Logic mastering presets vs. outside mastering?

All - I searched the forum on mastering and there were a lot of posts but this is more a general question, maybe it will help some others. Question basically is: if I am using the Logic mastering presets correctly and it all sounds great, do I still need an outside mastering shop to do my sound files before releasing?

 

I read a great guide on mastering put out by Discmakers recently which totally straightened me around about final mastering of files (zeroing levels, etc) and spent a lot of careful time mastering the tracks. I am very happy with the compression sound 'n feel and all that, and so far everyone I've played the tracks to say nothing but "sounds pro" etc (these are not musicians, just music listeners, so I trust them...). But I am haunted by these comments from online mastering shops about getting it really "right". So tell me: does everyone here release their stuff with just the Logic mastering presets and sleep ok at night, or do they go outside too? I like to think I can trust my ears (and my listeners'), esp since these new masters sound light years better than my old stuff done in Sonar. BTW, I am not even using Logic Pro (yet), I am still using Logic Express, and I love it! Thanks in advance,

 

 

Post a link to your 'Soundcloud' page in the Music showcase section and see what others think.

 

If you are happy with what you hear and the entire CD sounds professionally mastered, then your question has been answered.

 

However, entire CD's are no longer being downloaded and singles are carefully selected to be stored on a phone/ipod. In addition, there are other issues besides the audio mastering that you may need to consider before releasing.

get a SONG mastered professionally, compare it to your own work.

 

i have often turned in my mixes as 'finished masters", and no regrets. but did a single recently, and had it mastered elsewhere (by this forums own infamous Mr. Lagerfeldt), here:

 

http://www.onlinemastering.dk/index-us.html

 

...and it was totally worth it.

 

get one song mastered, then you can decide what works best for you.

Thanks guys, appreciate it. I set up an edit to one of my tunes on Soundcloud via this post:

 

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=98286

 

re: shivermetimbers reply - I know digi-sales are very prevalent as opposed to physical cd's; I've got people buying streams and downloads of some my earlier tunes from a cd I did almost 8 years ago (amazing). Can you list out for me some of the other issues you're thinking of? I need to know all this stuff as it's been awhile since I did a release. Thx much!

sounds good, a little...low-midrange'y perhaps? really, however you present it, that's how people will take it. i still suggest having one song professionally mastered...check out lagerfeldt, his rates are great and his work exceptional.

 

remember, too, that six people here will have six opinions; yours matters most...

Hey FK, thanks for the input, great. As I said to Simon in the Music Showcase post...

 

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=98286&p=513433#p513433

 

... I thought it was cosmic that you both came up with "low/mid issues". Consistency is revealing. If you want you can read my full boo-hoo reply in the above. But I agree, your last sentence says it all. As another point, I have gone to great lengths prior to releasing music to get non-musicians/non-technical people (i.e. music fans only...) to give me feedback on my stuff. I have tried like mad to get them to tell me "whaddya think about the bass, too loud or...?" and so on. I can never get them to tell me. They always say stuff like "I just listen to the whole sound... it moves me or it don't..." I have an ex-girlfriend that loves every damn song I send her. I tell her "DON'T be nice to me! Tell me what you don't like about it!" She can't do it. I've always wanted to just release a cd with the most slapdash mixing on everything, throw on a mastering preset, and send the thing out, just to see if anyone would buy it. They recorded all of Robert Johnson's stuff with one mic in a hotel room, and look what happened to him (well he got poisoned, but his music still stands and sells, wish I could sing like him).

 

cheers,

yeah, and he might have been poisoned by someone who objected to the recording quality... seriously, most people don't care if the snare is too loud, or the high hat's on the right or left. as you say, they just want to be moved.

grimydiner1,

 

You need to make a video with some ladies in it - like this one.

 

thats MY project! not sure why it's in this thread...

thanx?? or???? LOL

Edited August 6, 2013 by fisherking

I was doing my own "home mastering" using Ozone 5 and even Slate Digital FG-X. One day I decided to give my mix to Holger Lagerfeldt from Online Mastering.dk and the difference was incredible. I'm 100% happy with Lagerfeldt's master.

... thats MY project! not sure why it's in this thread... thanx?? or???? LOL

 

Isn't that an example of your recommended outside mastering source?

... thats MY project! not sure why it's in this thread... thanx?? or???? LOL

 

Isn't that an example of your recommended outside mastering source?

 

indeed it is; lagerfeldt is amazing...