Pat,

I'm fully aware of where my mastering is. Part of why I couldn't get it louder without distortion was in the mixing stage. There's an awful lot I've learned since then that will allow me to get it much more intense for the next CD without going into distortion.

I went to several mastering guys with the same song to test master. Most of them just pushed the volume into distortion to get it loud, without me asking. So you can't only blame the artists, the labels, etc... it's mastering guys too. I eventually had a buddy of mine do the mastering, who's been a mastering engineer for many years.

He's very good at getting level without distortion, and I specifically asked for that headroom. While I'm not as loud as say John Mayer or Maroon 5 with P.I. I'm within striking distance and over a radio broadcast you'd not likely hear a difference. I know that with my next one, I'll achieve the dynamics along with the clarity and punch. It can be done, but most people attempt to short cut it.

And therein lies the problem, the shortcuts that people who don't know what they're doing, take.

Jody

Jody Whitesides
A Funky Audio Lap Dance For Your Ears!
www.jodywhitesides.com