If you don't read this now, you'll hate yourself later... As a music producer, mixing engineer, or musician, navigating the realm of mastering music can be daunting with all the myths and misconceptions floating around. But don’t worry - I’ve enlisted six expert mastering engineers to debunk common myths and set the record straight.
Myth One: You Should Use True Peak Limiting to Prevent Clipping
Disable true peak limiting to preserve punch
Brian Hazard says: "True peak limiting kills punch. Turn it off and leave at least a half dB ceiling to avoid clipping during encoding. You can always analyze the file afterwards to determine the true peak and adjust the ceiling to compensate." - Brian Hazard, Resonance Mastering
Ultimately, true peak limiting can reduce punch, so it's better to leave a half dB ceiling to avoid clipping during encoding and then adjust the ceiling afterwards if needed.
Myth Two: You Should Not Use Headphones When Mastering Music
Mastering on headphones: A legitimate alternative to studio monitors
Philip Marsden affirms: "You absolutely can, and many people do. I've been primarily mastering on headphones since 2020 (only using monitors as a secondary "sit back and listen" reference) and I love it.
I grew up listening to music on headphones for 2-3 hours every evening, so it's a listening experience that I'm very used to and that knowledge of what a finished record sounds like on them, paired with a super accurate frequency response that's untouched by the effects of the room is like a superpower when it comes to objectivity and translation.
For some people, listening on headphones feels unnatural and they'd rather have a set of speakers, but the downside is you need a much bigger budget and a very accurate room. It’s all about personal preference - don’t let anyone tell you that one method is right and the other is wrong. Check out Glenn Schick for a great example of a mastering engineer who works exclusively on cans." - Philip Marsden, Marsden Mastering
"I use them [headphones] for everything. Every single record since 2018 has been mastered on Audeze Headphones" - Glenn Schick, Audeze Chats
In short, mastering on headphones is a viable and powerful option, offering accurate frequency response and objectivity, but the choice between headphones and monitors ultimately comes down to personal preference and budget.
Myth Three: Mastering Music is a "Dark Art"
It's about good listening and mastering the basics, not secret techniques
Mike Indovina clarifies: "A lot of people think mastering is some secret, mysterious process only a few can understand. The truth is, it’s just good listening combined with the knowledge of basic tools.
Mastering simply involves checking the balance of frequencies and the dynamics of your track. The goal is to make your song sound great on any system, whether it's big speakers, car stereos, headphones, etc. To achieve this, you need to understand what mixes that translate should sound like coming from your speakers. This can be learned by listening critically to commercially released songs on your monitors.
The tools used in mastering aren't special or different from mixing. Mastering engineers use volume, EQ, compression, and limiting – the same tools you use while mixing. The key difference is that mastering engineers have trained their ears and know how to tweak these settings to get the results the song needs. Again, it’s not anything secretive, it’s just about knowing how to use the controls in your plugins/hardware and then listening to see whether you’re making changes that enhance/improve the quality of the song in a way that will make it translate.
At the end of the day, mastering isn't magic. It's a skill you can learn with practice and the right knowledge." - Mike Indovina, Master Your Mix
"As with all things, practice over a long period of time will get you here. Practicing one thing over and over again will make you really good at that one thing, and as mastering engineers, listening is what we do." - Brandon Allshouse, The Dark Art of Mastering
In summary, mastering is not a mysterious process, but rather a skilful application of basic tools like EQ, compression, and limiting, combined with critical listening to ensure your music sounds great on any system
Myth Four: Use Mid/Side EQ to Process Centred and Wide-panned Elements Separately
It's not just about center vs. wide-panned elements
Ian Stewart states: "There are a lot of pernicious myths out there around mastering that won’t seem to go away, but one that I see very few people talking about goes something like this: You can use mid/side to EQ centred elements and wide panned elements separately, and differently.
Don’t get me wrong, mid/side is incredibly powerful in mastering and I certainly won’t hesitate to use it when needed, but it’s quite a bit more nuanced than “centrally panned” and “wide panned”. Try this simple experiment to better understand the nuances.
Put a mid/side plugin like Voxengo MSED on your master bus and solo the mid-channel. Then, load up a mono instrument on a channel feeding into the master bus and play with its panning. When it’s panned centre, sure enough, you hear it in the mid-channel, but when you pan it hard left or right does it go away completely, or get quieter? Then solo the side channel in MSED and try the same thing.
The details of why you hear what you hear when you do that would take more space to cover than we have here, but here’s what I feel is a better way to think of mid/side processing: mid/side EQ is more like frequency-specific width control. A boost in the mid-channel, or a cut in the side channel, will make that frequency range narrower. Conversely, a cut in the mid-channel or boost in the side channel will widen that frequency range.
Likewise, mid/side compression can be thought of as level-specific width control. Compressing the mid-channel makes loud events wider. Compressing the side channel makes loud events narrower.
Finally, the phase response is not trivial any time mid/side is involved, so particularly with EQ it’s worth at least having the option to audition minimum and linear phase (and personally, more often than not I find linear phase is the way to go)." - Ian Stewart, Flotown Mastering
To conclude, the myth that mid/side EQ can be used to process centred and wide-panned elements separately is misleading, as it actually functions more like frequency-specific width control, requiring a more nuanced approach.
Myth Five: Mastering is Just Adding Volume
Mastering music is more Than Just Volume: It's About Enhancing the Overall Sound with Precision and Creativity
Mat Leffler-Schulman emphasizes: "One of the most common misconceptions about mastering is that it is just about adding volume to a mix. While increasing the volume is one aspect of mastering, it is just the tip of the iceberg. The mastering process is designed to enhance the overall sound of a mix and involves a variety of technical and creative processes, such as equalization, compression, stereo imaging, and limiting." - Mat Leffler-Schulman, matlefflerchulman.com
"The perception of loudness by the end-listener isn’t really about increasing mere volume; it’s achieved through a delicate dance of sonic and dynamic balance." - Caleb Loveless, What is Mastering?
In summary, mastering goes far beyond simply increasing volume; it involves a range of technical and creative processes to enhance the overall sound of a mix.
Myth Six: Analogue Gear is Essential for Professional Mastering
You can achieve top-tier results entirely in the box, proving that mastering is more about expertise than equipment.
Eric Mitchell says: "While analogue gear can be great, it's not essential for high-quality mastering. After years of working with a top-tier analogue setup, I found no difference in results when I switched entirely to in-the-box (ITB) processing. The key to mastering success is a well-treated room, a high-quality playback system, and extensive ear training—not the gear you use. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise; it's about your skills, not the tools." - Eric Mitchell, ericmitchellaudio
In short, achieving high-quality results in mastering music doesn’t rely on expensive analogue gear. With the right skills, tools, and environment, mastering in the box can produce exceptional outcomes.
Summary
In conclusion, navigating the world of mastering music can be confusing, with myths and misconceptions clouding the process. In this blog post, six expert mastering engineers debunk some of the most persistent myths in the industry. From the misconception that true peak limiting is necessary, to the belief that analogue gear is essential for professional results, these pros set the record straight.
Whether it's mastering on headphones, understanding that mastering is more than just adding volume, or clarifying the nuances of mid/side EQ, this post provides clear insights to help producers and engineers elevate their mastering skills.
So, the next time you dive into the world of mastering music, remember what these expert engineers have debunked and embark on your mastering journey with confidence.
Remember, mastering music is not just about the technical process - it's about mastering the myths too!
What's Next?
Are you frustrated with DIY results? Download my FREE '12 Steps to a Mastering Ready Mix' checklist and make your mastering process smoother and more efficient, allowing you to focus on creating great music!
Great stuff!