Mastering Engineer
Also: Post Production Engineer
Which schools offer Mastering Engineer-related training?
Mastering Engineer Career
A Mastering Engineer puts the final polish on audio recordings to prepare them for distribution. You receive the edited and mixed recordings from your fellow Audio Engineers and make any final adjustments necessary before the tracks head into commercial production.
This makes the Mastering Engineer the proofreader and formatter of the audio world. As the Mastering Engineer, you’ll take the work that has been equalized and balanced by several engineers before you, and look at it again to make sure all the technical details are OK to go through production.
This position is a blend of art and science. Your daily tasks might involve trouble shooting technical issues with formatting, and making sure the harmonic balance of vocal and instrumentals is in check. Overall you must ensure that when someone hears a track, it will sound good regardless of the system it is played upon.
How do I become a Mastering Engineer?
You will need a degree for this field, as you will be dealing with an equipment-dependent job process. For the first few years of your career you can work in any of the Audio Engineer positions and switch around, however after that you should start focusing on your field of choice.