Before all this can happen, though, the CDs must be mastered. The mastering engineer compresses the audio files into compact discs using the Sony ESM software (also known as Sony's Waveform Encoder). The mastering engineer also adds waveform display and metadata (artist, title, track number, etc.) to the data, and produces the CD artwork.
By the time the disc is shipped to the factory for production, the mastering engineer will have taken the tracks from the software and taken the time to correct errors, add fades and other audio effects, and mix various parts of the songs together. The producer then decides which track to release as the lead single, and whether to release it on vinyl or CD. Sometimes the album's lead vocalists sing lead vocal tracks, and others sing backup vocals or duets. If the group or singer is a heavy metal group, the group may want the lead vocal track to be distorted and loud.
Some artists may be happy to let the mastering engineer do all the work, especially for pop and rock music, but for jazz or classical music, the mastering engineer will need to create a product that highlights the nature of the music. For classical albums, for example, the mastering engineer may be required to turn the strings up louder than the drums.
Quality control
Due to the high demand for high quality audio products (which includes music CDs and DVDs), companies have developed multiple means of quality control. The first of these methods is online software which is able to listen to the CDs or DVDs and report any errors. The second method is to place a physical disc into a physical CD player or DVD player, and then use the CD or DVD player's built-in audio quality control system to confirm the disc. If the disc is good, then the audio quality control system will report that the disc is working fine. If the disc is bad, the audio quality control system will report that the disc is not working and advise the producer to replace it. If the producer has made a mistake in the digital mixing process, the producer should quickly correct it before the disc has been sent to the press. If the producer takes longer than the recommended time to correct the mistake, then the disc may be released to the public with mistakes that will require the disc to be quickly pulled from stores and replaced.
Mastering engineers are called upon to produce audio products which are of high quality, but are often rushed. Often, the mastering engineer is a member of the production team, but not
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