The Mysteries of Mastering Revealed with Mike Gillilan of Giltone Mastering
Love Music More · hosted by Luke F. Walton (Scoobert Doobert)
Guest: Mike Gillilan
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Topics discussed
Host note
Mike Gillilan runs Giltone Mastering out of Chicago: and his path there went through drums at age ten, years in a record store hearing different versions of the same record for ten hours a day, and enough reps to know what makes something finished versus almost finished. That record-store formation is the key: he was building his ear before he understood what he was building it for.
We start where most engineers start: what is mastering actually doing? Mike breaks down compression as a tool for fitting audio within the confines of the media, explains why clipping can be used intentionally for loudness rather than treated as pure failure, and talks through how his approach has shifted, earlier in his career he was probably doing more; now he lands somewhere in the middle.
We also get into the trust dynamic between mastering engineer and artist, why handing your music to someone with a really accurate listening environment matters even when you think your mix is done, and what album cohesion actually requires beyond just matching levels.
Selected moments
- Mike's Introduction 2:02 Mike shares how he started in music and his path to mastering.
- The Role of Compression 10:03 A detailed explanation of what compression does in audio.
- The Importance of Mastering 28:45 Mike discusses why mastering is crucial for music.
- Cohesion in Albums 31:10 The importance of a cohesive sound in album mastering.
- Understanding Clipping 43:10 Mike explains the concept of clipping and its role in mastering.
- Artist-Engineer Relationship 61:30 The dynamics of trust between the artist and mastering engineer.
Selected excerpts
My journey with music goes way back to when I was a kid, I started playing drums at like age 10.
I would just hear albums and records for 10 hours, hearing different versions of the same record...what makes a record finished or sound great or not so great.
Compression is a tool for taking audio and helping it to fit within the confines of the media.
When I started, I was probably doing more. Now I'm more landing somewhere in the middle.
It's important to hand your music off to someone to have it mastered because my listening environment is really, really accurate.
I think the why has always just been a feeling like being excited by sound, being able to express myself through sound.
FAQ
What is mastering in music?
Mastering is the final step in the music production process, where a mastering engineer polishes the complete mix to ensure it sounds its best across all playback systems.
How does compression work in mastering?
Compression reduces the dynamic range of audio, allowing for a louder overall sound by pulling down the high parts and bringing up the lower parts.
What is clipping in audio mastering?
Clipping occurs when an audio signal exceeds the maximum level, resulting in distortion; it can be used as a tool in mastering for achieving loudness.
Curated notes only — no public transcript. Listen on the links above.