In this masterclass, Paris will discuss his own mastering process, his favorite hardware and software, and his approach to important aspects of mastering like EQ, compression, limiting, and loudness.
Paris Minzer is pointblank LA's resident mastering instructor, and the owner of Frogtown Sound. He has mastered music by a slew of notable LA artists including The Brevet, Molly Moore, Polartropica, Minzy, Street Joy, Rat Boy, Grade 2, Nadia Vaeh, Sway, and Liondub International. As Paris says, “The mastering engineer is the final person to work on a recording before it goes out to the general public. No matter what type of playback system the consumer has, from hi-fi speakers down to earbuds, the music needs to translate exactly as it was intended to be heard. That’s the crux of audio mastering.”
Even if your goal is not to become a mastering engineer, it’s highly useful to understand the process, so that you can: 1) deliver pre-mastered mixes that are suitable for mastering, 2) communicate effectively with the mastering engineer, or even 3) master your own music at a professional level, so that nothing ever leaves your studio without sounding finished.
Paris will cover his own four main “pillars of mastering” and discuss his own favourite mastering engineers like Vlado Meller, Greg Calbi, and Brian “Big Bass” Gardner, and what makes them so great. Attendees will learn how to properly prepare their mixes for submission to a professional mastering engineer and gain an insight into what mastering engineers listen for and how to attune your ears to the subtleties of mastering decisions. Learn firsthand from a professional mastering engineer how he works with his artist clients to deliver stunning stereo masters that achieve their musical intentions.