CD mastering is the art of transforming your CD before it is replicated in order to enhance its quality. Mastering can enhance the depth and resonance of a completed CD so as to optimize it for warmth and clarity of sound. It is therefore a crucial step in the final process of audio recording and can make the difference between a professional-sounding audio CD and an amateurish one.

Process of mastering

After recording your music either in a live performance or studio, the final version needs to be mastered. The process of mastering involves the following procedure:

  1. Assembly editing. Here, a mastering CD engineer transfers the tapes to a digital editor. The music is then sequenced in the correct way, and any spacing required is done. Noises are eliminated, and beginnings and endings are either faded completely or cross-faded.
  2. Creating effects. Here, the clarity, smoothness, and depth of the music are enhanced. This is the core stage of mastering and produces the most effects in terms of quality. The audio master engineer will do this by removing the noises between tracks, ensuring correct spacing between tracks, enhancing the overall level of the music, and evening out and equalizing the music. The difference between the original tape and the mastered one can be clearly discerned. .
  3. Output. The final copy is then transferred to the appropriate media such as a recordable CD. .

Why is mastering necessary?

Owing to the competitive nature of business, mastering is increasingly being seen as a critical process in sonic enhancement and quality.

Audio CD Mastering

  1. Mastering polishes the music to make it sound better.
  2. Mastering takes a collection of tracks and creates a flawless flow. This is especially true for music that is recorded over different periods of time as the level and tone of the music will vary.
  3. Mastering uses equipment that is aimed at creating a good balance in your music.
  4. Mastering ensures that your music sounds great regardless of where it is being played.
  5. Mastering also highlights the level of your music and brings out details that were not quite apparent earlier.

Analog versus digital mastering

The main goal of mastering is to provide as much depth as possible to the music while maintaining the highest resolution, without adding anything new. Analog mastering offers better resolution than digital mastering. However, the sound can be impacted. Digital, on the other hand, allows greater control than analog, but has lower resolution. It therefore boils down to what you would like to achieve. The perfect solution would probably combine the best elements of both analog and digital.

You can also do your own CD mastering if you prefer. There are lots of freeware and shareware mastering software applications available on the Internet. However, the quality of the CD will depend on how skillful you are and the capabilities of the software you use. If you do not know how to do it, it is advisable to go to a professional CD mastering engineer.