[LAU] mastering - do I need it?

[Ken Restivo]

On Sat, Nov 24, 2007 at 12:58:39PM -0800, Mark Knecht wrote:
> On Nov 24, 2007 11:18 AM, Ken Restivo <ken at restivo.org> wrote:
> > On Fri, Nov 23, 2007 at 11:07:05AM -0800, Mark Knecht wrote:
> > >    Remember that in general mastering is a process of getting a *set*
> > > of audio files ready for a final CD. The task is to make them sound
> > > good together. Taking a single file through the mastering process is
> > > only part of the game.
> >
> >
> > This seems almost quaint in an era when most people keep their tunes in MP3's on their iPods and iTunes (or equivalents) in shuffle mode.
> >
> > Come to think of it, I can't remember the last time I listened to a CD all the way through from beginning to end.
> >
> > -ken
> >
> 
> Well, OK, that's me - 'quaint'...
> 
> Anyway, a good mastering engineer will likely have experience making
> music sound as good as it can on many different types of systems. Some
> mastering studio websites have audio clips demonstrating A/B
> comparisons to highlight the sort of things they do. Anyone thinking
> about having their work mastered would probably do well to go visit
> some web sites before the start dialing the telephone or even looking
> for references. TapeOp magazine is a good resource for deals on
> mastering. Flipping through the most recent issue I see at least 20
> studios listed. They all have web sites and phone numbers.
> 
> I guess it's up to the individual whether they want to get this done or not.
> 
> As for me I hardly listen to any CD without listening all the way
> though, even if it's been ripped to disk. I'm just quaint.
> 


Sorry, didn't intend to offend anyone.

I have a couple friends who listen to vynil, so I guess "retro" is just as good too.

They do have their iPods in "shuffle" mode, however :-)

-ken