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Old 02-24-2017, 01:28 PM   #1
pbx3john
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Default Pre CD Release/Production Question - Mastering

Hi All - I am sending 3 songs out next week to Atomic (http://www.atomicdisc.com/) for a three-sing CD release. I am finishing up the mixing and mastering in my home studio. I have noticed that most CD duplicators offering mastering. Should I pay for that service?

Does anyone have any experience in that area? Thanks!

John
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Old 02-24-2017, 02:59 PM   #2
DVDdoug
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I have noticed that most CD duplicators offering mastering. Should I pay for that service?
Generally, no. Especially since you've already done the mastering.

Mastering is an art (like mixing) and it's best if you know who the mastering engineer is and something about their work, or sometimes you can get a sample track done to see if you like the results.
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Old 02-24-2017, 07:18 PM   #3
pbx3john
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Thanks Doug, I appreciate the advice....
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Old 02-24-2017, 08:11 PM   #4
vdubreeze
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It can be worth it if they function like normal mastering engineers do, meaning provide examples of their work in your genre, discus at length what treatment your tracks should get and are willing to let you hear the results and approve, among other things. Also if they truly use mastering level tools and not just typical plugins. It would pay to contact artists who have had their work mastered by them. But not if it's you pay a fee, send the files and get the CDs back mastered. Not if they treat it like one more step in the process (like mixing and artwork) that they can now provide because they bought a suite of mastering software but they don't really use a mastering engineer in a mastering room. There's nothing wrong with that kind of mastering if the artist can't do a decent home studio mastering job and there's little money left to do better. But for not that much more you can have it really done well (if the duplicator doesn't do true, thoughtful and discriminating mastering). If you are curious about how mastering can help your tracks the best thing to do would be to find a recommended local mastering person and sit in while they do it. That enables you to hear your original mixes on their speakers in their room and then hear their work on the same.

Naturally, if you have someone else master your CD you would take off the mastering or master bus plugins on what you give them.
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