The ITI MEP-130 is where parametric equalization began. This is the complete history of serial numbers 001 and 002, from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute to Hunt Valley, a knife in an office door, Baltimore Harbor, a Craigslist listing, and a phone call with Burgess Macneal at 86.

In mastering, transformers shape tone through subtle, level-dependent interaction rather than gain. My custom Big Crunch Transformer Box lets finished mixes pass directly through selected vintage iron, adding density and cohesion without sounding processed.

The Variable Mu Compressor is the last thing that touches a master before it leaves my room. Here is what it actually does, why I use it at 1dB of gain reduction, and why that is enough.

A purpose-built mastering tape machine from The Hit Factory, with confirmed Otari delivery records, mystery modifications, and the philosophy behind when tape actually earns its place in a master.

How and when to use mid-side processing in mastering -- from taming vocals in the mid to controlling panned guitars in the sides, using dedicated hardware and a lot of restraint.

How a purpose-built NC20 mastering room, full-range monitors, and mono block amplifiers create the accurate listening environment that every mastering decision depends on.

Cassette has real technical requirements that most engineers never think about. Here is how tape stock, bias calibration, and transfer decisions shape what ends up on the shell.

A complete guide to vinyl pressing: how records are made, how to find a cutting engineer, recommended pressing plants, and what it means for mastering.

A technical guide to modifying the Dangerous Compressor’s sidechain using passive high-pass cables to shape dynamics.

Step-by-step explanation of a hardware mod to improve API 2500 stability and performance in mastering workflows.

Codecs are another listening environment. A hostile one, sometimes. Here is what MP3, AAC, Vorbis, Opus, and FLAC do to your master on the way to the listener, and how to master so it survives.