From the course: Audio Mastering Techniques
Adjusting the spreads
When mastering for CD or a vinyl record, the time in between the songs is called the spread, and it can be used as a creative tool just as much as a sequence of the songs. The spreads determine the pace of the album. If the songs are close together, the pace feels fast, and if they're further apart, it feels slower. Sometimes the combination of the two feels about right. (music playing) Many times the spread is time to correspond with the tempo of the previous song. In other words, if the tempo of the first song was at 123 beats per minute, the mastering engineer times the very last beat of the first song to stay in tempo with the downbeat of the next. The number of beats in between depends upon the flow of the album. (music playing) Occasionally, a cross fade is used between songs, so there is no real spread, but that's still a decision usually left for mastering as well. (music playing) Many Disk Print utilities like Creator and Toast only have limited spread selections, usually in 0.5-second intervals. That should be enough for most situations, but if you need more precision, you'll need a dedicated PQ Editor as discussed in the previous movie.
Download courses and learn on the go
Watch courses on your mobile device without an internet connection. Download courses using your iOS or Android LinkedIn Learning app.