Independent Mastering

08/17/2022

When your friends in galvanics make you cool stuff. Stamper (but a positive) size, suitable for framing!

08/11/2022

Calibrate the calibration,
chew on this mastication
knowing where you are
or where you’ve been
should not be a frustration.

A decibel on this level will have standardization
Least the LP be a dB away for the duration.

08/02/2022

07/28/2022

A little Carl Perkins for a the afternoon. Some stereo, some mono on this one.

07/23/2022

Buy. Sell. Trade. Interpretive dance. ONE DAY ONLY!

07/16/2022

Ho Ho Ho it’s that time of year again, yes, July, when we work on Christmas music. And it’s 90° outside.

Here we have the high frequency limiters creating our own personal synchronized Xmas light display

07/15/2022

Happy release day to Peter Janson. Recorded with back in March (2022). Produced by Eric Conn (that’s me) and mastered here

06/24/2022

QC photo - record skip in lacquer

Blue = start of the skip
Yellow = path of the skip into the preceding groove (made by playback stylus)
Green = where the groove should be but isn’t (very thin line)

Caused by the cutting styli lifting up due to out of phase audio. (In this case, a low frequency “echo effect”)

This error didn’t show up on the scope as problematic, it doesn’t sound like there’s a problem—-yet, there’s enough out of phase information in the audio to lift the cutting stylus up.

The only way to discover it? Cut the whole side, play it back, see if it skips.

This is why proper recording/mixing/mastering specifically for the LP medium is important.

The take away here: Don’t use phase-y spatial effects, and make sure the low end is correct if you’re going to be making vinyl. If you’re not sure, get a full reference cut. Otherwise, expect a failed Test Pressing, delays, and expense.

06/22/2022

No, I didn’t get to do this. (I wish!!)

This is me having fun. I had a cassette from the 1980s that had different mixes (for some reason they’re not all the original album or CD versions, though the cassette IS an original Island Records issued product)

So, I made myself record to see how it would come out. (Came out great!)(always something to learn from anything you do)

06/21/2022

…at least I’m not the only one with this stuck in my head anymore.

06/16/2022

Glen speaks the truth!

06/15/2022

Best thing I ever stole from the kitchen. Rolling Island = Mobile fixit cart. For when you have to work before you start to work. 🤦🏼‍♂️

05/14/2022

Maintenance day. New clock, thanks and re-wrapping the patchbay. Yellow ties because in a dark room behind a black rack=can’t miss em if you need to pull ‘em.

05/07/2022

A little merle haggard for the workin’ man (and woman). And dogs. We cannot forget mentioning working dogs.

03/29/2022

Something I learned when doing this LP: Jan & Dean and The Beach Boys covered each other’s music.

Surf City is The Beach Boys (Brian Wilson)

Little Old Lady from Pasadena is a Jan and Dean song. (Roger Christian)

Check out the pitch/depth meters working hard (Thanks flo) on Barbara Ann. Apparently Dean sang on the 1965 Beach Boys version—but this version here is Jan & Dean in 1962.

&dean

03/28/2022

AFM 257 is having a membership drive.

I’ll never be vested; I pay dues every year to support the guys & gals who ARE vested and to keep the wheels on the bus going in the future. AFM has locals all over the country. .dave

https://www.nashvillemusicians.org

Federation of Musicians

03/22/2022

Vinegar Syndrome. Mid 1960s 1/4” Kodak 34a with Durol backing (replacement for acetate).

This cupping/twisting is caused by the different base chemicals deteriorating at different rates over time, lose packing on the reel, and possibly less than ideal storage. But it’s the chemical deterioration that is the main cause.

Exercising and slowly repacking the reel under more tension helped, but not enough to get it to lay flat enough, long enough, to play.

02/25/2022

Art /music matters because when there’s nothing to say, you can still say something.

Picasso, 1949 Dove of Peace
Sunflowers, Ukrainian National Flower

02/13/2022

& mastered thanks to all these fine people who trust us with their art. Can ‘O Pop is my favorite off this.

01/27/2022

Some neighbors ask for a cup of sugar when they’re in need. Some, two resistors and a switch.

01/26/2022

Congratulations for a well deserved spot. Glad to have been a part of it!

01/20/2022

I was reminded of this one a couple of days ago; from 2018 I think? Fun, high energy live show with a few bonus studio tracks tacked on.

01/12/2022

Dropped off earlier today and presented in a white/blue swirl.

This was a fun one from last summer. Rocky Hill, in a trio of Texas Blues, produced by John Lomax. Mastered and cut here.

Happy New Year!

12/22/2021

Annnnnd that’s a wrap. See y’all in 2022!

12/18/2021

Bing Crosby & White Christmas for a “best of”Xmas hits record mastered & cut back in June. Ho ho ho!

12/05/2021

December 2021 • Giving Season - https://mailchi.mp/4bf4b02dbabc/december-2021-giving-season

Season of Giving

10/27/2021

20 years ago today I walked out of my job and into self employment. I figured if I wasn’t going to get paid, (and yes, the paychecks were bouncing) I might as well be free.

Hard Rock producer/engineer Michael Wagener and Al Bunetta at Oh Boy Records were my first clients. Somewhere there’s a photo of Sebastian Bach (of Skid Row) smoking in the hammock on the porch, and another of Al and John in the hallway at the old studio... Michael is retired but we txt’d just the other day; Al’s gone. But it was good start and I’m thankful for them, and to Tony Brown at MCA, Erik and Deb and Blake over at Sony, Steve Haselton (Sheffield Lab/Mastering Lab) who built the first line amps and mentored (and still does) me with the signal path.

And of course Don Cobb (L) who quite the same job we both had about 6 months later and came to work with me.

Without the confidence of these people we wouldn’t have made it. And I am thankful.

10/12/2021

Nicholas Tremulis

super fun cut with long sides AND heavy low end. It’s magic! It’s mysterious! ...Reality is, it’s a lotta freegin’ work to get it right and keep the low end where it needs to be.

10/09/2021

This was a fun one cut back in July or August ~ out Oct 8! (yesterday)

09/23/2021

Stories. I’m here to hear the stories, (and make rekerds) and today did not disappoint.

Fargo Happiest Girl

09/22/2021

Here in MasteringLand Christmas starts in May. All summer long we listen to carols, bells, arrangements of standards, and new Xmas tunes. ...And I would have waited until December to mention this one, but, tex’d me yesterday to say it was going on sale today. So, if you simply want to skip Autumn altogether and go directly to Xmas, here’s your chance. I’ve been here since May, so, you’re all late anyway. ⛄️🎄

All joking / promoting aside, Steve’s been a client and friend for over 20 years and I’m proud of this one, it’s really good.

09/02/2021

Needs no introduction.

08/20/2021

This came in the mail today from Nonesuch, something we mastered about this time last year! What a nice way to end a week! Thanks
(And hat’s off to Jon Randall, who’s solo record we finished earlier this year comes out next month too)(for those who don’t know, Jon was in this band and is on this record) September is going to a great month for new music!

08/10/2021

This record jams.

Happy release day to The Moonpies!

07/31/2021

KT Tunstall on her show-halting hearing loss https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-58033812

I’ve been wearing earplugs since I was 17 because I’ve never enjoyed loud concerts. Pre-pandemic I wore them at restaurants.

If you’re in the arts, in music, protect your ears—careers are short enough already.

07/15/2021

Once again I have cracked myself up by forgetting the irreverent humor I place on these things (and the industry) months before while registering. ...Truth is, I do wash the dishes here.

06/18/2021

Some of us are getting back into the swing of things, and for those who are, I encourage you to help those who aren’t quite up to speed yet.

https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=MLEAPTJS3HBJC&source=url

This is the Nashville Musicians Association Crisis Assistance Fund 501(c)3.

06/04/2021

Happy Release Day

Thanks to






https://saramorganmusic.com/album/1888707/another-nail