Mastering for Electronic Music

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Category: Letters

  • Simple Tools

    When working on music, I often prefer using simple tools. Things that are focused on doing one thing really well.

    This is something I’ve only started to learn and understand better in the past couple of years.

    These days we have a lot of magnificently complex tools. Tools that sounds great and offer endless options and possibilities. They often look very attractive on the surface. Because with all those features they will do so much more for us, right?

    Tools like that are usually not my first choice when making music.

    Why?

    First, because I am easily distracted. Using simple tools helps me stay on track and focus on the task at hand.

    Second, complex tools tend to take more time to handle and manage. If I’m using a lot of tools like that, it adds up.

    I design and develop my music making process with intention — asking myself questions like: What kind of workflow are my choices contributing towards? Am I making things easier or harder? Am I building momentum and consistency?

    I don’t think everything can or should be dumbed down. It’s about choosing the methods and tools that are right for each moment.

    I often draw for more complex tools for things like problem solving or mastering.

    But option overload is real. It’s clearly one of the biggest problems of our time.

    When making music I want to tap into the flow state. That allows me to move forward fast. Maintaining the momentum is very important.

    The more I can simplify my process, the better it gets.

  • Resisting External Influence

    I try to cultivate a way of making music that’s built around my personality.

    Instead of blindly taking in too much external advice or influence… I try to become more aware of who I am and what I want.

    At any moment, I ask the question:

    How can I move towards a music making experience that is more in line with who I am?

    I experiment with lots of different things to learn what works for me.

    More importantly, this process teaches what isn’t for me.

    For example, everyone loves analog synths right? They’re cool and sound warm and great. But I tend to prefer the digital FM stuff in my music. It’s a sound I like more.

    In the same way, I go against the grain with many things. And with other things, I go with the grain, too!

    By now, after 26 years of making electronic music, I have lots of very specific thoughts about how I want to do things.

    This personality based process allows me to work in a way that is very tuned with what makes me tick. It helps me get into a flow state, to focus, work faster and get better results.

    Everything works out better because there is less resistance.

    It also leads to a certain character in my music. A signature sound that is true to who I am, and one that nobody can copy. Because it’s a sum of so many experiments and decisions I’ve taken over the years.

    There’s so much noise out there. It’s sometimes hard to see your path. That’s ok. Just strive to be honest to yourself as you move forward.

    Over time you’ll begin to trust your gut feeling more. Even when it goes against common advice or popular ways of doing things.

  • Invest In Your Skills

    We are currently in the middle of the end of the year discount craze. A lot of audio companies are promoting new products also.

    I really enjoy checking out new plugins and tools.

    It’s easy to forget that buying new tools is not just a monetary investment. It also prompts us to acquire the skills to use those tools properly.

    What’s the cost of that? Your time and attention. A disruption of your normal workflow.

    Many times, we end up not wanting to spend those costs. And the shiny new thing we bought ends up neglected.

    The money is wasted and we end up with extra mental baggage for having made a useless investment.

    Why not invest directly in our skills and understanding of our existing tools?

    This investment can have a much bigger impact than a new tool ever could.

    Skills — not tools — is what truly helps us get ahead of the curve.

    (By the way — If you’re looking for a free, supportive community to help you grow your skills in music production, you’re welcome to join the Resoundsound Discord — invite link for you here.)

    I have dedicated countless hours to expanding my knowledge of many of my favourite tools. I continue to make time for it by regularly practicing, watching tutorials, and re-reading manuals.

    When considering buying something, I strive to be honest with myself. I make a clear distinction between utility and pleasure. Does it bring genuine value to my work? Usually I want a new purchase to solve a bottleneck situation. Or do I simply crave the novelty and enjoyment it may offer?

    I give myself the permission to buy stuff just to have fun with it, as long as I’m honest about it. I try to strike a balance between work and fun, but I do get distracted more than I would wish.

    Never the less, it’s always a good time to remind ourselves: There is more we can do with what we already have.

  • Remembering to Listen

    What’s the difference between making good or bad mixing decisions?

    For many, it’s the difference between looking and listening.

    As modern music makers, we are constantly being lured into a world that shouldn’t be our priority.

    We’re visual creatures by nature. It’s instinctive to judge the world based on what we see. This poses a challenge in music making, which has become increasingly visual over the years. Focusing on looking makes it harder to listen.

    There’s only a certain capacity in our brain to process sensory information. If a large part of that capacity is used up processing visual inputs, there’s less available for processing what we hear.

    I’m not a brain scientist, but the assumption is easy to validate. Close your eyes and listen without looking. It instantly becomes easier to notice things, right?

    The modern music making environment has its perks — and its downfalls. It’s a blessing and a curse. I’m not here to turn back time, though.

    But is there something we could do to help us listen better? I can think of a few things.

    1. Focus on listening by using tools that offer less visual cues, like interactive EQ curves and spectrum graphs.

    2. Invest in tools with great UI design — they’ll guide you and get you the info you need quickly. Result: Less time spent looking, more listening.

    3. Use more outboard equipment and instruments. Get away from the computer screen — even for a bit — it always helps.

    4. Use controllers that enable you to work without looking so much. Even if it slows down your workflow, it buys you time to listen better and make smarter decisions.

    5. Use visual metering tools to help confirm what you are hearing or spot potential problems — but don’t rely on them exclusively.

    6. Take moments to listen without looking at the DAW. Close your eyes or just look elsewhere. Take a pause and listen to it in another room/outside/on your phone speaker, etc

    Remembering to listen properly when everyone else is focused on looking can be your competitive advantage!