Good feedback gets you a better master, faster. Bad feedback wastes everyone's time. The difference isn't about knowing technical terms. It's about being specific.
Be specific about what you hear
"It doesn't sound right" doesn't help me. "The kick feels buried compared to the reference" does. "It doesn't bang" doesn't help me. "The low end feels lighter than I expected" does.
You don't need to know the technical language. You don't need to say "there's a resonance at 3.2kHz." Just describe what you're hearing in plain language. "The vocal sounds harsh" is useful. "Something in the high mids feels aggressive" is useful. I can work with descriptions. I can't work with vague feelings.
Reference tracks are the best communication tool
If you can point to a track and say "I want my low end to feel like this" or "I want that kind of brightness in the top end," that tells me more than ten paragraphs of description. A reference track gives both of us a shared target.
Be specific about what you like in the reference. Don't just send a track and say "like this." Tell me what aspect of it you're pointing at. The kick weight? The overall brightness? The stereo width? The loudness? Different people hear different things in the same reference.
How to describe what you hear
Here are some common descriptions and what they usually mean. You don't have to use these exact words, but they give you a vocabulary:
| What you hear | How to describe it | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Bass feels weak | "Not enough weight" or "the low end feels thin" | Needs more energy below 100Hz |
| Track feels dull | "Missing sparkle" or "the top end is closed off" | High frequencies need a lift |
| Track feels harsh | "The high mids are aggressive" or "it's a bit painful loud" | 2-5kHz region needs taming |
| Kick is lost | "The kick doesn't cut through" or "the kick feels soft" | Kick needs more presence or space |
| Too loud / crushed | "It feels squashed" or "there's no breathing room" | Limiter is working too hard |
| Sounds flat | "No energy" or "it doesn't move" | Needs more dynamic contrast |
What revision rounds actually look like
Most tracks are done in one or two rounds. The first version lands, you listen, you might want a small adjustment. Maybe the kick up a touch, maybe a bit more brightness. I make the change, send it back. Done.
Occasionally it takes three rounds. That's usually when the direction wasn't clear at the start, which is fine. That's what revisions are for. We're dialling it in together.
What doesn't help is changing direction completely on revision three. If you approved the overall approach and then decide you want something completely different, that's essentially a new session. Be clear about what you want from the start, and use revision rounds for fine-tuning.
When to trust the engineer
If you've hired someone because you like their work, let them work. Send your reference, describe what you're after, and let the first version come back before you start worrying about details.
Some clients send pages of notes before I've even started. I appreciate the enthusiasm, but it often creates more confusion than clarity. Tell me the direction, send a reference, and let me do what you're paying me to do. If the first version misses the mark, that's what revisions are for.
Work with Sam
Ready to start a project? Sam works with clear communication and as many revisions as it takes to get it right.
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