recommend good mastering in NYC

[Rea]

hi-
please recommend good mastering house in NYC that is not as pricy as sony, sterling etc but is still VERY good.

Thanks.

[lucey]

Rea, there are a couple of guys that hang out in the Mastering Forum at R/E/P

They're all very good.

[drew]

Originally Posted by Rea

hi-
please recommend good mastering house in NYC that is not as pricy as sony, sterling etc but is still VERY good.

Thanks.

I've used Joe Lambert @ Classic Sound many times and his work is very good.

[Musiclab]

Originally Posted by drew

I've used Joe Lambert @ Classic Sound many times and his work is very good.

Joe was Scott Hull's assistant, Scott just moved over to jigsaw sound. He is not good, he's great, he's done everyone from Steely Dan to John Mayer, to Garbage.
At jigsaw he should be able to do a break on the rate.
You can email him at scott@scotthullmastering.com. If you want a number
email me at themusiclab@optonline.net

[Jan Folkson]

Scott's mastered several project that I've been involved with and always did a great job. I've also had great experiences with Joe Yannece at the Hit Factory who's now over at Classic Sound.

Good luck.

[Thermionic]

I would second Brian's suggestion for posting a query at the Mastering Forum on REP: http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/f/31/0

edit: For some reason I thought it was vinyl mastering... Doh!


Cheers,
Justin

[wwittman]

Have you spoken with Sterling about their After Hours program?

They've made it work for very limited budgets for many people.
And you're still getting some very talented mastering people with top end equipment and monitoring.

They're not at all unaware of the budgets indie producers have to work with.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by Rea

hi-
please recommend good mastering house in NYC that is not as pricy as sony, sterling etc but is still VERY good.

Thanks.

What does not pricy mean?


Also what kind of music?

[shikawkee]

Try AT Michael McDonald of Algoryhthms or Kevin Hodge of the Master Cutting Room.

[lucidproduction]

If your looking for an analog mastering facility, most are going to be pricey [I doubt you'd find anything for less than $600 - $700 per album and that is the extreme low end of the spectrum].

Digital mastering you can get done much more cheaply, but it's often hit and miss [there are lot's of people out there who don't know what they're doing].

If you want a basic digital mastering job that deals with EQ, compression, level, song spacing, etc. I do that type of work on very high end monitors [Devore Fidelity 7.1's] in a well tuned room [and A-B it on lower fidelity equipment to test it's transferability]. It's not as nice as an analog chain, but it does the job for a lot less money. I'll do what you ask & I'll fix anything you don't like for free [within reason, of course].

I'm located in Williamsburg. Contact me if you are interested in listening to samples and getting a price quote: noxes@verizon.net .

[Rea]

Thanks for all your responses!

the project is produced and mixed by me for israel's top rock singer.
Thrill- the album goes, it terms of music styles, from a "sonic-youth guitar wall" thing to a machine based trip-hop kindda thing to an old 60's motown meets beatles thing etc.
in other words it a multi stylistic album.

basic tracks recorded in a high end dstudio on 2" than transferd to digital to continue manipulation and editing.

the original mastering budget was 5k but due to album sales crisis in israel these days was cut sown to 1.5k tops.

main thing is that it has to be dont between the 14th-16th of march...

does this narrow ideas down?

thanks again guys.
thumbsup

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by Rea

Thanks for all your responses!

the project is produced and mixed by me for israel's top rock singer.
Thrill- the album goes, it terms of music styles, from a "sonic-youth guitar wall" thing to a machine based trip-hop kindda thing to an old 60's motown meets beatles thing etc.
in other words it a multi stylistic album.

basic tracks recorded in a high end dstudio on 2" than transferd to digital to continue manipulation and editing.

the original mastering budget was 5k but due to album sales crisis in israel these days was cut sown to 1.5k tops.

main thing is that it has to be dont between the 14th-16th of march...

does this narrow ideas down?

thanks again guys.
thumbsup

Wow 1.5K huh?


That will take you out of the running for a lot of the guys mentioned.


NYC mastering right now is at the extremes.


You have the top guys who are booked months in advance and command top prices.


And then you have the guys with DAW's and NS10's that do it for real cheap, but the quality lacks.


Emily Lazar was the person for a while for mid level mastering but she's kinda moved up the ladder.

The only person that comes to mind that i can recommend for your budget that may do it is Nathan james who was at the Hit Factory mastering.

I just don't know where he has gone to now.

[jumpnyc]

Absolute Audio - Ask for Fred - great ears, gear, and a great p thumbsup rice.

[wwittman]

Sterling After Hours has been known to do it for that.
Call them and tell them your budget is 1500 all in, and that you need X number of refs and the mastering.

They'll make it work.

[Rea]

the options i have now are -
doing it with a better guy in an unattended (by me) session,
or with, say Sterling afterhours, with a less experienced guy but attended by me.

what's your opinions?

thanks so much all!

[wwittman]

"less experienced guy" is misleading.

Ue Nastasi, for example did a record for me last spring.. he's a VERY experienced and talented guy... probably as much so as any of the 'cheaper but you can come to the session' guys... and Ue is one of the After Hours people available.


Unless you NEED to attend (because there is something tricky you need to do) I would think you could talk to them and explain what you want and any specifics you need.
Then phone in corrections after you've heard the ref but before the parts get shipped.

[PRobb]

I second the recommendation for Kevin Hoge at Master Cutting room. I've used him a few times and always been happy with the results.

[DirkB]

1.5k should get you an experienced guy in a good room with some analog equipment easily. I'd post on Brad Blackwoods forum and I'll bet you have them crawling over you to do it...

Good luck,
Dirk

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by DirkB

1.5k should get you an experienced guy in a good room with some analog equipment easily. I'd post on Brad Blackwoods forum and I'll bet you have them crawling over you to do it...

Good luck,
Dirk

If its a 12-15 song project a 1.5K mastering session averages out to about $150 a song.

That's not a lot for the experienced mastering engineers.

Especially for someone with a reputation.

Its the nature of the business.

The more popular you get, the more you charge.

[lucey]

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

If its a 12-15 song project a 1.5K mastering session averages out to about $150 a song.

That's not a lot for the experienced mastering engineers.

Especially for someone with a reputation.

Its the nature of the business.

The more popular you get, the more you charge.

I think "experienced" and "famous" should not be confused ...

Many "famous" engineers smash by default ... many "famous" engineers must charge high to indys to keep the majors paying the big bills.

Many "experienced" engineers will make a better sounding record for less money.

This also is the nature of the business today.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by lucey

I think "experienced" and "famous" should not be confused ...

Many "famous" engineers smash by default ... many "famous" engineers must charge high to indys to keep the majors paying the big bills.

Many "experienced" engineers will make a better sounding record for less money.

This also is the nature of the business today.

I don't know the famous one's that do by default, only if they are told.

And i've worked with a couple.


All were not only humble,gracious and humorous as people, but great at their craft.


Very not the nature of a typical "famous"person.

[84K]

Originally Posted by wwittman

Sterling After Hours has been known to do it for that.
Call them and tell them your budget is 1500 all in, and that you need X number of refs and the mastering.

They'll make it work.

I was going to suggest the same thing....

Here is the link:

http://sterlingsound.com/ah

Best Of Luck. You should have many options in NYC.

[Rea]

Anyone knows Alan Duches?

i understand that he, like Steve Albini with whom i worked, are fighting against the elitism that leaves the indies in poor hands...
and charge affordable prices for top work.

any thoughts?

[lucey]

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

I don't know the famous one's that do by default, only if they are told.

oh sure they do, it's a professional habit, a signature sound for Sterling and many others.

once the R/E/P is back up i'll find you a recent link ...

[Rea]

Originally Posted by lucey

oh sure they do, it's a professional habit, a signature sound for Sterling and many others.

once the R/E/P is back up i'll find you a recent link ...

i do not understand. can you explain?

thanks.

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by lucey

oh sure they do, it's a professional habit, a signature sound for Sterling and many others.

once the R/E/P is back up i'll find you a recent link ...

Every mastering engineer i've ever worked with put some digital limiting on the end(Ludwig,Brian Gardner,Scott Hull,Herb Powers,Ted Jensen and Tom Coyne).


I've worked with Ted Jensen and Tom Coyne at Sterling.

Both were great and gracious.

Both asked me specifically if the overall level of the master was important to me.

Also did it need to competitive level wise with other CD's in the genre?

I gave them my feedback and asked their opinions.

We worked with it together.

If it was too drastic and changed the sound overall, i instructed them to pull it back.

They agreed and were happy that i got involved and helped them make decisions.

Both are gracious,humourous and make you feel they are excited to work on your projects.

I think all of the top guys were like this.

They never make you feel small or insignificant, but they are honored to work with you on it.


I've heard other projects that i've mixed as part of a compilation with different guys mixing, where the master was flatlined to distortion.

These weren't my projects.

They were done by other name guys over there.

I don't blame them but the executive producer and said artist.

They pushed for the level and they got a lousy sounding record.

[lucey]

Originally Posted by thethrillfactor

Every mastering engineer i've ever worked with put some digital limiting on the end(Ludwig,Brian Gardner,Scott Hull,Herb Powers,Ted Jensen and Tom Coyne).
(ed)


They (others) pushed for the level and they got a lousy sounding record.

that's good news.

yet you were present ... and i'm talking about real stories of unattended sessions that were set to stun.

it happens.




On second thought ... that's NOT good news.

#1 They defined "competitive" as loud and set up a fear of falling short
#2 Most mixing engineers are not present to protest or co-create, as you were
#3 Most people will cave to the famous MEs recommendation and if they have no recommendation except the modern (read: overkill) trend, they're not serving music.

If they define modern competitive as being lacking in any punch and being distorted with square waves ... and they default to this, then who's to blame?

Right .. the artist.

Everything is the artists fault on this board! First it's their fault for poor songwriting, then it's the loud mastering too!

When does the A+R and the ME and the label head get any responsibility? They do own everything after all.


The guys you mentioned could be beginning the mastering at modest volumes and seeing if you protest, reather than leading you to believe that to be modern is to slam it, right?

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by lucey

that's good news.

yet you were present ... and i'm talking about real stories of unattended sessions that were set to stun.

it happens.




On second thought ... that's NOT good news.

#1 They defined "competitive" as loud
#2 Most mixing engineers are not present to protest
#3 Most people will cave to the famous MEs recommendation and if they have none, they are not serving music.

If they define modern competitive as being lacking in any punch and being distorted with square waves ... then who's to blame?

Right .. the artist.

Everything is the artists fault on this board! First it's their fault for poor songwriting, then it's the loud mastering too!

When does the A+R and the ME and the label head get any responsibility? They do own everything after all.


The guys you mentioned could be beginning the mastering at modest volumes and seeing if you protest, reather than leading you to believe that to be modern is to slam it, right?

The word competitive is in comparison to what's out there.

Most CD's out there are blown to bits and when everyone walks through the door requesting the same it becomes the norm.

Lucey, believe me left to their own devices and preferences they wouldn't hit the final level so much.

Tom Coyne's work i respect and admire and i've had discussions with him on the subject.

What i admire and learned most from all of the top mastering guys is their appreciation and love for all kinds of music.

Mixing can make you very tunnel visioned at times.

It can become more about the technical aspects than about the music.

The best mastering guys bring the love of listening and enjoying the music back.

That's why they got into and they make you feel it.

I think for this alone and the relationships you build, its a great idea to attend a mastering session if you are working with someone for the first time.

That way the mastering engineer gets a feel for your likes and dislikes, your shortcomings technically(mixing/producing skills and monitoring) and you get to decide if this is a person you can work with in the future(personality wise).

This makes it much easier to send a project in the future and not have to attend it knowing that they will not butcher your project.

Now if you don't attend its "Caveat Emptor".

[thethrillfactor]

Originally Posted by lucey

#1 They defined "competitive" as loud and set up a fear of falling short
own everything after all.

One last thing on this subject, i did a project a while back mastered by Bob Katz which i did not attend and he asked me the same thing over the phone.

He also went to explain how much he could and finding a middle ground for what's best for the project.

[lucey]

You should bring your experiences with Tom and with them all over to BBs forum as there is more of the opposite experience and a good discussion going at all times. MEs want to blame artists, yet there are many stories of stun settings as a norm at the highest levels, and on music that you wouldn't think needed it anyway. All this billed by the hour.

Although we agree, mastering is all about enjoying and enhancing the big picture thumbsup