Category: music mixing

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Deluxe Release Packages:Tailored for Your Tone

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If you’re releasing on Vinyl and Digital OR Digital-Only, we’ve got you covered.

Get the ultimate record release gravitas on all formats with MORE than just mastering, at an incredible price!

For the best professional-sounding results, masters need to be finished differently for Vinyl, Streaming and Download+CD, as these formats all have different technical requirements.

Using the same masters for every format leads to compromises between streaming or download, and worse – problems with a vinyl cut (even getting rejected by the plant!).

These extra mastering costs can mount up, so we have created these great-value packages saving 25% so you don’t have to compromise on your release.

Choose the package that fits your groove: Vinyl & Digital or Digital-Only, and get perfect sound across every format.

“In my 25 years within the Music Industry as an A&R man, producer, songwriter, record company owner, lecturer and consultant I’ve had the opportunity of working with some excellent Mastering Engineers. Lawrence I can safely say is one of the best. His understanding of mastering coupled with his easy going approach, flexibility and quality of work at a decent price make him an absolute treasure to work with in his particular field. I can’t recommend him enough.” – Richard Rogers – Ex Head of A&R for Warner-Chappell

“Loz, it turns out you were the best to my ears, including people in multi-million dollar mastering facilities.”  – Augustine Leudar

“When we were preparing our first album, two of the biggest pressing plants recommended Loz to sort out our digital and vinyl masters. We were so impressed with his work that we asked him to mix and master our second album. Communicating our ideas for each song was so easy and enjoyable, and we are delighted with the results. Loz’s calm, zen-like approach, combined with his expertise and knowledge, makes him a pleasure to work with. Highly recommended!” – Olly, Bobsled Team

“I had my band’s tracks mixed and mastered by Loz after trying over 15 studios for mixing and mastering, but no one could get the sound I was looking for on my songs like Loz! The end result was amazing and the sound came out exactly how I wanted it. The attention to detail was great and I’m really happy. I highly recommend this studio to anyone looking for top quality mixing and mastering.” – Bill Sam, Nightsteel

Since 2006, we’ve been making records rise above the noise, full-time.

Your dream release? It starts here.

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Pick Your Package:

1: Vinyl AND Digital release


Lush analogue masters. Individually optimized for the best vinyl cut, streaming, CD, cassette, and download – ultimate sonic gravitas for your release.

Plus get everything sounding amazing before the final mastering stage including:

  • Mix Evaluations: Refine your mixes at home with detailed advice before we master them
  • OR Mixing + Mastering: We handle everything for pro-level polish and an easy life for you!

2: Digital-only release


Lush analogue masters crafted for streaming, download, CD (and cassette too!) – zero compromise.

Plus get everything sounding amazing before the final mastering stage including:

  • Mix Evaluations: Tweak your mixes at home with detailed advice before we master them
  • OR Mixing + Mastering: Full-service sound from the ground-up for best results, and an easy life for you!

    Does that sound like the record you’ve been dreaming of? Achieve it AND save 25%

    Your Music – Sounding Incredible, Lasting Forever

    Fat As Funk has been the “in house” mastering engineer for 3 of the biggest UK pressing plants for many years and have shaped the sound of vinyl releases for thousands of artists, from household names to independents.

    “We’ve been working with Fat As Funk for over 10 years and Loz is my go-to guy for pre-vinyl mastering. His expertise is always on point, and he knows how to get any masters sounding great on vinyl. It’s always a smooth ride with clear communication and quick turnaround.” – Graham Worsfold, Key Production (a top pressing plant)

    “We have used Loz and Fat As Funk mastering as our ‘In House’ mastering engineer for some years now and we have absolutely no intention of changing that any time soon. Loz’s versatility and attention to detail when mastering across all genres and for all physical media and digital media outputs is second to none in the business. Fat As Funk is a genuine 5 star service.” – Adam M – Director: Cram Duplication & Vinyl (a top pressing plant)

    “We have been using Loz/Fat as Funk Mastering through Breed Media for years and always receive a friendly, timely and quality service/results from him for vinyl mastering, as well as level checking and DDP conversions for CD work. We have trusted him with projects ranging from household name artists to customers putting out their first release and would gladly recommend his services whenever we can.” – Ben Ward, Breed Media (a top pressing plant)

    “Always a pleasure to work with Loz. Turns jobs around quickly for me when time is of the essence! And what he does is always amazing – Top job!” – Liz Brown, Key Production (a top pressing plant)

    The Package Details

    1: Vinyl + Digital Release:

    Option 1A: Analogue mastering for vinyl + digital release, with pre-mastering mix optimisation advice

    • Detailed Mix Evaluation on every track to refine your mix at home pre-mastering. Better mix in = better master out!
    • High-res masters optimised for digital use (& Cassette too!)
    • Pre-vinyl optimised masters for an unmatched quality vinyl cut
    • Streaming-optimized masters to stand out in the crowd
    • 16 bit / 44.1 masters for CD (and some digital distributors)
    • Best-quality MP3s made from our 32 bit highest-quality files with metadata text included

    £68 per track (usually £91), 4 tracks minimum. Save ~25%

    Option 1B: Analogue mixing + mastering for vinyl & digital Release

    • Pro mixing and mastering of up to 10 instrument stems per song (more stems are OK with a surcharge of £7 per stem)
    • High-res wav masters optimised for digital use (& Cassette too!)
    • Pre-vinyl optimised masters for an unmatched quality vinyl cut
    • Streaming-optimized masters to stand out in the crowd
    • 16 bit / 44.1 masters for CD (and some digital distributors)
    • Best-quality MP3s made from our 32 bit highest-quality files with metadata text included

    £136 per track (usually £181). 4 tracks minimum. Save ~25%

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    best album mastering deal image logo

    Deluxe Vinyl + Digital Release Packages

    Price range: £272.00 through £1,904.00

    2: Digital-Only Release:

    Option 2A: Analogue mastering for digital release, with pre-mastering mix optimisation advice

    • Detailed Mix Evaluation on every track to refine your mix at home pre-mastering. Better mix in = better master out!
    • High-res masters optimised for digital use (& Cassette too!)
    • Streaming-optimized masters to stand out in the crowd
    • 16 bit / 44.1 masters for CD (and some digital distributors)
    • Best-quality MP3s made from our 32 bit highest-quality files with metadata text included

    £53 per track (usually £71), 4 tracks minimum. Save ~25%

    Option 2B: Analogue mixing + mastering for digital Release

    • Pro mixing and mastering of up to 10 instrument stems per song
    • High-res wav masters optimised for digital use (& Cassette too!)
    • Streaming-optimized masters to stand out in the crowd
    • 16 bit / 44.1 masters for CD (and some digital distributors)
    • Best-quality MP3s made from our 32 bit highest-quality files with metadata text included

    £121 per track (Usually £161), 4 tracks minimum. Save ~25%

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    best online mastering packages logo

    Deluxe Digital Release Packages

    Price range: £212.00 through £1,936.00

    Due to the extra workload, we can only do a few of these packages per month. Book now to secure your deluxe release package.

    The Release You Always Hoped For, Delivered

    “Loz! WOW. They sound beautiful. Kind of crying. Been 2.5 years to get here. Can’t believe it. That you got such round bottom-end with such depth to the mix as well, no loudness madness, is really impressive and everything I’d hoped for.” – Jung Jungle

    “Fat As Funk has changed average recorded music into tracks suitable for national exposure on radio stations for me.” – Rob Saunders, Deuce Management

    Nothing Quite Like Vinyl

    Vinyl isn’t just a format—it’s a legacy. Your tracks deserve that warm, rich depth. Plus digital masters that cut through on Spotify and beyond. I’ve got the gear, the experience, and the pressing plant connections to make it happen effortlessly. There’s nothing like the feeling of unwrapping your first vinyl record! This is your shot to create something that stands the test of time and sounds as good as the best. Something to be truly proud of.

    (From a client with his own vinyl cutting lathe) “I did a test cut of your demo master alongside a demo master from another mastering engineer and I can confirm your master was really good, translated to vinyl well and was far better than the other engineer. I liked the way that you didn’t slam the mix too hard and the integrity of my mixdown was still there but you just made it come alive more and made it sound nice & punchy and also louder without destroying the dynamics.”  – Ben, I & I Musik

    Getting Physical?

    CD and Cassette releases are gaining popularity again, and our masters for digital use will sound perfect on these formats too. We can also give you a master Cassette for you to duplicate from for an additional fee.

    “We’re delighted with those masters you sent us. They really are perfect and everyone on our end is happy.” – A Futurist Theatre

    Your dream sound, elite and affordable

    “These masters are phenomenal ! I still can’t get over how you can take a stereo stem and make it groove and move more with mastering… You’ve brought out details that I haven’t heard before and I’ve been obsessing over these mixes for two years. The vox sound front and centre without compromising the music. We love them and we’re delighted with the overall service – brilliant communication and a speedy turnaround without impacting the quality. All magic. We haven’t even considered trusting our music to another mastering engineer – that won’t change ! Thank you again.” – Strange Crazy

    Reserve your package now!

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    Sync Licensing Music Help – New Services!

    how to get into sync licensing remix your music

    Boost Your Sync Licensing Potential with Our Expert Services

    TL;DR

    • “Sync licensing” = Lucrative opportunity to get your music in TV, films, games, ads, and more
    • High earning potential: £300 to £30,000+ per placement, even for unknown artists
    • Our new services help maximize your chances of landing sync deals

    1. Sync Evaluation Service

    • Professional mix notes plus sync-specific advice for your song
    • Identify and avoid red flags in your tracks
    • Optimize arrangement and sound selection for sync use

    2. Sync Editing Remix Service

    • Three options to suit your needs:
      a) Custom remix using stems: Tailored for sync, with strategic edits and arrangement
      b) Basic remix from stereo file: Effective edits to enhance sync potential
      c) Movie Trailer Remix: Completely transform your track to suit high-end trailers and promos, one of the most lucrative parts of the industry
    • Our services provided by an industry veteran with 10+ years of successful sync experience
    • Proven track record: Placements in major films, TV shows, and trailers

    Don’t miss out on sync opportunities – let our expertise guide your music to success! Read more below.

    In Detail

    What is Sync Licensing? Getting your music used on TV, films, video games, adverts, movie trailers and sonic branding – and getting paid for it! Sounds great, but is sync licensing worth it? Yes! It is one of the few remaining ways to earn good money from your music, and best of all you don’t need to have a huge social media following, chart hits, or millions of streams.

    How much does sync licensing pay? A wide range of fees. Decent syncs pay anywhere from £300 to £30,000+ for a relatively unknown artist depending on many factors – show budget, duration of use for the song, if it’s a background or feature use, title sequence or end credits use, length of time a campaign will be running, types of media it will be played on, territories…. so there is no magic number and every sync is different. Obviously £30,000+ is much rarer, but it can happen even for unknown artists with the right connections (we can also help with these connections, & have helped land numerous sync deals for our clients over the years). Often 1 sync license will pay as much as millions of Spotify streams, usually with ongoing back-end performance royalties too. This is why sync licensing is seen as the holy grail for musicians. All genres are used for sync licensing projects.

    Sync Licensing 101 includes having a professional sounding mix and master. We’ve been helping with that for 18 years now. But there’s a lot more you can do to maximise the chances your song will be picked for a sync by a music supervisor – the person who chooses songs for the film, TV or advertising project).

    What are sync licensing companies looking for? Other sync licensing requirements include good metadata organisation, no unlicensed samples, having accurate writer details, including Performing Rights Organisation (PRO) details for each writer (common PRO include PRS/ASCAP/SACEM etc. and differ for each country).

    Probably the most important detail in sync licensing music is how sync-able is the song itself? There are certain considerations to consider for the arrangement and sound selection that music supervisors and editors look for all the time (and will reject a song if it doesn’t meet these specific needs). There are also some common timings that are key to make a song versatile for media. If you get these subtle aspects right, it will greatly improve your chances of landing a sync. It takes a lot of study to really drill down the subtleties of how to fine-tune your song to suit editors and music supervisors.

    Breaking in to one of the most competitive areas of one of the most competitive industries can be daunting – how else can you increase your chances to be successful in sync licensing?

    Here’s where our new services come in.

    Two New Sync Services

    Loz, our chief engineer has been active in the sync world for over 10 years. First going to Los Angeles in 2012 to hustle up some business, then making 5 more successful trips, plus regular networking sessions in London. Loz ran a 3rd party sync agency (Rinse The Sync) for a few years landing his artists over 40 placements, and is a composer for legendary LA based trailer music agency Pusher Music. He has been directly involved in placements for Star Wars: Rogue One (trailer), Underworld: Blood Wars (trailer + end credits track), Alien: Covenant (trailer), Antlers (trailer), Star Wars: The Book Of Boba Fett (trailer), and various placements with NBCUniversal, BBC, Canal+, Coca-Cola/Sprite and more. After deciding that running a music library would be more suited to his business goals, he set up Alternative Reality Music library, which is represented by an L.A. based sub-publisher, and has direct deals with 23 countries. He continues to compose for his own and other music libraries and agencies.

    Sync Evaluation Service

    We have expanded our ever-popular Mix Evaluation Service to include a Sync Evaluation Service.

    We will carefully evaluate your track in our mastering suite, and give highly specific mix notes including detailed instrument EQ adjustments and level adjustments (as in our classic Mix Evaluation). On top of this essential info we will give specific advice tailored to your track to make it as sync-able as possible.

    Avoid any red-flags in your song, optimise the arrangement, get advice on any sounds that clash with the subtle requirements of sync, and receive suggestions to create alternative versions relevant to your track and goals.

    ACTUAL MIX EVALUATION EXAMPLE POINTS TAKEN FROM PREVIOUS JOBS:

    • “I think the piano is slightly too overpowering. Just drop it down by -2dB & that should balance it nicely with the vocal & strings”
    • There’s some low-end resonance on the low synth bass/elec piano sound that’s making things a bit muddy. Try an EQ cut of -3dB @ 162Hz, Q of 0.67. This sound could also come down a further -0.5dB afterwards.
    • “I think the hi-hats coming in at 1 min are a little sharp & overpowering due to the sharp Q on a filter. Reduce the Q level to mellow it out while keeping the intention. Adding a second EQ afterwards in the chain will smooth it & keep the overall filtered effect. Try an EQ cut of -5dB at 8.8kHz, Q of 1 should ease back the volume & tone nicely. The high end can all be brought up together during mastering, which will restore a little brightness to the hats here but keep them balanced with the rest of that section. Only apply this EQ to the filtered hi-hat section 1:00-1:21, as the rest is fine”
    • “Love the intro. I wonder if the Ebow guitar & the harp conflict ever so slightly around the same frequencies. I suggest you approach this with EQ – Put an EQ cut of around -2.5 or -3 dB @ 500 Hz on the Ebow Guitar, Q of 1, thus letting the harp come through clearer.”
    • “The fast roll snare sample is a bit muffled. I suspect this is an artistic choice, so that’s cool. But maybe try it a little brighter & it would sound more natural. If it has a little snappy energy restored around the 2kHz mark that should cut through nicely.”
    • “The short cello solo line (1:18, 1:40 etc.) doesn’t sound integrated fully, kind of sits on top a little muddy. Could it be brighter & quieter? Try a dual EQ approach. Cut of -2.6dB @ 363Hz, Q of 0.7. Then do an EQ boost of +1dB @ 1911Hz, Q of 0.7. This should go a long way to making it sound more natural with the track. Also is it a little dry? What would it sound like with maybe 5% less dry balance on the reverb?”

    Sync Editing Remix Service

    If you want an expert approach to optimising your tracks for sync use, Loz can remix your tracks into various edits that are precisely tailored to hit the most commonly needed requirements of music supervisors and editors.

    We offer 3 flavours of sync remix:

    • Sync remix using stems (£250) Loz will create a custom remix tailored specifically for sync use, crafting an arrangement that is versatile for editors, including (where appropriate for the genre) artfully placed stop-downs, filtering, fades and edits to craft a narrative arc to your song and deliver different edits that will increase your opportunities to land that elusive sync deal. Uses up to 6 supplied stems. Includes final Mastering.
    • Sync remix from stereo file (£140) A more basic set of edits, but still highly effective. Includes stop-downs, filtering, arrangement adjustment and building a narrative arc to suit sync use. Bear in mind we’ve been editing audio professionally for 18 years, so we can do a lot with just a stereo file! Includes final Mastering.
    • Movie Trailer Remix (£1500) A very specialist service that requires a distinct set of skills. Loz has honed these skills for years, and learned directly from the best in the business. He has personally landed his own music in the trailers for Star Wars: The Book Of Boba Fett, Alien: Covenant & Antlers, and crafted trailerized remixes of several Ludakris tracks for season 1 & 2 of the Netflix series Karma’s World, and numerous trailerized remixes of classic original songs for Universal Music. This service is done from stems only, and will open the door for you to the most lucrative market in the sync world. Trailers land the biggest fees due to coming from the marketing budge – not the production budget where music is usually a financial afterthought. Whatever your genre of music we can transform it into an epic production ready for high-end trailers and promos, including final Mastering. The service may seem expensive, but with trailer budgets around $20,000 – $50,000 even for unknown artists, this is a door that is worth opening if you are serious about making a living from music.

    Screenshot From A Sync Remix Job

    Showing precise arrangement optimisation, filtering, FX, fades, stop-downs etc. in a Sync Remix from Stems. Perfectly tailored for editors. Each remix is crafted bespoke to suit the best sync-fit for your song and goals.

    Lanyards from various Sync Conferences and events Loz has attended in LA & London.
    LA Sync mission outside Capitol Records, Los Angeles
    Loz networking at the centre of the sync industry, Los Angeles Capitol Records, 2015

    Try Our New Sync Services Today!

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    How to Use Mid-Side Processing to Enhance Your Mixes

    mid side processing header for mastering and mixing

    One of the most powerful and versatile tools in your mixing arsenal is mid-side processing. Mid-side processing allows you to separate the stereo signal of your mix into two components: the mid and the side. The mid component contains the audio that is common to both the left and right channels (Centre Mono), while the side component contains the audio that is different between the left and right channels (the Left and Right).

    By processing the mid and side components independently, you can shape the stereo image of your mix in radically different ways, creating more depth, width, and clarity. You can also fix frequency imbalances, remove unwanted resonances, and create more contrast and separation between the elements in your mix. Alternatively you can use it in more subtle ways for mastering to enhance or fix a mix.

    In this blog post, we’ll show you what mid-side EQ processing is, how it works, when to use mid side processing, and how you can use it to improve your mixes. We’ll also show you how to use hardware outboard gear to achieve it.

    What is Mid-Side Processing?

    Mid-side processing is a technique that allows you to separate a stereo signal into two components: mid and side. The mid contains audio common to both channels (mono), while the side contains the differences between the left and right channels.

    By splitting the stereo signal into mid and side components, you can apply different EQ, compression or effects settings to each component, and then blend them back together to create a new stereo signal.

    Mid-side EQ processing gives you more control over the stereo image of your mix, as you can adjust the frequency balance of the center and the sides of your mix separately. You can shape the stereo image, creating more depth, width, and clarity in a mix. You can fix frequency imbalances, remove resonances, and make elements stand out in the stereo field. Used subtly, mid-side EQ can also enhance a mix for mastering.

    How to Use Mid-Side Processing with Software Plug-ins

    Using mid-side processing with software plug-ins is very easy and convenient. Many software EQ and compressor plug-ins have built-in mid-side functionality, which allows you to switch between stereo mode, mid mode, and side mode for each EQ band, or compress the different elements separately.

    We will use an EQ plugin in this example. Follow these steps:

    1. Load a mid side compatible EQ plug-in (like The PSP Neon, Fabfilter or Pro-Q) on your stereo track or bus that you want to process.

    2. Activate an EQ band that you want to use for mid-side processing.

    3. Switch the mode of the band from stereo to mid or side, depending on which component you want to process.

    4. Adjust the frequency, gain, and Q of the band as desired.

    5. Repeat steps 2-4 for other bands if needed.

    6. Adjust the output gain and bypass switch as needed.

    Using software plug-ins for mid-side EQ processing gives you a lot of flexibility and precision. You can easily switch between modes, adjust parameters, and compare results. You can also use different filter shapes and modes for each band, such as low-cut, high-cut, bell, shelf, notch, etc.

    How to Use Mid-Side EQ Processing with Hardware Outboard Gear

    Using mid-side EQ processing with hardware outboard gear is a bit more complicated but also more rewarding. Hardware outboard gear can give you a unique sound quality and character that software plug-ins cannot replicate. However, most hardware outboard gear does not have built-in mid-side functionality, so you need to use some additional equipment and routing to achieve it.

    Here are the steps you need to follow:

    1. You need a plugin that can encode and decode mid-side signals, such as the Voxengo MSED
    2. You need two channels of hardware EQ that you want to use for mid-side processing.
    3. You need an audio interface, mixer or a patchbay that can route the signals from your DAW to your hardware devices and back.
    4. Connect your mid-side encoder plugin to the stereo output of your DAW, to encode the output to M/S mode.
    5. Usually the mid is on the Left output, and the Side is on the Right channel.
    6. Connect the mid (Left) output of your encoder device to the input of one channel of your hardware EQ.
    7. Connect the side (Right) output of your encoder device to the input of another channel of your hardware EQ.
    8. Connect the output of each channel of your hardware EQ back in to to a separate input on your audio interface.
    9. Add another instance of your MS plugin on the stereo input channel of your DAW. Set this one to Decode.
    10. Activate input monitoring on this channel in your DAW, to listen to the audio coming in from the EQ in realtime. This should now be in M/S mode, and you have the ability to EQ the mid and side separately!
    11. Record the MS EQ’d signal in to your DAW. You will usually notice it appears to be overbalanced to the left, however this is actually the mid, not left, and the mid is usually louder than the side! On playback, make sure you have an MS plugin set to Decode, to hear it naturally.

    Now you can use your hardware EQs to process the mid and side components of your stereo signal separately, and then blend them back together with your decoder device.

    Some examples of how you can use mid-side EQ processing with hardware outboard gear are:

    • You can boost the high frequencies on the side component to create more air and sparkle on your stereo image, while leaving the mid component untouched or slightly attenuated to avoid harshness or sibilance.
    • You can cut the low frequencies on the side component to reduce muddiness and increase mono compatibility, while leaving the low frequencies alone, or boosting them on the mid component to add more punch and weight to your mix.
    • You can notch out unwanted resonances or frequencies on either the mid or the side component, depending on where they are located in your mix, without affecting the other component.
    • You can create more contrast and separation between elements in your mix by boosting or cutting different frequency ranges on the mid and side components, such as making vocals more prominent in the center or making guitars wider on the sides.

    Benefits and Drawbacks of Mid-Side EQ Processing

    Mid-side EQ processing is a powerful and versatile technique that can help you shape and enhance your stereo image in many ways. However, it also has some potential drawbacks and pitfalls that you should be aware of before using it. Some benefits of mid-side EQ processing are:

    • It gives you more control over the frequency balance and tonal character of your mix, as you can adjust each component independently.
    • It allows you to fix frequency imbalances, remove unwanted resonances, and create more contrast and separation between elements in your mix.
    • It can help you create more depth, width, and clarity in your stereo image, as well as more interest and excitement for the listener.

    Some drawbacks of mid-side EQ processing are:

    • It can introduce phase issues and artefacts if not done properly or excessively, especially when using linear-phase EQs or steep filters.
    • It can compromise mono compatibility if you make drastic changes to either component, especially on low frequencies or across a wide frequency range.
    • It can make your mix sound unnatural or exaggerated if you overdo it or use it for everything, instead of using it selectively and subtly.

    Conclusion

    Mid-side EQ processing is a technique that splits a stereo signal into two components: mid and side. By processing each component separately, you can shape the stereo image of your mix in radically different ways, creating more depth, width, and clarity. You can use mid-side EQ processing with software plug-ins or hardware outboard gear, depending on your preference and budget. However, you should always use it with caution and moderation, as it can also introduce problems and artefacts if not done properly. Mid-side EQ processing is not a magic bullet that will fix all your mixing issues, but rather a tool that can help you enhance what is already good in your mix. Use it wisely and sparingly, and you will be rewarded with better sounding mixes.

    We hope this blog post has helped you understand what mid-side EQ processing is, how it works, and how you can use it to improve your mixes.

    Here at Fat As Funk, we are extremely experienced in using various M/S techniques in both mixing and mastering, and we use the technique regularly.

    Thanks for reading!

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    Do I Need Mixing AND Mastering? Stem Mastering? Or Stereo Mastering For My Music?

    stem mastering mixing or stereo mastering

    If you are wondering “How can I make my music sound better?” You may be considering taking your mixes to a pro, but are wondering what service your money is better spent on: professional mixing vs mastering, stem mastering or stereo mastering.

    Below is an easy flow chart to help you decide, and we will briefly answer some common questions like what is the difference between mixing and mastering? What is stem mastering? We will explore stem mastering vs mixing and mastering.

    Pro Mixing and Mastering packages:

    Send us your recordings and we will transform them into a record! Get your mix as close to your vision as you can, then export your individual instrument stems (as many as you need) and send them over. Make sure you export all the parts from the same time, so it all lines up (usually from the very start 0:00).

    We will give it a luxury analogue mixdown using our old-skool analog desk, valve hardware and 25 years of studio experience. We will then master lovely new mix and deliver you a radio-ready album you will be proud of.

    Stem Mastering:

    What is stems mastering? Stem mastering is like a mini-mix and mastering approach. It can optimize something brilliant, or correct a few difficult elements.

    If your mix is pretty damn great already, and you just want to optimize it, then group the various elements together before exporting. E.G. group all the drums together in 1 stereo file, all the vocals in 1 stereo file, softer instruments, heavy instruments etc. Usually around 5 or 6 stems works well for most tracks. We will mix them back together, tweaking the individual parts so they sit perfectly together, use analogue summing then a fat analogue master for awesome results.

    We can also save a mix using stem mastering. A classic situation is having a great backing track with a vocal or lead guitar that just doesn’t quite “sit right”. Or maybe you are not confident in you Sub/kick balance. We can stop your headache and ease your pain for pretty low price. Just bounce us an exported mix with the problem elements muted, then export the tricky elemements soloed. E.G. [Main track No Lead Guitars / Lead Guitar 1 / Lead Guitar 2] or for a dance track [Sub Bass / Kick Drum / Bounce Bass / Everything Else].

    Stereo Mastering:

    If your mix is already perfect and you are happy with it, then just send it over for straight-up stereo analog mastering. We will treat your mix like a queen, pamper it, give it some love, fatten it up, polish it shiny, make it sound expensive (but it won’t cost you too much). Fire it over. and we will deliver your awesome results.

    Now you know what approach would suit your music best, upload your files and we will work some magic on your mix, and deliver you that pro sound you crave.

    If you want to order stem mastering, simply choose “stereo mastering”, and add the number of stems you require using the “add stems for stem mastering” product.

    UPLOAD YOUR FILES HERE

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    Can Mastering Fix A Bad Mix?

    can mastering fix a bad mix

    “Can mastering save a bad mix?” is a common question. The short answer? = Yes…. to an extent.

    It’s always better to fix your mix at the mix stage, rather than waiting to fix the mix in mastering, but what if you don’t have the project file anymore, and still love the track. Do you have to settle for a rubbish mix? No way!

    What can mastering fix?

    To understand this, we need to have a quick understanding of what mastering engineers do, how mastering works, what mastering a song does and of course why mastering is important.

    An experienced (human) mastering engineer will give your music the professional finish you want.

    The quality of your final result is a reflection of the entire process back from the first time you pressed “record”.

    But great mastering can skew the reflection in your favour, like a flattering fairground mirror.

    Common mix problems yield different results:

    • Bad mix room problems and inexperienced mix decisions can often be evened out dramatically.
    • Mixes that are badly clipped and have no dynamic range can have their bounce restored and sound alive again.
    • Badly recorded instruments, or an overall “dull” sound from using cheap mics can be enhanced and enlivened.
    • Hiss can be removed, with varying results ranging from totally flawless, to just a bit better.
    • A flabby bottom-end can be tightened up beautifully, still retaining the weight and heft (still talking about audio here).

    dynamics restored to an audio file which was over-limited and clipping
    Restored dynamics from an overly compressed limited mix

    The Art Of Compromise

    Mastering a bad mix is the art of compromise. It’s a delicate process of balancing unbalanced material.

    “Can mastering make vocals louder?” Yes, but depending on how the song has been mixed, it may bring up another element with them…

    “Can you make my £20 microphone sound like a £2000 microphone?” Nope. But we can probably make your £20 mic sound like a £200 mic!

    Got an album you recorded on a cassette 4-track 25 years ago, and want to dust it off and finally get it out there? We will make it sound way better, absolutely… but obviously it will never sound like it was recorded at Abbey Road. Embrace your lo-fi roots and enjoy the “best it can be” result.

    Far too much sub, but a weak kick? We can sort it out. But necessarily as well as if you supplied the kick and sub as separate stems (or used our mix evaluation service to fix it yourself at home first).

    The Bad Mix Challenge – Try Us!

    We love a challenge, and can make drastic improvements to even the most appalling, lost-cause mixes.

    The difference can be astounding. Try our free online mastering for your bad mix, and see how much better we can make it!

    Or if you still have the project file, consider our mix evaluation service and fix the mix yourself at home.