{"id":2097,"date":"2023-04-24T14:14:52","date_gmt":"2023-04-24T13:14:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jcmastering-berlin.com\/?page_id=2097"},"modified":"2026-05-12T11:44:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T10:44:57","slug":"what-isnt-mastering","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jcmastering-berlin.com\/index.php\/what-isnt-mastering\/","title":{"rendered":"What Isn’t Mastering?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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GARRY <\/span><\/p>\n

COSGROVE<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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MASTERING ENGINEER<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mastering is often seen as a mystical, almost magical process that takes a mix<\/span><\/p>\n

and makes it sound polished, balanced and ready for distribution, but there<\/span><\/p>\n

are still many misconceptions about what mastering actually is. <\/span><\/p>\n

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In this post, I’ll go over what mastering isn’t to<\/span><\/p>\n

help dispel some of these myths and give you a better understanding<\/span><\/p>\n

of what to expect from the mastering process….<\/span><\/p>\n

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What Isn’t Mastering?<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mastering isn’t a cure-all for a bad mix.<\/span><\/p>\n

I have been lucky to work with a lot of very good mixing engineers and producers, whom I trust, and for that reason I feel assured that when I get a mix it’s ready for the next step.<\/span><\/p>\n

While a skilled mastering engineer can work wonders with even the most challenging of mixes, it’s important to remember that mastering isn’t a fix for a poorly recorded or mixed track. A good mix is the foundation of a great master, and while mastering can help enhance the overall sound, it can’t fix fundamental issues with a mix.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can only work with what you are given and so there will never be drastic changes. Getting your mix to where it needs to be is 99.9% of determining how good the master will be.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mastering isn’t a place for subjective mixing opinions. <\/span><\/p>\n

When you send your mix to a mastering engineer, you should be confident that your mix is in a good place and that you’ve made the necessary decisions to get it there. A good mastering engineer should offer objective feedback (if necessary) and make subtle adjustments to the overall sound and level without imposing their own subjective opinions or trying to redo the mix.<\/span><\/p>\n

It is always a good practice to communicate any potential issues that may be affected or enhanced during mastering to the mixing engineer. However, in my experience, this doesn’t happen too often. To ensure a smooth and transparent mastering process, I recommend having a conversation with the mastering engineer prior to the finalisation of the mixes.<\/span><\/p>\n

By maintaining open and clear communication, the mastering engineer can ensure that any adjustments made are to enhance the final product without compromising the integrity of the mix.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mastering isn’t about an engineer adding their own signature sound to your mix. <\/span><\/p>\n

While some mastering engineers may have a particular “sound” or approach they favor, a good mastering engineer should never try to drastically alter the sound of your mix or impose their own preferences onto your music. Their job is to help realize your vision and bring out the best qualities of your mix.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mastering isn’t just making the mix louder. <\/span><\/p>\n

Mastering is not just a matter of boosting the overall level. A mastering engineer’s role is to bring out the best in a mix and create a cohesive and balanced sound that translates well on different playback systems. <\/span><\/p>\n

This involves carefully adjusting the various elements of a mix, such as volume levels, subtle automation, and equalization to balance the frequency spectrum, among other techniques.<\/span><\/p>\n

While increasing the overall level is a common part of the process, it’s not always necessary or desirable. In fact, many streaming platforms have fairly conservative loudness targets that for the most part make excessive loudness unnecessary. <\/span><\/p>\n

Ultimately, the decision to push a song harder into a limiting is subjective and should be made based on what best serves the song.<\/span><\/p>\n

In conclusion, mastering is a crucial part of the music production process, but it’s important to have a clear understanding of what it isn’t. By dispelling some of the common myths surrounding mastering, you’ll be better equipped to communicate with your mastering engineer and get the best possible results for your music. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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SUBSCRIBE<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n

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GARRY  COSGROVE MASTERING ENGINEER Mastering is often seen as a mystical, almost magical process that takes a mix and makes it sound polished, balanced and ready for distribution, but there are still many misconceptions about what mastering actually is. 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