Are you the Weakest Link?
I’m sure you’ve heard the old phrase “a chain is as strong as its weakest link.” This definitely applies to songs and their journey through the various phases of production. If there is a weak link in the recording, mixing, or mastering phase the end result will suffer. It’s interesting because a lot of times people will put so much emphasis on mastering when in reality they should probably be much more concerned with the recording phase.
I think the logic is that people think there is some magic in the mastering phase that will fix or elevate their song to another level. The truth is, the recording and mixing are much more important. Mastering is like the wax on your brand new Ferrari, it adds shine but it’s not the car itself. Not even close. In fact if a track is out of whack enough, no mastering is going to save it.
So what’s the solution for this? It all starts with the songwriting. It needs to be stellar before a note gets recorded. You need to be genuinely excited about what you are about to record or you are going to be fighting an uphill battle.
Next comes the recording. If you aren’t holding yourself to a high standard here, it’s time to start. If you need help I would suggest picking up a copy of my recording course called the Sound Visualization Method.
Third in line is mixing which happens to be my specialty. Unless you have considerable experience mixing I suggest leaving it to a pro. This is an area where your production can be transformed the most. You can get a price quote here.
Last up is mastering which is the final polish that brings the track up to industry standards. I can give you a quote for this as well.
You owe it to yourself to hold your project to a high standard. When you’ve played a solid foundation, mixing and mastering will only make your project stronger.
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If you aren’t already, make sure you sign up for my email list. I offer discounts and other goodies for my subscribers. Go to rockmixingengineer.com to subscribe. You’ll also get a free guide on recording heavy guitars.
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Need More Fans or Clients? There’s still time to pick up your FREE copy of “Traffic Secrets”! This is an AWESOME book that I highly recommend. Traffic means fans and customers coming to your site, Facebook page, etc. Without it your message is heard by no one… and that’s not only frustrating but wasting your time. You’ve worked too hard on your band or business to not be noticed.
Also, in case you didn’t know, I mix singles, EPs, and Albums for Rock and Metal bands. You can check out my work and get more info at mattclarkmixer.com/secdir/ as well as get prices, etc.