What Exactly Is Mastering?
Mastering is composed of four major functions
- Quality control. A perfect playback on every system, every time, in every way. This is by far the most complex and time consuming part of mastering. It's also by far the most boring. Perfect playback, monitoring and acoustics play the largest role here. This is the major reason why you should pay a mastering engineer, why doing it yourself just won't always cut it, and why I'm not afraid of AI. You need a well trained ear, in a perfect room, dedicated to living inside your music for a few hours.
- Processing the audio. The fun stuff with all the gear - or in many cases, very little gear. Whatever gets us to where the song needs to be in the least number of steps, using the highest quality steps along the way.
- Deliverables. Ensuring perfect files. Sample rates, bit depths, metadata, gaps, etc. You shouldn't have to worry about a thing and your label / distributor / audience should never be confused.
- Bus Processing (not for every project) An Increasing number of clients need more than a normal master. They need "enhancement" or the final mojo on a track. This goes beyond the purview of a mastering engineer and into another, more subjective realm. I think this is becoming a very important part of mastering for indie artists, especially in dance music. I will talk to you about this if I believe your project needs the extra juice, or if you request it.
What Does Your Mastering Setup Look (And Sound) Like?
For the most comprehensive gear list, check out The Room page.
Do You Charge For Revisions?
I do not charge for revisions. Get what you paid for. I do charge for substitutions.
What About Mastering For Vinyl?
I have mastered hundreds of records for vinyl. It is one of the primary reasons clients return to me. They sound good and I know how to prep for a lathe. I do not cut the lacquer myself (housing a lathe in NYC is not easy!), but will work directly with your cutter to achieve the best results. There's not many lathes in the world. There's a very high chance I've worked with whoever may be cutting your record before, and know what they prefer.
Speaking Of Fees, What Are Your Rates?
I Want To Get a Song Mastered. How Do I Get Started?
You fill out a form HERE. It goes right to my inbox and I will reply to you within 24 hours. If I am fully booked, I will try to suggest other engineers.
After we discuss the project, I'll give you an expected timeline, deliver previews on a private and secure link, and provide multiple payment options upon completion.
After we discuss the project, I'll give you an expected timeline, deliver previews on a private and secure link, and provide multiple payment options upon completion.