The Mastering Show

Yes - it’s The Dither Episode ! But hang in there, it’s not as bad as you might think. My guest host this week is Jon Tidey from reaperblog.net, who *hates* talking about dither, so I had to work hard to keep it interesting. And I think I succeeded, mostly! We cover loads of topics, like why the analogy of hi-res digital audio with digital photos is wrong (or at least deeply misleading) and why dither means digital ‘resolution’ is NOT a real thing. Plus: - Why dither helps prevent your audio from 'sounding digital’ - How the right kind of dither can make even 8-bit audio sound OK - Why it works - and what that has to do with my lava lamp - Whether we can *really* hear the difference - How to test yourself using “Gangnam Style" - Why you should stop worrying and just dither ! Visit the website for links http://themasteringshow.com/the-mastering-show-21-why-digital-resolution-doesnt-exist-because-dither/Mentioned in this episode:Learn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resourcesLeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's plugins

27 Sep 201653min

You’ve already seen who my guest is this week, so why are you still reading this ?!? Click Play now ! Seriously though, a guest whose discography includes U2, Dave Matthews, The Pogues, The Stones, Peter Gabriel, Talking Heads, Morrissey, The Psychedelic Furs, The Las, The Killers and 30 Seconds to Mars plus about 500 others *really* shouldn’t need any further introduction from me ! There are SO many great anecdotes and useful nuggets of wisdom in this episode I can’t even begin to list them, but just in case you need any more persuading, here are a few sample topics we discuss: - How Steve became a music producer, and why he did it mostly out of fear - What he hates about the production of “Sunday Bloody Sunday” - Why he always mixes the records he produces - The secret of his success (which anyone can steal) - His feelings about the Loudness War, and whether stem mastering is a good idea or not Now stop reading this and listen ! Links Steve Lilywhite (Wikipedia) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Lillywhite Steve on Discogs.com https://www.discogs.com/artist/50809-Steve-Lillywhite 10 records that changed Steve’s life - some may surprise you ! http://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/steve-lillywhite-the-10-records-that-changed-my-life-612922 Documentary teaser https://youtu.be/13ohHBmviE8Mentioned in this episode:LeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's pluginsLearn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resources

17 Aug 201657min

In this show Ian talks to the fabulous Sylvia Massy about her fantastic new book, "Recording Unhinged" - and how perhaps mastering could be a little more unhinged sometimes, too. Topics include: - Ian's first ever mastering project (although he didn't know it at the time) - Recording underwater brass - Why gaffer-taping Peter Gabriel to a column wasn't such a bad idea - How to make a REALLY hidden track on CD - How to record like Harry Potter - What Sylvia does to prepare her music for mastering, and why Links www.sylviamassy.com http://www.sylviamassy.com/recording-unhinged/ http://shop.wbstudiotour.co.uk/product-categories/toys/info/extendable-ear/1232294.htmlMentioned in this episode:LeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's pluginsLearn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resources

4 Aug 201649min

In this show we give a conclusive answer to all those heated online debates about what audio gear sounds best. Mics, converters, cables - you name it. And we tell you how to find out for yourself. But why you probably shouldn't bother. And along the way we discuss: - When data-identical files sound different (and why) - What the Three Fingered Mouse Click is, and why you need it - The ultimate audio test: "5000 dollars or your house" ! - Why you really shouldn't move your head when working on audio - When expensive cables really CAN sound better, and why - even though they actually don't And plenty more ! Links Can you trust your ears ? http://productionadvice.co.uk/can-you-trust-your-ears/ Does it matter whether or not pain medication is branded? http://digest.bps.org.uk/2015/11/does-it-matter-if-pain-medication-is.html Ronan's Drum Recording Bootcamp http://bit.ly/rcm-drums More about Ronan http://www.venetowest.com/rcm/ Mentioned in this episode:LeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's pluginsLearn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resources

18 Juli 20161h

A new study proves that high sample rates really DO sound better. Or does it ? As usual it's a little more complicated than that... in this episode we investigate why, and also discuss how to test this stuff for yourself, plus - when you might choose NOT to mix at Abbey Road, why all CD players don't sound the same, and why Ian hates the sound of swirling ultrasonic birdies. And, what that actually means! Links: AES Paper: A Meta-Analysis of High Resolution Audio Perceptual Evaluation https://secure.aes.org/forum/pubs/journal/?ID=591 Intermodulation distortion http://productionadvice.co.uk/high-sample-rates-make-your-music-sound-worse/ Test files for intermodulation distortion http://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html#toc_1ch The importance of loudness matching http://productionadvice.co.uk/you-must-do-this/ Why mp3 sucks - and how to hear it http://productionadvice.co.uk/why-mp3-sounds-bad/ The amazing Record Production Dot Com website http://www.recordproduction.com Russell Cottier's site http://www.russellcottier.com Mentioned in this episode:Learn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resourcesLeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's plugins

11 Juli 20161h 9min

How to get great results mastering audio for podcasts - AND record and mix them. Plus - how to build a studio from hay bales (and why you'd want to), what really IS a "home" studio in the 21st century, and the mic Ian uses to record this show. Links The Mastering Show - Acoustic treatment http://themasteringshow.com/episode-8/ The Mastering Show - Loudness http://themasteringshow.com/episode-6/ Streaming Loudness Recommendations http://www.aes.org/technical/documents/AESTD1004_1_15_10.pdf Recording Studio Rockstars Podcast http://www.rsrockstars.comMentioned in this episode:Learn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resourcesLeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's plugins

2 Juli 20161h 9min

In this episode I describe a simple, straightforward strategy to make your masters sound more like those of your favourite artists – whether you’re a beginner or a pro. I explain how to decide how loud you want to master your music, and how to make sure you achieve that without becoming a victim of the loudness war - and, using this method you’ll be able to asses objectively what you want your music to sound like, and figure out how to get there. Links How to read the new loudness meters http://productionadvice.co.uk/lufs-dbfs-rms/ What does a mastering engineer do ? My mastering process http://productionadvice.co.uk/mastering-process/ Using Perception with reference tracks http://productionadvice.co.uk/using-the-perception-plugin-with-reference-tracks/ More info on Perception http://perceptionplugin.com Mentioned in this episode:LeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's pluginsLearn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resources

24 Juni 201624min

In this show we talk about distortion. Good distortion, bad distortion - and how to tell the difference. Find out what Ian REALLY thinks about distortion, how you can use it effectively in mastering - and when you should. What is soft clipping - and how do you use it ? Plus Ian explains why ALL audio processing is distortion, strictly speaking - and the benefits (and costs) of using it. Links: Fab DuPont on Death Magnetic http://www.puremix.net/mixcheck-mix-analysis/metallica-vs-metallica-metallica.html What is 'aliasing' and what causes it? http://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/q-what-aliasing-and-what-causes-it When in doubt, dither http://productionadvice.co.uk/when-in-doubt-dither/ Why you need amazing monitoring http://productionadvice.co.uk/if-you-cant-hear-it-it-doesnt-matter/ The Home Mastering Masterclass http://www.homemastering.com Mentioned in this episode:LeapwingFind out more about Leapwing's pluginsLearn to master !Click HERE to see Ian's courses and mastering resources

17 Juni 201655min