Mixing
If you have recorded some or all of your tracks on your own or at another studio we can mix the song for impact, a sense of space and with the dynamics which help convey the message of the song. We can also add in what is known in the industry as “ear candy” – those little pieces of sound that create added motion and dynamics to a song. It can be doubled vocals, or reversed cymbals or instrument notes, or found sounds that – while very much in the background – create a more professional and finished recording.
Mastering
Mastering of a mixed song is one of the most mysterious aspects of the whole recording process. Even experienced mixing engineers often fail at the mastering process because they don’t understand the difference between mixing and mastering.
At it’s heart, mastering is taking a stereo mix and using: EQ to sweeten parts of the music or reduce parts that are overbearing; compression to tighten or soften the mix as needed to match the intention of the song; limiting to make the song as loud as needed for its intended use whether for radio, streaming, use in film or tv, etc; adding analogue warmth and separation of the instruments and vocals; and anything else that is needed to “finish” the song.
Some compare creating music to furniture building where the design is like writing a song, cutting the parts is like recording, assembly is like mixing, and staining/polishing is like mastering.