Audio Mastering Improves Sound Quality
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by: Michael Jones4
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Word Count: 497
The Analog Mastering Advantage
In the audio mastering industry, most engineers still prefer analog mastering recordings over the digital domain in processing audio recordings. For hundreds of reasons only the mastering engineers can tell. However, some of these reasons are discussed in this article.
Analog mastering is an old-school type of mastering. Old-school but still very effective. Mastering engineers and even recording companies attest to the efficiency of this old but tested process. Since the birth of audio recordings, this type of mastering has been in place. Over time, the process itself has been refined, the same way it refines recordings.
Comparing between analog mastering and digital mastering is similar to comparing a manual transmission car with an automatic one. The differences are startlingly clear, however, no one is better over the other. It simply depends on the preference of the user. The same analysis can be made with the choice for the analog and digital domains in audio mastering. But for the sake of the argument, the comparison will be made here.
An analog process involves the electro-mechanical processing of audio recordings. It is like physically manhandling the breaking up of the recording into pieces to clean it and then putting it into a better box. This procedure, however, has been preferred by most mastering engineers. They said that through analog gear, they can produce a clearer mix of the songs. The technology used in analog mastering has improved greatly nowadays.
Another reason it is chosen by the audio specialists is that analog mastering can produce a louder, fuller and prettier sound quality. This is so because tracking sound mix is still better in analog. The spikes in digital waves are more apparent than in an analog mix. The absence of these spikes produces a fuller sound.
Some mastering engineers say analog mastering is a premium service to their clients. They can deliver better performance using analog gears. Analog equipment is an easy hands-on tool unlike the menu-laden digital gear. Besides, analog mastering equipment has greater reach in music signals than the digital tools.
The analog also has the capability to bolster the sound’s impact and intensity. It can produce a clear, loud and fat audio mix. This means that the sound output is sweet without the extra ess in the vocals. Additionally, there are aspects of the mastering procedure that can be done only through analog.
However, the digital mastering process is slowly getting its way to replacing the analog as the main mastering procedure. Currently, more and more mastering studios are shifting to the digital domain. Most recording equipment, and tracking tools, now use digital technology. As such, the digital era in mastering is slowly dominating the industry.
But in the meantime, and for as long as digital mastering still lag behind, analog mastering will remain as the process of choice by many engineers. It still enjoys the advantage of its being in the sector for several decades. The equipment, process and technology of the analog mastering is still superior over digital mastering.
About the Author
Michael Dominici is author of article written on CD Mastering & The Recording Artist. For more information, please visit :www.musichousemastering.com
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