A little late this time, due to some website freakouts. It should all be back to normal now. Enjoy.
Ron isn’t trying to “master” Frank’s tracks here, of course. He’s just popping on some mix bus compression and maybe some EQ to give the band an idea of how the songs will feel with that extra layer of sonic varnish they’ll get from a proper mastering job.
Not everyone believes in sending out their final tracks to a professional mastering engineer. The idea is that you can get decent mastering plugins just like the big guys, so why not do it yourself.
A good mastering engineer is going to bring a wealth of experience to the project. Not only do they have the software plugins, they also have an assortment of better monitors, a tuned acoustic environment (instead of your so-so home studio listening setup), probably some excellent outboard gear, and a fresh pair of ears.
That last point can be the most important. If you’ve been listening to the same songs for hours of critical mix time, you’re almost certain to have a skewed perspective. Playing the track to your girlfriend isn’t the same as getting a professional’s objective opinion (unless she’s a mastering engineer, in which case: bonus!)
The debate was sounded out recently on a couple of blogs I like to check out: Home Studio Corner (check out the comment war), and Ian Shepherd’s Mastering Media Blog. My feeling is that, if you have $400-700 to spare on your project, it is money well spent.