Frequently Asked Questions

  • Mastering is the process of finalizing music by delicately balancing art and science. Mastering relies on empirical data, collected through technical analysis. Mastering requires emotional insight, steered by intuition and a deep connection to the music. Great records are born from a balance of both.

    Generally speaking, mastering is composed of three discrete processes:

    • Mastering is ensuring there are no errors by use of quality control.

    • Mastering is objectively fine-tuning the program audio.

    • Mastering is assembling the required files for distribution.

    Mastering is the last stop your record makes before it’s released into the world. It’s the last chance to get everything right and to make it the best version it can be. These finishing touches are my specialty and my passion. Your record deserves nothing less.

    I wrote an article that provides more detail about what mastering is.

  • The quickest way to get on my desk is to complete my intake form. If I don’t have a completed intake form, I will not start on your record.

    But in general:

    Singles: 5 business days
    EPs: 7 business days
    Albums: 3 or more weeks

    Plan accordingly.

    Please let me know if you have an impending deadline and I’ll do my best to accommodate. I usually can. Additionally, you can check the box for rush service on the intake form if your deadline is yesterday. If my schedule allows, I will do my best to rush the project.

    Transparency and planning ahead is always a best practice. No matter what, I’ll set clear expectations about timing and let you know if anything changes.

  • Well, my approach is to listen. I'v been doing this a long time and it never fails. I listen to the artist’s vision, I listen to the mixed record, and I listen to find where there might be a disconnect. Then, I get to work.

    I use my tools to round the sharp edges, boost the low points, and make micro and macro adjustments to give a sense of completion, consistency, and unity to your record with just the right amount of loudness, dynamics, and vibe.

    The moves I make might be incremental, but they are impactful. And, you can rest assured I won’t make changes for change’s sake.

    So, what makes me different?

    I am different because I actually listen to make sure I achieve the artist’s vision. I listen to make sure the audience will feel that intent and excitement. I listen to provide feedback and ensure that the mix is complete. I listen to guide the process of refining and finishing the record.

    As a former artist, producer, recording studio owner, and mixing engineer, I get what you’re going for and what you need to get there; I’ve been there before.

    Just a quick note: Since a master is only as good as its mix, I’m more than happy to provide mix feedback before mastering to single out any potential issues.

  • No. But sometimes, yes.



    I include two revisions in the base fee. A lot of folks I work with don’t end up needing revisions because I make sure I understand exactly what they are going for upfront. I take the time to get to know you and the music, so the mastered record is typically very close to final. Therefore, if you have a revision idea I am more than happy to tweak the master. Typically revisions have more to do with adjusting the spacing between tracks or loudness levels than the actual sound. If we are going beyond two revisions for the sound, it’s likely the mix needs to be revisited.

    If you decide to revisit your mixes and send me new files to master, there will be extra fees. Contrary to what some people think, I can’t just drop in the new mix file and apply the same mastering settings. Trust me, I wish it was that simple.

  • You can call it whatever you want. I love vinyl and you do, too. That's what matters. We can love it together.

    However, in both casual and professional conversations, especially in the music industry, "vinyl" is treated as an uncountable or mass noun, similar to how you would refer to "furniture" or "equipment."

    Personally, I consider vinyl an adjective, mostly. So the singular would be a "vinyl record". And the plural would be "vinyl records".

    Sometimes I use it as a noun. For example, "Let's go shopping for vinyl." Personally I never say, "Let's go shopping for vinyls." The plural is inferred.

    There you go, and knowing is half the battle.