In a mix session you have the freedom to adjust individual instruments. The biggest difference between mastering and mixing is that you’re never processing just one instrument. It’s all in how you think about your tracks: Tenet #1 – You’re processing every single instrument in your mix at the same time. While the tools are the same, the mindset of a mastering engineer is very different from a mix engineer. I call this shift in mindset The 4 Tenets of Mastering. And it’s incredibly important to shift your mindset when you’re mastering.

However, mastering has several key differences. Like I mentioned earlier, mastering engineers use the very same tools that you use for mixing. That’s cool! You just have to be super thoughtful in your approach. Or maybe you’re looking to improve your own mastering skills. Maybe you’re not ready to hire a mastering engineer. It’s hard to have that conversation when you’re both the mix and mastering engineer! Mastering Your Own Mixesīut of course, why pay someone else to master your mixes when you can do it yourself?

You can also have a conversation with the mastering engineer and learn how to improve your mixes on your own. So it will be obvious to that engineer where your mixes need improvement. Your mastering engineer hasn’t listened to your mix 1000+ times. When a mastering engineer double-checks your work, that only helps you. And the more involved you become, the more biased your ears and mind have become. When you’re in the 11th hour of a mix, you’ve lost the ability to be objective decisions hours ago. And soon enough you won’t notice that the mix stinks. Try listening to a recording you think sucks. The race is against your biased perspective. Although I bet you’ve never thought of it like that. And in my humble and sincere opinion, hiring out is always a good option. The first option, of course, is to hire a mastering engineer.

So today I want to help you dig into mastering in Logic Pro without harming your mixes. Safety nets that can catch you before you make a mistake. It’s all about having the right system in place when you approach mastering. You know something’s going on behind the curtain, but just aren’t sure what!Īnd unfortunately, not knowing can do more harm than good when you try to master your own mixes. Even though mastering engineers use the exact same plugins as you or I, how come mastering always feels like a mystery?īut it’s like meeting the great and terrible Oz. Mastering in Logic Pro X, or any other DAW for that matter, can be super intimidating.

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