Mastering mostly makes subtle changesĭuring the mix, it’s not unusual to make significant changes to a sound for it to fit alongside your other elements. Mastering is only ever applied to a finished stereo mix. That’s one of the reasons mastering processors typically create much more transparent changes to the sound. They can only affect the entire stereo track.

That means the mastering engineer has no control of the contents of the mix. That means you’re free to turn them up or down, change the pan position or even remove them entirely from the mix. When you’re mixing a song you have access to all the recorded tracks individually. Here are five reasons mixing and mastering should be considered completely separate processes: 1. With the similarities out of the way, let’s dive into what sets mastering apart from mixing. What are the differences between mixing and mastering? The differences may seem subtle, but they’re important when it comes to the role that each step plays in the lifecycle of a song. Mixing and mastering are both done by engineers to help turn raw tracks into a satisfying recording. Mastering is done using many of the same kinds of processing that you apply in your mix. Some of the tools and techniques used in both are related. Those definitions might make mixing and mastering sound similar-and they are. Here’s an example of what a mastered track sounds like when compared to an unmastered one. That process typically includes tools like EQ, compression, limiting and stereo enhancement. Mastering engineers take the stereo bounce of your mix and apply further processing to get it ready for anywhere it might end up in the world. Think of it like the glue, varnish and polish that optimizes playback quality on all devices. It’s the stage where your finished mix gets its sonic presentation for release. Mastering is the final step in the production process of a song.

Mix and master my song free