LOS ANGELES, CA, June 5, 2017 – At the 142nd Audio Engineering Society Convention, which took place May 20 through May 23, 2017, in Berlin, Germany, a particular highlight of the show was its Recording and Mastering presentations – in particular, a master-class workshop titled “Mastering Workflows.” Among the panelists for the session, which took place on Saturday, May 20, was The Bakery founder and primary mastering engineer Eric Boulanger. Alongside Boulanger were moderator Jonathan Wyner (M Works Studios / iZotope / Berklee College of Music), and fellow panelists Marc Ebermann (Music Factory) and Mandy Parnell (Black Saloon).
The workshop examined various workflows that come into play in mastering audio, ranging from self-mastering-while-mixing to traditional mastering in a proper mastering facility. Whether working inside the box entirely versus using outboard gear, or a combination of the two, different workflows were explored as the panel compared and contrasted their own methods, while highlighting the strengths and challenges of each.
As the session progressed, Boulanger took the opportunity to discuss and advocate for the more widespread use of checksum verification techniques in the recording industry. Boulanger noted, “One topic of focus in the industry should have to do with metadata and the discussion of ‘checksum’ verification techniques, and the possibility of integrating the concept into DAW’s moving forward. Because digital files are the way we deliver much of our work now, there needs to be a sure-fire way to verify that things haven’t been corrupted or changed in ways that weren’t intended. Checksum is a bulletproof method that has been proven across all information industries and sectors, and it should have a more prominent, standardized place in the digital music workplace.”
Photo caption: Pictured L-R: moderator Jonathan Wyner and panelists Eric Boulanger, Mandy Parnell and Marc Ebermann, pictured at the panel “Mastering Workflows” at the 142nd Audio Engineering Society convention in Berlin, Germany, on May 20, 2017. Photo by Corey Walthall, Clyne Media. © 2017.
