are there any final adjustments you make to your song for mobile/laptop playback reasons or u don't really bother to check that?

for example do you make adjustments to the eq of the kick to translate better on laptop/mobile

 

Last edited: Sep 12, 2022

Hello Petrrr.
There are plugins that emulate various devices such as a laptop PC. There is one in particular, I don't remember the name because I don't use them, but it's on the sister site. However, you have to keep in mind that it should have an "equal" balance so that it is heard in the best way on all devices.
I have a mixing booklet that I got when I bought an audio board a long time ago. In it it says that you have to try to test with all the devices that you have in different places (living room, bathroom, kitchen) and in your pc, tv, etc.
But it is based on more than 10 years ago.
I look at the frequencies of an eq like Fabfilter Q3. It will also depend on the genre of music.

Anyway I mix in an amateur way. People who do it professionally will be able to tell you better.

 

it's still much better to test on any devices you might have, than using a plugin to simulate. It's just more work to do it that way. I would at least listen in your car, or get a friend or two to listen in their cars.

Smaller devices like phones, tablets, do not have the huge variation in results from "model to model" anywhere like most other amplified systems. A track is not going to sound all that different on an iPhone or a Pixel. Various Computer speakers are the devil.

For a lot of guys, the answer is found using MixCubes. Behringer used to make one, Avantone make a good active one. I just use the Genelec 8010a's for this because they are the smallest size active monitors I have.

 

I make it sound good on my system. Mastering is quality control and making sure it sounds as good as possible on as many playback systems as possible.

 

Last edited: Sep 12, 2022

But do you not see this as a cost center stage which the industry would love to see disappear by automation and software? What will be the true importance if there is no physical media being manufactured?

 

Not really sure what you mean. "which the industry love to see disapear"?

You mean AI? IA is getting smarter and smarter (most are still Ozone presets in a nice package). But it still doesn't know what the end destination playback system is.
A) It's always a compromise.
B) It's always creative decisions being made (volume riding, automations, overly colored/saturated because it fits the track/expression, etc).
AI doesn't have feelings or taste, yet.

 

Last edited: Sep 12, 2022

Well, I meant the term "Cost Center" as best as I can. It's almost entirely investment into the quality of a product, where the gains in quality are not something which is a clear tangible thing to some corporate accountant who is just looking at some spreadsheet.

Perfect costs quite a lot of money, and anything less is virtually free. Without a physical media to manufacture, literally; where would they say this money for mastering goes? Thin air, to them.

 

I still don't know exactly what you mean or what you are referring to. I have no problem getting paid by labels because they trust I will deliver a good product. It's built into the budget of the song/EP/album (just like the final paint-job on a car at the car factory).

Petrrr, sorry for the derail.

 

Last edited: Sep 12, 2022

I often face the same problem
The solution for me is still that I listen on as many devices as possible.
People like Baxter probably mastered many tracks so he also has some experience of what translates well onto other systems.
Also most Mastering engineers have inhumane ears paired with decent monitors + acoustic treated room.

My solution was to buy some cheap earplugs and headphones so I can backcheck on as many devices as possible.
But im also amateur as fuck when it comes to mixing, sometimes you can also tell
what works from experience.