Mastering crash course – part 3
Together, we master the Flight Attendant EP „Triebwerk“featuring four tracks. While the second part was all about level adjustments with „Clip Gain“, „Gain Envelope“and volume automation, the following parts are dedicated to the use of plug-ins - and start right away with the supreme discipline: the use of equalizers. 1 Master acoustics
For this, we need a neutral listening situation. We achieve this with good speakers, neutral headphones and room acoustic measures. In addition, you can measure the negative influence of the room at the listening position with technology such as Reference 4, in order to then counteract dips and overemphasizations in the frequency response with a special EQ. 1
2 Precious and uniform
Our goal: All four songs should sound powerful, warm, transparent and refined - and, moreover, their sound should show that they belong together. For the sake of clarity, we use two EQs, one for pulling out disturbing frequency bands and one for boosting and cutting larger frequency ranges. 1
3 Booming
First, we insert the Pro EQ into all four clip busses. We search the spectrum with an EQ bell alternately with medium and high
Q (5-20) and alternating stroke (5-20dB) with pointed ears for disturbing frequencies. Example „Consequencer“: At 52Hz it is booming. We lower 7dB until the bass no longer booms, but still sounds rich. 1
4 In the middle of Hertz
There was also a need for cleanup in the mids (830Hz, -3dB, 2.6 & 4 kHz, -2dB). The 830 Hz area is more overemphasized from 3:30 - 4:30 than in the rest of the song. It sounds like holding a plastic cup with the opening to the speaker. Thanks to automation, we can lower the band here by another 3dB until „the cup sound“is gone. 1
5 Keep it up
We repeat the process with the other tracks. „Flotsam“also booms. We noticed too much low bass overall, which we cut by 6dB with a broadband Shelf filter at 73Hz. „Club Friend,“on the other hand, sounds good. We often take breaks, because the ears quickly adapt and fade out the sought-after discordant sounds after a while. 1
6 EQ two and outlook
For EQ task two, we‘ll insert a second EQ into each of the four clip channels, but in the form of a multiband compressor, which we‘ll first repurpose as an EQ. How we do this and what else we do with the ultimate Mastering plug-in, you‘ll learn in Part 4. Don‘t despair. Practice makes perfect!