Play Music Easy

By Michael4 Jones4

 Mastering Engineers: Experts in Audio Engineering

What is a mastering engineer? What does this person do? These questions will probably pop-out of the mind every time the words are heard. Anyone who does not know audio mastering, will certainly not know a mastering engineer.

Well, let us discuss the matter further. But in order to understand it, a brief explanation on audio mastering is necessary.

Audio mastering is a process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from an initial source to a final storage device. The process involves arranging of the recording into a sequence of tracks. The recording is also refined by eliminating or reducing unnecessary noises and other processes before its transport to the final media. The entire procedure is done by a mastering engineer.

A mastering engineer is a person skilled in the art and practice of taking audio content from an initial source into its final storage device. It includes processing the audio recording done in audio mastering. The person must have complete experience in audio engineering or have acquired a degree in audio engineering to become a mastering engineer.

Most mastering engineers become one through years of experience in audio mastering. The trade they are in is different from other engineers. They specialize in sound recognition and audio mixing. These engineers are highly-skilled in record production and that years of experience are needed to become a specialist. Their skills allow them to troubleshoot record mix issues and efficiently help in the production of a quality album.

The mastering engineers also use special equipment in the performance of their tasks. Their equipment is very expensive and is entirely dedicated for use in audio mastering. This equipment aids them in producing quality output. The tools help them hear and see the problems in a particular record or audio.

Mastering engineers are responsible for the following:

1. Achieve equal volume levels and balanced frequencies. Mastering engineers will make sure the songs are of the same volume levels so that every song will be heard equally. The bass, trebles and mids must also be of the same frequency for consistency.

2. Prevent overlapping of songs. The engineers will ensure a smooth transition of each song in the album.

3. Adding commercial value to the album. The engineers make sure the songs are crystal clear to optimize the commercial viability of the album. They will eliminate all unnecessary sound in each song.

4. Make the songs sound professional. They will ensure that sound will come out good to make people think the performer is a professional singer or band.

Such tasks are the burden of audio engineers. In sum, they are responsible for the overall quality of the record production. The final outcome of the product will depend on the skills of the engineer and the equipment he/she uses.

To be a mastering engineer will require a great deal of talent and years of experience. Most engineers say at least 10 years of experience in audio mastering is needed to become a full-fledged expert in this area.

Michael Dominici is author of article written on Analog & Digital CD Mastering. For more information, please visit :www.musichousemastering.com

Learn Music Lessons Online

Sopor Aeternus - An Enigma Revealed
By Roberto Garabell

 There is no doubt that Sopor Aeternus

If you want to listen to Sopor Aeternus music make sure that you visit Devil Music. You will find everything from folk metal to music videos.

The Life and Songs of American Composer Stephen Foster
By Duane Shinn

 Stephen Collins Foster, the “father of American music,” wrote songs in the nineteenth century that live on to this day. He was the forerunner of today’s professional songwriter, though he died in poverty. He expanded the musical tastes of America like no other before him.

Born in Pennsylvania, Foster was one of ten children. Though his family was middle class when he was young, his father’s descent into alcoholism impoverished them. Foster took to songwriting, though he had little formal training on the piano. When he was eighteen, he published his first song.

While he lived in Pittsburgh, Stephen Foster met his two pivotal influences. One was a music store owner from Germany named Henry Kleber. Kleber was classically trained and taught Foster proper technique and musical theory. The other was a blackface singer named Dan Rice that introduced Foster to a completely different style of music. Foster was intrigued by both the classics and the minstrel songs, and he learned to combine the two worlds into one musical genre.

Stephen Foster relocated to Cincinnati to work with his brother’s steamship company. While there, he would write his first hit. “Oh Susanna” became the de facto theme song of the California Gold Rush of 1848. Since songwriting royalties were unheard of at the time, he received one hundred dollars for one of the most well-known songs of all time. If he were alive today, a hit of its magnitude would make him a millionaire many times over.

He moved back to Pittsburgh soon after and wrote many other hit songs under contract with Christy Minstrels. Two of these songs, “Camptown Races” and “Jeannie with the Light Brown Hair” are still well known today. The latter was referenced in the song “Sins of the Father” by maverick songwriter Tom Waits on his 2004 album Real Gone.

Copyright laws for songwriting were in their infancy at the time, so Stephen Foster was often in poverty. He soldiered on and kept writing despite his lack of money. His wife and daughter left him in 1861 after moving to New York City. The quality of his songs began to decline, and the Civil War destroyed the market for new songs. Foster tried using a co-writer to help him gain ground with new audiences, but he failed miserably.

Stephen Foster died with thirty-eight cents to his name at the young age of thirty-seven. He collapsed while trying to call a chambermaid and cut his head open on a broken washbasin. A scrap of paper was found in his wallet that read, “Dear friends and gentle hearts.” One of his songs was published posthumously and became a favorite in music boxes. It was called “Beautiful Dreamer.”

Throughout his life, Stephen Foster used his meager piano skills to write songs that brought minstrel music to the masses. While many performers of the era mocked slaves with minstrel songs, Foster abhorred this and demanded that performers not talk down to slaves. He demanded performers understand the plight of the black community and have compassion for their fellow man. It was in this way that Stephen Foster transcended both musical genre and social convention, and it is part of the reason why the words and melodies of his songs have resonance today.

A free email newsletter on exciting piano chords and chord progressions from Duane Shinn is available free at “Exciting Piano Chords & Chord Progressions!”

Your Source For Online Ipod Informationmusic lessons

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.