Introduction

This book is a great place to start for the beginning mastering engineer, a valuable set of insights for the musician, and a helpful resource for the advanced engineer. It is a comprehensive resource about audio mastering focused on practical ideas and techniques.

Professionals in any discipline will tell you that it is really impossible to capture the subtleties of that profession in a book and that practice is the key. This is certainly true for audio mastering. Nevertheless, for the dedicated reader, this book will provide insights into the art and science of audio mastering like no other guide.

This book is written with two main goals in mind. First, I wish to give readers a rich, all-inclusive description of the concepts and equipment related to mastering. Ideally, professionals should be aware of most everything involved with their field—even things they do not choose for their own work. The second goal is to put the information into perspective. For this, there are thoughtful explanations and insightful contributions from respected professionals, imparting mastering wisdom on key subjects.

Presenting the concepts of audio mastering this way allows readers to gain a deep understanding—an understanding that allows for an emotional, instinctual approach to professional audio mastering. As the concepts are internalized and experience takes its course, an engineer’s style develops.

Some readers may be looking for mastering “secrets,” and while there is actually no big secret, this book attempts to leave no stone unturned. The fact is that mastering is about the sum of many small things that together make for an extraordinary sound.

I am offering to readers two free VST plug-ins, both of which are referenced in this book. The Precision Post-Analog Controller is designed for making precise gain adjustments and the Audio Calibration Tool includes several test tones, noise types, and other basic tools used for calibration. These plug-ins are available at: http://www.stonebridgemastering.com/plugins.

Gebre Waddell