1.	What is Mastering?
2.	What is Audio Restoration?
3.	Why use professional mastering services?
4.	Why not use my software's "mastering " plug-ins or my T.C. Finalizer?
5.	What can I do to prepare my mixes for mastering?
6.	How long does it take to master something?
7.	Can you do mastering for vinyl (LP or 12") and cassette?
8.	What Formats do you accept?

Oscar, what is Mastering?
Simply put, mastering is the last creative process in the recording of your music.
The process entails critical listening in a properly tuned room, and then making the necessary adjustments to improve, re balance, correct flaws, edit, and restore your music to it's fullest potential.
The mastering engineer will use the best analog & digital equalizers, compressors, and processing gear specifically designed for this purpose to do this.

Your final mixes, taken from several sources, different studios, different engineers, are all reviewed and then put through the mastering process. To date I know of no process that can compensate and bring you a finished and consistent product like a true mastering facility with the proper engineer at the controls.

Oscar, what is Audio Restoration?
Audio restoration is the process of removing artifacts and anomalies in order to make a recording clearer. With the help of some wonderful technology from CEDAR and other companies that specialize in restoration, along with careful equalization we can remove noise, buzzes, crackels, hums, and bring a recording to a much improved state. Audio restoration can be used for both music as well as forensic audio.

Oscar, why use professional mastering services?
A professional mastering facility has several advantages over "doing it yourself".

We provide "ears behind the gear". A professional mastering engineer will be able to select from a wide palate of tools to fine tune, restore, and bring your project to it's fullest potential.

The mastering facility will be equipped with the finest monitoring in a room that has been specifically designed and tuned with this one purpose in mind.

Experience. With hundreds or thousands of projects under the belt, an experienced mastering engineer will know how to squeeze the most out of your music. There is a reason everything you hear on the radio has been brought to a professional mastering facility before it is released, is simply because we can put the final "polish" on the music. As to date, nothing has replaced us yet!

Oscar, why not use my software's "mastering " plug-ins or my T.C. Finalizer?
While both plug ins, and the Finalizer are both fine products, they are not a replacement for the trained ears and the critical environment of a professional mastering facility. Also, most of the processes in these home "mastering" fixes are meant to make your music instantly loud & bright. These adjustments are the equivalent to a sledgehammer vs. a surgeons scalpel for what the needs of most music is. A trained mastering engineer will tailor every move to bring out the best in your music.

Oscar, what can I do to prepare my mixes for mastering?

• When mixing, try to reference your mixes against source material that you are familiar with, like your favorite CD's.
• Apply minimal compression (or none at all) to your 2 track mixes.
• Check the levels going to tape, making sure that the peaks of the music are just under your recorders maximum input level. On a digital recorder (D.A.T.) that means just under digital zero. Not hitting up on zero as some recorders have built in digital limiting, and we defiantly want to avoid that at all costs!
• On an analog recorder, you may want to experiment on the level input, as some people enjoy the sound of tape saturation. Be sure to play back the first mixes and make sure they have gone to tape sounding the way you had envisioned.
• DO NOT USE - The T.C. Finalizer, Digidesign or other Software "Plug-In's". These are fine tools for demo recording, but by putting them through these processors, you will be doing irrevocable damage to your mixes. If you do need to do a mix with these, keep another copy without the processes for mastering.
• Don't Rush! Take your time, and make sure your mixes are what you want. While mastering can sometimes vastly improve a mix, it cant fix a bad performance or lackluster mix.
• Get References! Please bring some of your favorite CD's. Especially ones that you think your music can or should sound like. This will help your mastering engineer understand what you want from your session.
• Ask questions. Don't be afraid or intimidated by the process. Your mastering engineer is happy to explain the process and show you what he/she is doing.

Oscar, how long does it take to master something?
There is no definitive answer, but an average full music CD consisting of approximately 40-50 minutes of music (10-14 songs) usually can be finished in about 4-5 hours. A CD single with a few different versions can usually be finished in an hour or less.

Oscar, can you do mastering for vinyl (LP or 12") and cassette?
Yes

Oscar, what Formats do you accept?

• 1/2" Analog
• 1/4" Analog
• D.A.T
• Sony 1630
• Cassette
• Other formats can be arranged, please call ahead.