tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254004183094319053.post2138354480769657061..comments2023-10-29T02:33:05.728-07:00Comments on Independent Music Mastering Blog: In Defence of "In The Box Mastering"Subsequent Masteringhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14867896704617469647noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1254004183094319053.post-41453689512923905052014-08-10T16:55:44.481-07:002014-08-10T16:55:44.481-07:00Firstly, I master completely ITB. In fact, I use I...Firstly, I master completely ITB. In fact, I use ITB speaker and room virtualization to check my work.<br /><br />So, what am I missing?<br /><br />"THAT" sound - the unique sound "character" or "mojo" attributed to using analog audio gear.<br /><br />It perplexed me when (old school!) ME's would say "ITB masters will never sound as 'warm' or 'organic' or as 'big' as analog masters". As a music technologist, this represented both a challenge and an opportunity. I needed to understand exactly why analog had "THAT" sound, and how "THAT" sound could be replicated In The Box.<br /><br />"THAT" sound is actually a deviation or coloration of the original sound, and is a "side effect" (deliberate or accidental) of processing audio through hardware. The deviation can include one or more of the following: phase shift, transient modification, timing shift, harmonics, saturation, crosstalk, noise, compression, expansion, EQ, pitch shift, modulation, clipping, distortion, stereo image shift and signal loss! Many of these are described as "non-linear artifacts".<br /><br />OK, so to get "THAT" sound ITB, requires the introduction of "non-linear artifacts". There are some GREAT plug-ins that model the non-linear characteristics of analog hardware. The modeling is so true to the original, that the sound is indistinguishable. We can now emulate tubes, tapes, transformers, transistors, amplifiers, etc. In addition to hardware modeled plug-ins, we now have wonderful digital-only components/plug-ins that provide all the non-linear signal deviation and coloration listed above.<br /><br />I now use plug-ins to incorporate "non-linear artifacts" into my masters. Are my masters as 'warm' or 'organic' or as 'big' as analog masters? Absolutely! They now have "THAT ITB" sound!!!<br /><br />Simon Morrison is a Mastering Engineer, Audio Architect and Music Technologist, and the developer of the proprietary audio mastering system “De-Constructive Mastering”. www.morrisonstudios.comAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06740810163589325695noreply@blogger.com