Getting a collection of songs together as a cohesive, easily translated unit is not easy, and takes a lot of time and a good pair of ears. Although I am not a veteran Mastering Engineer, I know the processes involved with mastering and tend to approach it as a collaborative process with the other engineers involved and the artist, making sure the overall production is clean and even, while retaining its dynamics as well as its original intended sound.

       One example of an album I've mastered is Daniel Verbeke's "Spring - Season of New Beginnings" - you can find sound samples here:

Daniel Verbeke - Spring

       You will notice that I don't go heavy handed on either the noise reduction or the dynamics processing. While it can be satisfying to have something that sounds clean and loud, many people achieve this by sacrificing other aspects, while making the mix sterile, anemic, and full of aural artifacts. Before and after examples can be provided if you are interested in the results of my process.