Analog Mastering Overview
Step 1: Stem Cleanup
Step 3: Analog Focused Master
Step 2: Analog Summing
We will take 8-12 stereo stems of your mix and clean them up for the best mastering results. This is not multitrack mixing. We use what tools are needed to bring the best out of your stems. Once we clean the fuck out of those stems it will make that shit sound even more fire!
Step 2: Analog Summing
Step 3: Analog Focused Master
Step 2: Analog Summing
Once the stems have been cleaned up and approved by you we can start the summing process with one of our analog summing hardware pieces. As the summing bakes the stems into a sweet stereo cake we can start icing it with the analog focused mastering process in real-time from the analog summing output.
Step 3: Analog Focused Master
Step 3: Analog Focused Master
Step 3: Analog Focused Master
During this stage, we focus on using our mastering hardware to get the best sound out of your record. This includes things EQs, saturation, compression, imaging, color and limiting. We may do a bit of digital tweaking if it is called for but generally we want to keep the master as much in the analog domain as possible.
Our Analog Mastering Process
The Stem Stage
The Stem Processing
The Stem Processing
These stems when all brought into the DAW should represent your mix with at least 3-6db of headroom. Make sure your stems import into the daw, line up, and sound like your mix. Try that shit out before sending to us. The typical stems we see are like Drum stem, Bass stem, Vocal Stem, Melodic Stem, Effects Stem and so forth. We don't want the 70+ multitrack just the 8-12 groups/stems that make up your multitrack.
The Stem Processing
The Stem Processing
The Stem Processing
We bring the stems into Pro Tools for the cleaning process. The types of things we tend to do is control vocal sibilance, unmask overlapping frequency content, control tonal balances and whatever else the record needs. Once we think we have it tightened up for a better master result we will bounce a proof and send your way for approval. If you want additional adjustments we will make them until your happy with the sound.
The Summing Stage
The Stem Processing
The Summing Process
Once we are locked in on the stem clean up there is no going back to the stems for adjustments. We may even request you sit on the cleaning proof a day or so just to make sure we are good to move forward. We are going to sum the audio with analog hardware and master it in real time. So if we get to the end and you want to change something in the stems the whole process starts over again and well....fuck.
The Summing Process
The Mastering Process
The Summing Process
Analog summing really opens up the depth of the mix with how it combines the stems to a single stereo source. Does it make a difference instead of just bouncing it? Fuck yeah, it does, a big difference! Digital summing is perfectly calculated 1's and 0's to combine the multitrack to a stereo file. Analog summing has imperfections to make it perfect.
The Mastering Stage
The Mastering Process
The Mastering Process
This is where the mastering starts. We have probably heard your song like 50 times by now and have a good sense of what hardware is going to bring the music to life. We want to take our time finding the right hardware, settings, and order for your song. We have a lot of flexible options for really dialing in the analog master and plan to do just that with your song.
The Mastering Process
The Mastering Process
The Mastering Process
What does your song need? It could need our custom mastering toolbox EQs or the SPL passive eq. It might need color from some SSL shit or saturation with the Neve Tape. The song may need compression on the mid and side independently. Whatever the record needs we will apply the appropriate hardware to achieve the best sound including the loudness limiting.
Analog Summing & Stem Clean Master Purchase
