AMBIENT DIGITAL'S MASTERING STUDIO
Ambient Digital's mastering room
features EgglestonWorks Andra II monitors powered by
McIntosh's detailed MC252 amplifier. Over the years, Ambient
Digital has been trusted with hundreds of masters from a diverse array
of clients and labels like:
Sony /
Columbia Sparrow / EMI
CMG Warner
Brothers Essential
Records Credential
Recordings (EMI)
Word Records Vineyard Music
InPop Records
Fervent Records Flicker Records
(Sony)
Word Artisan
Watershed Records
Integrity Music
Metalblade Records
WHAT IS MASTERING?
In short,
mastering is the process of ensuring that program material is optimized
for its final medium. In the past this primarily meant making the
transition to vinyl where the recording level was critical. Too low a
level resulted in excessive noise on a disc, while extreme levels could
endanger the
disc and the cutting stylus too. Mastering engineers found ways to
increase
the level of the disc above the noise by applying equalization,
compression, and limiting. Along the way, they also found ways to bring
out the detail and body for the final master.
SPL PQ PRECISION ANALOG EQUALIZER •
MASTERING
EDITION
Producers
and artists began to notice that certain records actually sounded
better on the radio, and that impression on the listening audience
often translated to better sales in the end. This led to a new breed of
mastering engineer, this one with some input into the final sound of a
project.
Today's
mastering engineer is able to shape and mold the variations of
frequencies and dynamics of a project using tools that provide
unbelievable balance and control.
Why Master?
Mastering
should be considered the final stage in a project. Not only can you
polish what is already there, but often you can correct problems that
can only be addressed with the kind of control good mastering provides.
A project that has been mastered at a quality facility with an
experienced engineer simply sounds
better. It can lend a professional quality to your project - no matter
what style of music. This is because the mastering engineer can contour
the EQ and dynamics
to make it sound richer and translate better to its final medium.
MANLEY MASSIVE PASSIVE TUBE
EQUALIZER
The best
masters rarely come from a quick software plug-in thrown across the mix
by the mix engineer or run through a "mastering-in-a-box" device.
Initially, they can sound powerful and impressive, but there is a
reason that high end mastering houses don't just all have the same
magic black box. Often these devices are literally a
"Jack-of-all-trades / Master of None."
LAVRY
AD122-96 MkIII and DA924 HIGH RESOLUTION MASTERING CONVERTERS
No matter
what your working on, if people are going to hear your material, you
should have your project mastered by an experienced mastering engineer
with a comprehensive set of the best analog and digital tools.
Each brings its own set of
challenges. The experience garnered is what is brought to each
successive project. Mastering can be the difference between your
project sounding like a demo and a "record."
Mastering
brings it all together. |
