What Is the Difference Between Mixing and Mastering?
Name of this text caught your attention not by accident. It means you need answers. Prior to going deeply into the subject of difference between mastering and mixing it’s needed to mention, music has a very meaningful place in the life of a person and in society in general. This was true throughout all times and ages. We can’t imagine humanity without music alongside it. Every nation has its own anthem. Every generation has fashions and different styles in music.
But to be honest, technologies changed our approach in making music drastically. Demands had launched up. When in the past music was the only one instrument or set of instruments played together with or without singers and dancers. These days it is a multitask process, if we require highly professional track as a result. Sound production demands to absolutely clarify what is mixing vs mastering.
Now, let’s try to get an easy and acceptable explanation of two things – mixing and mastering. What has to be expected when one submits a song to a sound industry procedure?
What is mixing?
Mixing is an act of leading soundtracks of musical instruments into one whole piece. Mixing engineer befriends separate parts of the same composition. Every particle is supposed to be organized and sewed up together right with the rest. It is similar to layers of the cake coming one after another to make one delicious thing. In the process of mixing professionals might supplement each track of the singer’s voice or instrument with some sound effects, such as reverberation, chorus or others. At this point all guitars available, piano, drums and the rest of the stems should come together at the same pace, same volume and speed. Engineer has to make sure that one instrument is not shouting over the other.
Get in touch with a music mixing engineer. Mix engineer is such a doer who has a fine understanding of how multitude of tracks should be arranged to make a united harmony. You are lucky if you find a person with a creative vision of music, someone who knows how to use technologies and apply it in a number of ways.
What is mastering?
Mastering is checking that an already mixed piece sounds harmonically and right. What happens at this stage? Engineer of mastering looks at the composition as whole and can apply a variety of effects (like fading or echo) to the entire piece if necessary. Song compression can also be done at this point. It’s like decorating your cake that was started at the previous stage with cream and cherry on top. Mastering prepares the end product until it becomes ripe for consumption.
Professional mastering engineer will make your song sound smooth and pleasant. Specialists in this sphere should know what people desire to hear. Mastering engineer may lead a specific sample to a new level of popularity considering relevant music fashions. Mastering engineer knows what diverse focus or age group needs, and has the ability to define what you wish to hear as a final release. Something that makes the work of an engineer in mastering more simple is understanding of what the focus groups are.
Why is it so important?
In order to make a top record a lot of skill, ability and talent is involved. We can compare it to a young boy playing his toy drum hanging around the neck and a professional drummer who completed music school and he is using a whole drum set playing by notes. That’s how a sample may sound before and after being mixed and mastered.
Mixing and mastering are not the only parts of a big job, but these are basic procedures in the kingdom of professional music making. There are few others also. But these two are often confused. Differences in mixing and mastering make it such parts of a work that is not necessarily done by the same person. However, both operations are following each other and tightly connected. Mixing that was properly made at the previous stage will make mastering less effort-spending. After all mixing and mastering is done one should receive a listenable song in a digital format that can be used by the majority.
What are the big differences between mixing and mastering?
There are some prominent clauses worthy of mentioning when discussing the matter:
- Mixing is a first, mastering is a second in the mixing mastering process. Mixing is a sort of a first draft and mastering helps to complete what was started.
- Mixing looks at bigger things like right timing of tracks altogether. Mastering rather considers the sound frequency and levels of instrument tracks. It can be compared to the work of a builder who lays a wall and a painter covering up all the rough parts on that same wall.
- Something else differentiating mixing from mastering is that at the mastering stage the engineer chooses such a format for the sample that will satisfy the client.
- Mixing is focused on making fillings of the sample. Mastering is more orientated on the outer look.
Comprehend the difference between mixing and mastering. Detailed approach during the first can be compensated by wider view at the second stage. They seem to be very similar however those are different parts of a huge picture that results in qualitative music samples. Here it is all in brief phrase: mixing brings many tracks into balance, mastering leads made the piece to a high grade. And voila! – It is ready for streaming.
What a mixed vs. a mastered song may sound
It is great when a music production journey can be done in a studio with progressive equipment and necessary software. Probably it does not matter much to the one who plays for personal delight. But if this song is meant for public use, going through all the process in the best way available is worth it.
Well, we present here two samples that provide you an occasion to catch the difference with your own ear:
– mixed song
– mastered song
We hope that mixed vs mastered as music engineer tools make clear sense to you at this point.
If you contact Paul Dubrovsky directly you may get acquainted with the cost of the mixing and mastering service for your exact product. He is a person who likes what he does and has valuable experience. He will help you to save the soul of your masterpiece.
There you can find examples of the works done by him. Feel free and comfortable to ask questions and present your order and interest. Sound production is much fun so enjoy the adventure of creating with us!
