Mastering - concepts
With
Paul WhalleyPaul Whalley explains the kind of mastering that makes your own tracks sound polished, professional and big - not the pro mastering done before release.
What's in the course
26 lessons (1h 43m) · 1 free
01. Guitar part - concepts
1:37
02. Guitar part
4:58
03. Vocals - concepts
1:22
04. ASSIGNMENT: Recreate the guitar production
0:37
05. Vocals
9:42
06. CHALLENGE #1: BUILD THE VOCAL ARRANGEMENT AND HOOK
0:45
07. Backing vocals
4:07
08. Keys and synths - concepts
0:54
09. Keys & synthesizers
9:38
10. Bass - concepts
1:01
11. Bass
5:24
12. Drums - concepts
0:58
13. Drums
9:49
14. ASSIGNMENT: Recreate the drum production
0:32
15. Effects and Atmospheric parts - concepts
1:09
16. Effects and Atmospheric parts
5:53
Lesson transcript
Mastering Your Track: A Step-by-Step Guide
Hey, guys! In this last step, we're going to talk about the mastering of a song.
Now, I'm not talking about the professional mastering that you send tracks off for when they're getting ready to be released by an artist. I'm talking about the mastering that I do to my own tracks to make them sound really polished and presentable.
Why Mastering is Important
An important thing to remember is:
- Once you've sent a track,
- Once you've emailed it to people,
- You never know where it's going to be played or who it's going to be played to.
So, it's really important that your tracks, whatever stage they're in, sound:
- Polished
- Professional
- Big-sounding
- Powerful
Everything needs to sound good, and following these few steps can really help.
My Journey with Mastering
For many years, I neglected this myself. I just had one or two little things that didn't really do anything apart from make my tracks sound loud, but they didn't really help the sonics.
The Steps to Effective Mastering
What I'll do now is walk you through the steps that I've added over the years:
- The various parts that I do
- The way I sum it all together
- How the track becomes glued together
By following these techniques, your track will start sounding really, really special on top of all that good work you've done.
So let's get started!
26 lessons
1h 43m of structured video lessons
Advanced video features
Slow down, loop a passage, follow along
Mobile, tablet & desktop
Practise wherever you are
100% satisfaction guarantee
30-day money-back guarantee
Meet your guru
Meet your guru
Paul Whalley is a multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter with a deliberately broad sound. He spent years on the road as a touring session musician with artists including Mumford & Sons and Ellie Goulding. Classically trained, he holds an undergraduate degree in instrumental performance and a Master's in composition from the Guildhall School of Music. Since moving from touring into production and songwriting he has worked with artists such as NAO, Wretch 32 and Nina Nesbitt, and played on top-40 records around the world, including Little Mix's 'Shout Out to My Ex'. He is based at Tileyard Studios in north London, where he writes and produces for major UK labels and develops new artists. On MusicGurus he and Emmi Green deconstruct a pop record from scratch - every arrangement and production decision laid bare - for songwriters and producers who want to hear how hit records are really built.
