Difference between mix and mastering｜Explaining the roles until the song is completed

Mixing and mastering are both processes that make a song easier to listen to, but the materials and purposes used are different. Mixing creates the content of the song, and mastering creates the final song.

What is a mix?

Adjust the volume, left/right position, tone, and depth of individual tracks such as vocals, drums, bass, guitar, and synth. Create a balance where every sound has a role and the main character sounds natural.

Main tasks performed in the mix

Editing unnecessary parts, volume and panning, EQ, compressor, sibilance processing, reverb and delay, automation, noise confirmation, etc.

What is mastering?

Adjust the timbre, sound pressure, peaks, song spacing, and final format of the entire completed stereo mix. If you have multiple songs, you can match the volume and texture of the entire album.

Things that cannot be fixed with mastering

Individual problems such as vocals being too small, snares being too painful, or too much reverb become difficult to fix after converting to a stereo sound source. If there are major problems, go back into the mix and fix them.

When exporting a mix

Leave a margin that the master bus will not clip, and unless specified, export at the same sample rate as at the time of production, 24 bit or higher. It does not increase the sound pressure unnecessarily and leaves the necessary margin for final processing.

Order that beginners want to memorize

First, create a balance with just the volume and pan, then use EQ and compressor only on the necessary tracks, arrange the space, and finally check the master as a whole.

Mastering is not a process that magically fixes a bad mix. It's easier to understand if you think of mixing to complete the music, and mastering to safely deliver it to various playback environments.