Ok, I have all the instruments/vocals tracks recorded and laid out. The question is...Is it the right thing to Mix and Master at the same time, then mixdown the results to an aiff/wav stereo file OR mixdown the un-master results to an aiff/wav stereo file and then Master it stereo files in a different session?

Which way is best?

Thanks,

NewbieKid

Mastering your own mixes is a subject unto itself. But that's for another thread...

In any case, you want to have all your finished mixes ready to go before entering the mastering phase. Few exceptions on that one.

quote:

In any case, you want to have all your finished mixes ready to go before entering the mastering phase. Few exceptions on that one.

Question:
Will there be a lost of audio quality, if the
tracks were mixdown to stereo files first and then mastered?

A bit of a "zen" question... If there is, the mastering guy is probably doing something wrong.

That said, I've heard plenty of (usually "self-mastered") projects that sound considerably worse than the original mixes.

"Raw" quality though - If you wind up applying the exact same things during the mastering phase that you would've during the mixing phase, then no, there would be no difference in quality.

But the chances that you'd use the same settings and techniques at the mix level that you would treating a collection of mixes holistically is almost nil. One in a million.

quote:

Originally posted by John Scrip:
Mastering your own mixes is a subject unto itself. But that's for another thread...

In any case, you want to have all your finished mixes ready to go before entering the mastering phase. Few exceptions on that one.

Anyone ever watched "Mix It Like A Recodr"? That DVD seems to be suggesting otherwise.