Audio CD
Mastering
What is it... and why do I need it.
Audio
CD Mastering…not to be confused with mixing means different
things to different people, but most people agree, that mastering is
the last
essential step of the recording process. Mastering should always be
included in
the manufacturing process and considered a necessary step before
production and/or CD
replication.
Let’s
face
it; the music world is very competitive. Mastering
will take what you have recorded to the next level using state of the
art
equipment, fine tuning it and giving it that extra edge. It
takes what
sounds good now and make it sound great!
Whether
you’re putting together a press kit or cutting a
demo…you need to consider
mastering before submitting to anyone…especially record
labels.
Now days… mastering
is becoming common place, even with a demo’s, as artist and
bands aspire to
gain the advantage and get noticed. Mini
CD replication is
a great process to
use when making copies for demos.
A
qualified
and experienced mastering engineer can make an exceptional difference
in the
way your recording ends up sounding or in the preparation of your music
for
production and retail distribution. All
your recorded material will be stored on a master.
From this master, all the CD copies will be
prepared by either a CD
duplication or
CD
replication process.
From
this
process your CD’s are then distributed.
Pricing
for
mastering can really vary anywhere from $75 to $150 or more per hour
for a
qualified and experienced mastering engineer, but the end result makes
it well
worth it. If you
have ever had the
opportunity to listen to a recording which has been mastered and
compared to
one that has not, then you’ll know what I mean when I say the
mastered
recording has a polished professional sound.
Music
Cleveland has a short list of local
Audio CD Mastering
studios
that specialize in Audio CD Mastering.
They are all located right here in the Cleveland
area. Any of them
should be more than willing
to assist you in answering any questions
you may
have. Many recording
studio
locations
also
specialize in Audio CD Mastering.
So be sure to ask them about mastering if
you’re shopping around for
pricing on studio time. Complete production packages, tailored to your
needs,
may be available from these studios with mastering figured into the
package
price.
Look
at
mastering as a necessity, not as an option, if you
want your recording
to sound its best and stand out from the rest.
A to Z Audio
21929
Lorain Road
Fairview
Park,
Ohio
44126
Phone: (440) 333-0040
Fax: (440) 333-0104
Acoustik
Musik Ltd
511
W. College St
Oberlin,
Ohio
44074
Phone: (440) 775-3681
Thomas Knob Mastering
1216
Cleveland Heights Blvd
Cleveland,
Ohio
44121
