MASTERING STUDIO & PODCAST SERVICES
100% HUMAN
BECAUSE YOUR ART DESERVES A HUMAN TOUCH
Listening is at the heart of the mastering process. Obviously part of the equation is listening to your music. The other aspect is that listening is what makes learning possible. The more I can learn about you, your goals, artistic vision, concerns, questions, etc, the better I will be able to help you.
listen
There are many common misconceptions about what mastering is and how it works. The more I can demystify the process, the better equipped you will be to make informed decisions from an artistic and technical standpoint. I also like to keep communication open and transparent, as it helps to build a solid working relationship
communicate
Music consumption and how music is experienced has vastly changed in the last two decades. At this point, it almost feels like we’re seeing a new streaming platform and digital distributor popping up daily. They’re all asking for different deliverables, and there’s a ton of conflicting information on the internet about best approaches. I am here to help you navigate this!
navigate
I’D LOVE TO HEAR WHAT YOU’RE WORKING ON
SEND ME A MESSAGE TO GET STARTED
HYBRID STUDIO
THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
ANALOG GEAR FROM TRIED AND TRUE MANUFACTURERS
TOP OF THE LINE PLUG-INS FOR MODERN WORKFLOW
TRANSPARENT CONVERSION + MONITORING
“IT’S NOT THE GEAR, IT’S THE EAR”
GEAR IS GREAT, BUT I NEVER LET IT GET IN THE WAY
I OPERATE FROM A GENERAL PHILOSOPHY: DO NO HARM ONLY CONTRIBUTE WHAT IS NECESSARY OR REQUESTED
THIS IS ABOUT YOUR ART AND VISION, NOT THE GEAR
MASTERING
FAQS
-
Short Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: Yes, but should we make it louder? Loudness, and more specifically perceived loudness is a surprisingly complex subject. Mastering legend Bob Katz is often quoted as saying “it’s not how loud you make it, but how you make it loud”. One fundamental misunderstanding about mastering is that it’s the stage at which loudness is maximized, which is half true. Perceived loudness really starts much earlier with composition, arrangement, recording and mixing all having a significant impact as to how loud things can be made at the mastering stage without compromising the sonic integrity. I am fully aware of the Loudness War and do not take a hard stance; sometimes a track calls for being crushed, while others are best served with dynamics intact. Either way, I am always happy to provide my professional opinion and the technical explanations/ramifications of the choices at hand, but will always defer to my clients sensibilities.
-
Format: Whatever your session was mixed at is best. For example, if 16-bit, 44.1khz, then that’s the best format. There is no benefit to upsampling (i.e. exporting a 44.1khz project as 96khz). WAV, AIFF, SDII (uncompressed file formats are best), but if all that is available is MP3 or AAC (compressed file format), I’ll do my best! Likewise, there is no benefit to converting a compressed file format to an uncompressed file format, and it will work best to let me know if you will be using a compressed file format, rather than try to convert it.
Level: Leaving a little bit of headroom is ideal: peak level between -6 dBFS to -3 dBFS is appreciated. If you’re using mixbus compression as an artistic choice, it’s ok to leave it on, and I also welcome you to send one version with it on, and one with it off. If you’re using any type of compression or limiting on the mixbus to prevent the track from clipping, it will be best to take that off and lower the output gain so that it’s not clipping. The more dynamic range available, the better.
-
Short Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: While I am always happy to do what is necessary to help my clients, I will only recommend stem mastering if I feel the track will truly benefit from it. Stem mastering is also a good option if you feel like you’re having a difficult time mixing the track, preventing it from getting to the mastering stage in the first place. Please watch my video above for more info!
-
Short Answer: No.
Long Answer: While it’s true that each streaming service asks for different loudness targets, they can largely be ignored. For example, Spotify asks for -14 LUFS while Apple Music asks for -16 LUFS. You do not need to submit one to Spotify and a separate one to Apple Music. You only need one digital master, and it can be at any LUFS measurement, and the streaming service will adjust accordingly. For example, if your master measures at -8 LUFS (which is a more realistic measurement), Spotify will turn it down (normalize) by 6 LUFS and Apple Music will do the same but by 8 LUFS. This process is sometimes referred to by some as a “loudness penalty”, but I feel this phrase is very misleading, as this is a standard practice that happens to all audio uploaded to most streaming services. Your master is only being turned down to their normalization standard and is not being compressed, limited, or going through any type of processing.
-
Short Answer: Yes.
Long Answer: Sonically, it’s not even close! But perhaps more importantly, I am providing a client experience. I am not against auto-mastering, as everyone is free to do what they’d like with their art. While I don’t doubt that some are capable of producing masters that initially sound loud and exciting (to hear what it’s actually doing, try gain matching the result. Louder almost always sounds better, at least initially), they don’t provide professional feedback, guidance, experience, wisdom, etc - and they don’t actually listen to your audio, which I think is one of the biggest pitfalls. Doesn’t your art deserve better and more than an algorithmic approach? I often think of the whole situation like instagram filters - they are capable of making your photo look interesting once you find the right one (and sometimes you can get lost in comparing them all). But if you wanted to print and frame that photo, unless you have experience in printing and framing, the process might take a great deal of effort and time, and the final result probably wont be as great as you had hoped. Now imagine trying to curate a photo series for a gallery under this process. You could potentially make it work, but why not hire a professional? You deserve better! : )
-
Short Answer: To get an accurate estimate, please use the contact form.
Long Answer: While it’s going to depend on the totality of the project, I understand that people like to have a rough idea up front so they can see if it’s within their budget. On average it comes out to be around $15-$20 per minute of stereo audio mastered, and $25-$30 for stem mastering.
-
Payment is required before work begins, but arrangements can be made under certain conditions. Payments can be made via Venmo or Paypal (add 5% of invoice to cover transaction paypal transaction fees).
-
Short Answer: Unlimited*
Long Answer: It’s common for mastering studios to offer 1-2 revisions at no extra cost, but in my experience that tends to make people want to throw all their ideas and notes on the track because they only have 1-2 shots to get it right. But in mastering, it’s often the case that very little is needed, as a little bit goes a long way. Unlimited* to me means that I am committed to delivering your master to your satisfaction, but it does not mean that the process can be endless or without me asking for things from you. Afterall, if we aren’t able to get the master to where it needs to be fairly quickly, it’s very likely that the mix needs to be revisited, or that we’ll need to consider a stem approach. Lastly, if a track is changed significantly (for example, a new instrument is tracked or deleted in the mix or the mix is reworked from the ground up), it will be charged as a new track. I will always be clear and upfront if something goes beyond what I consider to be a revision.
-
Sending: A file transfer service such as wetransfer or a cloud drive such a dropbox or google drive are easiest, but I am flexible. I’ve had clients send me physical devices such as USB thumb drives and CD’s.
Receiving: The master will be delivered electronically via file transfer. On the off chance that you need a physical copy, let me know and I will do my best to accommodate.
-
The typical turnaround time is 1-2 weeks, but of course there are many variables that can affect the pace. Sometimes it’s much shorter, and sometimes it may be a little longer based on workload. Booking a session at least two weeks before a deadline is ideal to leave room for unforeseen situations. If there’s a tight deadline, please contact me ASAP to check. If there’s room on the calendar I will do my best to turn things around and at no extra charge. If I am booked I can still possibly make the deadline work for an additional rush fee.