My approach to Mastering
It’s hard to describe mastering without quickly getting into some heady technical details that, if you’re not really interested in that sort of stuff, can feel a lot like watching paint dry.
Basically, it’s the final process of changes made to a song or group of songs before they’re released. This might include small changes to level or “volume”, equalization, dynamics, and other aspects of the sound field to give a song or collection of songs a glued together, polished feeling. I’ve heard it explained like this: The artist and mix engineer make strokes on the canvas, the mastering engineer picks out the frame.
Mastering also prepares the project for release on different mediums. A master for CD has different requirements from a master for a vinyl release, which is different still from a release on digital streaming.
Most importantly, a mastering engineer is a set of trusted, objective ears who is hearing your project for the first time. Often, the people involved in the process of creating a song have listened to it many, many times. We’ve all been to that point during a mix where you say to yourself, “I’ve listened to this 500 times, my perspective of this track is absolutely tainted.” With a fresh set of ears, a mastering engineer makes sure your project is free from sonic problems or inconsistencies before it gets released. You may know your plane and how to fly it, but it’s always good to get cleared for take off from the tower, right? A mastering engineer provides that peace of mind.
What’s up with “Mix Finishing”?
So many artists have access to recording gear and software nowadays. You don’t need to be in a studio or pay beaucoup bucks to turn your ideas into reality, which is great! Many of my friends (myself included) taught themselves recording and mixing techniques in their bedrooms and grew from there.
With that newfound accessibility comes a new set of hurdles. Mixing is, inherently, a lot to chew on. Watching a professional do it in a studio can feel like a NASA presentation, and teaching yourself how to do it well can feel a lot like groping around in the dark. You might know that feeling of loving where your mix is at, only to listen to it the next day and wonder what the hell you were thinking the night before.
This is where I can help. What I call “mix finishing” is essentially both feedback about where your project is at currently, and suggestions to get it to a place where you’re proud of it. I’m also happy to take your mix from whatever percentage of completion you feel stuck at to a final mix that you’re happy with, whether it’s small changes or big ones.
Matt’s spent the past 15 years in the music industry in touring bands, on independent labels, as a recording engineer in studios across the East Coast, and as trusted listener for friends and bands to bounce mixes off of. It was a natural progression for him to turn his focus to mastering, and that’s what he’s been doing since 2021.
Long story short: He loves music more than almost anything else on planet earth and it’s his objective to listen, care, and do right by your music.