CD Mastering: $30 Per Song

Mastering is the final step in the recording process that takes the finished two track mix and processes it in a creative and technical way to give the song and the sonics of the song what is needed.  It is an art and a science.  What it “needs” could be: consistency between tracks, loudness, equalization, compression, warmth, fatness, limiting, stereo imaging, tube saturation, tape saturation, brightness, punchiness, and many other technical and descriptive words to explain these elusive sound qualities.  To put it simply, mastering is the last step in the recording process to make your songs sound great.

Once the songs are mastered the beginnings and ends are edited, which could include fade ins/outs, cutting drum clicks, amp buzz, talking etc.  Then the songs are sequenced into the order of the album.

Pieholden Suite Sound uses a mix of analog outboard gear and computer plug-ins to offer a wide palette of mastering options.

Some of the analog outboard gear commonly used for mastering sessions are:

Tube-Tech LCA 2 B stereo tube compressor/limiter

Urei 1178 FET stereo compressor

(2) Urei LA-4 optical limiters

Avalon Design AD 2055 Parametric equalizer

(2) API 550b discrete 4 band equalization

Universal Audio 2-610 balanced line tube amp with high and low shelving EQ

Ampex ¼” 2 track reel to reel

(2) alesis masterlink ML-9600

Pro Tools