The question of sheen/gloss/polish/air/sparkle came up in Kevin's thread, and I figured I might have a go at it here. Assume that you've got a process like this:

Arrange -> Record -> Mix -> Master -> MAGIC!

  • Arrange: create a musical setting that highlights the ideas of the song.
  • Record: capture a clean and accurate recording. In pre-digital days, this meant getting a high enough signal-to-noise ratio. Post digital, it means recording without clipping, so the tracks can later be mixed without adding artifacts.
  • Mix: Adjust the tracks so each part is clear, relative to their importance, and will play back well on a variety of devices. What needs to be heard, and what is important changes over the course of the song. Ways of achieving this can involve something as simple as adjusting the volume to adding complex effects chains.
  • Master: Adjust the EQ, compression and reverb so the songs sound like the belong together, preferably by using expensive analog gear too expensive for hobbyists.

I assume that the process of mastering goes something like:

  • Listen to it with ears and a brain that's had years of experience.
  • Perform focused multi-band EQ adjustments.
  • Add final compression and reverb to unify the songs.

So there's a lot going on in mastering. But for the purpose of this thread, the question is: what is sheen, and where does it come from?

-- David Cuny
My virtual singer development blog

Vocal control, you say. Never heard of it. Is that some kind of ProTools thing?