For this meeting, UML SRT Alumnus Adam Ayan talked about his work at Gateway Mastering and DVD in Portland, Maine. Adam's lecture covered a basic overview of mastering and many other related topics.
Using artists such as The Rustic Overtones and Carrie Underwood as examples, Adam described mastering as the final creative step in the production process and outlined the artistic decisions a mastering engineer must go through. These decisions can be complicated because they may deal with extremely fine adjustments which are made on the mix as a whole, making the mastering engineer deal with both the macro and microscopic levels of perception.
In the second half, Adam talked about ear training and hearing protection. He cited Dave Moulton's Golden Ears as one of the major tools he used to develop and sharpen his hearing. Adam stressed the importance of protecting one's ears in the audio industry and what precautions he uses (custom ear plugs for concerts, airplanes, and busy city streets). He ended the lecture with questions, where he discussed the equipment in his studio and his favorite projects he has done.
