'Indie Budget' mastering...Who does it well?

halcyo · 11th June 2005

I am getting ready to mix my solo record at a local studio, and I was hoping to get some ideas on where to master it. I am spending alot on the mix, so I can't go crazy here, but who does good mastering for less? It seems to be a kind of 'who knows who' part of the industry, without alot of options left for the small budget artist. Would it be better for me to just find someone local to do it, or will it be worth it to go to a 'real' mastering house somewhere?

halcyo

Winey · 11th June 2005

Call some mastering houses and see what the "after hours" rate is.
Some places offer a discount to smaller indie projects, and to be honest with you, some of the younger mastering engineers who take on the lower budget stuff at the big name mastering houses are very good. Some are great.
Also just look at the mastering credits on indie CD's you like.
Then call em up.

MASSIVE Master · 11th June 2005

And what exactly do you mean by "for less?"

What some consider "indie budget" is what others consider "dreadfully expensive."

RichT · 11th June 2005

Drop Brad Blackwood a mail at Euphonic Masters.

http://www.euphonicmasters.com

jeronimo · 11th June 2005

Get in touch with Alan Douches in New Jersey. Web Site

mwikkid · 11th June 2005

john fishbeck @ piety street does incredible work (in a real mastering suite) for reasonable prices. check out http://www.pietystreet.com/mastering.htm

LaLaFaV · 11th June 2005

I'd recommend John Golden. He's done a very nice job on a few of my friends albums. It's what I would call "indie-pricing" if that's what you're looking for.
http://www.johngoldenmastering.com/

Telecastr · 12th June 2005

Check your PM

halcyo · 13th June 2005

Thanks guys for all the replies and suggestions.

I guess when I mean 'for less', I mean under a grand for the record. Not sure if that is laughable, or quite do-able, as I have never really had a project mastered by a 'real' mastering engineer. I've worked with mix engineers who went ahead and 'mastered', but I want someone fresh, and a little more specifically talented...

halcyo

mitgong · 13th June 2005

I've gotten consistently excellent results from Rodney Mills in Georgia. He has an "indie rate" which is in line with what you're talking about, and he's very respectful of artist/producer intent.

rodneymills.com

joseph33 · 13th June 2005

I know you aren't from the area, but in the Philadelphia area, you'd be hard pressed to beat masterwork recording. Peter Humphreys is a really experienced mastering engineer, and a really nice guy as well. I got an entire album mastered for about $525. They have various packages depending on how many songs your album has. You can see the rates and some pictures of their facility at http://www.masterworkrecording.com/

Joe

audioez · 13th June 2005

I give a vote to http://www.mikewellsmastering.com

If you want to hear his work, go to iTunes and search for:

STEPHEN PATRIK

I had the pleasure of engineering the drums and mixing the project...mike mastered the project at the clients request; more importantly he took the time to discuss the task at hand, in my book that goes a long way

http://www.ezraudio.com

Manfriday · 13th June 2005

John Golden did our CD, and we dug his work.

WDG · 14th June 2005

I would ask what kind of music are you playing and what are you wanting from a mastering house? If you are doing a uke and vocal tribute to Tiny Tim I wouldn't recomend a mastering house that does mostly heavy metal.

jchadstopherhuez · 14th June 2005

right on..

john golden is GREAT

and affordable....

check out his site for credits.....he rocks...endof story..

Drumsound · 15th June 2005

JJ Golden is also great. In Ohio there is our own Brian Lucey at Magic Garden Mastering.

I've had projects done by both and they both sound great.

sound_music · 21st July 2009

in canada (or from anywhere, i send mixes from indie projects all over the world via ftp) check out andy krehm @ silverbirch in toronto. very reasonable rates and great results on an indie budget. Silverbirch Productions, Toronto

Weasel9992 · 21st July 2009

John Scrip, wwwmassivemastering.com. He does much of my stuff...awesome job and he should be able to come in under your budget. Depends on how long the record is.

Frank

GoesToEleven · 31st March 2010

Wow. Just found this place. Crazy cool forum! What a resource!

Have sent a projects to some of the big names in the past (Gateway, Mastering Lab)... But got really good results for a budget project from these guys:

MAJOR LABEL Mastering on an INDIE BUDGET

eh91311 · 31st March 2010

Since this thread got resurrected, for affordable mastering try Saff Mastering:
Carl Saff: Mastering Engineer

His style is something other than maximum level and moronic smash.

staticwhitesound · 31st March 2010

I highly recommend getting in touch with Ollie Hammett, who works out of Mark Saunders' studio, RE-EQ: - BEAT360 Master Mixing: AFFORDABLE MIXING & MASTERING SOLUTIONS FOR INDEPENDENT ARTISTS/PRODUCERS & LABELS -

Past clients include: The Cure, Neneh Cherry, Tricky, David Byrne, Depeche Mode, Cyndi Lauper, Shiny Toy Guns, The Sounds, A-Ha.

They did a great job for my band and it came in way under your $1k limit for a full album.

JeffSanders · 1st April 2010

Carl Saff at Carl Saff: Mastering Engineer is your man.

He's a master, and his rates are perfect for indie artists. Check his myspace for a bunch of clients and comments from satisfied customers.

Quint · 1st April 2010

Chicago Mastering Service

Chicago Mastering Service--CD and Vinyl Mastering Facility in Chicago, IL

ThunderShepherd · 1st April 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by JeffSanders

Carl Saff at Carl Saff: Mastering Engineer is your man.

He's a master, and his rates are perfect for indie artists. Check his myspace for a bunch of clients and comments from satisfied customers.

agreed +1

Mike Butler · 1st April 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeronimo

Get in touch with Alan Douches in New Jersey. Web Site

+1 On Alan Douches

He and Jaml Ruhe over at West West Side are awesome. I use them all the time and can highly recommend them. Very reasonably priced and 100% pro.

Stevil · 1st April 2010

Quote:

Originally Posted by audioez

I give a vote to CD Mastering @ Mike Wells Mastering - San Francisco, CA.

+1

Michael_Joly · 1st April 2010

Checkout Mark Downie at Western Mastering.

rfreeman · 1st April 2010

Hans DeKline

Sound Bites Dog

} SOUND BITES DOG MASTERING {

Great work, Great guy to work with.

dobz · 2nd April 2010

Just to throw another one in there Welcome to TurtleTone Studio, Your Audio Mastering Boutique

Cheerio

dysenterygary · 2nd April 2010

Some great links here guys!thumbsup

11th June 2005	#1
halcyo Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cincinnati Ohio Posts: 739 Thread Starter 2 Reviews written	'Indie Budget' mastering...Who does it well? I am getting ready to mix my solo record at a local studio, and I was hoping to get some ideas on where to master it. I am spending alot on the mix, so I can't go crazy here, but who does good mastering for less? It seems to be a kind of 'who knows who' part of the industry, without alot of options left for the small budget artist. Would it be better for me to just find someone local to do it, or will it be worth it to go to a 'real' mastering house somewhere? halcyo

11th June 2005	#3
MASSIVE Master Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Chicago (Schaumburg / Hoffman Est.) IL Posts: 2,632	And what exactly do you mean by "for less?" What some consider "indie budget" is what others consider "dreadfully expensive." __________________ John Scrip - Massive Mastering, LLC - www.massivemastering.com Spoon-feed a newb some answer and he'll mix for a day - Get him to think about it and figure it out for himself and he'll mix for a lifetime --- JS

11th June 2005	#7
LaLaFaV Gear addict Join Date: May 2004 Location: San Diego Posts: 361	I'd recommend John Golden. He's done a very nice job on a few of my friends albums. It's what I would call "indie-pricing" if that's what you're looking for. http://www.johngoldenmastering.com/ __________________ Lance LaFave Free downloads at: http://www.reverbnation.com/Skydiver http://www.reverbnation.com/controll...?autoPlay=true http://www.facebook.com/SKYDIVERband http://www.facebook.com/kstreetrecorders https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?...0413af6&type=1

13th June 2005	#10
mitgong Gear addict Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: ITHACA, NY Posts: 387	I've gotten consistently excellent results from Rodney Mills in Georgia. He has an "indie rate" which is in line with what you're talking about, and he's very respectful of artist/producer intent. rodneymills.com __________________ Get back to work! http://scaramangaindustries.com/

14th June 2005	#15
jchadstopherhuez Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: usa Posts: 1,957	right on.. john golden is GREAT and affordable.... check out his site for credits.....he rocks...endof story.. __________________ www.jchristopherhughes.com Always the beautiful answer who asks a more beautiful question. -e.e. cummings

11th June 2005	#2
Winey Lives for gear Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 738	Call some mastering houses and see what the "after hours" rate is. Some places offer a discount to smaller indie projects, and to be honest with you, some of the younger mastering engineers who take on the lower budget stuff at the big name mastering houses are very good. Some are great. Also just look at the mastering credits on indie CD's you like. Then call em up.

11th June 2005	#4
RichT Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Portsmouth, UK Posts: 1,469	Drop Brad Blackwood a mail at Euphonic Masters. http://www.euphonicmasters.com

11th June 2005	#5
jeronimo Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Montreal, QC Posts: 3,197 1 Review written	Get in touch with Alan Douches in New Jersey. Web Site

11th June 2005	#6
mwikkid Gear maniac Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: big easy Posts: 160	john fishbeck @ piety street does incredible work (in a real mastering suite) for reasonable prices. check out http://www.pietystreet.com/mastering.htm

12th June 2005	#8
Telecastr Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 621	Check your PM

13th June 2005	#11
joseph33 Gear interested Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 5	I know you aren't from the area, but in the Philadelphia area, you'd be hard pressed to beat masterwork recording. Peter Humphreys is a really experienced mastering engineer, and a really nice guy as well. I got an entire album mastered for about $525. They have various packages depending on how many songs your album has. You can see the rates and some pictures of their facility at http://www.masterworkrecording.com/ Joe

13th June 2005	#12
audioez Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: New York City Posts: 627	I give a vote to http://www.mikewellsmastering.com If you want to hear his work, go to iTunes and search for: STEPHEN PATRIK I had the pleasure of engineering the drums and mixing the project...mike mastered the project at the clients request; more importantly he took the time to discuss the task at hand, in my book that goes a long way http://www.ezraudio.com

13th June 2005	#13
Manfriday Gear maniac Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 187	John Golden did our CD, and we dug his work.

14th June 2005	#14
WDG Gear Head Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: N. TX Posts: 59	I would ask what kind of music are you playing and what are you wanting from a mastering house? If you are doing a uke and vocal tribute to Tiny Tim I wouldn't recomend a mastering house that does mostly heavy metal.

15th June 2005	#16
Drumsound Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Bloomington Il Posts: 5,032	JJ Golden is also great. In Ohio there is our own Brian Lucey at Magic Garden Mastering. I've had projects done by both and they both sound great. __________________ Tony Oxide Lounge Recording See the Oxide Lounge! Follow me on TWITTER! WWJMD? Come see me on the Tape Op boards! It's only inches on the reel to reel

1st April 2010	#27
Michael_Joly 3 + infractions, forum membership suspended. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Cape Cod Posts: 2,735	Checkout Mark Downie at Western Mastering.

21st July 2009	#17
sound_music Lives for gear Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 1,141	in canada (or from anywhere, i send mixes from indie projects all over the world via ftp) check out andy krehm @ silverbirch in toronto. very reasonable rates and great results on an indie budget. Silverbirch Productions, Toronto

21st July 2009	#18
Weasel9992 Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Savannah, GA Posts: 4,339	John Scrip, wwwmassivemastering.com. He does much of my stuff...awesome job and he should be able to come in under your budget. Depends on how long the record is. Frank __________________ Frank

31st March 2010	#19
GoesToEleven Gear interested Join Date: Mar 2010 Posts: 5	Wow. Just found this place. Crazy cool forum! What a resource! Have sent a projects to some of the big names in the past (Gateway, Mastering Lab)... But got really good results for a budget project from these guys: MAJOR LABEL Mastering on an INDIE BUDGET

31st March 2010	#20
eh91311 Gear maniac Join Date: May 2004 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 235	Since this thread got resurrected, for affordable mastering try Saff Mastering: Carl Saff: Mastering Engineer His style is something other than maximum level and moronic smash.

31st March 2010	#21
staticwhitesound Gear addict Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 449	I highly recommend getting in touch with Ollie Hammett, who works out of Mark Saunders' studio, RE-EQ: - BEAT360 Master Mixing: AFFORDABLE MIXING & MASTERING SOLUTIONS FOR INDEPENDENT ARTISTS/PRODUCERS & LABELS - Past clients include: The Cure, Neneh Cherry, Tricky, David Byrne, Depeche Mode, Cyndi Lauper, Shiny Toy Guns, The Sounds, A-Ha. They did a great job for my band and it came in way under your $1k limit for a full album. __________________ The Silence Kit : Indie rock / Post punk band

1st April 2010	#22
JeffSanders Gear addict Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Fairhaven, MA Posts: 326	Carl Saff at Carl Saff: Mastering Engineer is your man. He's a master, and his rates are perfect for indie artists. Check his myspace for a bunch of clients and comments from satisfied customers. __________________ http://www.mountainmirrors.com

1st April 2010	#23
Quint Lives for gear Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Austin, TX Posts: 1,567	Chicago Mastering Service Chicago Mastering Service--CD and Vinyl Mastering Facility in Chicago, IL

1st April 2010	#28
rfreeman Gear interested Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 9	Hans DeKline Sound Bites Dog } SOUND BITES DOG MASTERING { Great work, Great guy to work with.

2nd April 2010	#29
dobz Lives for gear Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 715	Just to throw another one in there Welcome to TurtleTone Studio, Your Audio Mastering Boutique Cheerio

2nd April 2010	#30
dysenterygary Lives for gear Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Central, IL Posts: 1,087	Some great links here guys!thumbsup

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