Mastering is the last chance to correct any mistakes and make sure a record functions well when it gets out into the world. The biggest responsibility of a mastering engineer, whether we’re talking about a single or an album, is to create a unified sense of a whole. The mastering engineer may also enhance the sonic character of a record, creating a more open, deeper or fuller sound, whatever is decided that the record could benefit from and more importantly if it is required.

The mixing process can tighten up a vocal performance, make it sound more present, intimate or airy.
It can make a beat sound more or less aggressive, a piano feel more emotional, a whole track sound more indie or more pop. When thinking of a production timeline, mixing comes after recording and before mastering.

An analog electronic signal can vary according to many factors, it describes something that can be represented using a continuously variable characteristic. In contrast, something that is digital can only be represented in discrete or finite increments, meaning there is a limited set of values they can be, like 1’s an 0’s. It cannot be anything in between or outside that range.

The enjoyment of an artistic product, be it a sound recording, a photograph or film, isn’t only about precision and accuracy.
When it comes to audio, some aspects of the analog technology introduce artifacts and distortions that are perceived as pleasant and musical. More often, it’s about mood, character and subtle enhancements that make the end result more vivid and interesting than real life.