SOUND
SOUND
ADVICE
The Curious Case Of Mastering
Your Boy Tony Braxton ' s Adult Contempt
By Noah Mintz
Mixing engineer and friend Howie Beck called me up one day and told me he was mixing an interesting album and that I might be mastering it . He had a question about delivering the clients some reference mixes ( usually somewhat pseudo-mastered ). I asked him who the artist was . He told me he wasn ’ t yet able to say but that he is a Canadian radio personality . That narrowed it down to a surprisingly large amount of people .
His question didn ’ t narrow it down any further : How can I make a mix sound like it was from the late ‘ 80s / early ‘ 90s ? I thought about this for a bit . Someone might want an album to sound musically like it was from that era , but rarely sonically . Digital was still young at that time and the Sony 1630 UMatic tape was the prevailing mastering format , CDR still not being a mature technology yet . Many albums from that time sound thin and weak when compared to albums that were released before digital and after digital matured .
I answered that I thought it would be best to emulate the radio compressors of the time . I told him to use a three-band multiband compressor and compress and reduce the bottom and top more than the middle . Having only a small understanding of how radio compressors worked back then , it was more an educated guess than actual knowledge .
If this effect was required for the mix-refs , I was curious on what the mastering would entail . When it did come time for mastering and I was hired to do it , it was revealed that the artist was Shad and that this was going to be a very different
56 PROFESSIONAL SOUND album for him . While Shad is best known for hiphop , this album was going to be a throwback to the sound of Phil Collins , INXS , and The Partland Brothers .
I was told to master this album differently … creatively . Don ’ t do what I ’ d normally do ; rather , do what I might not do – tough call for a mastering engineer used to “ less is more ” and “ do no harm .” I was told to use whatever I had at my disposal to make it sound like it was released in 1990 . I almost considered pulling out our old Sony 1630 converters but using digital technology from 1988 felt like taking it way too far .
Instead , I decided to take “ different ” differently and master up one song , as a test , seven different ways . Here is an explanation of the different test masters , which you can hear at blog . lacquerchannel . com .
1 . All Analog Mastering
I used my dCS DA Converter into a 4 K boost on my Neve 2087 , a 64 Hz boost for the kick on the GML9500 EQ , then a mid-cut on the Sontec . Low and top boost and cut on the passive SPL . ( Boost and cuts on the same frequency is part of the design of passive Pultec-style EQs .) Finally , a Manley VariMu tube compressor for some gain reduction into a Burl Bomber AD converter . The Burl ( as opposed to my audiophile dCS ) is a converter with vibe .
2 . All Digital Mastering
I went a bit crazy on this one . Since they asked me specifically not to do what I normally do , I tried out some plug-ins I don ’ t normally use . I started with the UAD ATR 102 1 / 4-in . 456 tape at 7 1 / 2 ips for a more sludgy sound into an API 550 EQ with a 15 K boost and a 50 Hz cut , into an SSL compressor with a slow attack and auto release , into a Fairchild compressor with 1-2dB of reduction , a FabFilter Multiband EQ with a pretty heavy setting based on an EDM preset , and finished with a Pultec EQ with some bass boost and cut , and 20 kHz cut . This was about 10 times more processing than I would normally use , but I thought it sounded pretty good , all things considered . I was also pretty sure this wouldn ’ t be the one they choose .
3 . Layback to 1 / 2-in . Tape ( 15 ips )
… and an analog mastering path . I recorded the mix to 1 / 2-in . tape via a real Ampex 102 Master Recorder .
4 . Layback to 1 / 2-in . Tape ( 7 ips )
… and an analog mastering path .
5 . Record to Lacquer ( 45 rpm Vinyl )
… and analog mastering path . Having a record lathe here at Lacquer Channel afforded me a rare opportunity . We took the unprocessed mix and cut an acetate master with it at 45 rpm . We then played it back into the DAW via a Technics 1200SL and applied the same analog processing that was used on the analog master .
6 . Lacquer & Tape ( 15 ips )
… and analog mastering path . We also took the acetate and laid it back to tape just for that added processing .
7 . Lacquer & Tape ( 7 ips )
… and analog mastering path .
In the second part next issue , I ’ ll tell you which they chose and how we used that approach for the final product .
Noah Mintz is a Senior Mastering Engineer at Lacquer Channel Mastering in Toronto . With nearly 20 years of experience specifically and exclusively in professional audio mastering ( and many more previously in audio production ), Noah ’ s philosophy has always been “ less is more .” With a strong emphasis on “ vibe ,” Noah ’ s sonic signature has been left on some of Canada ’ s most successful indie and major-label acts . www . lacquerchannel . com .