[A Navy Vet]

"I've been sent mixes to be mastered by clients where there was absolutely no headroom left to do anything resembling "mastering" - there was nothing left to work with. Sent them back saying either send me a dynamic, uncompressed, unlimited mix or I'll have to pass on it."

If they send you a dynamic, uncompressed, unlimited mix, what is there to remaster? Do they mean re-mix?

[Rocco DiPippo]

I like getting a mix with around 6db headroom and an RMS level between 10-12db. That gives me plenty of room to work with to achieve a good master. Mastering is just the final polish on a mix and the stage at which you adjust overall levels to whatever online platforms, CDs, TV - or whatever medium something will be played on, require. In that stage you also do minor EQ adjustments if required as well as perhaps mid/side adjustment, stereo widening/narrowing to focus certain elements in the mix and final compression and limiting.