do I mean by that, and what does it mean for the loudness of your masters ?In this episode I explore the benefits of loudness, including:Why "more dynamic" isn't always betterThe benefits of loud mastersThe effect louder masters have on the soundThe challenges of achieving loud resultsShould you master loud ?My recommendationMentioned in this episode:Learn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resourcesLeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's pluginsMasteringClick HERE to work with Ian

I hear this question all the time - would it be better to fix this in the mix, or in the master ?It’s a fascinating question, and you may think you already know my answer - but it may not be that simple !There are actually several things I think are better addressed in the master rather than the mixing stage, and in this episode I dig into exactly what they are, and why I say that.Talking about things like:What I never do on the mix busWhat I always do in the mix bussAnd why it could be risky not toDo mixes need to be perfect ?Choices that are best made at the mastering stageWhat you should never leave for masteringThe questions you should always ask if you’re thinking of fixing something in the masterLinks and more episodes here:www.themasteringshow.com/episode-110Mentioned in this episode:MasteringClick HERE to work with IanLeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's pluginsToolsFor Ian's mastering plugins, click HERE

I'm seeing several different discussions online about what makes a "real" mastering engineer – and some of them are getting pretty heated !So what really matters the most ? Expertise, experience, or credits ?In this episode I talk about my own opinions and reasoning, talking about:Why credits can be a complete red herring, especially onlineThe problem with credits even if they are reliableHow I got great results with (almost) zero experienceWhen years of experience might not be an advantageThe power (and problems) of trial and errorWhen expertise becomes a super-powerLinks and more episodes here:www.themasteringshow.com/episode-110Mentioned in this episode:Learn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resourcesLeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's pluginsToolsFor Ian's mastering plugins, click HERE

Audio repair and restoration has always been a huge part of mastering – and not only for re-mastering vintage material.Even modern recordings can have problems like clicks, thumps, hiss, amp buzz, distortion and many more. Ideally they’d all be fixed in the mix, but sometimes it’s not possible or they get missed – or maybe the best tools for the task aren’t available.In this episode I talk to Mike & Alexey from iZotope about my personal favourite piece of software for this kind of task, and many more - iZotope RX.Version 12 of RX has just been released, with many new features and improvements. We talk about this and much more during the episode including:Why I love RX and have been using it since 2011My favourite featuresSome “secret weapon” strategiesThe toughest challenges for restorationHow using the “wrong” feature can sometimes be helpfulLinks and more episodes here:www.themasteringshow.com/episode-109Mentioned in this episode:MasteringClick HERE to work with IanLearn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resources

I used to say that the Loudness Range (LRA) measurement wasn't really useful when mastering - but recently I changed my mind. In this episode I explain why, and how loudness range is actually something you might want to pay attention to, as well.Topics include:What is the Loudness Range ?How is it different to Dynamic Range ?What even IS Dynamic Range, anyway ?Why did I say that LRA wasn't helpful ?How I changed my mind, and whyHow LRA could be useful for youLinks and more episodes here:www.themasteringshow.com/episode-108Mentioned in this episode:ToolsFor Ian's mastering plugins, click HERELearn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resourcesLeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's plugins