a reply to an e-mail with a mixing/mastering client
Added 2025-09-01 19:37:39 +0000 UTCI should start sharing some of the discussions i have with clients cuz i think it could be useful to people. this one's about when to know the final master sounds good enough, could have some value to ppl who struggle deciding when something is 100%.
Sorry for the delay, was upgrading the acoustics in my room - latest version sounds pretty good to me in here!
In my personal and psychoacoustic opinion, part of the creator's curse is the endless need to get something as perfect as possible, and I think during this process we were trying to enhance all details as much as they could be, which can be a symptom of that curse. That being said I don't think any song (this one included) should really be about filling any space we possibly can, I find the moral of the story [with creation] is prioritizing balance. Especially in dance music it's common to fear having a composition be lacking, but in the same light it can also be detrimental to have too much. So part of my job is to say things like "we shouldn't raise this brass" considering it'll take away from other elements such as the vocal.
Sorry I wasn't trying to lecture haha, I guess what I'm trying to say is I'm pretty satisfied with what we have in the sense that things sound balanced to me, without regarding the criteria of whether or not we filled the space - but it's ultimately up to you! Taste varies from ear to ear.
he hasn't responded yet so i could be misreading the situation entirely lmao but just a couple cents take it for whatever it is to you.
Comments
Art is never finished, only abandoned. At a certain point, we need to commit to the project as it is, otherwise it’s easy to fall into the black hole of endless tweaking and never finishing the project at all. Learning that skill of when to say “enough is enough” will look different for everyone but is still essential to know anyway.
Matthew
2025-09-01 19:45:09 +0000 UTC
