Reddit mentions of Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science

There's actually a lot more to mastering for vinyl than just making sure the bass frequencies are centered. There's a completely different EQ curve that needs to be applied to the master - see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA_equalization

In short, you'll want a mastering engineer to do it for you unless you really know what you're doing.

EDIT: If anyone's interested in learning more about the mastering process, I highly recommend "Mastering Audio: The Art and Science" by Bob Katz: http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-Art-Science-Book/dp/0240805453

This book by Bob Katz is a great reference. Honestly, I learned my process from sitting with a pro (Michael Romanowski, protege of Paul Stubblebine).

Doing the technical shit to prep a CD for duplication isn't amazingly difficult, really the key is to keep your limiter output at -.3 dB, and make sure your tracks don't get more than -3db of gain reduction through the transients and loudest parts of your track.

The art of mastering itself takes a light touch, great ears, and an excellent frequency recognition, which comes in time and with practice. A visual frequency analyzer can help, but I said recently, shouldn't be a crutch, never mix/EQ with your eyes, only your ears.

Check that book out though, its a great read, Katz can write a really informative book.

Mastering Audio by Bob Katz is a good one to have

Mastering Audio: The Art and the Science and Modern Recording Techniques are also good.

Short question, with a very long answer....
Yes, mastering tracks can give you that "luster", and can definitely make your tracks louder. The first thing to understand is that signal level by no means is the only factor that contributes to loudness.

Loudness is relative - if everything is loud, then nothing is. Leaving dynamics in your track can make it sound louder than just compressing the hell out of it.

The frequency response of the human ear is level dependent. You need to check your mix at listening levels appropriate to where you mix will be heard (I've worked with one (well known) mastering engineer who works at levels I found way too high for comfort).

You'll need to learn exactly what the parameters on a compressor do. Do you really know what the attack and release times do? Not just what it says in a textbook - what their effects sound like. Set aside periods of "ear training" time. Put a compressor on your track, set up a fairly strong compression. Pick a parameter, and slowly change it. Listen to the effect it has. Write a couple of notes describing the effect (not because you'll be reading it back - writing it down will help you make a definite decision on what you're hearing, and helps you remember it).

Once you've developed your ear, try comparing different compressors (don't remember if Logic Express 8 gives you circuit type with the compressor, but if it does, start with this). A/B their effect.
(If you can't tell the difference, don't start investing in third party plugins! - Not that expensive plugins don't have their advantages, but you can spend a fortune on all the Waves, McDSP and Isotope plugins you want - if you don't have the ear, you'll just have an expensive crappily mastered track).

Then it's time to look at the tricks:
Could you set up a multi-stage compression? (where the compression ratio changes with signal level)
Do you know why to parallel compress? (where you have a compressed and an uncompressed copy of the signal (which often sum to then feed another compression stage)
Multiband compression is very common when mastering. (This is where you have a separate compression stage for each frequency range - e.g. if you use a broadband compression, and you have loads of bass dynamics, this will cause the other frequencies to pump up and down, giving a "breathing" effect (then again, this is a desired effect in some electronic tracks). Multiband compression is designed to avoid this.)

Whole books can (and have) been written on this. I'd recommend investing in http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Audio-Science-Bob-Katz/dp/0240805453 - (I'd recommend this book to any engineer, regardless of experience). This will be a much better investment than a plugin at this stage.

I'll have a word with the lecturer that runs the summer Mixing and Mastering course, get him to add a few words, but that should be enough to get you started.

I used the same book at MCC, it's great. My instructors also recommended Bob Katz's Mastering Audio

Don't bother to go to audio engineering school. If you want to get a job as an engineer, then start by getting a resume together and applying for internships at studios. You are no more likely to get an internship with a degree or without one.

The other thing I would advise you to do is to read everything, and get your own gear no matter how modest and start recording. Here is a book list for ya:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Mixerman

Read all three of those books. They are all very educational, and the daily adventures is one of the funniest books I've ever read

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=behind+the+Glass&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3Abehind+the+Glass

Read Behind the glass vol. 1 and 2. both very educational. Interviews with all of the people you should be looking up to.

http://www.amazon.com/Mastering-Audio-The-Art-Science/dp/0240805453/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1404518870&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Art+of+mastering+audio

Bob Katz has mastered a ton of songs you've probably heard.

http://www.amazon.com/Recording-Engineers-Handbook-Third-ebook/dp/B00FN57064/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404518912&sr=8-1&keywords=Recording+Engineers+handbook

Covers much of the technical details of recording, including MIDI, analog signal flow, digital recording tech...etc...



The next thing I'll tell you is that EE degrees, at least here in the states, don't really focus on building things anymore. It's a lot of theory and planning, drafting, and paying other people to actually build something. I don't know any of my EE friends that actually can pick up a solidering iron and do something with it.

the last thing I'll tell you is that unlike what everyone else here is saying, you don't have to be a musican to be an engineer. It certainly is one approach, one that has some advantages and disadvantages. But I know plenty of great engineers I've worked with who are not musicians.