Online Mastering Explained:

What is mastering?
Mastering is the final step between your production's studio mixdown and mass production at a pressing plant. A good mastering engineer combines objectivity and precision with the creativity of an artist, helping you to unlock the full sonic potential of your music. He will tweak your productions with high-end sound-processing gear to give them that final finish you were looking for. Your tracks will gain punch, depth, volume and spectral balance, in other words, they will sound exactly the way it's meant to be. top
Why pay for mastering instead of mastering myself?
While recording and mixing a track, even the best engineers can get used to the sound which could lead to ´hidden´ mistakes in the mix you simply don’t notice anymore. The mastering engineer will find and fix them. On top, his musical understanding gives him the opportunity to recognize important details of the track and put the focus on them. His trained ears can reveal sounds and details that can’t even be heard on other sound systems, making sure your music will sound good on all kinds of real-life systems, whether they are high-end stereos, car-hifi, ghettoblasters or big club PAs. top
Can I get a mastering demo before paying?
Yes, sure. We are so convinced of the quality we deliver, that we offer a free mastering demo service to all new customers - before making any payments. We are sure you will be amazed how good your music can sound! top
How to prepare your music for best mastering results?
Please send the final stereo mixdown of each song you want us to master. Please turn off all kinds of dithering and noise shaping and do not apply ANY sum effects. All sound processing on the sum channel has to be turned off (No loudness maximizers, multiband, L2 or similiar processing on the sum!). Before uploading your tracks check the mixdown to assure that no clipping has occurred while recording. We highly recommend that you leave at least around 3 db headroom, means the peaks of the signal should never exceed the -3db mark. Finally, just send hi-res data (see question below). To give us a feeling of your desired sound you can also include a sample or even a reference track of another artist or a previously released track of your own, so we get an impression of your personal preferences in terms of musical feeling. top
Which media formats do you accept?
For professional mastering results we need WAV (PC) or AIFF (Mac) files in resolutions of at least 16 bits / 44,1 kHz or better. 24 bit resolution is preferred. Please do NOT upload any kind of data reduced files like MP3, Real of OGG. These are lossy audio formats which destroy harmonic content irreversibly, so they can’t be used as source files for audio mastering. top
Which media formats do you deliver?
The files we deliver depend on your needs, in most cases it’s 16 bits / 44,1 kHz for CD mastering. Alternatively, full albums can also be delivered as DDP image files or, if required, we could send master CDs by courier instead of internet delivery. top
Do you offer multitrack / stem / separation mastering?
Definitely. Working with separations / stems is a premium addition to the range of traditional 2track mastering techniques. Separation Mastering increases the sonic possibilities to boost, grade up and enhance your mixes dramatically. As this type of processing is much more complex and time-consuming as well, the rates for separation mastering have to be fixed on a time basis. Get in touch with our office and we will calculate your project individually. top
Are my songs safe against third-parties access?
Our web servers run 128bit ssl-secured encryption to provide you with the most up-to-date data encryption available. Right with your registration our system will automatically create a personalized private data folder, only accessible for you and our mastering engineers - no one else. Be assured: All your personal data, the complete upload /download process and all your tracks transferred are protected against third parties via our encrypted data storage servers at any time. top

I was told about this service by a friend, checked it out and I have never looked back. My new album got a fantastic sound, it’s really worth getting it done. Thanks!

Ilogik
(Harddance Producer, UK) www.ilogik.com

The mastering is incredible! Amazing tops, nice bottom and always keeping the soft and gentle voice of our singer in the focus. Sweet!

Ultra www.ultra-band.net

You guys took my recordings to the next level, with so much care, creative instinct and musical understanding! Brilliant!

Tom Benecke / Dub Guerilla
(Jazz Guitarist, Germany)

Definitely the extra touch of depth, punch and balance I was looking for. That money was well spent! Thumbs up!

Andy Prinz
(Trance Producer &
label manager Offshore Music) www.offshore-music.com

Maybe the only German mastering studio, which lives up to our expectations. Amazing!

FLUX
(member of »Oomph!«;
#1 Media Control artists) www.oomph.de

It is seriously beautiful to work with you guys, we love the sound quality. It’s bangingly perfect.

Virtual Events BV virtualevents.com