Complete Audio Mastering: Practical Techniques

CHAPTER 7Mastering Practices: Techniques, Problems, and Approaches

In an interview with the Audio Engineering Society, Bob Ludwig described the “ah-ha” moment of his career. He discovered that a producer he worked with preferred the work of a different mastering engineer over his own. While Bob prided himself on his masters being as true to the mixes as possible, his competition would use compression, hype the midrange frequencies, make it brighter, and give a fuller-sounding bass drum. Bob’s big realization was that the producer expected mastering to provide “more of the excitement felt in the mix room.”

It has been quite some time since Bob’s “ah-ha” moment while cutting vinyl, but many of today’s producers are still looking for improvements ...