Why Master?

After an album has been produced and mixed down in a recording studio, the recordings are sent to us to be mastered. The tracks are put in the correct order, a situation which can lead to a great deal of debate between artists . For CD release the required gap between the songs needs to be determined - does the next track need to start after a short gap, on the downbeat of the previous song, or do you need a longer gap to deliberately break the mood? Would a cross fade from one tune to another work? The mastering stage is an opportunity to set the overall mood of the CD.

When the order etc is finalised, we can then add PQ coding. This is the electronic markers that enable the CD player to know the running times and find the start and end of each track. ( we can also put index points into the track itself, which on the better CD players enables you to find the start of a verse or movement say.)

Then there is the process of re mastering. This involves taking something that has been previously released, usually in a different format, and adapting it for release via a new medium. If you can get hold of the original source material while it's still in good condition then there's no reason why it shouldn't be re mastered to today's audio standards, or pretty close. But when you're working on an old master that might come in as a tatty old 78rpm disc with loads of surface noise, then it's a case of trial and error, using all the audio weapons in our studio's armoury.

There will usually be some editing involved. This can mean simple 'topping and tailing' - cutting off count-ins and guitar amp buzz and then fading the track out, using either a long fade over repeated choruses or tightly chasing the cymbal decay. In other cases, however, it can involve actual restructuring of the track perhaps adding or subtracting choruses, shortening or lengthening the intro, removing profanities, or even individually tackling any number of infinitesimally small pops and clicks.