this revive reminds me of a recent interview I saw with James McNew of Yo La Tengo, talking about how they recorded the new album on their own, but sent it off for mastering "because that is something that can only be done by wizards"
― I painted my teeth (sleeve), Thursday, 18 April 2024 15:33 (two weeks ago) link
Basically it's the attack at the beginning of a sound, like the stick striking a drumhead or a pick hitting a string. As opposed to the sustained tone that comes after. So sometimes you want to tame that with compression for a more even sound, but you also need them eg for drums that should 'hit' viscerally and not stroke your ears like a feather.
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Thursday, 18 April 2024 15:50 (two weeks ago) link
got it, thanks - the only other thing I knew was "that's what Rush fucked up on that album that people hated"
― I painted my teeth (sleeve), Thursday, 18 April 2024 15:54 (two weeks ago) link
Haha, oh really?
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Thursday, 18 April 2024 16:32 (two weeks ago) link
https://gearspace.com/board/mastering-forum/736700-cant-stand-new-rush-album.html
― I painted my teeth (sleeve), Thursday, 18 April 2024 16:38 (two weeks ago) link
Vapor Trails, I think
i've hired people for mastering before but never mixing. how does that work? you send them the basic stems? do you send any references, like your own mix attempts, to give an idea of what you're aiming for, or are you just trusting them to figure it out?
― na (NA), Thursday, 2 May 2024 16:01 (six days ago) link
I think yes, that's exactly it? From what I've seen. I think it depends on the mixer but I think it's more than just levels and can get into pre-mastering kind of choices, EQing and dynamics at the track level, which obv can't be done in mastering?
― dan selzer, Thursday, 2 May 2024 16:40 (six days ago) link
I think the more information the better? Notes, references (other people's records for an aesthetic, your own mixes with what you did & didn't like?), yeah. If you've already done things that you're really happy with or that are integral to the sound, leave them on the stems rather than make them start from zero and recreate what you've done.
From what I've seen with friends, the trouble is only when the band and the mixer are going for different aesthetics and it's not communicated well. Also I guess revisions can be sticky, I would think that any mixer should be ok with one main revision pass and maybe some small adjustments after that, but I imagine most would charge more if it drags on and have some sort of agreement around that?
― Jordan s/t (Jordan), Thursday, 2 May 2024 18:24 (six days ago) link
are you planning to search out a mix engineer? or do you know someone already? I'd just make sure they understand where you're coming from musically and/or you know and like stuff they've mixed already.
― encino morricone (majorairbro), Sunday, 5 May 2024 04:04 (three days ago) link