Mixing and MP3s

I recently worked with a client who referenced a popular band as their sonic target for mastering. Although I was already aware of the band, I went on iTunes to really listen to a few tracks. After spending some time there, and comparing their sound with my client's high-quality mixes, I was stunned at the low-fidelity of this major label recording. I know it's "pop" music in MP3 format. But it's also a major label release with a large budget. The big rub, though, wasn't with the specific band or recording, but rather the reminder that this is where we're at sonically in the recording industry. In a time where technology has made just about anything possible in music production, we've settled on a convenient path of mediocre fidelity — and we've been there for a while. For years you've heard audio engineers lamenting the degraded quality of MP3 compression and it's true — MP3 is a boiled-down version of the compact disc standard, and CDs are a compromise of high-resolution mixes. So what? There's nothing we can do about it, right? Well, I've come to a point where I'm tired of waiting for the music industry (and its technology partners) to do what's best for sound quality. I really feel that it's up to us (you, me and every other audio professional) to make the best of the situation. After more than a decade of mastering digital audio I've come to the conclusion that any compromised format can sound good... if you are careful with how you make a recording. A lot of it goes back to traditional techniques — using the best equipment you can, giving your tracking as much headroom as possible and utilizing best practices when it comes to recording, mixing and mastering. The truth of the matter is that shortcomings at the source are amplified downstream. But if you can capture sound properly, mix and master it well, even compressed audio can have depth, power and nuance. Here are three ways you can help your recordings have more punch, depth and overall quality — even when boiled down to an MP3.