I like to use Izotope Ozone on my individual audio tracks as a mastering tool. When I do this the tracks play slower for some reason
You mean mixing tool.
Mastering involves very sophisticated audio processing techniques, It enhances and prepares your final mix for CD replication and/or Duplication. Mastering is a form of audio post production. It's the process of transferring and preparing your audio form a source that contains your final mix to a data storage device and that's the master. The master is the source of all copies that will be replicate, duplicated or pressed. In short, it's a process that prepares and organizes your music/audio for mass distribution. It enhances the quality of your songs to make it acceptable for airplay and CD replication and CD distribution
Mastering takes that final mix and polishes and enhances the natural sound qualities of that mix. It takes your mix to the next level and will increase the quality of your audio files
The mastering process involves these things: the source material at its original sample rate and bit depth is processed using noise reduction, equalization, compression, limiting, leveling, Stereo Enhancement, fading in and out, pre-gapping and other audio enhancements and audio restoration processes can be applied, if needed, as part of our audio mastering process.
Steps of the process can typically include, but not limited to:
- The transferring the audio into a digital work station.
- Arrange the sequence of the songs or tracks and the spaces in between them. Just like a CD or album.
- The processing of audio to enhance and maximize the sound quality.
- The transferring of audio to Red Book specifications in the final master format
The difference between mixing and mastering: Many people get these 2 terms confused and use them interchangeably. Mastering engineers work with a single stereo wave file that is kept at its original sample rate and bit depth. Often the bit depth will be converted to 32bit floating point. We do that during our mastering procedure. You keep it at its original bit rate. Mixing gets your sound by adding effects like reverb, equalization, delays, compressors, and other effects and you mix the tracks until your levels and sound is the way you want it.
There is 2 kinds of mixing - Track mixing and Stem Mixing - Track Mixing uses the single tracks of different instruments and we process and combine those tracks to create your final mix
- Stem Mixing is a form of mixing audio that are in groups of audio tracks, that are mixed down. They are processed separately before combining them into the final mix.
Mastering takes that final mix and polishes and enhances the natural sound qualities of that mix. It takes your mix to the next level and will increase the quality of your audio files
Source used http://audio-mastering-mixing.com/FAQ___Q_A.html#1
post edited by CJaysMusic - 2010/07/28 12:02:09