Achieve Mastering Results You Can Be Proud Of, Using Professional Techniques That Really Work - Even In Your Home Studio
Gain the skills, understanding and confidence you need, using the tools you already own.
Just Started – get involved now !
Are you mystified by mastering ?
Have you...
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Spent hours on YouTube searching for help with your mastering but ended up more confused than ever?
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Wondered if you can really make a professional master with just plugins, or if expensive analogue hardware actually is essential?
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Read endless blog posts about bit-depth, dither and LUFS but got lost in all the tedious details?
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Spent good money on the latest limiting, saturation and clipping plugin but ended up wondering if it's really helping, or if you're just pushing it too hard?
- Worried about whether your mastering is really making things sound better, or if it might end up sounding worse outside your studio?
And then when you finally release your music it still feels flat or lifeless, two-dimensional and weak?
Are you left wondering what you're doing wrong? What the difference is between what you’re doing in your mastering and 'the real thing'?
(Hint – it’s probably not as big a difference as you think…)
Imagine if instead...
- There was a simple, step-by-step process that guarantees consistent, reliable results every time
- You could go back to caring more about how the music makes you feel than worrying about how loud it is
- You could get guidance from a professional mastering engineer with more than 25 years experience and over 10 years success helping people like you get great results mastering in their home studios
- You could feel confident that when you release your music you'll be proud of the results when you play it to your friends, family and fans
The great news is - you can
Because I think you're going to love...
The Home Mastering Masterclass
An 8-week course where I'll show you exactly what I do when I'm mastering, how I do it and most importantly WHY it works.
So that you can use the same proven strategies to get better results mastering music yourself.
8 Weekly Mastering Masterclass videos
"Sit in" on a series of virtual mastering sessions with me.
Watch over my shoulder with a series of screen-capture mastering videos.
I'll master a different song every week, and tell you what I'm doing, why I'm doing it - and how
Home Mastering Essentials
A broad mastering overview, including:
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The simple three-stage process I use when I master every single song I work on
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How to calibrate your mastering system by choosing an optimal mastering monitoring level
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Straightforward rules of thumb to guide your decisions for deciding levels, EQ balance and compression settings
Live Q&A Webinars
Email your questions to a dedicated address - ask me anything !
I'll answer as many of the popular and interesting questions as I can.Tell me what you want to know !
PLUS Quick Mastering Critiques. Send me a master and I'll react to it on the call, playing excerpts and making comments and suggestions. Maybe even a few live tweaks!
Is Mastering a mystery to you ?
Well, I know how you feel – and I felt exactly the same, when I was starting out !
Who Am I?
My name is Ian Shepherd – I’ve been mastering for over 25 years now, but when I started I didn’t even know what mastering was !
What helped me most was sitting in on real mastering sessions with my colleagues, and getting an “insider’s view” of how they worked – of what they did, how they did it, and why.
The chance to be a “fly on the wall” gave me invaluable insights into the mastering process as a whole – what you’re trying to achieve, the different ways to do it, and how everything fits together into a simple process, taking you from raw mix to the final master.
And I know lots of you would like the same opportunity – every week I get emails asking if someone can work as an intern with me, or sit in on a few sessions – or just ask general questions about the way that I work. There just isn’t enough time to do this, though – and that’s why I came up with the Home Mastering Masterclass.
What's included
All the essentials...
A comprehensive range of fundamental mastering techniques. I'll show you the core elements of every mastering chain- EQ, compression and limiting - and how to use them effectively
…plus more advanced techniques
These only get used on one in ten masters - but when they're needed, they're invaluable. Learn how I use stereo width processing, Mid-Side EQ, parallel compression, stem mastering and more
Universal techniques - "it ain't what you use"…
The videos show a large selection of software packages and plugins in action, including Pro Tools, Logic, Reaper, Wavelab, Ozone, T-RackS, Waves and more - learn how to apply the techniques with your software of choice
A complete summary of my mastering chain, my process and philosophy
The final Home Mastering Overview video summarizes the masterclass videos, adds all the nitty-gritty details (file formats, masters and meta-data like CD Text and ISRCs) and brings everything together - all the information you need to get started mastering in your home studio today
Regular assignments to improve your skills
Every week I set you a new goal. These exercises are based on the highly successful methods I use to assess and train new engineers. Starting simply, you'll learn how to listen and think like a pro mastering engineer - and transform your music as a result
PLUS – The Home Mastering Hub
- Private member's forum – connect and chat with Ian and the other members
- Regular Hub Q&A Livestreams – get your questions answered live and even join Ian on the call
- Quick Mastering Critiques Send in songs for realtime feedback
The Home Mastering Challenge
Try your hand at mastering three example songs – before you take the course, and then again afterwards – to get a really clear picture of how much you’ve learned along the way.
AND then compare your results with mine as I tackle the same songs myself, mastering them from scratch, in three bonus real-time “warts ’n’ all” videos !
GARRY MKRTCHYAN
Your approach has definitely poured light on many aspects for me and it actually grants this unique feeling of confidence which was not there before.
DIEGO COLOMBO
Just to tell you how much you influenced my work: a year ago I started the project to make an album all by myself. In April I had 3 tracks finished and went to Abbey Road to master them.
Once home I started following your blog and tweets. The idea was to have a full album by now but... I need to go over all the previous tracks. Now it is going to take me a while before I am ready for mastering (guess who I want to master it .... Now you wait :))
You changed the way I enjoy and do music, for the best I believe :) Thanks for the help and the great advices.
TC SPITFIRE (ENGINEER/PRODUCER FOR PAUL OAKENFOLD)
I look forward all week to receiving your tutorials. This is the best online experience I've ever had... thank you so much for doing this.... my music is sounding MUCH better…..
What's The Schedule ?
PLUS
There's more ! The course also includes:
Bonus in-depth interviews
When I'm mastering, I always take time to talk to the client, to find out more about their music. How it was recorded, how they would like it to sound, and whether they have anything particular they hope to achieve with the mastering. I've done the same for these videos, and recorded the conversations so you can eavesdrop on this part of the process, too.
I'd originally intended these interviews to be an optional bonus, but what surprised me was that the results are far more valuable than I ever expected !
We covered a huge range of topics, so there's a mass of helpful information there about writing, recording and mixing as well as mastering - so, I'm bundling them in with the videos and I strongly recommend you listen to them to get maximum value out of the package.
Topics include:
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Professional mixers
The benefits – and the pitfalls
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The advantages of using real instruments
How to fake a string section, or even get a real one on your recording
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The loudness war
...and the thorny issue of loudness in clubs
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Fear of bass
- and several different approaches to handling it
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Acoustic treatment and monitoring
Simple, effective tweaks
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When mastering isn't necessary
...or reverb, either !
AND
Special Offer – Bonus Courses - Save an extra 75%
If you choose the "MAX" or "Ultimate" bundles, you can also get two extra courses from me at a huge discount!
Home Mastering EQ (Worth £97) and Home Mastering Compression (Worth £117) are highly structured 'deep dives' into these important aspects of mastering, and two of my most popular courses.
Together they make are a fantastic companion and complement for the main masterclass course:
Frequently Asked Questions
If I've missed the start of the course, will I be able to catch up?
Will the videos apply to the kind of music I want to master?
Do I need specific software or plugins to get the best out of the course?
Is the course 'Live' ? Do I need to be present at particular times to take part ?
Get started now - immediate access !
ULTIMATE
£1258£697
Standard + Max Bundle + Personal Masterclass Session + Bonus Video Library (Save £561)
Ultimate(If you'd prefer to pay by monthly instalments, please click here)
Full 60-day 100% Money-Back Guarantee
I've had such a great reaction from everyone who has taken the course, I'm certain you'll find them useful too. I want you to be completely happy though, so if you're not satisfied for any reason, just contact me within 60 days for a full refund, no questions asked.
Try Now
Ian Hudson
"One concern I had was I did think it was a bit pricey...... just being honest..... it's actually why I didn't grab it right away, and then I figured, what the heck, go for it, and I am happy I bought it.
I really enjoyed it and here's why. It was simple, easy to understand and made sense to someone like me. A lot of stuff out there is way too detailed and confusing, you just got right to the point and made sense..... that's a skill my friend.
I find when I read some stuff, I learn a lot but am left more confused than when I started.... I have more questions about what I learned than answers, ya know..... but not after your book..... and the video was a great way to see it in action.
The learning curve is huge!!!! But I think I'm getting somewhere lately, and you have really helped."
PS. People have been asking me for a product like this for years, but I wanted to wait until I had the time to do it properly. I'm really proud of the final result, and I know you'll get a massive amount of value from the videos, interviews and Q&As. To get started...
Click Here