Services Info

The Difference Between Mixing and Mastering

An additional process in the production chain that can often confuse clients and artists and asks the question ‘Is this service necessary’.

Mixing is blending your separate recorded tracks into one stereo file. 

When you’re dealing with a multi-track recording possibly consisting of drums, guitar, bass, Keyboards and vocals — you want to make sure all of these elements are audible.

The mixing process combines changing audio levels for these instruments, including using EQ,-equalization and adding common effects like reverb or delay. The Use of effects-FX can help the instruments sit better in a mix, give them some creative colour and help smooth out the different sounds. Adjusting EQ helps remove unnecessary or undesirable frequencies in each track.

Mastering adds a finishing touch to your track, a layer of volume to polish, tighten and help smooth the collective mix further. When the mix is finished and the song bounced and exported, mastering adds a few more effects — loudness, compression, EQ, and stereo enhancement. Accurate meters will help meet the requirements for different applications, such as steaming and media-sharing websites.

The additional tools and effects found and used in mastering will ensure that the song is loud and clear enough to play on any audio device. A good mastering job will make sure your song sits at a similar volume with other music on the same album.