Mastering is the process of optimizing your recording for its final medium. Mastering will bring out the detail of your music for the final CD master by skillfully applying equalization, compression, and limiting. Mastering can take a group of songs and transform them into a cohesive flow of music that plays well in a variety of formats and sounds consistent on any playback system.
You may have noticed that certain records just plain sound better on the radio than others. The mastering of the music can make the difference between an OK sound, and a Grammy-winning sound. Today's mastering process is able to make the most of the overall sound of your recordings, shaping and molding the frequencies and dynamics to provide the best sound possible. Virtually all of the recordings you hear today have been mastered. |
Mastering can be the single most important part of the sonic impact of your recording project, and should not be the place to try and save a few dollars. Research the mastering facilities that you hear about, and find one that has mastered a lot of your style of music. Choose a reputable and experienced facility. There is good reason music professionals trust experienced mastering engineers with dedicated mastering tools. If the best masters could be made by just anyone who has a simple software plug-in, or from an "all-in-one-mastering box" device, then that is what all the best-sounding recordings would be using. There is good reason that competent mastering engineers don't just all have the same plugins or magic black box. A variety of special EQ, dynamics, and digital-conversion tools are used as necessary, and more importantly they must be used correctly. "Chops" for mastering are not bought; they are earned from years of recording experience and thousands of hours working with the right tools.
No matter what your music style, a quality-mastering job should be a part of your recording project.
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You bet! At Back at the Ranch, we have over 30 years of professional mastering experience, working with all styles of music. We will master your project using the best of both vintage and modern analog and digital mastering equipment.
Great masters require great tools, and we have the very best. Our high-end mastering system includes the world's best equipment from MANLEY, TC ELECTRONICS M6000, MASSENBERG, NEUMANN MASTERING EQS, NEVE COMPRESSORS AND TAPE EMULATION, MD4 LEVEL CONTROL, AUDITRONICS PEQ82, SPL EQUALIZERS, CUSTOM-MODIFIED APHEX DOMINATORS, COMPELLORS, EXPRESSORS, AND A/D CONVERTERS FROM MYTEK, SOLID STATE LOGIC AND LUCID.
At BACK AT THE RANCH, your music will be flowing through the same actual music gear that was used to record THE EAGLES, FLEETWOOD MAC, CARLY SIMON, PAUL McCARTNEY, DAVE MATTHEWS, RAY CHARLES, BB KING, JOURNEY, STEVIE WONDER. We own equipment formerly owned by CHEROKEE STUDIOS, that was used to record hundreds of the music industries greatest gold/platinum albums.
Back at the Ranch has been turning out great masters for independent artists and labels like Word, KNB Music, Starsong, and Sparrow, for over three decades. Our mastering can be the difference between your project sounding like a "demo", or sounding like a "record." |
Mastering your Music Recordings at Back at the Ranch Studio 
"What is Mastering?"