PROFESSIONAL MASTERING vs. INSTANT MASTERING

[@ad7or]

I can only express my gratitude to both Wytse and George. I’m truly humbled by your kindness and support. Sound engineering is an artform, both you and George showcased that in this video. The connection between the human mind and analog gear can produce wonderful results. Especially when the engineer can trust their own ability to enrich the music. “Don’t ever lose sight of your love of music”- Bruce Swedien I would also like to thank everyone that will, have and continue to give “Funk Heven” a chance. Your support is very much appreciated.

[@adirsab]

very cool track

[@johnisrael5183]

Really good song, I just mastered my first pre master mix through Analog Rack with Studio One's Pipline Feature on Export....and then used Landr against it...mine blew it away, His friend the master engieneer did the same thing...LOL....online mastering just sucks all the life out of your song...bad Idea....spend $5000 to $8000 on your own studio....its worth it...even if your start with Dbx compressor, BBE maxizer, mackie mixer, SSL 2+ and good headphones.....thats about $1100 and you can start making your own masters with Pro Tools or Studio one....

[@joshsmith7812]

Never mind the analog gear, that’s just extra gravy ontop, it’s the engineers ear and knowledge before anything else is even considered

[@1disturbedjunglist]

Lovely 80's MJ vibe on this track.

[@davewestner]

Cool tune....thanks for letting us hear it

[@Kkidzz]

George's AIR/SPARKLE and PRESENCE is amaaaaaaaazing.

[@goseason2343]

This video was needed for the music community. Nothing can replace a human being mastering your music.

[@Casur1N]

Instant Mastering services and Mastering Engineers are like buying a suit in the fashion area of a supermarket and in a tailor shop. Both may work for someone but when you compare them you can see which is specifically made at the right fit

[@listenfidi]

nice analogy!

[@Streaky_com]

yep

[@ts4gv]

sure, but it won’t be long before AI mastering becomes indistinguishable from the work of humans

[@oldschooljohnny]

100!

[@delmixedit]

One of the best analogies ever!!!!! ✊🏾

[@likenokevin]

George's master sounded so good. It is almost 3D!

[@simonhestermann]

Hey everyone, this is Simon from Masterchannel. First of all, thank you for reviewing our service! We are well aware and equally disappointed that our master fell behind in this comparison, and we are grateful for the feedback we have gotten through this video. A lot of updates have already been made since the recording of this video and your honest feedback is much appreciated. We'll continue improving our service to tailor it to your needs. For those interested, you can now try our service for free when you create an account. If you have any further feedback, we're open ears and happy to hear from you :)

[@oldschooljohnny]

nice 1

[@marlondeagle]

Thanks for giving the community such opportunities! I really appreciate your work, keep it up guys - you're doing a phenomenal job.

[@annekedebruyn7797]

I like how George's mix was wider but in a very balanced way. The other mastering services didn't really added much in the wideness.

[@ayeapprove]

So much this! Listening with my reference headphones I could tell just by the stereo image which one was done by George. It's a very different approach but sounds so much better.

[@ephjaymusic]

And that is why we need human mastering engineers like George. This was a fantastic video and excellent comparison! Thank you so much!

[@serhii-ratz]

That's it :)

[@storkontheroof]

The difference indeed is ENORMOUS! What i would love to see/hear now, is George making a master with (hi-quality) plugins only and compare that to the analog version he did. Any chance on that one???

[@dwightdeon2421]

I've sat in on a lot of mastering sessions, had a lot of songs mastered (by some well known ME) and this was above and beyond anything i ever seen come out of a final master. He actually improved the mix far beyond just making it brighter and louder, which seems to be the norm these days. Very disappointing to have something mastered, and when it comes back it doesn't sound BETTER than the mix just different. George nailed it. Well done

[@mickeythompson9537]

"Very disappointing to have something mastered, and when it comes back it doesn't sound BETTER than the mix just different." SO TRUE!!

[@LukeLjJames]

Hmm mastering done without askin you what ya aiming for , like the sound of . No 1st draft , 2 nd draft checks before the final result making sure your on board and happy ? Not sure what mastering places you been too but 100% go somewhere else lol ;p

[@muzk8887]

ive seen a lot of art but only some of it is good

[@LukeLjJames]

@@muzk8887 I saw a pelican try to eat a pigeon once 🤣🤣

[@LarryElectronica]

Mastering should not make your mix sound better, it should exaggerate all the strengths of your mix. And subsequently, it can highlight the weaknesses of your mix. As far as cosmetic 'treatments' go, that is a choice made by the engineer at the artist's discretion.

[@-IFFTI-]

Automatic mastering systems usually do not understand "musicality", algorithms are not able to add breath and life. The human ear and brain are still the best tool for this. Therefore, it is good to find a mastering specialist who has his own approach to the music styles we are interested in. I have some material in my collection that has been mastered by people who don't understand certain nuances. The effects were disappointing. George, a big thank you for the show of the possibilities and the excellent job ... and for fighting with the "sound botulism" ;). Dear Wytse ... in my opinion, this is one of your the best episodes on YT. :) MORE! :D

[@AGDugros]

Audio mastering is an art, I work in music production since 2002, and I can tell that the experience is one important factor. Thanks for this video.

[@nepntzerZer]

ok try doing mastering and mix engineering while living out of a tent.

[@NeverduskX]

I don't think I've ever fully appreciated mastering as much as it deserves to be before watching George work. Hearing all of those changes in real-time was magic.

[@Makiguli]

That's not a suprise to me BUT George's work is BY FAR the best Mastering... no picture !

[@LordTheeProducer]

I love this video!!! George is cool as hell and you guys have beautiful chemistry captured on this video

[@garrettjrussell]

This is definitely one of your best videos of all time. I know you did something like this about 3 years ago, but the they way George goes into major detail about the mastering process was beyond fascinating and informative. A huge thank you for the effort you put into this.

[@MarvelJAM]

Watching you two interact was a treat. Thank you

[@nanob0zo]

We need more Lennard and George guest appearances!!! Awesome video!

[@AlexReidStudios]

I don't care about the comparison, this is one of my go to guides on mastering mindset. George is a gift

[@soulflower8687]

The online mastering services simply crush the life out of any track. Online mastering = crushing.

[@connollytunes]

Great video!! You missed one factor though about the instant mastering (which I have never used) - George will usually be charging a little more than $19... But it really was an enjoyable video. George was so fun!

[@losangulos]

a bedroom producer going to a mastering process online will go to whaever sounds best to him with limited experience, and of course George knows whats best and whats happening in the entire balance of things, you are paying for that knowledge, and it shows, of course its going to be pricier, its really a no brainer.

[@elwoodroadsmusic9639]

Ja ja ja ja ja :) Loved this little glimpse into mastering with George. Thankyou!

[@MrPerfectpizza]

Thoroughly enjoyed watching this video and hearing the differences in sound while marvelling at the gear! KZbin needs more videos like this one. Big respect to you both for sharing this! Thank you.

[@mehmetali5728]

I think George also applies live mastering to his voice when he speaks. It's not normal human voice, it sunds perfectly tuned:))

[@pirateradioFPV]

Brightness is not the word you're looking for. It's clarity.

[@ChrisTuttle]

To my ears, the audio mastering done and the dynamics adjusted is subtle yet orgasmic. What a joy to watch and listen to.

[@JayKaufman]

What I'd be really curious of hearing is how different mastering engineers treat the same track. A future video perhaps?

[@ImpostorModanica]

Fantastic idea

[@NurseWalker]

Let me know when you find this kind of shootout!

[@Mansardian]

I think George got some new customers by now. He owes you another coffee😂 I seriously consider sending my songs to him. He's fantastic!

[@jaybird3636]

but the last and most important question is: how much does it cost to let george master this song 😁😁

[@klexen]

Impressive Results from the "manual" masterting. Would be interesting to see/hear how close to this he/you could get working only with plug ins.

[@myproductionadvice]

always 99% 😄 all this equipment exists as a plugin version, so it's only a choice of a master

[@fortheoneswhocare]

Perfect way of demonstrating the differences between a mastering eng and instant services. Really enjoyed this video !!

[@tonychristopher1852]

I think doing your own mastering would even be better than the on line route. Then again it's always best to get an outside engineers ears (that you can trust), especially if you want to keep your sanity. Great video!

[@snubdawg1386]

but it's so hard to find one who you can trust....and afford

[@jhohanmusic]

* Hire a master engineer to keep your sanity 🎯

[@gardvord]

I am speechless over what the mastering engineer was able to achieve. The track as well mixed before, still enormous difference. Impressed!

[@1erwayne]

Seemingly, pretty damn quick too. I totally take them at their word, no prep was done. Hardware settings that is.

[@LeoDaShaman]

The value in this video is THROUGH THE ROOF!!! thanks alot

[@ubercoolboy]

Bro just discovered you, your content is fire! Appreciate your work frfr!

[@Eline_official]

As a mix and mastering engineer I have only one answer to this. There is nothing better than personal touch.

[@pedroarechigamorfin1228]

I think this is the best video on this channel yet. Thank you so much!!!

[@MabawaVocal]

Ive been whatching from africa and I come to realise that the best producers have alot of years in music ,shows how music can never be fully figured out

[@jongreenhalgh]

I have to say it shouldn't be surprising that human choices from experienced yet fresh ears will always win

[@LaurenPassarelli]

Artists doing what they love…George is a gem.

[@davidbiangles7324]

Hi, I just watched this and have to say that I learned more about mastering from your friend and you together than the hours of 'tutorials' over several years - I think I finally 'got it' (knobs, ears, gut!). Loved the track before - magic after. Many thanks.

[@discowolf25]

Ayyyy appreciate the love 😂 💯!! So many auto masters are absolutely insane (in the worst way).

[@toobvu]

Thank you for taking the time to create this informative video. I concur that George clearly has created the best master - smooth, open and spatial compared with all the others. LANDR sounds pretty good to my ear, and certainly better than the other mastering services you've tested.

[@johnisrael5183]

Really cool watching your friend master...it was mind blowing....in a good way...tell him...I learned alot from him....!!! and I really appreciate all your advice as well

[@gaboquintana3628]

I've seen a lot of videos where it says "let's talk about mastering" and that's exactly what they do they just talk about what mastering is, but fee videos show somebody actually doing it. Thank you for your effort to produce this video it is very helpful.

[@CheapCharlieMusic]

I master my tracks on my own with ozone and ssl plugins because i can not afford a mastering engineer 🙂. This guy in the video did a great job !

[@myproductionadvice]

"all we do is analog and... attention - here comes the Distressor!" 😅 George is not only a super mastering engineer, but first he is a very nice person. Great journey, Wytse! Thanks, thanks. thanks...

[@tdr1438]

Amazing video, George should feature more often

[@Whiteseastudio]

Working on it!

[@DKH712]

Wow I didn't expect the difference to be so huge. The high end is so nice on the real master.

[@emlispbeatz3576]

My best mastering tutorial so far, so good Thank u George for this tutorial.

[@DigiMixAudio]

Wytse, George rules on this comparison! Thanks for another great video, and keep George busy!

[@MrClaywell]

Awesome vid. Can’t remember the last time I sat and watched a full 30-minute plus video straight through without stopping. Well done George knows his stuff for sure!

[@therealdjap]

George is absolutely amazing. Best out of all by far. He is incredible. I can't wait to come out that way and check you both out.

[@purvue]

This video and George just taught me alot. like seriously. i have a good ear i just didnt know what the differences were called i could always just hear it. but George explained aspects of the audio and help me link it to my ears. I subscribed. please feature George on more uploads he is awesome. my kind of music man

[@mikepaynt4436]

It's night and day! Also - The gear in his studio is such a wonderful selection.

[@timothy2204]

George is insane!! Super musical and tasteful, knowing precisely how to get the result he wants

[@magiusicgician4102]

This was amazing Whytse!

[@beatprocess]

i always come back to this video. great work.

[@Barnsey87]

Just a beautiful insight for upcoming mastering engineers bless you.

[@SectorSevenSlumz]

Well that first compressor not only makes it sound better, but quite a lot louder. Which helps in thinking it's sounding better for sure. But it definitely does sound more alive and deep somehow. But later on when you level match it, you really hear it shine. More focused all around.

[@SectorSevenSlumz]

Gotta say though there's something in the hihat that gets a little too harsh for me when mastered. Like it comes forward too much. But that's just preference..... Then when you run through the distressor it seems to shave it back off again and it sounds smoother and rounds off that harshness. Very nice

[@bubblepipemedia3414]

I can honestly say, I think if anything this proves how much SOME of those services do so well. I was really impressed with two of those auto-masters. No they weren't as good, but if you're on a budget, it's a heck of a lot better than maybe doing it yourself or not at all. On the other hand, I'm really glad I know what I'm doing and don't have to rely on them. I felt Soundcloud and Landr both did a surprisingly good job for what they are and their target audience. Looking at Soundcloud and Landr, it seems like the Soundcloud one has the better dynamic range (if that's important to you)

[@mantis834]

George's mix hands down the winner here. More open, more depth, the low end was tighter, the highs had a nice air to them, everything sounds smooth, creamy, punchy. Human ears, human touch and human heart are the three best plugins we can use.

[@StarfleetOnLsd]

That was a really nice and informative watch, thank you! Oh and the Michael Jackson vibes of that track are 🔥🔥🔥

[@Genolexis]

Aha! Got George dancing at 20mins! Mission Accomplished 🤣 Great video, truly enjoyed every minute. Entertaining and very informative. Thank you

[@pittjpb8]

George’s master was brighter (at the very highest frequencies) and wider than any of the others. It would be interesting to crank up brightness and width on one of the services with those options, to get a closer, more detailed comparison. With the air in George’s master nothing else really had a chance-his always grabbed your ears. Obviously a human can tell where and how much and with what gear to push that air, and that’s what I’d love to hear more closely matched with an auto service where you can push those a bit yourselves. As a mastering engineer myself I love to see humans win :)

[@jacksmith4460]

Honestly , the low end on the George mastered one is levels above the rest

[@67Rec]

Charming fellow, and your friendship made for a fun watch.

[@adampeters9684]

This video does an incredible job of illustrating the value of mentorship in the audio community. No amount of KZbin can replace the experience of taking your mix to a mastering engineer who knows what they’re doing with a pimped out setup. I always walk away with an enhanced perspective. Cheers to you both!

[@peterbrandt7911]

Imho, the difference isn't the gear, whether analog, or digital. The difference is George. Simple as that. You can't replace e second pair of ears, especially experienced ones.

[@Gilwtt]

Oh Men!!! I listened to the mastering studio session in my homeStudio and I'm lterally blown out by what I heard even in youtube. This is a huge demonstration of mastering process... Really!

[@teqnotic]

Thanks for providing this comparison!

[@pdamasco]

Watching George was a lot of fun! It reminded me of being in rehearsals at University for our performances. You can tell how intricately he knows each piece of equipment in that mastering chain. He dials thins in very quickly and you can instantly hear the improvements in dynamics and overall width of the track. It has more impact and sustains the "mood" of the music because of how he dialed in the roll-off of each punchy and dynamic instrument in the mix. I really can't get over how effective he is in such a short period of time. It's very impressive!!

[@captaincreosote]

Yeah George absolutely won that hands down. One thing though, did anyone else think that his sounded slightly off-centre, seemed a bit louder in the left channel to me.

[@motofreak525]

Thank you for demonstrating the value of hiring an experienced mastering engineer. I know the online services have their place for those without the budget to hire someone, but the difference in results is night and day. I've worked as a mastering engineer in a Los Angeles mastering house for almost ten years now and often times potential clients really aren't aware of the potential difference in the result. Just because something has been "Mastered" doesn't mean it has been done well. This video does a great job of highlighting all of the care, time, and gear that goes into the traditional mastering process, and clearly shows the human care yields superior results. Thanks again for taking the time to show people what we do!

[@jellemeeuwsen9842]

Haha the switch between SC and George literally made me giggle. As if my speakers got instantly upgraded majorly. Great vid Wytse! Keep up the good work!

[@chrisharrison809]

This channel is great. I really appreciate this.

[@TeddyLeppard]

There is a master of his craft at work. Great live session. Also, when you use an automated service, there is no artistic interpretation, no intent behind the decisions. They are one-size-fits-all. The human being can evaluate the specific things which make a track unique and can pull them out of the mix.

[@GrumpyGr3g]

I love so much this type of comparisons. For online mastering only, to what i tried in the past, LandR is really good not to say the best online to my ears and test on multiples tracks. Soundcloud does an actually "ok" job! Also comparing this with real mastering engineers is somewhat not fair haha What i noticed with online tools, is that they will really be close to the mix, not really improving the listening experience, but more boosting the mix, while humans engineers will really apply to get something different and opposite to online master, will improve the listening experience. If we got this track mastered by 5 others mastering engineers from different musical backgrounds, this would sound very different from one to an other. Experience, tastes, tools and so one will make all the differences. Would be nice to have such a comparison tho! Great video and nice time with WWM !

[@Bronwyn031]

Totally agree! I've had the same track mixed and mastered by 5 different engineers and each version sounded slightly different. The one I chose was the one who didn't change much at all and left my original work intact. She just enhanced the track a smidge and gave it more breath.

[@tredfxman]

For my mixes (i do mostly uplifting trance) Landr was really basic and sounded bad, in comparision to the results i get from Bandlab. But mixes can be diffrent, so each to his/her own. Landr might also have upgraded their game lately. Tried it years ago when it was new. What i like about Bandlab is that its free, and that it gives me 4 diffrent versions to flip through when listening! 👍

[@smattc]

Thank you for posting this. it just proves what I and many other have said over and over, that it's people that make the difference. Real people mixing and mastering with their human ears, and emotion. Which could be carried even further by using real live musicians making the music rather than drum machines and synths, though I agree that that could still be considered a genre itself. Still once again it's nice to see man winning over machine.

[@eternity..]

THIS IS AMAZING. GREAT VIDEO, FOR THE TIME CAPSULE. THANK YOU. 👑 👑 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[@DanBires]

For me the massenberg eq really did it. Like he said he was able to bring the song more closer and that was cool. There is a huge difference. I would really like to get my next rack mastered by world wide master.. Thanks great video. I used land a few years back and tried that master. I thought they both sounded dull and lifeless. I started using a mastering engineer out in LA myself and He does great work. I am always open to finding out new mastering engineers to work with. I will be getting in touch with him.

[@pabloriverafernandez7799]

Wytse thanks for make this happen. It helped me to go with George as mastering engineer, and what a pleasant surprise! He was great player and delivered on timely manner. Regarding the quality of the product, there are no words to express how the song sounded after his magic touch.

[@tutunuitekanawa3940]

Respect too George for wearing a very sacred stone from Aotearoa New Zealand. A Pounamu Taonga. Very special! Awesome! Chur too the team for the education.

[@VForsaken]

Bless you Man, this is priceless review

[@TWEAKER01]

Nice studio. Worth reiterating that mastering is a service not a fixed process, and *communication* is often half the job. The process is holistic and all about context, not 2-buss processing a track in isolation. It's also knowing when to leave things alone, or when a chorus needs different treatment to a verse, etc. All things that AI is incapable of.

[@jimkashner]

Excellent production of, participation in, and presentation of this "Mixing Contest" video, @Wytse. I learned a great deal, and have even more that I'm still thinking about. Thank You! Also, my honest opinion is that "It's No Contest". George's master is The Obvious Winner of your "Mixing Contest", @Wytse. Whether I listen to the video on (a) my studio monitors or (b) my studio headphones, the magnitude of the superiority of George's master is Huge! The reason for my conclusion is very simple to explain. George's Musical Ear and George's Obvious Mastering Experience and Expertise give him an extremely unique advantage, specifically George's "Tool Between His Ears". Finally, although George's personal modest manner would never allow him to do it, he deserves a "Mic Drop And Out!" at the end of this video!

[@doubler4433]

One of the most interesting videos about Matering I´ve seen, great content

[@robertjason6885]

George is a quality engineer. Gear only takes you so far. What you do with it..or not is one key...the other is having very good ears. In a stereo mix, George managed to lock the bass drum and synth bass together. Impressive. The word you may have been looking for is "presence" as regards the vocal. A bit more "in the room."

[@DThompson55]

Stunning how 1db or 2db applied correctly makes such a big difference.

[@stephenmcculloch3025]

Fantastic video! Thank you!

[@danjohnsonstudio]

I’ve never used Landr and have seen lots of negative comments, but it was the only one (apart from George) that came close to an acceptable finished product.

[@AndyKingCo]

Wow what a great mastering engineer!!! George

[@Gilwtt]

This one is the most expensive but favourite vid you gave us actually ;-) Hats off!!!

[@subconscious.com_usa6691]

Fantastic track it very much has that 1980s Michael Jackson vibe to it with perhaps a slightly modern twist. I could imagine the track on the Bad Album for example. he even does those hee hee vocal noises as well. Georges's master is head and shoulders above the others without a doubt but the others are o.k for the money they cost.

[@joergenlang]

Intentionally listening to the session through the speaker of my mac mini. The difference between premaster and master is still clearly audible (real engineer). Amazing.

[@thelockdownbroject1032]

Excellent comparison, thanks!

[@adamslawson]

Amazing job making this video, this might be the best mastering video I've ever seen. Being able to hear the mastering process while you're both talking and the camera work and being honest with your process. You're helping the industry for other future high-level engineers to also grow to this level. Love seeing and hearing your mastering chain. Thank you for sharing! Lots to learn here.

[@steph1918]

Very, very useful comparison. Thanks Wytse and (uiteraard ook) George Konings!

[@dm1943]

I would love to hear George try and do the same mastering in the box using stock, mid market (e.g. Waves ) and high end (e.g UAD) plugins. Can he use his expertise, monitoring and ears to really test and compare analogue to plugins. Thanks for the great video.

[@bingybeats189]

The analog domain would still sound better. I've tested analog vs digital. Digital has MANY benefits, but still falls short on sound. And since this is music, sound is king.

[@jcleivaamoros]

Very eye opening video, not only when comes about comparing the services of mastering, but also we had a sneak peak at how a true master engineer works, something that we can apply in our home studios when mastering our own tracks.Thank you very much.

[@valoelios40]

Good George might just have made another new customer today... What he does, really stands out. I have never used an automated mastering service - only humans with ears and a heart so far - and as long as it does not get remarkably better, I will continue to work with humans that do a good job mastering music.