Editing, Mixing and Mastering in a Recording Studio

You’re ready to record a song, or already have a rough copy and want to add a professional finish. So what do you need to do next?

On this page, from River Recording Studios in Southampton

Editing, mixing and mastering in a recording studio are the final stages of finishing a song. It’s carried out by audio engineers and improves the sound quality of individual tracks, balancing them and creating a final professional-sounding master recording.

This process can be the difference between a professional and amateur recording. But it can also be hard to understand – and expensive. So in this article, we’ll explain exactly what’s involved and why it’s worth the investment.

Editing, mixing and mastering in a recording studio

Laying down the vocals and instruments on a track is just the first part of the process. There’s more to be done before it’s ready to go. And this is especially the case for music genres that rely on the layering of electronic sounds and beats.

Recording studios can vary tremendously in size, but usually include live rooms, isolation booths and control rooms. This is where the editing, mixing and mastering often take place. You’ll gain access to high-quality equipment and a team of experienced professional audio engineers by hiring these services.

A control room is where the audio engineers and record producers will monitor and adjust the sound. This is the heart of a recording studio. It is where the main computer, speaker monitors and audio mixing desk or console can be found. And it’s where the finishing touches – that make all the difference – are added.

What is editing and mixing?

Editing the audio simply means cleaning the recording up. This removes any unwanted noises and cuts out or moves sections of songs to help them fit the song better. The extent of this phase is entirely dependent on how fruitful your recording session was. Make sure that you re-do any parts that you’re not satisfied with while recording. Re-recording a section is often much faster than fixing any mistakes later on in the process.

The final mix is created by balancing and processing all of the audio tracks. This part has a high amount of creative input and can result in the original recordings being completely transformed.

“Mixing and Mastering are essential to the modern musical process. These processes will elevate your music to its full potential. Professionalism is a must”

– Edward Oberon, Music Producer

What is the difference between mixing and mastering?

Recording studios commonly use a multitrack recording process, which involves recording each instrument separately and will later be combined in a process called a “mix”. By recording each sound source independently, engineers have greater freedom to play around and optimise each instrument or the vocals without affecting anything else. It will also serve to enhance the quality of each element in the song, allowing you to dedicate your full focus on each singular instrument or vocal recording. It drastically minimises potential error as each sound source will be carefully chosen and combined for the final song, known as comping.

Mixing puts the puzzle pieces of a song together whilst mastering will give your song the final polish. This step involves optimising the overall sound of your track by making stereo enhancements and adjusting the overall song to ensure it is clear to the listener. Mastering looks at making the final mix sound clearer, louder and more professional. This compares to mixing, which focuses more balance and processing of individual tracks. The main purpose of mastering is to ensure the record sounds good on all devices that it is played on. This includes clubs, car stereos, headphones or any other speaker.

Is mixing and mastering hard?

Editing, mixing and mastering in a recording studio is a skill and an art. While anyone can have a go, doing it well is difficult. This is why engineers spend years learning and perfecting their art. You also have to own or have access to some top equipment.

Professional mastering engineers use high-quality equipment to refine the smallest details and make the biggest improvements. Mastering tends to involve the use of expensive outboard compressors and equalisers a lot more than mixing and requires great ears to hear the subtle differences.

If you are producing an entire EP or album, mastering will make sure that your songs sonically fit well together from start to finish. Once complete, the studio will then convert your tracks to their appropriate sample rate/bit depth. (MP3, AIFF & WAV being the most common)

More often than not, this process is done by a third party, who is not close to the project, takes a fresh approach and owns specialist mastering equipment, hence why mastering services are usually offered separately.

Mixing and mastering software

The equipment used in the finishing process will usually include:

High spec PC or Mac capable of processing large files
Industry-standard DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) software
A large mixing console or mixing desk capable of recording multiple channels
Selection of microphones
Reference monitors (speakers) that provide a flat frequency response

Some studios will have outboard gear in their control room. These are pieces of equipment in a rack that helped engineers mix and master sound before computer software came along. Many audio mixing effects on a computer are designed to mimic famous outboard equipment. However, many engineers swear that a computer simply can’t do as good a job as vintage equipment.

A recording console can be the grand centrepiece of a studio. In some studios, it can be the most expensive piece of equipment. It processes the sounds that are recorded in the live room and has sliding faders for each track. This makes audio mixing more intuitive for the engineer. Famous consoles made by Neve and SSL can boost a studio’s profile because their processing instantly helps a recording sound great.

Mixing engineer

Your engineer is the expert and will be able to help and advise you. So don’t be afraid to request their input. They are often musicians themselves and may suggest something you hadn’t thought of. You can meet our engineers here.

Here’s some advice from Frank Barretta, Studio Manager at Angel Recording Studios, Islington, London.

“If possible, do liaise with the recording engineer in advance of the session. It gives them a chance to prepare the studio before you arrive for the exact line-up, which can save valuable time on the day. Don’t be afraid to ask for their advice, they know the studio area, microphones, equipment etc. and if possible do visit the studio in advance, it is always beneficial.“

An engineer will go through the takes and sometimes combine them to get the best overall performance, known as comping. An engineer can also go through takes and adjust timings to ensure all instruments are perfectly in time with each other, resulting in a tighter recording. When mixing, it is always useful to have reference tracks so that the engineer has a clear understanding of your vision for the record.

Mixing and mastering prices in Southampton

Some artists who record by themselves choose to skip mastering as it requires extensive technical knowledge (and so, is expensive). However, many argue that it is the most important step in making your record come together and stand out. Remember you’re not only paying for the experts’ time but also for the access to the top quality kit and equipment they use. Having to buy your own may end up being a false economy.

Prices will, of course, vary according to your location and who you use. They are usually charged by the hour. You can email or call us for a mixing and mastering quote and to discuss the best options for your musical project. To save yourself any needless expense, try to keep the editing process to a minimum by coming to the studio well-rehearsed and with a clear vision of what you plan to achieve.

Mixing and mastering for free in Hampshire

If you’re short on cash, you may like to try your own hand at this. You’ll need to download some software and learn a bit about how to do it first. But don’t expect to get anything like the finish you’d achieve with editing, mixing and mastering in a recording studio. In the end, you get what you pay for.

You could also see if any trainee audio engineers might like to help you out for free or a small fee. You can get contacts for these via local music colleges. If your track is for fun and a hobby project, rather than for professional use, a budget option will be fine for you. If you plan to submit your recording for sync, to sell to artists, for streaming and download or to A&R, do invest in professional editing, mixing and mastering.

Mixing and mastering tips

Be sure to choose an audio engineer/producer with whom you have a rapport. If you feel like they ‘get you and your sound’, you’re more likely to have a successful outcome. But remember, the engineer can only achieve so much through mixing and mastering. You need to make sure your recordings are good in the first place. So do invest plenty of time and practice into this. You can read our tips on preparing for a recording session here.