Mixing and Mastering acoustic songs

[annikajayne]

Hello, I hope you are all well and had a good start of the new year.

I'm planning to record and release a few unplugged or acoustic tracks. So far someone else has mixed and mastered everything for me and for full productions I would like to keep it that way. But I really would like to be a bit more independent when it comes to mixing and mastering acoustic tracks and acoustic tracks seem like a good place to start as they have just two, sometimes just even one stem if it's unplugged. In the latter case, there is not much to mix - and I know how to add some reverb, yet not so much about EQ.

The problem is that I don't even know how to use the Master feature that comes with Cubase. I've tried finding youtube tutorials but I don't really understand what they are talking about.

I know that usually mastering is used when you are producing an EP or an album and would like to have the tracks approximately the same sound. Yet the sound engineer I am working with has also always mastered individual tracks. I was always under the impression that the master mp3s / wav files are a bit louder than the mix that I am bouncing. Am I mistaken? In any case, I have never been able to achieve that with Cubase.

Do you know of any good tutorials that could help me? Thanks!

[JD01]

Don't know how to do it in Cubase... I'm not sure if anyone here uses Cubase, maybe @Alison but I think she's transitioning to Reaper.

In it's simplest form, mastering is getting your tracks up to commercial levels while also adding compression. If you're releasing on Spotify check what level they play at. From memory it's -14 LUFS.

At mastering stage people also tend to add EQ, and other forms of compression to get consistency of feel from track to track across an EP or album.

Get your mixes to a place where you're totally happy with them before adding mastering limiters. Trying to fix things with mastering is normally a crap idea.

Post up some mixes and we'll give you a hand.

[SweetDan]

I found this video helpful as a simple intro to the concepts and techniques used for mastering:

[Armistice]

^ What JD said...

There wouldn't be a master "function" so much as there's probably a stereo track to which you apply whatever effects are deemed necessary - usually EQ, compression/limiting and stuff like that.

It's not the easiest thing to get the volume up to a commercial level without destroying your mix, however.

I'd learn a bit more about mixing first. Leave mastering alone for now...

Posting mixes is the easiest way to improve, just don't get emotionally attached to them.

[JD01]

^ What JD said...

There wouldn't be a master "function" so much as there's probably a stereo track to which you apply whatever effects are deemed necessary - usually EQ, compression/limiting and stuff like that.

It's not the easiest thing to get the volume up to a commercial level without destroying your mix, however.

I'd learn a bit more about mixing first. Leave mastering alone for now...

Posting mixes is the easiest way to improve, just don't get emotionally attached to them.

Yeah, it took me a long time to get commercial levels without mangling my mix.

[annikajayne]

Thanks all!

This sounds way more complicated than I thought, lol!

But yes, I can post a few mixes, maybe that's a good way to start.

[Armistice]

Baby steps.

We were all there once. You'll get plenty of help. It's rewarding helping someone learn the tricks of the trade.

And what you do is different from everyone else - so opportunities for people here to listen and learn along the way as well.

[annikajayne]

Cool, looking forward to it!

[Alison]

Thanks all!

This sounds way more complicated than I thought, lol!

But yes, I can post a few mixes, maybe that's a good way to start.

Definitely post your mixes!! You will learn a TON from these guys! Mastering. . .well that's another ball of wax and I am barely getting my feet wet with it. Learning is what it's all about!