What is Mastering?

Mastering is the process of transforming your final mixes into a “master” that is acceptable for replication or playback. Some of the steps of the mastering process are straightforward. For example the sequencing of songs into the right order, fading & editing etc. However, making your recordings stand proud against other commercial records is a whole different ball game.

The most valuable asset of any mastering facility is without doubt the ears, knowledge and skills of the mastering engineer. A great engineer should have the ability to perceive, extract and enhance the finer points of a mix with dedication to subtlety, nuance and performance.

An experienced mastering engineer can use their editing and musical skills to refine your audio, whether it’s removing noises like vocal ‘plosives’ or clicks, radical editing like changing the structure of a track for radio play, or reworking a start or ending.

The sophisticated equipment we have available here at Loft Mastering allows us to make adjustments to the level, EQ, dynamics, gaps and fades – any aspect of your project – adjustments which can be so subtle they are scarcely audible, or so radical as to transform the sound almost beyond recognition.

The Mastering process combined with the skills of a highly trained engineer can hugely enhance your music.