So confession.

I've never mastered my own album before. Ever.

Why? Mainly cause it's a very specific skill. It's all about very SMALL tweaks to volume, compression and EQ. It takes years to learn how to do it well. I've always gone to Silvertone Mastering before. That was always my most favorite part of releasing a record. They have AMAZING equipment and speakers. Hell the speakers probably cost as much as my Jeep. 

So why am I not doing that now? Well, for one, I have a mastering program I've been…

What goes on after all the parts are recorded?

Well- funny you should ask.

LOTS

First there're all the mixes. This is where you 'balance' all the sounds against eachother. Not to make sure they're all the same volume, but to make sure they sit in the song where they should be. You don't want an electric guitar that is way louder than every other sound. You want it to sound like an electric guitar playing with all the other instruments.

Now some things are nearly always a bit louder. Vocals, snare drum…