Musiklab - CD Mastering Page

Audio & CD Mastering by John Elleson-Hartley

What I Do

My job as a Mastering Engineer is to give your music that professional polished sound. Sometimes the change can be quite dramatic, other times it can be quite subtle.

Wondering whether it's worth having your tracks mastered? Then send a track to me by clicking here to take advantage of a free mastered sample. (Please check the FAQs below about what to send for best results).

Whether you're tracks are destined for digital release or CD, online streaming, video game… the essential mastering stage will enhance your music to compete in our highly competitive industry.

Are you a composer pitching for a job? I offer a discounted rate for these jobs (pay the full amount when you win the pitch) and a quick turnaround. Give your music the best chance by getting in contact with me here.

I also bring a fresh pair of ears to your project - as a musician myself, I know how easy it is to miss little things when you have been completely absorbed in a project. That's why I offer a free appraisal of your mixes just in case there is anything that could be fixed at the mixing stage, saving time and money, and working with you to produce great sounding music.

Each project is unique and I will choose techniques and processes to compliment your style of music. There is no demo standard today. A professional quality and sound is expected first time - and I work personally with my clients to help them achieve this.

Send Your Tracks To MUSIKLAB

Best way is online - ZIP up your tracks and send them to me via my YouSendIt dropbox.

If sending your music by post, data (CD-R/DVD-R) discs are preferred to audio as they have good error correction unlike audio CDs.

Are you on SoundCloud? You might already have your mixes in your account so send them to me with my SoundCloud dropbox here.

Alternatively, upload your tracks straight from your computer to my SoundCloud Dropbox:
http://soundcloud.com/musiklab/dropbox

Preparing your music for mastering

If you have a question not in the FAQs below I'll be glad to answer them: info@musiklab.co.uk

Shall I use a limiter or just clip it?

Don't use a limiter on the stereo buss or allow it to clip. If the signal is clipping, say by 3dB, bring the master fader down by about 8dB to provide headroom.

Do you want headroom?

Yes please! Leave some headroom when you bounce down your mix; around 3dB is good for 16bit, around 6dB for 24bit. The most important thing is that the signal doesn't clip.

What bit depth shall I use?

Work at a consistent bit depth and sample rate to maintain quality; i.e. if you are recording and mixing at 24 bit 44.1kHz take this right through to the mixes for mastering.

Can I use a compressor on the stereo buss?

Use stereo buss compression to benefit the mix, not just to make it louder. If in doubt supply compressed and uncompressed versions.

How can I test my mixes?

Listen to them on as many audio systems as you can before sending them to me. Do your tracks sound as you intended?

Should I compare my tracks to commercial releases?

Compare your mixes with commercial releases as a guide but keep in mind that yours probably won't be as loud!

Can you remove noises and clicks from my tracks?

Yes I can. These are best found and removed at the mix stage but if this isn't possible then I should be able to fix it. If there are only a few problems in a track I will usually fix them for no extra charge.

Should I do fade ins and outs?

Avoid fade ins, or outs, on your tracks - a better job can be done at the final stage.

Shall I leave some space?

Leave a second or two at the start and end of your tracks - this protects the first beat transient, and the end note/reverb tails, from being chopped off. It can also help if I need to make a noise profile to clean a track.

Can you de-ess the vocal?

Yes, but it is adviseable to de-ess vocals (if needed) during mixing as it is more difficult to focus on one particular part when mastering without affecting other parts.

What about alternative versions?

Mix one or two vocal up and down alternative mixes of your songs - changing the vocal part by +/- 0.5dB can make quite a difference - just in case it is needed. Takes only a few minutes during the mixing process and can be well worth it.

Music Mastered @ MUSIKLAB

Watch Eron Falbo's Beat The Drums video, produced by Laurie Grandi and mastered by me.

“Given the masters a thorough listen on many different systems… your wizardry has surpassed any expectation yet again. Its punchy but levelled and aggressive yet soft and smooth. brilliant.”

Laurie Housewife - The Housewives

“It was great to catch up yesterday on the phone and again I wanted to outline how good the songs for the album are. Great work!”

Scott MacFarlane - Davidson/MacFarlane

Mastering Rates

The following prices include:
• personal consultation
• mastering of your tracks
• online delivery of
24bit 44.1kHz masters
• high quality 320kbps MP3s
(or bitrate of your choice)

£40Audio Mastering (single track)

Perfect when you have a track and you want the best impact when sending out promos, putting online, offering single downloads, etc.

£903 Track Mastering Package

£1305 Track Mastering Package

QuoteAudio Mastering (Album / EP / CD Single)

This is for you if you are producing a commercial release for CD or online distribution as the tracks require a tonal consistency and level, fades, track spacing, etc. I will quote a fixed price once I have discussed the project with you and checked the tracks.

FreeMix Check

I offer a free mix check service to help spot possible problems that are best fixed at the mixing stage and therefore giving a better finished master.

£30Master CD Package

1 PQ encoded Red Book Master CD-R for duplication, 1 CD-R listening copy, DVD+R data backup copy of your project, and Special Delivery postage within the UK.

£20Data Backup (per year)

I guarantee to keep a copy of your project for 3 months after the completion date for FREE and offer this very cost effective archiving service so that you have an off-site backup of your precious work just in case the unthinkable happens.

THE MUSIKLAB SMALL PRINT

I always strive to satisfy my clients requirements and my project quote will remain fixed unless extra work is necessary due to circumstances beyond my control. For example, if new mixes are sent to me due to client error, altering the original project brief by wanting to add extra tracks, etc. then I will quote for the extra work, and agreed by you, before the project continues.

To ensure everything runs smoothly please check your tracks and relevant details before sending them to me. The fixed price is based upon receipt of good quality tracks that are ready to master and without major errors.

Full payment must be cleared before masters are released to you.

I guarantee that supplied masters or sound files will function properly without defect or will be replaced in a timely manner at no additional charge.

Other Services I Offer

• Editing
• Audio Restoration
• Transfers from DAT & Minidisc

Who Needs Dynamics?

Mastering is not about making the music 'loud', though it is possible! The hypercompressed loudness war that rages on can only be bad for music as it adds irreversible distortion to the music which becomes fatiguing for the listener.

It is a myth that, to be radio ready, you must have your music really loud (squashing to death all the dynamics you had during recording and mixing) as the radio stations multiband compressors/limiters are going to do that for you - consider, for example, how a superb dynamic track from several decades ago will sound just as loud on the radio as a modern track and probably sound better!

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