I released my first CD about 2 years ago. I did all the recording with an AW16G or AW1600. Since I didn't pay for studio time, I decided to spend the bucks for a pro to master it. Frankly, outside of the increased volume, I could hardly tell any difference with the pre-mastered songs. I used some PC software, Sound Forge, to do my own mastering on a couple of the songs, and there wasn't that much difference between the pro mastered version and mine. The next time (if there is one), I'll just do it myself. Might not reach the pro level, but will be close enough for me (and easier on my wallet).
You might investigate some free or low cost audio programs and play around with their capabilities for mastering. Maybe even have one song mastered by a pro and then compare it to what you did.
BTW, what increases the average volume level is using compression and limiting on the final mix. If the audio mastering program can generate statistics for the song, then the RMS value represents the average volume. As you use more compression/limiting the RMS value gets higher. However, audio quality also suffers. It's all a trade off.
The benefit of mastering might also vary with the type of music.
Note: The AW16G has "mastering" capabilities when doing a stereo mixdown. However, I don't think many forum members use it. See "Mastering Library" on the mixdown screen.
Record on,
_________________ Ralph (aka The Head Hog) "What's Time to a Hog?" Hog Time Music Website - My Songs on Bandcamp -
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