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CRITICAL LISTENING EVALUATION FORM

©2008 The Mastering House, Inc. All Rights Reserved

Music Category (circle one)                                                            Date:

Folk and Traditional,                                                                         Listener Name:

Pop, Rock, Punk and Hardcore,

Jazz, Blues, Latin, Reggea,                                                              Listening environment(s):                                          

R&B/Soul, Rap and Hip-Hop                                                                         

Classical, Country, Electronic                                                                 

Other: __________________

Rating: 5=excellent, 4=good, 3=average, 2=below average, 1=poor

1. Frequency Balance

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2

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4

5

Comments

1.1 Overall mix - colored/uncolored, balance between bass and treble

            

1.2 Instruments and vocals - clarity, masking, consistency across octaves, instrument quality

            

1.3 Sibilance/Plosives

            

2. Sound Stage Imaging

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2

3

4

5

Comments

2.1 Stage width – instrument panning, L/R balance

            

2.2 Stage depth – ambience, EQ of “further” instruments

            

2.2 Mono compatibility

            

2.4 Stability of stage and images

            

3. Dynamics and Distortion

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2

3

4

5

 Comments

3.1 Overall Volume - RMS/Peak

            

3.2 Transients – punchy, clarity of snare/kick

            

3.3 Instrument and vocal levels – Overall balance between tracks and consistency across mix, pumping, etc.

            

3.4 Distortion – clipping, phase distortion, unwanted vs. creative use

            

3.5 Listening fatigue

            

4. Use of Effects

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4

5

Comments

4.1 Appropriate for style of music?

            

4.2 Creativity – use of a new or unusual effect

            

4.3 Homogeneity – do the effects sound “natural” and part of the production, or do they stand out and draw attention away from more critical parts?

            

5. Performance and Production

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2

3

4

5

Comments

5.1 Instrument and vocal tuning

            

5.2 Timing/Tempo – tempo changes, playing together, etc.

            

5.3 Emotion – consistent with the intent of the song, e.g. aggressive, emotive, pensive, etc.

            

5.4 Texture and Density – use of additional instruments to create contrast

            

 

©2010 The Mastering House, Inc. All Rights Reserved.