REQ: A.I. Stem Mastering Blueprint by Eric Disero
Produce, Mix, & Master At A PROFESSIONAL LEVEL
WITHOUT A.I. - The Old Way
This is the old way of analyzing a master. There's no way of knowing the most important defining characteristics of the mix, and we're left guessing on how to make our own mix sound as good as the reference, due to the lack of information. Using this outdated method won't yield any meaningful results and can actually be damaging to our understanding of the references.
WITH A.I. - The New Way
This is how it's done in 2023! With technology advancing so quickly, there is no reason to use old outdated methods of audio referencing. Using this new AI method, you can figure out exactly how ANY commercially released song is put together, and reverse engineer the production, mix, and master to make your music sound just as good as the reference.
INFO:
Over the course of this 8-week program, I will take you through my entire process of producing, mixing, and stem mastering label release quality music using a brand new, cutting edge, modern referencing and analysis system. By the end of the 8 weeks (and as soon as in the first 2 weeks), you will be applying these techniques to your own music, which will dramatically increase your chances of success with...
Pitching your music to record labels and A&Rs.
Increasing the viral potential of your music with Spotify's algorithm.
Landing high profile collaborations with established artists.
Ultimately working toward making a living doing what you love...making music!
Course Outline
PART 1
Finding References
Finding references is arguably one of the most important parts of the entire music making process. No art in the world is truly unique, and we are all influenced by the artists and producers that inspire us, whether we are aware of it or not. By recognizing the elements of commercially released songs that we want to emulate in our own music, we can start building a clear picture of the collection of influences we want on our finished songs. This is the fastest path to a professional sounding song.
Using AI To Split Commercial Stems
If we want our music to sound as good as the top references in our library, we need to know the intimate details of WHY those songs sound so good, and on top of that, we also need to be able to analyze any commercially released song in the world in the exact same way. AI stem splitting is the answer to this issue.
Setting Up Your Reference Session
Staying organized is key. Before we dive into processing our own busses, we need to set up dedicated sessions for analyzing reference material. Once we create these sessions, we set them up as our own personalized templates for ongoing use.
Spectrum Analyzer Settings Deep Dive
Spectrum analyzers are the tools we will use to analyze all of our reference material, and definitely one of the most important tools to understand deeply. We dive into every necessary setting for getting a deep analysis on all of our reference stems.
Creating Your Own Tonal Curves Library
Snapshots are the best way to quickly identify issues in our own songs. Creating consistent snapshots that accurately paint a clear picture of our objectives is absolutely essential for emulating professional masters.
PART 2
Processing Drums For Spectral Matching
Drums are often in the top 2 most important elements in any song. They provide much of the groove, the punch, and the transients in a mix. Drums are processed differently to almost all other elements in the mix because of their percussive nature, and full range of frequencies. Because of this, it’s important to pay close attention to a few key aspects of our spectrum analyzers to get an accurate gauge of the dynamic, crest factor, level, and tonal balance of our drums as they relate to our references.
Processing Bass For Spectral Matching
The bass drives the song, and it’s really easy to mess up. Small changes can make a dramatic difference in how the bass drives the track. Because of this, we dive deep into how to use our reference curves to make sure the bass is matched up perfectly with the kick, and make sure the bass has the right ratio of harmonic to fundamental frequencies to sit in our mix properly and drive the track effectively.
Processing Vocals For Spectral Matching
Vocals are often the most important element in the mix. They are the heart and soul of a song. Vocals are also one of the most difficult elements to mix and analyze because they are always human, melodic, monophonic, and have a wide range of highly dynamic tonal characteristics. It is absolutely essential that we NAIL the sound of our vocals, because if they aren’t perfect, it can negatively effect the overall quality of our song very quickly. There are specific ways to accurately analyze reference vocals, and specific processing techniques to overcome the problematic nature of mixing vocals so they’re controlled, clear, and stay glued into the mix like we hear in top professional tracks.
Processing “Everything Else” For Spectral Matching
Everything else is a very unique bus. It is often made up of midrange chordal elements, with ambient textures, background leads, and a wide array of possible instrumentation. This bus is almost always POLYPHONIC in nature, meaning there are chords present. Because of this, we want to make sure this bus is both present enough in our mix to provide emotion, yet mixed in a way that stays clear of the vocal, leads, or MONOPHONIC elements of our mix. This is a fine balance, and our reference curves are an invaluable resource when finding that perfect level and tonal balance.
Modern Sidechaining
Sidechaining has come a long way in recent years, and goes far beyond the traditional use of sidechaining the bass to the kick drum signal. There are new methods for using spectral tools to clean up midrange elements of a mix, and really highlight important elements of our song while simultaneously keeping everything glued together. This is almost impossible with traditional mixing techniques, so this is why we use both wideband and modern spectral sidechaining as a way to keep frequencies in our master from piling up and creating unwanted resonances.
Stereo Bus Processing To Completion
This is the point when we transition from mixing and “stem mastering” to a more traditional stereo bus master. This is the finishing point for the song, and the point where we commit to making executive decisions regarding the final sound we want to achieve in the master. That being said, this is a liquid process and we can and SHOULD jump back into our stems to make changes as we sculpt the final sound of our master. This goes directly against traditional advice on mastering, and we dive deep into how to take our 4 key busses to completion and ensure the ideal level, dynamic, and tonal balance of our finished song.
WITHOUT A.I. - The Old Way
This is the old way of analyzing a master. There's no way of knowing the most important defining characteristics of the mix, and we're left guessing on how to make our own mix sound as good as the reference, due to the lack of information. Using this outdated method won't yield any meaningful results and can actually be damaging to our understanding of the references.
WITH A.I. - The New Way
This is how it's done in 2023! With technology advancing so quickly, there is no reason to use old outdated methods of audio referencing. Using this new AI method, you can figure out exactly how ANY commercially released song is put together, and reverse engineer the production, mix, and master to make your music sound just as good as the reference.
INFO:
Over the course of this 8-week program, I will take you through my entire process of producing, mixing, and stem mastering label release quality music using a brand new, cutting edge, modern referencing and analysis system. By the end of the 8 weeks (and as soon as in the first 2 weeks), you will be applying these techniques to your own music, which will dramatically increase your chances of success with...
Pitching your music to record labels and A&Rs.
Increasing the viral potential of your music with Spotify's algorithm.
Landing high profile collaborations with established artists.
Ultimately working toward making a living doing what you love...making music!
Course Outline
PART 1
Finding References
Finding references is arguably one of the most important parts of the entire music making process. No art in the world is truly unique, and we are all influenced by the artists and producers that inspire us, whether we are aware of it or not. By recognizing the elements of commercially released songs that we want to emulate in our own music, we can start building a clear picture of the collection of influences we want on our finished songs. This is the fastest path to a professional sounding song.
Using AI To Split Commercial Stems
If we want our music to sound as good as the top references in our library, we need to know the intimate details of WHY those songs sound so good, and on top of that, we also need to be able to analyze any commercially released song in the world in the exact same way. AI stem splitting is the answer to this issue.
Setting Up Your Reference Session
Staying organized is key. Before we dive into processing our own busses, we need to set up dedicated sessions for analyzing reference material. Once we create these sessions, we set them up as our own personalized templates for ongoing use.
Spectrum Analyzer Settings Deep Dive
Spectrum analyzers are the tools we will use to analyze all of our reference material, and definitely one of the most important tools to understand deeply. We dive into every necessary setting for getting a deep analysis on all of our reference stems.
Creating Your Own Tonal Curves Library
Snapshots are the best way to quickly identify issues in our own songs. Creating consistent snapshots that accurately paint a clear picture of our objectives is absolutely essential for emulating professional masters.
PART 2
Processing Drums For Spectral Matching
Drums are often in the top 2 most important elements in any song. They provide much of the groove, the punch, and the transients in a mix. Drums are processed differently to almost all other elements in the mix because of their percussive nature, and full range of frequencies. Because of this, it’s important to pay close attention to a few key aspects of our spectrum analyzers to get an accurate gauge of the dynamic, crest factor, level, and tonal balance of our drums as they relate to our references.
Processing Bass For Spectral Matching
The bass drives the song, and it’s really easy to mess up. Small changes can make a dramatic difference in how the bass drives the track. Because of this, we dive deep into how to use our reference curves to make sure the bass is matched up perfectly with the kick, and make sure the bass has the right ratio of harmonic to fundamental frequencies to sit in our mix properly and drive the track effectively.
Processing Vocals For Spectral Matching
Vocals are often the most important element in the mix. They are the heart and soul of a song. Vocals are also one of the most difficult elements to mix and analyze because they are always human, melodic, monophonic, and have a wide range of highly dynamic tonal characteristics. It is absolutely essential that we NAIL the sound of our vocals, because if they aren’t perfect, it can negatively effect the overall quality of our song very quickly. There are specific ways to accurately analyze reference vocals, and specific processing techniques to overcome the problematic nature of mixing vocals so they’re controlled, clear, and stay glued into the mix like we hear in top professional tracks.
Processing “Everything Else” For Spectral Matching
Everything else is a very unique bus. It is often made up of midrange chordal elements, with ambient textures, background leads, and a wide array of possible instrumentation. This bus is almost always POLYPHONIC in nature, meaning there are chords present. Because of this, we want to make sure this bus is both present enough in our mix to provide emotion, yet mixed in a way that stays clear of the vocal, leads, or MONOPHONIC elements of our mix. This is a fine balance, and our reference curves are an invaluable resource when finding that perfect level and tonal balance.
Modern Sidechaining
Sidechaining has come a long way in recent years, and goes far beyond the traditional use of sidechaining the bass to the kick drum signal. There are new methods for using spectral tools to clean up midrange elements of a mix, and really highlight important elements of our song while simultaneously keeping everything glued together. This is almost impossible with traditional mixing techniques, so this is why we use both wideband and modern spectral sidechaining as a way to keep frequencies in our master from piling up and creating unwanted resonances.
Stereo Bus Processing To Completion
This is the point when we transition from mixing and “stem mastering” to a more traditional stereo bus master. This is the finishing point for the song, and the point where we commit to making executive decisions regarding the final sound we want to achieve in the master. That being said, this is a liquid process and we can and SHOULD jump back into our stems to make changes as we sculpt the final sound of our master. This goes directly against traditional advice on mastering, and we dive deep into how to take our 4 key busses to completion and ensure the ideal level, dynamic, and tonal balance of our finished song.
