Masterisacion

THE

Mastering Engineer’s
HANDBOOK
Second Edition: The Audio Mastering Handbook

by Bobby Owsinski

© 2008 Bobby Owsinski. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written permission from the author, exceptfor the inclusion of brief quotations in a review. The Thomson Course Technology PTR logo and related trade dress are trademarks of Thomson Course Technology, a division of Thomson Learning Inc., and may not be used without written permission. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Important: Thomson Course Technology PTR cannot provide software support. Please contactthe appropriate software manufacturer’s technical support line or Web site for assistance. Thomson Course Technology PTR and the author have attempted throughout this book to distinguish proprietary trademarks from descriptive terms by following the capitalization style used by the manufacturer. Information contained in this book has been obtained by Thomson Course Technology PTR from sourcesbelieved to be reliable. However, because of the possibility of human or mechanical error by our sources, Thomson Course Technology PTR, or others, the Publisher does not guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, or completeness of any information and is not responsible for any errors or omissions or the results obtained from use of such information. Readers should be particularly aware of the fact that theInternet is an ever-changing entity. Some facts may have changed since this book went to press. Educational facilities, companies, and organizations interested in multiple copies or licensing of this book should contact the Publisher for quantity discount information. Training manuals, CD-ROMs, and portions of this book are also available individually or can be tailored for specific needs. ISBN-10:1-59863-449-6 ISBN-13: 978-1-59863-449-5 eISBN-10: 1-59863-656-1 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2007938238 Printed in the United States of America 08 09 10 11 12 TW 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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Acknowledgments
A special thanks to all the great mastering engineers who agreed to give a little insight into how they do what they do. It’s great that you guys can be so open in such a competitive business. Also, special thanks to Mike Lawson, who turned me into a book author; Cathleen Small, for being the best editor I’ve ever had; Edward Colver, for taking the great cover pictures;John Zois from CDBits, for his great CD-pressing plant pictures; Clete Baker from Studio B, for his excellent vinyl photographs; and all the manufacturers that contributed graphics of their gear.

About the Author
A longtime veteran of the music industry, Bobby Owsinski has produced and composed for records, DVDs, motion pictures, and television shows. One of the first to delve intosurround-sound music mixing, Bobby has worked on more than 200 surround projects and DVD productions for such diverse acts as Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Willie Nelson, Neil Young, The Ramones, and Chicago, among many, many others. Currently a principal in the music production house Surround Associates and content creator 2B Media, Bobby has also penned several hundred articles for many popular music...