Bogus photos used by mastering studios

[NorseHorse]

I was just reading it, tried to reply, and it's GONE.

CONSPIRACY?!?!?!?!?!

[Adam Dempsey]

Good question. The photo that diskfaktory stole is still on diskfaktory's site.
Jay?

[Smash]

Hey Guys...

Just wanted to point out a little bit of blatant plagiarism...

If you go to:

DiskFaktory Mastering - Everything Musicians Need For Professional Audio CD Mastering

and also to:

DiskFaktory Mastering - Everything Musicians Need For Professional Audio CD Mastering

you will notice what looks like quite a well spec'd mastering suite. It is, unfortunately, the suite doesn't belong to Diskfactory, but rather a very well know and respected australian mastering company "Turtlerock"

You can check out the turtlerock website here:

Turtlerock Mastering

Check out turtlerock's extensive client list, and make the judgement for yourself where you think the original image came from.

Smash.

[jayfrigo]

Being looked into by admin. Let's leave it alone for the time being until we get a ruling...

bogus pic site
real studio site

[Jules]

I had an issue with the starting post (that was unrelated to any copied studio photos)

So I locked the thread.

The bogus use of photos is a known issue that seems to afect mastering studios offering unattended mastering work.

Carry on discussing that here by all means.

[24-96 Mastering]

and it was just getting interesting (for me) when John Scrip of Massive Mastering told me some company apparently used my studio for their site at some point...

Needless to say, I'm curious... can you elaborate, John?

[turtlerock]

of course its my studio they ripped but i am new here so i will sit on my hands
anybody got a better idea..?

[Jules]

Its possible to make web images 'unstealable'..

Its very hard for example to rip photos from flash websites..

Or so I thought..

Web designer experts correct me if I am wrong..

This seems to be a totally mastering specific problem, as a band turning up for a recording session would figure out pretty quickly that the web photos don't match the actual studio advertised. But with unattended mastering sessions, someone could use a bogus photo and just be using a Finalizer or T-racks.

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by Jules

Its possible to make web images 'unstealable'..

Its very hard for example to rip photos from flash websites..

Or so I thought..

Web designer experts correct me if I am wrong..

PrintScreen -> paste into any photo editing app -> done.

If it can be displayed, it can be stolen :(

[turtlerock]

surely there is a big difference in the kind of mind that grabs a picture from the web to look at it later ( all of us )
and the kind of mind that builds a business on a bogus studio shot

you should see some of the promo they have done with that image , i am just stupified !
does anybody know these guys ..? are they as popular as the world wide waste of time makes them look
( ie one of the 500 fastest growing companies in the usa..?)

[turtlerock]

oh yeah our last website was flash and a few years and an huge proaudio conference in india stole our mastering studio b promo shot for their conference cover shots
i cannot seem to get a break with this stuff
perhaps i should get a different photographer that shoots out of focus

[24-96 Mastering]

Same here ... My studio shot has been in pro audio publications on mastering articles a number of times without admission, once (that I know of) even as a full double page hook - without any mention of what studio it is or how it could be found.

On the one hand I feel flattered ... on the other hand it makes you wonder if the accompanying info that I usually demand to be printed next to the shot when the picture gets published would have resulted in some additional mastering sessions.

That's kinda like your music being distributed on Napster - without even mentioning your band in the file name... zero revenue, zero advertisement value.

Well, what's done is done.

Then again, having your work completely rebranded is even more annoying, I guess.

[Sunbreak Music]

All you can do is expose it when you find it or become aware of it.......

I (unfortunately) expect this kind of behavior from some, but find it over-the-top that a biz that actually has a legitimate side would do it.

[turtlerock]

you know i keep trying to be zen about all this
i know there is a bunch of real life wars going on around the world people are getting really hurt ...

then i boil over again and start looking around the house for a wacking stick

[jinksdingo]

I thought at first Rick had a new marketing site to attract the CD mailing clients at a bargain on line price.
But it looks like a guy with a computer and a magic plugin in San Diego knocked off your pic!

I enjoy your AT articles Rick! Keep up the good mag!

[jayfrigo]

I don't understand the thought process that makes people think it's OK to misrepresent their studio and steal an image of somebody who actually did all the work to build a real room. This is not an isolated incident unfortunately. It serves as a warning not to assume anything or believe everything you see on the internet. Scams are everywhere.

By the way, welcome to Rick and all from Turtlerock; sorry it was this nasty business that brought you here, but now that you're here, put your feet up, get comfy, and stay a while!

[MASSIVE Master]

Originally Posted by 24-96 Mastering

and it was just getting interesting (for me) when John Scrip of Massive Mastering told me some company apparently used my studio for their site at some point...

Needless to say, I'm curious... can you elaborate, John?

I could swear I contacted you about it... I could be wrong. At that point, the place in question ("guy" in question) had your photo and my gear list. I found out it was your place and my attorney included it in the brief. Luckily, just a phone call from my attorney got it all taken down. Then a while later, he had a photo of The Plant's room. Then, I was reading some article somewhere about how he "built his house around his mastering room" -- The photo was DiscMakers' old room and the gear list was a cross between much of mine, and a few goofy things like a Mercedes Benz convertible.

TURTLEROCK -- At the very least, you should call these [SELF-CENSORED]-heads up and pitch a fit. Who knows how many clients pulled the trigger after drooling all over that (very nice) shot.

It's crap like this that made me write that "Mastering Scams" article - I *still* get calls from "mastering studios" I've never heard of accusing me of talking about them in the article. Guilty consciences here and there I guess...

[24-96 Mastering]

Originally Posted by MASSIVE Master

I could swear I contacted you about it... I could be wrong. At that point, the place in question ("guy" in question) had your photo and my gear list. I found out it was your place and my attorney included it in the brief.

Very interesting... does anyone by any chance know if there is some program or online application that acts as a search engine for pictures/photos - not by file name but by visual content?

[MASSIVE Master]

A "Facial recognition system" of some sort... It would be cool...

Until then, watermarks.

[Drlove]

I love t-racks.

And I don't have to steal photos to get business. tutt

[LNerell]

Originally Posted by jayfrigo

Being looked into by admin. Let's leave it alone for the time being until we get a ruling...

bogus pic site
real studio site

Checking now it looks like the pulled the picture off their website.

[donsolo]

Originally Posted by Drlove

I love t-racks.

And I don't have to steal photos to get business. tutt

Opinions are like....

[turtlerock]

i woke up this morning with the hope that a bit of stirring around for a few days would have fixed this .
it has not oh well

diskfaktory.com have been well and truely informed that if they are the kind of business that thinks its ok to defraud its customers using our studio as a webfront to suck in customers then i will be only too happy to help them share the news

i wonder if should tell them know i write 2000 words about whatever is on my mind in widely read magazine every month and have a book coming out at christmas ( not saying which christmas but dont panic its not about mastering !)
and our studio Turtlerock featured in every major australian city newspaper this week because something we did was really newsworthy

nah - they are one of the 500 fastest growing companies in the usa
they must be too busy for little details

[heathen]

Originally Posted by turtlerock

oh yeah our last website was flash and a few years and an huge proaudio conference in india stole our mastering studio b promo shot for their conference cover shots
i cannot seem to get a break with this stuff
perhaps i should get a different photographer that shoots out of focus

Nah Rick, you just need an uglier studio, one which no-one would want to use the photo. Hmmmm that just would'nt work hey.

Seriously though the amount of work & money Rick has put into his facility is pretty mind blowing, when you walk into his place you know immediately it's a top class studio where no expense has been spared.

Then to know some clown has just copied photos onto his site would really give me the grumps.

Don't think zen Rick think medieval. Fire up the lathe and build that thumpin stick, you sure ya dont want a 4x4 beam of that Aussie hardwood from under my floors?

[Greg Reierson]

Originally Posted by turtlerock

of course its my studio they ripped but i am new here so i will sit on my hands
anybody got a better idea..?

Hell, your studio's so darn pretty I might just use that photo!
(just kiddin'...)

Welcome aboard!


GR

[turtlerock]

oh heathen we must have you fooled we spared lots of expense
just not on the important stuff
i am a mastering engineer - not a zillionaire

[heathen]

Originally Posted by turtlerock

oh heathen we must have you fooled we spared lots of expense
just not on the important stuff
i am a mastering engineer - not a zillionaire

Yeah well I did notice there is no bar or sauna.

[DSD_Mastering]

Originally Posted by jayfrigo

I don't understand the thought process that makes people think it's OK to misrepresent their studio and steal an image of somebody who actually did all the work to build a real room.

Because Jay.... "Real" rooms cost MONEY! As a mastering engineer I have hundreds of thousands just in the room build. What do plugins cost???

Regards,
Bruce

[turtlerock]

it seems they have pulled our image down on both sites
thanks to anybody who did anything .

now its it normal to get an apology for this sort of thing or do they just send cash ?

[Riccardo]

Originally Posted by turtlerock

it seems they have pulled our image down on both sites
thanks to anybody who did anything .

now its it normal to get an apology for this sort of thing or do they just send cash ?

Crates of beer maybe?