Mastering is not Witchcraft nor Sorcery. Full stop.

Some people call mastering “magic” or something supernatural, as it’s a process that is often perceived as when you sprinkle “fairy dust” on a mix.

For better or worse, both of these stereotypes are simply not factual in regards to mastering.

It comes from not knowing the process and what’s involved. Historically, the process of mastering happened while cutting the master disc. The procedure was usually completed by special engineers who were often conservative in their work practices. Eventually, with the advent of audio tape and digital mediums, these engineers became what we know as mastering engineers.

There is no doubt that the skills for being a good mastering engineer is not something that happens over night. Great skills take many years to develop. It takes time and perseverance, just like it does to be a good mix engineer. However, with mix engineers you have to make some serious decisions and are open to a multitude of permutations of how the mix can end up. These decisions decide how the record will ultimately sound.

Thus, a good mix is what will make a great master, great! If the mix doesn’t arrive good, the master will never be good—always remember that!

I am not saying that the importance of mastering is not needed in the process. I am staying there is nothing magical about it. We make small audio adjustments. Audio adjustments are often small incremental changes. Small moves that can go pretty far. We fix errors. We decide the formats to procure depending on the mediums that are to be distributed. What we do is not magical. It’s carefully thought out and meticulous.

We dont have sorcerer’s hats. (Maybe some lab coats here and there.) We don’t have secret spells. We don’t even use presets! We do often have the same gear as the next mastering engineer, but we know every nuance of each band on an EQ. We know the curves and slopes. We know how the compression starts clamping down on a certain compressor before you even see the VU move. It’s those details we pay attention to which give you a better record, as we are ALWAYS LISTENING!

We love music. We love audio. And for that matter, we love talking about it. We don’t hold all the secrets to ourselves. We are not gatekeepers. Personally, I am more than happy to dispel this myth and tell you exactly what I had in my signal chain, if you ask! I’ll even take pictures.

There is no magic here! Just decades of practice, a yearning for a better sounding record, and lots of listening!