Mastering A CD - Help?

[T.C. Elliott]

So... I can mix in the BR 900 fairly well. But my question is getting a cd ready for duplication.. a Master CD... can we do it on a BR900? Or can we do it on the BR's and then export and finalize on a computer burner or the like?

Some of the things listed in mastering are:

    *  Optimizing average and peak volume levels for proper relative loudness
    * Signal processing - compression & EQ
    * Arranging tracks in final sequence
    * Timing of the space between tracks
    * Establish a sonic "field" for all tracks
    * Place track markers at head of all tracks
    * Remove unwanted noise like clicks, pops, hiss
    * Clean-up start and ending of each track (including fades)
    * Insert Master Track Log – the PQ codes required for replication

Can we insert the master track log and codes they use for things like sound exchange via the br machines like the 900?

[OsCKilO]

The Guy in the know about mastering is SteveG.........

He works wonders.....

[SteveG]

Put me on the spot why don't ya 

Most of what you describe you can do in Audition, or any other DAW for that matter. See no reason why you cant do it on the unit tho. You will need to use the same mastering settings (Or close anyway) if you want any continuity I would have thought, and you will have to watch our levels closely if you are not going to normalise all the files after .... although I seem to remember that Nero will do that.

The noise / click reduction you are gonna need a DAW and the proper tools.

Easier and better job in a DAW tho ... the code stuff I have no idea.

Bit out of my league this, never even thought of doing it.

If I was to attempt this I would be using Audition, and probably Ozone for the mastering. Using Ozones "CD Master" preset, normalising all files to around -3db, and tweaking, EQing, compressing etc for far too long 'till I mess it all up........

[OsCKilO]

Told you he was the man in the know......

[T.C. Elliott]

Thank you much.

I've pretty much had decided to try something like Reaper or whatnot.. I have audacity and dislike it, but use it to trim and convert the wav files from the boss to mp3... and vice versa in order to get tracks from others into the BR.

I'm just getting into some of the bells and whistles of the machine. I am panning slightly now, but I've gotten pretty good comments on production with just using as clean of a recording as I can get and mixing carefully. Very little eq or effect work other than room reverb.

[SdC]

.....
 just using as clean of a recording as I can get and mixing carefully. Very little eq or effect work other than room reverb.

Yep, that's  the whole trick to production. Any deviation from the "truth" needs to serve a specific purpose.

[SteveG]

Reaper is good, will support vst etc, and good midi too.

[Bosko Schwartz]

So... I can mix in the BR 900 fairly well. But my question is getting a cd ready for duplication.. a Master CD... can we do it on a BR900? Or can we do it on the BR's and then export and finalize on a computer burner or the like?

Some of the things listed in mastering are:

    *  Optimizing average and peak volume levels for proper relative loudness
    * Signal processing - compression & EQ
    * Arranging tracks in final sequence
    * Timing of the space between tracks
    * Establish a sonic "field" for all tracks
    * Place track markers at head of all tracks
    * Remove unwanted noise like clicks, pops, hiss
    * Clean-up start and ending of each track (including fades)
    * Insert Master Track Log – the PQ codes required for replication

Can we insert the master track log and codes they use for things like sound exchange via the br machines like the 900?

Hey Pigfarmer,

Just got a PM from 64G that directed me here; he said I may be of some help to you.  No offense to 64G, but I think it's funny that he thought I would be someone to ask about this.   Funny, but quite flattering too.   I don't know anything about using a PC to master, so I can't help you there.  I do everything on the unit.  For me it's just easier.  Probably takes a hell of a lot longer, but I kind of like doing things manually.  I like physical knobs and faders.  I use a 1600, but the 900 is very similar, from what I hear.

Although I have used the Mastering Toolkit on the Boss many times, I am actually getting my record mastered by an old high school friend who now has his own company, Solid Arts and Science.  I heard a master he did of a band called The Bourbon Saints and it sounded quite good.  So, although I had already mastered my songs myself, what I did was go back to my original mixes and gave him the un-mastered versions and let him at it.  Turns out that my masters actually sounded better than his.  They were brighter and less muddy.  I have no idea why that was.  To hear an example of the BR-1600's mastering, listen to any of my tunes in the 1600 board.  I feel that these masters actually sound pretty decent, considering the fact that I have absolutely zero sound engineering training or skills.  All I really did was tweak a few of the settings on the "Pop Mix" preset and press record.  I can't claim to know what I'm doing, but my point is that, in my humble opinion, you are able to get some pretty damned good-sounding stuff out of the Boss, and I don't see any reason not to master it completely on the unit.

I am sending my tunes back to my friend at Solid Arts & Science, but he is now getting the mastered versions, because as I said, they sounded better than what he sent me based on the original mixes.  The only reason I am having him master at all is because he has more sound engineering experience and can get things like bass levels even throughout the record.  I am really bad at working with EQ.  He can also add track separators to some of the tracks that I purposely made run together, which I think you can do on the Boss too, but I am too lazy to figure it out.  I was mainly just hoping that with his higher-end equipment and experience, he could maybe clean it up.  But so far, the Boss has actually done a better job.  I am still waiting to hear his work based on the Boss-mastered versions I sent him.

I think the key and the secret to a good sound comes in the mix, before you do any mastering.  I am no "master" of mixing either, but I have been known to spend countless hours on this, tweaking levels, EQ, comp, panning, effects, etc., until I am blue in the face.  Sometimes it's all for naught and I end up going back to an earlier mix, but other times the time spent is well worth it.  You should get the mix sounding as good as possible on its own -- then when you master, it will just sound that much better.

If you have any more specific questions about Boss-Mastering, I can try to help you, but I just realized I wrote a whole lot and didn't help much, so I apologize for that.

-- John

[T.C. Elliott]

Thank you much for the response. It actually does help me in that now I guess I'll spend some time learning the Boss. Or at least playing with it.

I've had compliments on my demos.. but I do very little eq or effects on my mixes. I just get as clean a recording for each track then spend some time getting the mix levels just right. Re-recording anything that seems to be too thick or what not (ie spacing) if necessary.
My problem is that while they sound good, they do not sound great. So I want to do the mixing myself and am learning. However, putting in the proper spaces between tracks, codes etc on a master disc is above my head.. at least at this point. I guess reading and re-reading would help me some.

If you have any general advice or common practices on how you do your mixes I'd be happy to hear that as well. And a special thanks to 64 for having you drop by.

Tom E. aka P.J.

[guitarron]

this is a good read my man-
http://www.izotope.com/products/audio/ozone/OzoneMasteringGuide.pdf


anyone who is serious about mass producing a cd owes it themself to have it professionally mastered
if you feel confident in your skills aprogram like wavelab of izotope is a sure bet
happy mastering