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Mastering Essentials – watch my free 6-part Sound On Sound video series here

June 22nd, 2021 BY Ian Shepherd

Mastering is simple. Not easy, but simple.

That's the message behind this series of 6 video tutorials I made recently for Sound On Sound magazine.

In them, I walk you through my entire mastering process from beginning to end, explaining how and why I work the way that I do at every stage.

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Live realtime audio metering - with plugins

February 13th, 2024 BY Ian Shepherd

People keep asking how I set up the live audio metering on my Mac during livestreams and videos, which allows me to assess the loudness, EQ balance, stereo image and more of any audio I'm playing, in realtime, without needing to download it or even open my DAW.

The answer is pretty simple, so made a video to show you how it works - along with some of my favourite plugins for analysing audio. Take a look !

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Peter Gabriel's i/o Mix Comparison - Bright or Dark Side ?

December 8th, 2023 BY Ian Shepherd

Blue Pill or Red Pill ? Is there really that big a difference ?

So the new Peter Gabriel album 'i/o' is finally here - and everyone is talking about the fact that there are three alternative mixes of this album - not just a dedicated Atmos mix (as is becoming more and more common) but also two alternative stereo mixes. The 'Bright Side' mix by Spike Stent, and the 'Dark Side' mix by Tchad Blake.

So what's the difference ? Why are there three versions ? And which is the best ?

I couldn't resist, so started comparing one of the songs that I'd already heard - the first on the album, 'Panopticom'. And the results were fascinating, so I made a video.

To hear what I heard for yourself, plus some observation, comments and wild speculation - check out the video above.

And then let me know which mix you prefer in the comments - and why !

How DARE you ?!

November 13th, 2023 BY Ian Shepherd

Wow, I really messed up this time.

Not only did I criticise the sound of the new Beatles single (gasp) and not only did I say it wasn’t a mastering issue (sharp intake of breath) but I used numbers to describe what I heard ! (Appalled silence, wolves howl in the distance etc...)

Oh, the horror…

People really didn’t like it.

I managed to upset people from every side of the debate, and they made that very clear in the comments on Facebook.

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The Beatles' 'Now and Then' is a marvel of audio restoration - but did it really need to be so LOUD ?

November 2nd, 2023 BY Ian Shepherd

I made a deal with myself, in the years after my blog posts about the loudness of Metallica's "Death Magnetic" went viral. (They ended up being reported in The Guardian and Wired magazine, and with me being interviewed by the BBC about how loud it was, and why Metallica fans were complaining.)

The deal was - no more negativity and moaning about extreme loudness. I would always look for positives - I'd celebrate great-sounding new releases with decent dynamics instead. That's where the idea for the Dynamic Range Day Award came from, and I've stuck to it ever since.

Until now, because this is one I really care about.

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ABOUT IAN SHEPHERD

My name is Ian Shepherd - I've worked as a professional mastering engineer for over 20 years and I run the Production Advice website with over 50,000 readers each month

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