9. Should you choose an engineer based on their “style”?

Ten different mastering engineers working in the same room with the same equipment will create ten totally different masters, each sounding great on their own.

If you ask those same engineers to go back and reproduce any given master, you are likely to get ten almost identical masters back.

While each individual mastering engineer has his own style, it is important that he is able to separate himself from his style when needed.

An engineer should never let his personal taste interfere with the goal of the artist he is working with. Again, this is where communication with the client is a crucial element.

A good mastering engineer should be well versed in a variety of different categories of music. In general, there is no reason why an engineer known for creating great Country albums cannot produce a great Rock album.

While an engineer’s work should be able to transcend musical genres, if a mastering engineer has a certain style that is appealing to you as the artist, you should consider working with him.

It is important that both the engineer and the artist can communicate in a way that is complimentary to both individuals.

10. Which is more important, a technical background or musical one?

A mastering engineer should be well versed both technically and musically. The craft of the engineer is to be able to know good music and know how to make that music sound better.

Still, while a technical background is extremely important in the mastering world, that background should not interfere with the aesthetics.

Likewise, any personal feelings an engineer has about the stylistic choices of the music he is mastering should ultimately be discussed with the musician. It is because of this that an engineer’s musical background should not hinder his craft.

Given a technical background, some mastering engineers are capable of making modifications to equipment to create a more transparent sound, or provide color according to their taste and needs.

Having a musical background, particularly in the area of pitch, allows an engineer to identify frequency issues relating to musical notes and can speak directly to the musician about these issues in their terms.

An engineer should make sure that he strays away from favoring either background. While most engineers come from one or the other, their craft is in combining the two.

A mastering engineer should remain as objective as possible while still providing necessary feedback and insight from both a musical and technological perspective.

Tom Volpicelli is the president and founder of The Mastering House and has an extensive list of mastering and mixing credits to his name.

Editor Note: This article is Part III in a series of the 10 most frequently asked questions about mastering. Be sure to check out Part I and Part II where the previous 6 questions were covered

Page 2 of 2
Previous  < 1 2