# On-line Mastering



## schatzus (Sep 23, 2010)

Does anyone have any tips on good, reputable on-line mastering companies? Any good experiences you would care to share? I'm looking for another set of ears who can deliver a quality product at a reasonable price.
Thanks in advance.


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## bryla (Sep 23, 2010)

Holger @ http://www.onlinemastering.dk/index-us.html is da man. His ears are golden and he's a very friendly and professional mastering engineer.


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## schatzus (Sep 23, 2010)

Excellent... I will get in touch with them. Thanks!


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## schatzus (Sep 25, 2010)

Anyone had experience with Abbey Road Online Mastering?
http://www.abbeyroadonlinemastering.com/


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## mikebarry (Sep 25, 2010)

You might want to contact Tim Starnes - he does well with the cinematic sound and samples.

http://www.timstarnes.com/


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## ceemusic (Sep 25, 2010)

http://massivemastering.com/

Feel free to email John & ask any questions specific to your needs.
Excellent services all the way around.


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## schatzus (Sep 25, 2010)

Great suggestions gentlemen! Will check them out.
Thanks for the replies.


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## Garlu (Sep 26, 2010)

Hi,

I had really good results with "Kadifornia Mastering" (http://www.kadifornia.com/)

This guy has worked with the top artists in Spain and he is able to work in any style, with really good equipment. His taste is just amazing and he is a wonderful person too, the type of person you wanna have on your team. Also, his prices are really reasonable. You won´t regret to work with him for sure!

If you wanna listen to one of his masterings, listen to "Christmas Medley" (track No. 9 in the demo section, on my website: http://www.vanessagarde.com (www.vanessagarde.com) )

Hope it helps.

Best,

Vanessa G.
"Garlu"


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## Guy Bacos (Sep 26, 2010)

I don't know if the original question has to do with live instruments or samples, cause some mastering pros who may be geniuses with live instrument will be clueless when comes to samples and you'll probably be disappointed with the result. A different world... 

Of course if anyone knows some, I'd like to know, I mean that is knowledgeable with samples.


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## Craig Sharmat (Sep 26, 2010)

I'll throw my 2 cents here

Oasis Mastering in Burbank. they do lots of orchestral, Jazz and Lady Gaga among many of the top recording artists, they are great!

http://www.oasismastering.com/


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## germancomponist (Sep 26, 2010)

There are some important things what cannot said often enough: o=< 

Never ever use an equalizer, reverb and compressor or other dynamic tools in your master track when your piece will be mastered later from someone else. Use only a limiter for the peaks.

Be sure that you have removed all frequencies, what are not needed in *any *audio-track! This is very important! If you like more bass in the mix, for example, then go to the subgroups where the bassdrum, bass e.t.c. are summed, or go to the single tracks, but adjust it never in the mastertrack.

All mastering engineers are cooking with water and they all are not able to repair a mix where some big mistakes were done. o/~

A good, reputable *on-line mastering* company, what is this for a company? Do not all companies have internet and so are online? :mrgreen: (o)


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## bryla (Sep 27, 2010)

I don't know any ME that would like you to haven a limiter on the master output!


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## germancomponist (Sep 27, 2010)

bryla @ Mon Sep 27 said:


> I don't know any ME that would like you to haven a limiter on the master output!



I know many, and I work in this genre for more than 20 years. As I said, not to compress or make sound with it, nor to make your masters loud, but just using it as a peaklimiter to be sure to not have any clipping.


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## bryla (Sep 27, 2010)

why not lower your output fader? Then you preserve all your dynamics....

OR limit/compress the instruments/groups that have the peak problem.


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## germancomponist (Sep 27, 2010)

bryla @ Mon Sep 27 said:


> why not lower your output fader? Then you preserve all your dynamics....



This is always almost the best I would say. 
In Cubase, for example, there is a little volume gain knob, placed over the master volume knob, to adjust your level. 

There are some great articles on Bob Katz`s website: http://www.digido.com/delivery-ftp.html


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## tslesicki (Sep 27, 2010)

I think it would be best to contact the ME or read his FAQ (sometimes they have one) to know their requirements. Every mastering engineer I've contacted told me _not to_ limit or compress the master output though, but I believe that every engineer may have his own style of working.

Tom


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## bryla (Sep 27, 2010)

so you contradict me by saying what I'm saying?

btw: what genre are you talking about?


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## germancomponist (Sep 27, 2010)

bryla @ Mon Sep 27 said:


> so you contradict me by saying what I'm saying?


 Hm,? I am saying what you are saying, that it is the best to reduce the master track level. If you are on 24bit or more, a maximum level of -10 dB is very ok.



> btw: what genre are you talking about?



Oopsss, sorry for my bad english, I used the wrong word.  
I mean, I did many masters for Audio CD`s and radio productions. I think there was pretty much every kind of music. o/~


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## schatzus (Sep 27, 2010)

Thanks for all the replies and ideas. I wasn't aware that a good engineer would have trouble with samples vs. "real". Should genre matter either? Mastering music is mastering music. Right?
I completely understand that you should lower your output to give the engineer as much headroom as possible. Also, no compression or limiting on the final bus.


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## ceemusic (Sep 27, 2010)

schatzus @ Mon Sep 27 said:


> Thanks for all the replies and ideas. I wasn't aware that a good engineer would have trouble with samples vs. "real". Should genre matter either? Mastering music is mastering music. Right?


Samples, real or live shouldn't make any difference unless the engineer doesn't have the experience or knowledge. But that's mixing, an ME may enhance the genre or style in the mastering but If the mix isn't there to begin with then it's a bit after the fact.


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## germancomponist (Sep 27, 2010)

ceemusic @ Mon Sep 27 said:


> Samples, real or live shouldn't make any difference unless the engineer doesn't have the experience or knowledge. But that's mixing, an ME may enhance the genre or style in the mastering but If the mix isn't there to begin with then it's a bit after the fact.



The problem is that many (midi) composers do not have the knowledge what the engineers have who record real orchestras. And this is the reason why the different between these two worlds is audible very often in the pre-master tracks..... . 
I am not talking about the sound-different itself between real orchestras and samples, oh no, don`t get me wrong. I am talking about mixing errors here and there. That is no reproach! The knowledge about audio recording, mixing e.t.c. is a broad field as complex as it is the harmony and the composing and arranging. o/~ o-[][]-o


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## tmhuud (Sep 27, 2010)

GIve m y buddy John Rodd a shout.

www.johnrodd.com

He's usually swamped but you can try. He's a guy whose mixed more big budget shows and live orchestras then anyone I know and he's great with midi mock-ups. All around good guy who has an ear for listening to you AND your music.

Cheers,


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## John Rodd (Oct 18, 2010)

tmhuud @ Mon Sep 27 said:


> GIve m y buddy John Rodd a shout.
> 
> www.johnrodd.com
> 
> ...



Terry - thanks for the shout out! :D 

I just stumbled upon this thread.... I thought I'd chime in.....

One of my current mastering clients did use one of the companies listed above (I won't say which one) before they started to use me.

He told me that what he thought he was getting was high end mastering at the place he used before me.

What he got in reality (he discovered) was merely an inexperienced person, in a tiny room (basically a closet with no acoustic treatment) using only one piece of digital hardware …. and all they were doing was making the music louder. That was it. No corrective EQ, no boosts with analog EQs, no tubes, no transformers…. no polish…. just - - - louder.

(but with a high end price tag.......)

He was very disappointed, to say the least,

No matter who you have do your mastering - be sure to check out what they will actually do to your music.

:!:


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## bryla (Oct 19, 2010)

Hey Curt -

I'm glad you chose Holger! Hope you like the results. His ears are solid gold


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## germancomponist (Oct 19, 2010)

bryla @ Wed Oct 20 said:


> Hey Curt -
> 
> His ears are solid gold



And whose ears are solid platinum? :roll: :mrgreen:


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## Hannes_F (Oct 19, 2010)

Wait, it was not the ears.


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## John Rodd (Nov 25, 2010)

When I'm mastering audio from a mix that a client is providing.... I always strongly prefer to get an audio file that still has headroom in it...... so it has NOT been peak limited.

John


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## germancomponist (Nov 26, 2010)

John Rodd @ Fri Nov 26 said:


> When I'm mastering audio from a mix that a client is providing.... I always strongly prefer to get an audio file that still has headroom in it...... so it has NOT been peak limited.
> 
> John



+1

When I talked about peak limiting in a master track 


> ...Use only a limiter for the peaks.


I did not mean a limiter as a loudness maximizer or something like this. I mean only to cut audio at 0,00 dB or 0,3 dB. o-[][]-o


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## Guy Bacos (Nov 26, 2010)

I also think the word "never" is a no, no, in music.


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## John Rodd (Nov 26, 2010)

germancomponist @ Fri Nov 26 said:


> John Rodd @ Fri Nov 26 said:
> 
> 
> > When I'm mastering audio from a mix that a client is providing.... I always strongly prefer to get an audio file that still has headroom in it...... so it has NOT been peak limited.
> ...



*"cut audio at 0,00 dB or 0,3 dB."*

That is peak limiting. That leaves no headroom. That is not ideal to send to a mastering engineer. You lose quality this way....


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## Tanuj Tiku (Nov 26, 2010)

Vanessa,

You have some beautiful music on your web site! I am glad I visited it. 

Sorry for going off-topic! I just wanted to say this.


Best,

Tanuj.


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## germancomponist (Nov 26, 2010)

Guy Bacos @ Fri Nov 26 said:


> I also think the word "never" is a no, no, in music.



You are right, Guy. I would better say "*Think twice* before you use an eq or compressor in your master channel when someone else will master your tracks".



> That is peak limiting. That leaves no headroom. That is not ideal to send to a mastering engineer. You lose quality this way....



So I was wrong always using a limiter in my master channel to have no clippings, John. 
Hm, so if I understand you right, better to use no limiter at all but mix at arround -6dB or less?


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## John Rodd (Nov 26, 2010)

germancomponist @ Fri Nov 26 said:


> > That is peak limiting. That leaves no headroom. That is not ideal to send to a mastering engineer. You lose quality this way....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



When mixing in a DAW - if you have clipping anywhere, your gain structure is wrong. 

and.....

The ideal level of mix to deliver to a mastering engineer has the peak between -12 and -3 from digital zero (the top)

This way the mastering engineer can (hopefully) run the mix thru various analog processors without having to turn the level down first.

Plus...... a good mastering engineer would likely own a peak limiter that sounds better than yours....... for example I often use the "Brick Wall 2 Limiter" on my hardware Mastering 6000 by TC Electronic. It sounds amazing, and is very flexible. It was expensive to buy though!

:wink: 

I hope this helps...

John


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