(replying to rayc)

Regarding the ability to "reverse engineer" Soundcloud masterings by listening:

Sure, I'll be able to hear some stuff, especially if the tweaks are static, like if SC just applies a customized "Blue Sky" patch to the entire recording.

But if it's dynamic, if SC is adjusting dozens of parameters constantly, from moment to moment, frequency band to frequency band, yikes, that's just not something I can imagine hearing clearly enough on my own to try to reproduce.

An obvious factor here is that Soundcloud/Dolby DOES NOT WANT TO BE TOO HELPFUL in this area, and the more I contemplate this sad little factoid of life, the less inclined I am to want to put time or money here. I mean, when I say it would be nice if, along with the recording, you also got back a report saying "we did this this and this", it almost sounds ridiculously kumbaya, since of source they aren't going to do that if they want to keep you coming back for another $5 hit (no pun intended!)

Having now played around a bit with Soundcloud and Izotope, and having subscribed to the sprawling Izotope package for month-to-month use, I don't see myself using Soundcloud again. Maybe I'll check out the free preview clips for ideas, but not buy the whole track. This is all for my personal use – and if I'm looking to learn, why go to someone who will never tell me what I need to know?

Thought: Soundcloud wants to sell me a subscription to fully prepared fish dinners. Izotope wants me to learn to fish and cook so they can lease me fishing tackle and kitchen appliances.

Anyway! Regarding the relationship between mixing and mastering:

All the information you provide here is much appreciated (and obviously much needed by my fairly clueless self.) To be clear, I know nothing of the real world of professional musicians or engineers, I work at home on my iMac, and am about as likely to consider hiring a pro to mix my latest creation as I am to consider hiring a pro to write this post. So I just work away using BIAB and Logic and whatever until I can bounce it down to what I think is good; there's no reason for me to add a separate mixed-down stage to the project since there's no need for that division of labor.

Thanks again...
Mark