SOUND ON SOUND

[TheLegit]

Any recommendations for top class mastering in the UK? Does anyone specialise in particular genres like metal, rock, EDM etc or should a good Mastering engineer be able to cover all bases?

[TheLegit]

Bump I can't believe no one responded :shifty: :crazy: :oops:

[Sam Inglis]

There are lots of excellent mastering engineers in the UK, but you might get a better response if you can supply some more details about what you're looking for.

[Ramirez]

I use http://hafodmastering.co.uk/ quite a lot, and very good they are.

Aled

[Hugh Robjohns]

Bump I can't believe no one responded :shifty: :crazy: :oops:

Impossible question to answer!

Two minutes googling will provide you with loads of highly-regarded top-end UK mastering studios -- Abbey Road, Metropolis, The Exchange, Fluid, Miloco....and literally hundreds more!

The choice is enormous... so do you want online, unattended or attended mastering? Do you want someone local or are you willing to travel? What's the budget? Is it mastering of stereo mixes, or stem mastering? Is the material of a single specific genre, or a wider range?

[TheLegit]

Thanks all didn't think of the variables but thanks for a few names it's a start!

Budget wise it will really be a per-track basis from what I can see Mastering isn't a particularly costly exercise, but I wasn't thinking of side by side sessions. Traveling probably won't bother with that.

By the way when Mastering do they prefer you separate the bass from the rest of the track or is that not required?

[blinddrew]

Speak to the engineer and see. Not that I'm in the market for it at the moment, but if I was, the way I'd approach it is to pick out a bunch of CDs where I really like the production, see who did the mastering and where it was recorded, if they're based in my country, look them up.
Drop 'em a line to get a ball-park on price, discard the ones you can't afford, then have a chat with those you can.
Alternatively, if you're not doing the mixing yourself, see who your mix engineer recommends.

[ken long]

Budget wise it will really be a per-track basis from what I can see Mastering isn't a particularly costly exercise

If you are planning an EP or LP, then give them all the tracks at the same time. Per track mastering can be a waste of time and money.

[Hugh Robjohns]

Very good point -- one of the main aims of mastering is to ensure that a bunch of disparate tracks, recorded and mixed on different dates, possibly in different places or with different people, all sound like they belong together on an album. That won't happen if each track is mastered individually.

H

[Zukan]

James Perrett from this parish (top bloke and ME), Klaus Hill from Heavyweight Bass if you need EDM mastering and my amigo Bob Katz who does a few of the more mainstream genres. I believe Jack Ruston also does mastering and his pedigree needs no introduction.

If I've left anyone out from here my apologies.

[Hugh Robjohns]

And don't forget our good friend Ian Shepherd -- he of the Production Advice and Loudness Day websites:

https://mastering-media.co.uk/

H

[James Perrett]

By the way when Mastering do they prefer you separate the bass from the rest of the track or is that not required?

While stem mastering seems to be talked about more and more these days, most of the material I receive is fully mixed. The main reason for needing stems is for the times when the artist wants a sound that the mix can't provide. One example that I had recently was where the artist wanted the bass to create a pumping effect with the rest of the mix. The problem was that the bass end of the mix was well controlled so it took quite a bit of ingenuity to end up with that pumping effect. In this case a separate bass stem would have helped.

[TheLegit]

Speak to the engineer and see. Not that I'm in the market for it at the moment, but if I was, the way I'd approach it is to pick out a bunch of CDs where I really like the production, see who did the mastering and where it was recorded, if they're based in my country, look them up.
Drop 'em a line to get a ball-park on price, discard the ones you can't afford, then have a chat with those you can.
Alternatively, if you're not doing the mixing yourself, see who your mix engineer recommends.

This is a killer idea thanks!

Budget wise it will really be a per-track basis from what I can see Mastering isn't a particularly costly exercise

If you are planning an EP or LP, then give them all the tracks at the same time. Per track mastering can be a waste of time and money.

My song ideas vary a lot in style some are punk, some metal some EDM etc so initially I'll be putting a variety of stuff out there however clearly this makes sense from an EP/ LP point of view

James Perrett from this parish (top bloke and ME), Klaus Hill from Heavyweight Bass if you need EDM mastering and my amigo Bob Katz who does a few of the more mainstream genres. I believe Jack Ruston also does mastering and his pedigree needs no introduction.

If I've left anyone out from here my apologies.

And don't forget our good friend Ian Shepherd -- he of the Production Advice and Loudness Day websites:

https://mastering-media.co.uk/

H

Thanks chaps!

By the way when Mastering do they prefer you separate the bass from the rest of the track or is that not required?

While stem mastering seems to be talked about more and more these days, most of the material I receive is fully mixed. The main reason for needing stems is for the times when the artist wants a sound that the mix can't provide. One example that I had recently was where the artist wanted the bass to create a pumping effect with the rest of the mix. The problem was that the bass end of the mix was well controlled so it took quite a bit of ingenuity to end up with that pumping effect. In this case a separate bass stem would have helped.

Fair enough in that case - thanks all looks like I can get the show on the road now

[forumuser840717]

Not forgetting Simon Heyworth at Super Audio Mastering in Devon.

(Disclosure - he's a former colleague and I designed his room)

[Martin Walker]

Not forgetting Simon Heyworth at Super Audio Mastering in Devon.

And he has a track record to die for 8-)


Martin

[jaminem]

...so does this dude

https://www.thisismetropolis.com/engineers/matt-colton/

But then I would say that, he's my bezzie.... :clap:

[TheLegit]

...so does this dude

https://www.thisismetropolis.com/engineers/matt-colton/

But then I would say that, he's my bezzie.... :clap:

He's mastered Muse, Sleaford Mods, Arctic Monkeys oooooh very nice thanks !!! Another guy worked with Royal Blood, this place has a full on roster of famous artists :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: