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Mastering Tutorial

Mastering in the Box Explained®

  4.7   (25)  - log in to review
19 Videos | Length: 3hr 37min 9sec
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Chapter 1 : Basics

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    Introduction

    Get a quick holistic look at the mastering process and some of what you'll be covering with Michael in this series.

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    What Happens & Why

    Michael discusses his thought processes that underly the art of mastering.

Chapter 2 : EQ, Dynamics and Dither

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    EQ

    Join Michael for a discussion about the mastering approach to using and applying EQ.

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    Compression

    Learn about single band bus compression, its purposes and examples of three popular models.

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    Limiting

    Discover the function of the peak limiter in mastering, for tone and protection.

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    Dithering

    Explore the subtle but integral part of delivering your final master.

Chapter 3 : Fixing the Mix

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    The Harsh Mix

    See how fixing a harsh element in the mix with something other than EQ might be a better choice.

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    The Thumpy Mix

    Learn how a dynamic EQ can tame an overly thumpy kick drum while retaining more of the warmth in the track.

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    The Loud Hi-Hat

    See how to tame a specific overly loud instrument in the mix to hopefully blend it in better with the rest of the track.

Chapter 4 : Mid Side Processing and Phase

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    MS Intro

    Michael introduces the concept of MS processing, showing some plug-ins that exploit it and pave the way for the tutorials that follow.

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    MS Fix Imbalance

    Learn how to rebalance the left and right of your lopsided mix without adversely affecting the center.

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    MS Widening

    Explore making a mix wider, first by using widening plug-ins, and then by manually tweaking your own MS processor.

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    Phase

    Learn about the issues faced when an element in a mix has phase issues.

Chapter 5 : More Mix Fixes

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    Vinyl Considerations

    Discover the things you need to keep in mind if your intended medium is vinyl.

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    The Flat Mix #1

    Watch Michael deal with a problem mix that lacks punch and excitement.

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    The Flat Mix #2

    The second of our flat mixes is a bigger challenge - an old bedroom mix that is too boomy and too bright while still lacking depth and impact.

Chapter 6 : Stems and Mastering

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    Stem Mastering Pt. 1

    See Michael introduce the concept of mastering with stems, explaining some of the many advantages as well as showing two different ways of creating the stems.

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    Stem Mastering Pt. 2

    Now watch Michael process the stems individually to create a better final master.

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    Mastering Session

    See Michael put together many of the things already learned and run a fictitious compilation mastering session to get numerous disparate tracks to gel.

Product Overview

This new series from studio wiz Michael Costa shows you the basics of mastering in your computer using typical plug-ins, and how to address many common issues found in recordings, as well as as more advanced techniques to solve other trickier problems, and get your songs and productions sounding their best!

Michael starts off with an introduction to mixing "in the box" as well as a video on what happens during mastering and why. He then dives in and shows you the basics plug-ins used for mastering and how to apply them and when. Michael then reveals ways to solve common problems with your mixes, such as harshness, thumpyness, and the all invasive loud hi-hat mix.

Next you’ll explore Mid Side Processing and how to apply it to your masters, and more common problems with mixes and how to fix them. Wrapping it all up Michael reveals how to create Stems and how they can make for better masters, and how to setup and execute a compilation mastering session.

If you’re new to mastering in your computer, this series is an absolute must see. Take your songs and productions up a notch with high quality mastering today… Watch “Mastering in the Box Explained®” now!

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Mastering in the Box Explained® is rated 4.7 out of 5 by 25 .
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Fantastic tutorial, just one problem. Really great stuff, worth watching multiple times. The only frustrating thing is that Michael talks a lot over the audio examples, making it hard to hear the subtle changes he's talking about. It would be better to do all the explaining first, than just let the music play to hear the diffences.
Date published: 2020-09-08
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Extremely Helpful Great for me since I don't have access to all the great hardware available to achieve a great sounding master. Highly recommended! Thanks Guys!
Date published: 2020-09-02
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Very useful! I felt that this series clearly and concisely went over the many different elements that go into mastering, and then put them together with reasonably real world examples. It kept a great balance between the forest and the trees, going into detail where necessary but not losing the conceptual essences of the overall process(es).
Date published: 2020-04-24
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from New to mastering but this is bringing together many concepts Some words you hear floating around like MS and phase. Great explanation and examples of mastering mentality.
Date published: 2020-01-19
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Very good im so happy
Date published: 2020-01-14
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Truly about the best I’ve looked at on Mastering I really enjoyed the examples not only showing how and what needed addressing but also why. Then a solution not only how and why but also options for what could be done. A truly excellent explanation albeit having been done some time ago. Loved it.
Date published: 2019-07-09
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Very helpful learned a lot of new tracks for mastering
Date published: 2018-10-09
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Excelent Great video series, full of all the information for mastering.
Date published: 2018-08-31
Rated 4.5 out of 5 by from Great Video! This is a wonderful start to mastering in the box! The teacher is great and his videos are very purposed and focused. Further, there is some added benefit here from his use of differing plug-ins. The only reason that it isn't five stars is that it is getting a little long in the tooth (totally not the instructor's fault) but, Ozone 8 is 10x more powerful than Ozone 5 five was, with a few more tricks.... (as an example) Also, I feel that there are two things that would help if they ever re-visit this series - 1. Getting different media in the box can cause problems (i.e. you're mastering a 10 track album, but some are digital, some are two inch and there is a DAT thrown in there kinda thing... 2. At the very least, audio restoration tools needs to be addressed or glossed over - most mastering engineers I know get most of their money re-mastering. Which often times means restoring an archived track/lost demo etc, then mastering....
Date published: 2018-07-14
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Well above average and worthwhile study. I love the clear explanations and theories. Exploration of alternative methods and various relatively common plug ins. The author builds a good foundation and expands from there. I also like the "open minded" explanation of different needs and methods for our times. IE: single releases and considerations for streaming vs. old school album mastering etc. Good stuff, thanks!
Date published: 2018-07-09
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Want to understand the fundamentals of mastering? This course is still relevant, even though the plugins are a bit dated. After all, mastering is not about the plugins. Overall, a well-paced and informative course.
Date published: 2018-04-28
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Very good! Excellent tutorial! Michael really know what he is doing. A great profesional as well as instructor!
Date published: 2017-09-02
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Beyond the call of duty Knowing the process from studio to the market place is so important. The sum total helps me plan my recordings on another level. Thanks for sharing this very important information.
Date published: 2017-08-03
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Excellent tutorial. A good starting point for beginners and intermediates. But there's always something new to be learned.
Date published: 2017-07-13
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Aesthetically Dated But Timelessly Relevant The plugins and software used might seem a bit 'dated', but the principles in this course are relevant to every genre and iteration of the software mastering process. Recommended, no matter your DAW or plugins, for the foundation information included in the course.
Date published: 2017-07-09
Rated 3.0 out of 5 by from Ok, not a complete master tutorial Great tutorial but never spoke much at all on loudness for commercial application that everyone strives for. For master tutorial you'd think they would. Or I'm missing something here.. Have to seek better explanation.
Date published: 2017-06-07
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Very well put together Some good tips in this.
Date published: 2017-06-04
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Fabulous Great explanations; many, many many detailed comparisons (bring your "magic ears"); greatly clarifies the challenges of mastering vs. mixing.
Date published: 2017-05-09
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Awesome tutorial! This mastering tutorial was awesome! I would like to see more teaching on knowing when to handle noise in a master.
Date published: 2017-05-02
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Very nice one! I'm learning a lot! Thanks!
Date published: 2017-04-15
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Awesome one! I should finish the tutorial first to decide, don't i!
Date published: 2017-04-12
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Great tutorial! I want to do my own mixing and mastering. This course is clearing up much of the confusion I had about mastering, as well as explaining how to deal with various issues seen in mastering.
Date published: 2017-01-25
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Nice intro to mastering Clear and effective. Lots of A - Bs. Highly recommended
Date published: 2016-12-01
Rated 5.0 out of 5 by from Well explained Michael is very well spoken and is quite mindful of the "little" things that we can/will miss when getting a ton of info thrown at us, he's does well at "coming back to that" throughout the videos.
Date published: 2016-11-21
Rated 4.0 out of 5 by from Very good for Mastering I liked it very much one of the best and the examples are great mostly the last video.
Date published: 2016-11-06
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