Does this exist? Mastering at $50/song or less?

[copperx]

I'm looking for a lot of bang-for-the buck in mastering, and I don't even know if it's even possible ...

I'm looking to master individual songs (not albums), and the max amount the clients can pay is about $50/song. Do you know of any MEs doing this?

Of course, I'm looking for a ME with something more than a L2 and a C4 ... I know there's a LOT of guys doing mastering as low as $15/song with cracked plugz tutt .

Are there any MEs with only ONE great monitor system, ONE set of stereo D/A converters, ONE good analog or digital EQ and ONE good analog compressor?

[tomwehrle]

50/song seems waaay to cheap, I mean, just getting the session up in pro tool labeled and stuff, you're looking at probably an hour just for that...you get what you pay for most the times, and for 50 bucks for a mixdown, I wouldn't expect much

[AdamJay]

joemeekfreak,
it doesnt sound to me like a multitrack job though.

just stereo mastering. "polishing" a track, and making sure that the dynamics of that particular track fits into A) other already mastered tracks by that Artist, and B) tracks in the same genre/vein of that artist.

i'd personally be able to offer this once i got my SSL 4000 hardware comp back (using Lynx Aurora conversion, and Tannoy System and Precision series monitors). However i have no idea when the SSL will be in my hands... could be 3 weeks, or 3 months. I suppose i could my TFPRO P10, but i'd honestly rather not.

[natpub]

Maybe try posted the question here:



http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/ind...63d299e692fb59










.

[DivineMusic]

i've used Rodney mills masterhouse before and actually have another session setup with them in 2 weeks to do 4 song for one of my artist.
the quality and experiance they have over there vs the price makes you really think but its legit and they do a good job . now if your mix sucks you mix sucks.. your just polishing a turd..lol

[Axiz7]

Originally Posted by DivineMusic

i've used Rodney mills masterhouse before and actually have another session setup with them in 2 weeks to do 4 song for one of my artist.
the quality and experiance they have over there vs the price makes you really think but its legit and they do a good job . now if your mix sucks you mix sucks.. your just polishing a turd..lol

Divine,

What'd you get charged, $15/ minute seems cheap...per the web site.

...Looks like Rodney's done some top of the line acts over the years.

[blackcatdigi]

There are TONS and I do mean TONS of folks doing 'mastering' in that price range. Seems to be where a lot of people turn after the $25 an hour 'recording studio' doesn't prove so profitable.

But there are guys doing respectable work in that price range.


BTW- Looks like Rodney raised his rates (used to be $10 per minute of material). No slight against him as he does fine work, but AFAIK his BIG credits are engineering, not mastering. But he's a great guy with great ears, and you could do a-heck-uv-a-lot worse...

Good Luck.

[copperx]

That's what I was looking for, something like Rodney's Masterhouse ...

Thank you ... any other suggestions?

BTW, if you look in the credits of Pearl Jam's "Yield" it says it was mastered by Rodney. Excellent sounding record.

[Kris]

Check out the basic package here... http://www.drtmastering.com

[Velvetfreddy]

You could maybe get in the ballpark with Jim DeMain at Yes Master in Nashville. He is truly great, easy to work with and has some real gear.

[mitgong]

Originally Posted by DivineMusic

i've used Rodney mills masterhouse before and actually have another session setup with them in 2 weeks to do 4 song for one of my artist.
the quality and experiance they have over there vs the price makes you really think but its legit and they do a good job . now if your mix sucks you mix sucks.. your just polishing a turd..lol

Rodney has done fine work for me, as well.

[DivineMusic]

Originally Posted by Axiz7

Divine,

What'd you get charged, $15/ minute seems cheap...per the web site.

...Looks like Rodney's done some top of the line acts over the years.

yea $15per recorded minute

[area51recording]

Originally Posted by Kris

Check out the basic package here... http://www.drtmastering.com

Big second for DRT! Dave Torrey has done some excellent work for me on several albums and I recommend him highly.

[warhead]

I've heard work from Rodney Mills that a friend brought to him to have done in Atlanta, he certainly deserves props. My buddy saw his mastering chain, and there was a Behringer box in there! A lot of other stuff too though.

War

[DivineMusic]

Originally Posted by warhead

I've heard work from Rodney Mills that a friend brought to him to have done in Atlanta, he certainly deserves props. My buddy saw his mastering chain, and there was a Behringer box in there! A lot of other stuff too though.

War

i'll be down there on the 21st this month... if its cool wit him i'll take pics

mitgong, rodney and his ppl are cool and they know what they're doing. the best thing is they like for the artist and engineer to sit in on the mastering session.

[s.d.finley]

A buddy of mine is the ME @ Digital Services in H-town, $200 an hour and he can do 4 songs in an hour, which meets your budget.

They use Sequioa on a PC, and a bunch of outboard, Crane Song, Focusrite Blue EQ, M3000, and more.....

And, he does great work...


rock

sdf

[copperx]

Originally Posted by area51recording

Big second for DRT! Dave Torrey has done some excellent work for me on several albums and I recommend him highly.

Interesting ... I had seen his site before but I thought he wasn't for real. I didn't believe that he had designed and built his own custom EQ, compressor and converters; I just thought he was trying to hide his gear. That made me wonder, plus the music samples he has on his website didn't make say "wow that sounds great!", (I mean, for a ME with custom designed gear). Turned out to be my fault: at that time my monitoring system was really lousy.

I'll take another look ...

[bmanic]

He seems to have lots of interesting stuff to say without actually saying anything, about his "custom gear" that is. However, when I got to this line at his site:

"The secondary stereo monitor I use the most is the Mackie HR824. It's verifiably more accurate than most speakers at ten times it's price, THX certified, with excellent bass for a small system. It is widely used in studios, so its a common point of reference."

.. I kind of stopped taking the guy seriously and began worrying that he might not really have what it takes to be a top mastering enginer (EDIT: then again, he might use the mackies as a "crap reference", like NS-10's which would explain it better).

Just my 2 cents not worth a damn!
bManic

[Lagerfeldt]

Originally Posted by bmanic

"The secondary stereo monitor I use the most is the Mackie HR824. It's verifiably more accurate than most speakers at ten times it's price, THX certified, with excellent bass for a small system. It is widely used in studios, so its a common point of reference."

Personally I don't like the Mackie HR824 but it's his 2nd monitor, and some MEs actually like the 824 as 2nd monitor. But then again many MEs don't have any 2nd monitors since you don't need them in mastering like you do in mixing situations.

I use main monitors ADAM S2.5A, soon switching to Klein + Hummel, and for "crap" reference (actually hi-fi reference) I use Blueroom Minipods. I also have some small PC speakers that is the one the most sold brands in the world (sold under different names), and therefore very useful for referencing.

[Folkynewey]

Dave St.Onge at DMS Audio in Upstate New York does a great job, and at great prices too. Check out www.dmsproductions.net.

[Kris]

All the b.s. about DRT ... if you haven't heard his work or used him, or seen his studio then why comment? He does great work... twice I've sent test masters to him and also to other well known mastering engineers for a comparison, and both times I went with DRT. just my $.02 ...

[area51recording]

For myself i could give a sh*t less what he uses (DRT).... I cound'nt care less what his signal chain is, or what his 2nd or 22nd set of monitors is... or what kind of esspresso he drinks or wether he's a dog or a cat guy... all I know is I've sent him several projects to master, with stuff that's all over the map, jam band, heavy, blues band, jazz, and the guy always sends me back something that sounds great and puts a big smile on the client's face. To me that's the final arbiter. Yeah I know this is Gearslutz and all, but really I don't care if the guy uses a boombox and Rat Shack speakers if what he sends me back works! It's in the ears Mon.....

[Glenn Kuras]

Originally Posted by copperx

That's what I was looking for, something like Rodney's Masterhouse ...

Thank you ... any other suggestions?

BTW, if you look in the credits of Pearl Jam's "Yield" it says it was mastered by Rodney. Excellent sounding record.

I have sent a lot of stuff to Rodney and he does a outstanding job... In fact I did a demo for a band that got signed and they remastered it with some guy out in LA... I think they spent $1500.00 for 6 songs. Well to make a long story short Rodney's stuff hands down sounded much better..

Now with that said there are a lot of people that are outstanding also.. Massive Mastering comes to mind..

Glenn

[Snatchman]

Originally Posted by Kris

Check out the basic package here... http://www.drtmastering.com

I've used DRT Mastering often. Does great work! Big sound too!... thumbsup

[lucey]

Originally Posted by s.d.finley

A buddy of mine is the ME @ Digital Services in H-town, $200 an hour and he can do 4 songs in an hour, which meets your budget.

We charge $80/song or $160/hr. and can, if you want a quickie, do 4 in an hour. I'd much prefer 2-3 an hour, but whatever you need ...


If you want really, really cheap it's out there ... got an email from a place for $25/song just today ... Black Dog in Fla. ... no idea what they can do, however.

[DivineMusic]

got 2 songs done by rodney mills 2 days ago and they sound awesome. i'm rahter impressed. he with out a doubt knows his craft he just doesn't feel he has to charge a bunch.
his mixing price is like $100-120hr though

[tedcrop]

Send them my way I will do it for a mcdonalds chesseburger. I will do a whole album. I will do a whole ablum for mastered to vynil, which is coming back for a 20 piece mcnugget and a triple quarter pounder.

[funkynuts]

This months Sound On Sound magazine has an article on online mastering featuring a few reputable places with good gear and prices starting at around £40 a track.

[Kris]

Yes, lucey does nice work too...