Mastering & More

Interview with Producer Richard Dolmat

By Nathan Stafford

Most people will tell you that most music has a shelf-life. Artists know how important timing is when releasing a record. But don’t rush to get your album out! It’s important to take your time and get the right sound and product you are looking for. One step that is often overlooked is Mastering.

So what exactly is mastering?

It’s tough to describe the process without getting too technical. I initially understood mastering to be the stage where audio files (the product of your recording and mixing sessions), are prepared for CD format. The sound quality is improved by balancing levels and bringing out the brightness and clarity. All the tracks are adjusted to the same volume, and the tracks are digitally coded with the artist and track name. Now, let’s check with an expert, someone who encounters mastering on a regular basis, to see if my explanation is correct.


Digital Sound Magic is a Burnaby-based audio recording and production company with a diverse client list including artists like John Bottomley, films (August Rush), television (Law & Order, My Name is Earl, Access Hollywood), and many different types of corporate clients. Principal owner and producer Richard Dolmat was kind enough to sum up the mastering process in 10 words or less:


“Bringing your final product to the best quality possible.”



**For a complete, in-depth, technical answer to “What is Mastering”, you can visit www.digitalsoundmagic.com where you can listen to a song “before and after” the process. The results are pretty amazing. To any artist working on a record, whether it’s a big-budget label release, or a self-produced collection of songs, this example should offer proof of why you should Never Skip the Mastering Process!



The interview:

NS – I like your simple explanation of mastering. What happens during the mastering process?

RD – Some of the processing done at the mastering stage includes: equalization and harmonic balancing for consistent sound throughout your entire album; adjusting volume changes of your songs for consistency and loudness; final CD layout with proper song spaces, segues, fades and crossfades; and a few tricks up our sleeve!

NS - I was listening to a CD in my DVD player recently. I noticed my tv was adjusting the volume automatically. Where the tracks were really loud, the tv got quieter and on the softer songs it got louder (it’s a new tv). Is this in essence, Mastering, or at least an element of it?

RD - Not at all. This is just the TV’s AGC (Automatic Gain Compensation) circuitry kicking in. It has nothing to do with mastering, but it’s simply a way to remove even more dynamics from the already limited broadcast dynamic range in order to make everything sound exactly the same level, which it never really should. Can you tell I hate those things?


NS – Canadian companies have been releasing Compilation albums for decades. From the K-Tel “Super Hits” series of the 60’s to the “Dance Mix” collections and more recently, Universal Music Canada has announced they are set to release the JUNO Awards 2008 Compilation. I know there is mastering involved in the process. What would you have to do in order to put one of these collections together?

RD - I’ve done a few of these types of collections already, and they’re quite a challenge. Most of the time, you end up receiving the already mastered versions of the songs. So there’s not really much more you can do except get the volumes properly level-matched and EQ or Multiband compress a few tracks to fit in with the rest of the disc. If you try to do more processing than absolutely needed, you’ll end up making it sound worse, since you’re already working with mastered songs.

NS - How much are you, or your industry, influenced by how people listen to their music (iPod, TV Speakers, Stereo)?

RD - I pretend I’m not, but it’s impossible to get away from it now. 90% of the mixes I do will eventually end up being played as an MP3 through some crappy small computer speakers or iPod type player. I have an iPod myself and I STILL can’t get that thing to actually sound good, no matter what music I play through it.

I still strive to get the best recording and mixes possible in the studio though. It’s important that people don’t just give up on quality sound because of the final playback system. It’s not like the old days where people actually bought huge hi-fi systems and components and had great speakers perfectly placed in their living rooms. Nowadays it’s more like they stream a badly encoded MP3 through their Tivo into built-in TV speakers and complain that the engineer sucks!


NS – I’m really interested in odd remixes, or “lost tapes” – I recently picked up a copy of The Clash “Combat Rock” Re-mastered. If you could re-master 1 artist’s music, who would it be?


RD - The Beatles. All the way!! I would just love to get my hands on the multitrack tapes and solo each part. Or even have a chance to listen to the ‘outtakes’ that never made it on any release. I would spend months just listening.






NS - From what I understand, you're running a really versatile operation; recording live musicians, while using computers and sound technology to its full capabilities. As a business man, would you say you've spent a large amount of money simply upgrading your current setup?

RD - I just made a major purchase in the last two weeks that will have me paying it off for over a year. But I really don’t have the need to spend any more now that my setup is working perfectly. A lot of people, me included, have GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), but I’ve gotten over that and only buy/keep what I actually use. I trade in quite a lot of gear that collects dust for newer tools that I need, as opposed to ‘want’.


NS - When I buy a piece of studio gear or software, I know eventually it'll have to be upgraded or replaced by whatever improvement comes along. Software too. Do you share my opinion?

RD - Software is a different story than hardware, from my point of view. It’s simpler to upgrade and is usually worth the upgrade fee. I tend to be a little skeptical with first run upgrades (ie: 1.0 to 2.0) and let other people test it out first. If it’s stable and can increase my production workflow, I’ll consider upgrading. But if I already have something that works smoothly, I won’t take a chance on something newer.


NS - How do you keep up with the tech trends?

RD - I don’t really…bottom line is: if what you have works, then why change? I saw a great quote yesterday and posted it on my facebook: "The more time you spend bitching about your hammer, the longer it takes to build the house."


NS - Aside from working with artists, what sort of work are you currently doing for film, tv, live music and, any other areas you are involved in?

RD - We do quite a lot of work for film and TV and especially corporate clients; website audio, on-hold voice prompts, security and fire panel voice prompts. It’s a great way to break up your day and also work with some of our favorite voice talent.

We don’t do much mobile recording anymore though. I think a lot of people are simply buying portable flash recorders, like the Zoom H4 and doing it themselves.


NS - I see you worked with Vancouver experimental artist Anomalous Disturbances (check it out!). Just wondering what it was like working with AD, if it was a challenge, and, what would you say you look for in your ideal client?

RD - Terry’s amazing! Man. I don’t even know where to start. First off, he’s a really really cool guy that is always happy and willing to ‘talk shop’. It’s great having him around and the sessions we always have are really relaxing and go by very quickly.

He’s got a ton of gear and knows how to use all of it. He knows the serial numbers of every piece, he can tell you the history of all the companies that made each (effects) pedal and the different software revisions and improvements. Often times it takes over an hour just to setup, but he can make the most amazing sounds from 6 strings!

The best clients I’ve worked with are the ones who know what they want before they arrive. That doesn’t mean they’re not open to suggestions, but they have a vision and a path the want to take and we all collaborate to get them there. It’s usually the picky clients that don’t really know what they want.




Closing Statement:

So artists, you heard it here from a master of mastering and all things recording. Know what you want to accomplish BEFORE you hit the studio, don’t compromise on sound, and if you’re going after that common goal of bringing your music to the world, make sure the songs will sound great when people listen, however they listen. And if I may re-iterate: Don’t skip the Mastering Process!


Nathan Stafford is a writer, management consultant, musician, emcee, and entrepreneur based in Vancouver. Check out www.nathanstafford.blogspot.com for more cool stuff!