RATES
Mastering is charged in UK Sterling (Pounds):
Stereo Mastering : £40.00 per track
Includes uploads of tracks in 16 bit or 24 bit 44,100 Khz WAV. MP3 and other formats can also be provided should you require them. Please specify requirements for any additional formats upfront, they are charged at an additional £5 per track.
Payment is to be paid by Transferwise, bank transfer or Paypal before delivery of the final master(s).
STEREO MASTERING
For CD and Digital Distribution
MIX APPRAISALS
Feedback on your mix
Need some advice on your mix? Want a fresh pair of ears to evaluate your track?
A full mix appraisal service is offered for just £25 a track
Includes a detailed report on frequency and mix balance, a summary identifying any arrangement / mixing issues, and proposed improvements or solutions.
CD AUTHORING
For Audio Compact Disc
Duplication and Replication
DDP (Disc Description Protocol) authoring is just £40 per disc and is recommended over a hard master copy on CD.
DDP delivery is arguably a safer means to get your CD master to the record label or pressing plant. It allows for the transfer of a digital file over the net which is less error prone, avoids postage costs and reduces the time to arrive at the label / pressing plant.
STUDIO
ADY CONNOR
Mastering Engineer
Ady has been a musician his entire life, learning piano from age 6 and performing and touring as both a classical percussionist in chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras as well as a drummer for Jazz, Rock, Big Band and Metal bands in his teens and early twenties.
Moving into DJing techno in the nineties and progressing into audio production around the turn of the century, Ady is a highly regarded electronic music producer in his own right.
Best known for his Scorb project, He has played headline slots at many leading festivals around the world, including Glade (UK), Psyfi (Netherlands) and Boom Festival (Portugal). The past decade has seen him play numerous events in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, Turkey and of course the UK.
He co-owns and runs the UK electronic music label Trick Music, is a tester and preset contributor for DMG Audio DSP plugins and is also a creative partner and post production consultant for the Birmingham based company Boutique Recording.
The TRK Studio is a fully calibrated and acoustically treated listening environment.
We have researched and invested in the finest tools to maximise audio quality and integrity. This is an ongoing process and new tools and processors are auditioned and evaluated as they become available.
Monitoring:
PMC IB1S Passive Loudspeakers
Hypex UCD400HG with HxR Mono blocks
Lynx Hilo ADC / DAC conversion
Dynaudio Acoustics BM6A Mark I
Sennheiser HD600 Reference Headphones
Focal Spirit Pro Studio Headphones
Sonarworx Systemwide Headphone and Speaker Calibration
Van Damme Cabling and Neutrik Connectors
Analog Processing:
PH1 Stereo VCA Hardware Compressor:
TRK Mastering Edition
Custom built analog VCA compressor based
on the architecture of the SSL 4000 G series bus compressor. Features additional side chain functions including API Thrust filters and modified ratio and timing circuits.
Lynx Hilo Conversion System ADC / DAC
Van Damme Cabling and Neutrik Connectors
Acoustic Treatment:
Auralex Venus Bass traps x3
Auralex 4" Pyramid panels x2
Auralex Sonoflat Panels x20
Auralex Lenrd Bass Traps x10
Auralex Q-Fuser Diffusion panels x2
Auralex DST Panel
RS45 Superchunk Corner Traps
RS45 Midband Absorbtion Panels x12
Digital Audio Workstations:
Apple Mac Mini Quadcore i7 2.3Ghz
Presonus Studio One Professional v2 & 3
Ableton Live 9.7
HOFA CD Burn & DDP Maker
Audacity v2
Equalisation:
DMG Audio Equilibrium
TDRVOS Slick EQ GE & ME Edition
Melda Production MDynamic EQ
PSP E27
Analysis:
DMG Audio Dualism
DMG TrackMeter
Klanghelm VUMT
Keilworth Vengeance Audio Scope
HOFA Analyzer 2
Stereo Processing & Imaging:
DMG Audio Dualism
DMG Audio TrackControl
Exponential Audio Phoenix
Valhalla Room
Valhalla Shimmer
Vahalla Vintage Verb
Valhalla Ubermod
Dynamics Processing:
DMG Audio Compassion
DMG Audio Essence
DMG Audio Limitless
DMG Audio Expurgate
DMG Audio TrackComp
DMG Audio Multiplicity
Acustica Pink 2 Bundle
Acustica Violet Vari Mu Compressor
Acustica Magenta 44 Bundle
Acustica El Rey Compressor
Kush Novatron Compressor
Fuse Audio Labs VCL-25A
Waves API2500 Compressor
Slate Virtual Bus Compressors Bundle
Waves Linear Phase Multiband Compressor
Cytomic The Glue Compressor
TDR Kotelnikov Mastering Compressor GE Edition
Klanghelm DC8C II Compressor
Klanghelm MJUC Compressor
TDR Limiter No 6 GE Edition
Kazrog KClip
SIR Audio Tools Standard Clip
Voxengo Elephant Limiter v4
Saturation & Colouration:
Elysia Karacter
Sony Oxford Inflator
Studio Devil Virtual Tube Preamp
U-he Satin Tape Simulator
Kazrog True Iron
Waves Rennaisance RBass
Acustica PINK2 Bundle
Vertigo VSM-3
Klanghelm SDRR Saturator
Acustica Nebula v3 & 4- Various Libraries
Other Processing:
Oeksound Soothe
Oeksound Spiff
Acustica Audio Nebula Pro v3 & v4
Native Instruments Komplete 11 Bundle
Izotope RX Plugins Pack
Izotope RX Audio Editor
TB Essentials Bundle
SoX Sample Rate Conversion
TRK STUDIO
Hardware & Software
ARTISTS & LABELS
A selection of the artists and labels
Mastered at TRK
ARTISTS
Absolum
Alienn
Altus
Ajja
Android Spirit
Antispin
Aphid Moon
Artifakt
Assimilon
Bunker Jack
Burn in Noise
Brainiac
Brain Driver
Brainwash
Breathead
Broken Toy
Chromatone
Contineum
Cylon
Cyrus the Virus
Deliriant
Deviant Species
Digital Talk
Dickster
Diksha
Disco Volante
Drip Drop
D-ther
Earthling
Earthspace
Earworm
Endeavour
Everblast
Evil Oil Man
Escape
Filterheads
Fungus Funk
Gaspard
Grouch
Hedflux
Helber Gun
Hypnoacoustics
Hypnoise
Illegal Machines
Illiuchina
Ingrained Instincts
Kabayun
Karmacrop
Khopat
KIM
Locked Locker
Lost & Found
ManMadeMan
Mechanimal
Module Virus
Mutaliens
Octognoma
Olmec
Omega Flight
Orzels Machine
Outer Signal
Phibian
Principals of Flight
Psymmetrix
Random
Rob Savage
Rubix Qube
Savage Circuit
Scorb
Shift
Sidhartha
Simon Patterson
Sinerider
Sonic Species
Southwild
Spec3
Spectra Sonics
Stereoxide
Stretch
Sub Zero
Squid Inc
Tantrix
Tickets
Thick as Thievez
Total Eclipse
Tron
Tryambaka
Tryon
Twisted System
Waio
Virtual Light
X-Side
Yab Yum
Z3RO
Zion Linguist
And many more.....
LABELS
24:7 Records (Austria)
Believe Lab (Italy)
BMSS (France)
Catalyst Records (Mexico)
Digital Om (India)
Fractal Records (Switzerland)
Grasshopper Records (Japan)
Last Possible Solution (UK)
Luminus Music (UK)
Magic Phangan (Thailand)
MMD Records (South Africa)
Mutagen Records (UK)
IONO (Germany)
One Foot Groove (Portugal)
Pixan (Italy)
Psylab (Germany)
Replicant Records (Australia)
Sangoma Records (South Africa)
Supernova (Mexico)
Timecode Records (South Africa)
Terror Lab Industries (Japan)
Trick Music (UK)
Universal Tribe Records (Australia)
Wild Things (UK)
Zenon (Australia)
Zero1 Music (Spain)
TESTIMONIALS
“Wow man - thank you so much! I'm pleased to say that out of the 5 masters I received back, yours definitely sounded the best.
Not only that, but the level of service you provided was miles above and beyond anything that anybody else did. Not only did you recognise and correct or point-out the (unintentional) glitches in the mix, but your report was quite simply the most attentive, detailed and useful feedback I've ever had on my music.
Nobody else gave me any feedback on the music or the mix, and they all missed the glitches! :)
So pat yourself on the back bro, you are officially the mayor of master-town! :D ”
Steve Young (Hedflux - Luminus Music)
01
"Thanks for the masters they are really solid, I'm really happy with it"
Julian Fougea - Digital Talk / Stretch (France)
02
"I was very happy with the masters and I will most definitely use your services for my album!"
Gerhard Oliver - Lost and Found (South Africa)
03
"Top notch mastering. More than happy with the results on my tracks and without doubt Ady's experience makes a difference.
Very professional and full of good advice it's really a pleasure to work with him to finalise my work."
Sylvain Cornut - Brain Driver (France)
04
"I think first off this is the best master I've gotten from anyone so far, very pleasing to the ears..."
Thanks for the masters, they're really kickass! I have taken a lot of tracks out of my live set actually because of the mastering in the past.. these ones are awesome.. best tracks in my set for sure!"
Diether Verheyen - D-ther (Belgium)
TESTIMONIALS
“Wow man - thank you so much! I'm pleased to say that out of the 5 masters I received back, yours definitely sounded the best.
Not only that, but the level of service you provided was miles above and beyond anything that anybody else did. Not only did you recognise and correct or point-out the (unintentional) glitches in the mix, but your report was quite simply the most attentive, detailed and useful feedback I've ever had on my music.
Nobody else gave me any feedback on the music or the mix, and they all missed the glitches! :)
So pat yourself on the back bro, you are officially the mayor of master-town! :D ”
Steve Young (Hedflux / Luminus Music - UK)
"Thanks for the masters they are really solid, I'm really happy with it"
Julian Fougea - Digital Talk / Stretch (France)
"I was very happy with the masters and I will most definitely use your services for my album!"
Gerhard Oliver - Lost and Found (South Africa)
"Top notch mastering. More than happy with the results on my tracks and without doubt Ady's experience makes a difference.
Very professional and full of good advice it's really a pleasure to work with him to finalise my work."
Sylvain Cornut - Brain Driver (France)
"I think first off this is the best master I've gotten from anyone so far, very pleasing to the ears..."
Thanks for the masters, they're really kickass! I have taken a lot of tracks out of my live set actually because of the mastering in the past.. these ones are awesome.. best tracks in my set for sure!"
Diether Verheyen - D-ther (Belgium)
"I took Ady up on his Mix Appraisal Service for a track that I was struggling with. He broke it down into areas to improve the mixdown and gave me arrangement ideas and general tips.
Each recommendation was detailed, easy to follow and as such he's helped turn my track from an ok track into a great sounding track.
A massive thumbs up from me, I will definitely be coming back for the final mastering treatment."
Derren - Omega Flight (UK)
CONTACT TRK MASTERING
For more information or to discuss any special requirements, simply fill out the form and we will get back to you as soon as we can.
+44 (0) 7923 648 128
MASTERING FAQ
Q: What is Audio Mastering?
A: Audio Mastering is the final stage of production that prepares your music or audio for the outside world. Whether your music is intended for a compact disc release, digital distribution or for other media, this is the last chance to ensure that it is free from errors and is balanced to ensure a consistent sound over a wide range of playback systems.
For albums, eps and compilations, it is also the stage at which tracks are correctly balanced to sit together in terms of both volume and frequency content. Track fades and spacing may be applied with the aim to provide a satisfying and cohesive listening experience.
Q: How should I get my unmastered files to you?
A: 24 bit resolution WAV or AIFF is best but 32 bit is great too. Sampling rates of 44100khz up to 96000khz are preferred. Please avoid using lossy formats such as MP3, Ogg or WMA etc. as they will not give optimal results.
Please ensure that your mix does not exceed 0dB (no clipping) and remove any processing from the master channel. If you are using a bus compressor on the master channel that is intrinsic to the sound you are going for then feel free to leave it on and consider sending both a version with and without the compression.
Please feel free to send files via an ftp link, an internet file hosting service such as Sprend, or alternatively you could use a cloud storage service such as Dropbox. The email address to send links to is ady@trkmastering.co.uk
Please get in touch if you have any questions about how best to prepare your files.
Q: How long will the Mastering take?
A: This can depend on a number of factors, including the amount of work the job requires, the number of tracks involved and also workload. After we have checked the premasters, we'll let you know how long we expect the work will take. If you have any concerns or a pressing deadline then please make it known and if at all possible you will be accommodated.
Q: What can I expect to achieve with Mastering?
A: Mastering is first and foremost an opportunity for a fresh pair of ears to assess the sonic integrity of your mix in an accurate listening environment with great monitoring. Pops, clicks and noise that you may not have noticed can be picked up on and addressed with either processing or bringing it to your attention for making adjustments in the mix before resending the file. Sometimes feedback on improvements can be made before any mastering is done in an effort to achieve superior results. The frequency balance and dynamics can be shaped to add a professional finish that adds that final gloss and sheen ensuring your music sounds as good as it possibly can. The perceived loudness and density of the music can be increased to give a greater sense of power if that is what is needed or desired.The bottom line is that mastering can take a mix to the next level. A good mix can make a great master. However, if there are severe issues that should have been addressed at the mixing stage then mastering will not necessarily be able to fix it without introducing compromises. In these cases suggestions to improve the mix may be made rather than attempting to master the music as it is.
Q: What is Stem mastering, and why are there no prices for this service?
A: It has become more fashionable lately for many mastering studios to offer stem mixing/mastering. In regular stereo mastering, the mix is recorded to a single stereo file. In stem mixing/mastering however, the mix might be split into several files, such as one for kick, bass, leads, atmospheres and FX, or vocals, guitars, drums and keyboards etc. When played back and mixed together, these tracks, or stems, sum together to recreate the final mix.
Whilst Stem mastering affords the mastering engineer more flexibility and options to correct problems and / or selectively enhance elements with less compromises, it also has some very clear disadvantages to regular stereo mastering:
1. It is more expensive as it requires more work, more time downloading and checking files, and more internet bandwidth and archive storage.
2. It takes creative decisions out of the artist/producers hands and can potentially alter the original intention of the music which may or may not be in keeping with the artists vision.
3. Once approved, the client/artist doesn't actually have the corrected / final mix in their possession in their software of choice and with their own tools.
4. If a track has balance issues, the artist doesn't gain as much insight into what the mix required as when given feedback for changing the mix themselves, and resubmitting a revised mix.
So, whilst providing stem mixing/mastering services is entirely possible, it is preferred as a last resort for problem solving than as a default mastering solution. Mix feedback and correction at the client's end is preferred.
If you are interested in stem mastering, it is charged to order and is based on the price of a regular stereo master, plus an additional £10 per stem.
Q: What if I am not happy with the results?
A: Unlimited revisions (within reason) are offered until you are completely satisfied. We want you to be 100% happy that your music has reached it's full sonic potential.