Chapter 19
Mastering
Mastering for classical recording is different to that in the pop world, but in both cases, one of the main benefits of a ‘mastering stage’ in post-production is having another experienced person listen to the recording. Mastering for pop music as a very distinct stage of the post-production process has acquired a certain level of mystique, and many beginner engineers assume it can compensate for inadequate recording or mixing skills. This is really a misunderstanding of what it is all about, and while it is possible to improve a good recording with skilful mastering, significantly improving a poor one in the mastering process is a rare occurrence. Readers should refer to Bob Katz’s book Mastering Audio: The Art and the ...
