Joining the Studios 301 team in 2022, Laura comes from a bookings, communications and events background and started her journey into music writing gig reviews and features whilst working for some of the biggest festivals and clubs in Sydney back in the early 2000s.
With a strong passion for events and the music industry, Laura has worked across a variety of sectors within the music, arts and travel industries and curates local parties for the Sydney Street Dance scene.
There has been a great deal of discussion about target loudness for streaming services recently, particularly in relation to Spotify. This can be problematic for the mastering process, so let’s break it down from a mastering perspective.
Spotify specifies it ‘volume normalises’ all music on the platform to -14 LUFS (measured by ReplayGain as an approximation of LUFS as specified by ITU 1770), so that users can have a consistent listening experience when jumping between songs on playlists. The function is turned on by default when installing the app. As a result, there’s growing speculation that Spotify-specific masters should be delivered at -14 LUFS.
Generally speaking, current masters in most music genres average around the -10 to -6 LUFS region. If you receive a master at say -9 LUFS, and visit a website like Loudness Penalty, you may worry that your track will be turned down when ingested to Spotify. The issue here is, it’s essentially moot whether Spotify or your mastering engineer turns down your track. However, if you do supply Spotify with a -14 level master, the song will be very quiet for subscribers with loudness normalisation disabled.
Much is made of the loudness wars however I’d argue that with the majority of modern music being made with compression in mind, having an incredibly dynamic master at -14 LUFS will likely sound abnormal by comparison. The most important thing with a master, is that it sounds good within itself.
As an example, take ‘Perfekt Dark’ by Lorn, an electronic artist who uses compression as a sound design technique. Listening to the track on Spotify, with loudness normalisation off, the track has a peak level of -0.1 as we would expect. With loudness normalisation on, the new peak level is -1.8, so the track has been turned down. One might conclude that you could potentially get an extra 1.7dB of range out of the dynamics, however this would require backing off compression/limiting to let peaks through, which may in turn change the tone of texture of the track. The compression is playing a role in keeping the percussion in balance with the synthesizers and bass within the track. If the mastering engineer was mastering to hit a target number instead of using his/her ears to make it sound nice and balanced, the overall mastering would perhaps not be as effective.
Key Takeaways:
Not everyone uses Spotify loudness normalisation
It’s a moving target. Spotify uses -14LUFS as it’s target number, but in the past it was -12, and that number may change again in the future. In fact, Spotify already have plans to change the way they measure -14 LUFS
It’s more important that a master sounds good within itself, than be compromised to hit a number. Let the music dictate how loud and how compressed it should be.
If your master gets turned down, well that’s OK. If it sounds good at a peak of -0.1 it will sound good if it peaks at -2
We brought in 2020 with a star-studded January, featuring a lineup of global hitmakers international artists.
Superstar vocalist and Grammy Award winning artist Lizzo recorded vocals and put final touches on a new single in Studio 1, which was engineered by our very own Simon Cohen.
Fellow FOMO festival artists also took up residency at 301 including A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Giggs and Rico Nasty engineered by Tom Garnett with Jess Des, not to mention The Black Eyed Peas who were locked out in Studio 2 for a week working on new material engineered by Simon Cohen.
Our favourite homegrown hero Delta Goodrem was in Studio 1 for a choir and piano recording, Genesis Owusu locked out Studio 3 working on a new album with Simon Cohen, Slowly Building Weapons were locked out in Studio 1 with Tim Carr engineering, Paris Jefferies laid down drum tracks in Studio 2 for The Avalanches which was engineered by Tom Garnett, and Vera Blue was recording in Studio 1 for the ICC T20 World Cup Opening Celebration, which will be a live performance at Sydney Olympic Park later this month.
January was the month of stellar albums at Studios 301 with Sensory Concerts recording in Studio 1, Scots College laying down a release with 60 piece orchestra and jazz ensemble, Sarah Thompson recorded a new chamber ensemble album, MONET recorded his EP and Chris Cody recorded his jazz octet album.
Further sessions included Carmen Reece and Samantha Jade, Boomchild, Touch Sensitive, Conrad Sewell, Emma Pask, Cone Of Confusion, The Kid Laroi, Electric Fields, L-FRESH The LION, “Remote Music”, The Voice TV Show, Whipped Cream, Tkay Maizda, HARTLEY and many more.
Masterclasses
International mixing legend Chris Lord-Alge held a full day Mixing Masterclass from Studio 1 to a sold out audience.
In December, Simon Cohen also held a 3 day Vocal Production and Mixing Masterclass which was a great success.
U2 Conference – Australia Edition 2019 in Studio 1 (Flickr album)
Mastering
Leon Zervos mastered new music for Mongtaine, Billy Porter (USA), Peking Duk, Birds Of Tokyo, Illy,Delta Goodrem, The Jungle Giants,Diana Rouvas, Andy Bull, Essie Holt, Stan Walker (NZ), sleepmakeswaves, Human Nature,Sahara Beck, Dawn Avenue (Mexico), Jordan Astra and Ivey.
Steve Smart mastered releases for Mia Rodriguez, Rob Hirst & Jay O’Shea, God Bess (Indonesia), Deaf Preachers (France), The Bamboos, Approachable Members of Your Local Community, The Buoys, Leanne Tennant, WHARVES, and Radio Molotov (Nigeria).
Ben Feggans has been mastering projects for Nick Cunningham, Green Buzzard, biblemami, Eves Karydas, The Two Romans, Venice Queens, and Johniepee.
Andrew Edgson has mastered tracks for Catcall, Merpire, DJ Koze (Germany), The Lulu Raes and Dom Youdan.
Harvey O’Sullivan has worked on releases for The Tin Knees, RISSA and Norse.
You may have noticed that with the introduction of iOS 13 and macOS Catalina, Apple’s iTunes software application has disappeared from the Mac and been replaced by three separate apps: Apple Music, Apple TV, and Apple Podcasts. The iTunes Store does still exist, however is now housed within the Apple Music application.
In 2012, Apple introduced the ‘Mastered for iTunes’ format. Whether consumers purchased a song as a standard digital download or a Mastered for iTunes version, they still received the same AAC file from the iTunes Store. The difference lay in the files that were supplied by the mastering studio.
To receive the ‘Mastered for iTunes’ or ‘Apple Digital Master’ badge, mastering engineers and studios are required to be an Apple-certified mastering partner, and supply files where the true peak levels are below 0dbTP, 24bit, and at the highest possible sample rate. Upsampling is not permitted, however 44.1kHz is still accepted if the song is recorded at that rate. The reasoning is that the AAC encoder produces a better result from high-resolution files that do not have true peaks at or above 0dbTP.
Despite the rebrand from ‘Mastered for iTunes’ to ‘Apple Digital Masters’, mastering engineer submission guidelines remain the same and you’ll still be able to preserve the highest-possible quality master for digital distribution through Apple Music.
Congrats to all of the amazing artists who are nominated and recognised for their excellence at the ARIA Awards this year including many Studios 301 clients such as Thelma Plum, Guy Sebastian, Amy Shark, Jessica Mauboy, Peking Duk & Jack River, Illy, Holy Holy, Paul Kelly, Ocean Alley, Gang of Youths and Chaika.
Expect a night of fascinating stories, insights into running your own studio business and lifting the lid off the so called “Black Art” of Mastering.
Here’s an opportunity where you can ask all you ever wanted to know about mastering and how we go about it, and also mingle with some of the most talented crew in the country at the panel event and BBQ provided.
The panel will cover:
how to best set up a new studio business in the current economic climate
best way(s) to take a new business to the next level and get momentum working back in your favour
share the strategies that have allowed him to not only stay in business in a commercial facility, but thrive in it during a time where others are down sizing or getting out of the business all together
the best way to get clients and maintain relationships in an ever-competitive market
the myth of “work / life balance”.
mixing and mastering technical approach and workflow practice(s)
With a continuing commitment to quality, we are excited to announce the recent installation of a Prism Sound MEA-2 Precision Mastering Equalizer into Steve Smart’s Mastering Room.
The MEA – 2 is a four band stereo Mastering EQ with shelves on each band, offering a rich golden silky sound. The Equalizer can easily be switched into M/S or Stereo configuration with the push of a button.
Steve’s other collection of Mastering EQs are (Abbey Road, EMI) TG 12412 and the API 5500, as well as the Amtec (Pultec) Tube Programme Equalizer PEQ-1A (Mastering Pair).
August was headlined by legendary Australian rock band Cold Chisel locked out in our flagship space Studio 1 for 18 days to record a full album, produced by Kevin Shirley and assisted by Owen Butcher.
Ricochet Songwriting Camp locked out 3 of our main recording spaces for an all-female/non-binary rap and hip-hop writing camp over the length of a week. The camp featured artists such as Mirrah, KLP, Coda Conduct, Janeva, imbi the girl, Erin Marshall, Zeadala. Other sponsors included Hilltop Hoods, Thundamentals, Urthboy, Hermitude, KLP, Elefant Traks, Dew Process, Native Tongue, Warner Music, Nando’s, Yulli’s Brews, PPCA and Nike. Read more here
EMI were in Studio 2 for 2 days tracking drums with Australian singer-songwriter Odette. The sessions were engineered by six-time Grammy nominated record producer Damian Taylor, and assisted by Jesse Deskovic.
Other sessions included Australian Navy Band, Jess Kent Vocal Recording with Simon Cohen, Redbull 64 Bars recording, AB Original: Briggs and Trials, Jay Tee Hazard, Australian Jazz vocalist Emma Pask, XMPLAlive recording and filming, Safia x Spotify and more.
Leon Zervos mastered new music for Birds of Tokyo, Stan Walker, Samantha Jade, Yorke, Clare Bowditch, Kota Banks, Isaiah, Lila Gold, Tuka, Guy Sebastian, Jack River, Shag Rock, Furnace and the Fundamentals and Jordan Gavet (NZ).
Steve Smart worked on releases for Alex The Astronaut, Washington, Elk Road, Hollow Coves, Cheetah Coats, Jack Gray, NOT A BOYS NAME, Aydan, Wharves, Vast Hill, Dande and The Lion, Casey Barnes, Machine Age, Ivey and a remastering project for Col Nolan.
Andrew Edgson mastered tracks for CLYPSO, Ainsley Farrell, Thomston, darby, Camp 8, SCABZ and Good Lekker.
Ben Fegganshas been mastering music for Mallrat, Keelan Mak, Hype Duo, Nick Cunningham, Diana Rouvas (remixes), Johnny Hunter, micra and Johniepee.
Harvey O’Sullivanworked on releases for The Lazy Eyes, møment and a remix for Billy Davis.
C3 Church hosted a live band recording in Studio 1 for a worship album facilitated by Assistant Creative Minister Ryan Gilpin. The live album recording featured a full band accompanied by an audience of 120 guests and was engineered by Stefan Du Randt and assisted by Jack Garzonio.
RØDE Microphones were in Studio 2 for a product demonstration and shoot out, testing some of their microphones
Warner Music Australia have been utilising Studio 1 for listening party showcase events introducing their newly signed artists
RØDE Microphones ran a session in Studio 1 with Jack Prest for one of their endorsed artists. Jack recorded ‘Battle Ax’ – which is an experimental classical/fusion viola player with the assistance of RØDE microphones and their technicians.
A$AP Twelvyy recorded for 3 days with Tom Garnett from the Warner tenancy room (Studio 8). A$AP was on tour here for a few weeks and brought along Kid Laroi to track vocals on a collaboration.
MusicNSW and 301 hosted the Levels Masterclass series in the studios on the 18th of May. This featured 4 x studios with over 50 students working across songwriting, production and mixing techniques with Milan Ring, Mookhi, Sparrows and Rebel Yell.
SIMA and ABC Classics hosted a live album recording for Julien Wilson‘s jazz quartet in Studio 1. There were over 110+ in attendance, with Owen Butcher facilitating a live record and stream to ABC radio.
“Thank you so much for a seamlessly successful event for our Sydney Symphony Vanguard members program. I was so impressed by your professionalism, friendliness and accommodation of all of our requests. The event was well staffed and the team went out of their way to make us feel at home. […] It was a huge honour to hold an event in such an iconic space and we are so grateful for your hospitality at all stages of event planning.”
Leon Zervos has been working on new releases for The Veronicas, Jess Mauboy, Stan Walker, Jungle Giants, Montaigne, Slum Sociable, Cyrus, Sahara Beck, JEFFE, Fergus James and Dawn Avenue (Mexico).
Steve Smart has mastered music for Dean Lewis, Vance Joy, Spookyland, No Frills Twins, Oh Reach, Lakyn, RedHook, Abi Tucker, Danielle Spencer, Dande and the Lion, PLANET, and Ivey.
Andrew Edgson has worked on tracks for The Lulu Raes, The Laurels, Yeevs, Foreign Architects, Merpire, Black Aces, The Paddy Cakes, Noah Dillon, Jack Botts and Fatin Husna (Malaysia).
Ben Feggans has been mastering for Luboku, Oh My My, Emma Hewitt, Love Deluxe, Nick Cunningham and remixes for Alison Wonderland and Owl Eyes.
While the festive season may be a quiet time for some, December and January were certainly very busy months for the recording department at Studios 301, having hosted an array of international artists, musical theatre casts, Australian recording icons, and local Aussie talent.
Straight off the touring stages of FOMO Festival, international rap duo Rae Sremmurd joined us for 2 days in Studio 1& 2 to write with their team – Swae Lee’s session engineered by Jack Garzonio, Slim Jxmmi’s session engineered by Jack Prest. Renowned pianist, composer, and former touring musician with Mariah Carey’s band, Lionel Cole tracked his full band in Studio 1 engineered by our very own Jack Prest and assisted by Jack Garzonio. International drummer for Lauryn Hill, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, and P Diddy, George “Spanky” McCurdy ran an exclusive and intimate masterclass in our Studio 1 live space.
In addition to hosting some of the industry’s biggest names in music, we were visited by the cast from two of Australia’s elite musical theatre productions.
The cast of Muriel’s Wedding spent a day with our engineer Owen Butcher to record some vocal takes for their upcoming studio release, and the cast from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory spent 2 days with Stefan Du Randt and Jack Garzonio recording vocals in Studio 1.
We even had a visit from the Royal Australian Navy Band, who recorded a 20 piece orchestra and a massive 100 person choir, engineered by Jack Prest and assisted by Owen Butcher.
Other artists recording in the studios during December and January include Nick Littlemore from Empire of the Sun, Alfie Arcuri, B Wise,Dallas Woods, Ojikae, Chong Lim with David Campbell, Chaika engineered by Bob Scott, JXN, Thief, Briggs, Judy Bailey OAM, Sam Sakr, Cxloe, Fergus James, Coda Conduct, NYXEN and Crooked Colours.
Mastering Highlights
Leon Zervos has been busy mastering new music from Eurovision contenders Kate Miller-Heidke and Mark Vincent, and projects for The Veronicas, Sahara Beck, Amy Shark, Russell Morris, WAAX and many more!
Congrats toSteve Smartwho mastered triple j’s hottest 100 #1 “Confidence” by Ocean Alley.Other highlights by Steve include albums for Mick Hart, an EP for Stapylton Street, as well as new releases for Germein, VACATIONS, Leanne Tennant, Sushin Shyam (India), HEIDI (Indonesia), Not A Boys Name and Hatakaze to name a few.
Ben Feggans has worked on new releases from 2018 JJJ Unearthed Bigsound winners Austen and Keelan Mak, Sinclaire, Odette, Luboku and a tasty new EP by Coda Conduct.
Andrew Edgsonhas mastered an album for Georgia Mulligan, an EP for Riley Pierce, and singles for The Laurels, Gooch Palms, Merpire, Aquila Young, and Oh Reach.
Harvey O’Sullivan worked on a vinyl release for The Living End, and new releases for Miserist, The Widest Ocean, One30, Gavrani, and Belle Kerr.
Introducing: New EP/Album Pricing
Steve Smart masters Triple J Hottest 100 #1
Masterclass
SIMON COHEN
Vocal Recording & Production Masterclass
LAST TICKETS AVAILABLE
In this almost sold out two-part masterclass series, Simon will guide you on an in-depth illustrative look at his vocal process and share some of his secret techniques from recording to producing and mixing pop vocals.
August was our biggest month this year in the studios!
Katy Perry at Studios 301 Sydney
Zedd at Studios 301 Sydney
We were visited by global pop sensation Katy Perry and renowned DJ/Producer Zedd on the Australian leg of Katy’s ‘Witness World Tour.’ Katyand Zedd locked out Studios 1 and 2 for 10 days, recording some new material and working with our senior engineer, Simon Cohen and assistant team. Both artists got to hang out with our new studio puppy, what a treat!
While on tour, Katy Perry’s band members Tony Royster Jr & Chris Paytonhit a midnight session with MXXWLL and Deutsch Duke. Our engineers Stefan Du Randt and Jack Garzonio say it’s one of the best sessions they’ve ever been a part of.
US R&B artist Pleasure P (Pretty Ricky) hit the studio with producer Willstah to work on music for the upcoming season of VH1 TV series Love & Hip Hop.
Guy Sebastian and Jess Mauboy hung out in the studio with over 10 local and international songwriters and producers for a 4 day writing camp. Other writers and artists included Graace, The Orphanage, Thief, Tushar and JOY.
Jess Mauboy
Delta Goodrem with studio puppy @sircharlesbarkley_
Australian songstress Delta Goodrem locked out our flagship room studio 1 for 3 days, bringing her whole band for a jam session! Delta invited some lucky fans to come and watch her rehearse in the studio, and laid down some tracks for a new release with our engineer Stefan Du Randt.
David Campbell and Chong Lim have been busy recording a project with our very own engineer, Jack Prest. Stay tuned for more updates on this new project.
ARIA Award Winning singer-songwriters Amy Shark and Samantha Jade spent the day writing and collaborating in Studio 1, with the help of our engineer Jack Garzonio.
Leon Zervos mastered Amy’s most recent album ‘Love Monster’ which debuted at #1 on the ARIA charts.
Amy Shark and Samantha Jade
Masterclasses
Anna Laverty Masterclass
August saw the launch of our masterclass brand with two great sessions. Anna Laverty and Simon Cohen ran masterclasses on production and mixing, both of which sold out within days. We had a huge waiting list of applicants eager to attend, so due to popular demand we will be running a series of future masterclasses.
Steve Smart mastered soundtracks for the original animated Netflix series Beat Bugs 2 and Motown Magic, featuring music from The Beatles & Motown catalogue. He also mastered live albums for Gang of Youths MTV Unplugged, and Paul Kelly Live at the Opera House.
Leon Zervos has been working on releases for Starley (Central Station Records), GLADES (Warner), Owl Eyes (Liberation), ALTA (Soothsayer), Harper Finn (NZ) and Cyrus (Sony).
Andrew Edgson mastered music for The Kite String Tangle (Warner) and Thelma Plum (Warner)
Ben Feggans worked on tracks for SAATSUMA (Grenadilla Sounds) and Jordi Ireland (Casablanca Records).
Steve Smartis one of Australia’s most respected mastering engineers; he is also one of the few engineers working today who can truly master the vinyl medium. Despite his rock star resume, Steve’s real passion lies in mastering records that help launch and define the careers of independent artists.This year Steve has kept busy working on releases for the likes of Tina Arena, Midnight Oil, Vance Joy, Kasey Chambers, Lisa Mitchell, The Pierce Brothers, Cub Sport, Dean Lewis, Ocean Alley and triple j’s ‘Like A Version’ amongst others.
His work has achieved multi-platinum sales, received numerous ARIA and Golden Guitar Awards, and was even shortlisted for an Oscar nomination. We took a dig deeper into Steve’s discography to explore some of his favourite projects and some credits that have defined the sound of Australian music over the last 30 plus years.
THE LIVING END – State of Emergency
After releasing Modern ARTillary through Capitol Records in the US, Australia’s most famous punkabilly trio, The Living End, left their American label and returned home to Melbourne in fine form to debut at No. 1 on the Australian ARIA charts. State of Emergency, released in February 2006 through EMI, and in 2007, achieved double platinum status in Australia.
A word from Steve:
“This album was recorded and mixed by Nick Launay at Studios 301 Byron Bay. I recall on the day of mastering, Nick couldn’t attend the mastering session, but the guys from The Living End dropped in, and we had a chat. They liked the way American Idiot by Green Day sounded, so we went in that direction. It’s got some killer songs on it, a real high-energy album from an amazing band.”
PARKWAY DRIVE – Killing with a Smile
Released in 2005, Killing with a Smile is the debut album by metalcore outfit Parkway Drive. Absolute Punk website called the album a “true genre-defining” record. With ripping guitar work, vicious screams and growls, the band delivered their brand of hardcore to the scene. It was certified gold in Australia.
A word from Steve:
“My favourite Parkway Drive Album, not because I mastered it, but because it was like nothing else at the time. I didn’t know what to expect when I got the tapes; I mastered this with no-one else in the room. By the time I got to the chorus of the first track, I knew that this record was going to change everything in its path.”
EVERMORE – Dreams
Kiwi trio Evermore recorded three EP’s over a nine-month period (spanning 2002 – 2003), before unleashing their first full-length debut album, Dreams, in September 2004. The album peaked at No. 15 on the Australian ARIA albums chart and achieved platinum certification. The first of their three platinum-selling albums, Dreams cemented Evermore’s brand of dreamy pop music. The album received four ARIA Awards nominations in 2005.
A word from Steve:
“Recorded at The Laundry Room Studio in Seattle. The production team was Barrett Jones, John Alagia and Jon Hume. The mixes were sensational, and the songs are truly mesmerising. It was a pleasure to work on this album – it’s an enjoyable listen.”
MACHINE GUN FELLATIO – Paging Mr Strike
Paging Mr Strike is the second studio album by Machine Gun Fellatio; Australian’s rock equivalent of the Theatre of the Absurd with stage shows that were more like burlesque carnivals than traditional rock concerts. With their second album, Machine Gun Fellatio took a step away from the electro madness of their first album, Bring It On!, and added more radio-friendly rock guitar. Paging Mr Strike debuted at No.6 on the Australian albums chart, spent a total of 27 weeks in the top 50, and was certified platinum by ARIA. The album featured the singles “Rollercoaster” and “Girl of My Dreams.”
A word from Steve:
“I was a little concerned about how this mastering session was going to go, after all, I had seen the band live. As it turned out, it was an enjoyable record to work on. My favourite track is “All Of Them Ladies”.”
YOTHU YINDI – Birrkuta – Wild Honey
Birrkuta – Wild Honey is the fourth album from one the most successful and internationally recognised Indigenous Australian bands, Yothu Yindi. Featuring the single “Superhighway”, the album continued the Yothu Yindi tradition of combining ancient ceremonial songs with cutting edge rock. The album was released in August 1996 and nominated for an ARIA for Best Indigenous Release.
A word from Steve:
“Being involved with any Australian Indigenous artist is an absolute honour. This particular band is one of the more internationally recognised. The album features a brilliant collaboration with Mandawuy Yunupingu and Andrew Farriss (INXS) for the track “Superhighway.”
HUNTERS & COLLECTORS – Juggernaut
Juggernaut is the ninth and final studio album by Australian rock legends Hunters & Collectors. The album peaked at No. 36 on the ARIA albums chart and No. 48 on the New Zealand albums chart. Juggernaut was released in January 1998, and features singles “True Believers”, “Higher Plane” and “Suit Your Style”. With its release, Hunters & Collectors announced they would disband after the Say Goodbye Tour, giving their final performances in late March 1998.
A word from Steve:
“The last album from an iconic band, produced by Hunters & Collectors, Kaju Tonuma and Mark Opitz. Not much to say about the mastering session on this one, but quite simply THANK YOU. It’s what you would expect having a band by the likes of Hunters & Collectors, Kalju and Mark on board. One of my all-time favourite bands.”
THE SUPERJESUS – Eight Step Rail
Led by frontwoman Sarah McLeod, The Superjesus’ debut EP Eight Step Rail, spent over a month at the top of the Australian independent charts. It peaked at No. 47 on the Australian album charts and won the band Best New Talent at the 1997 ARIA Awards. Its feature track, the guitar-driven “Shut My Eyes”, received high rotation on triple j, and was listed at No. 81 on the station’s Hottest 100 for 1996.
A word from Steve:
“Dan Hennessey (Aloha Records / Band Manager) walked into the mastering suite with the tapes and a huge grin on his face. He didn’t say much, but I do remember him commenting, “Steve, I think you’re gonna like this”. He wasn’t wrong – I loved it. It was pure, unapologetic kick ass rock. Sarah McLeod commands your attention on this EP, and “Shut My Eyes’ is a song you just don’t forget.”
28 DAYS – Upstyle down
28 Days held the potentially dubious title of being ‘Australia’s premier rap-metal band’, which they nevertheless turned into a lucrative ten-year career. By the time their second album Upstyle Down was released, their popularity was peaking, and the album entered the ARIA albums chart at No. 1 and was subsequently certified platinum.
A word from Steve:
“This record blew out of the speakers even before I started to master it, and no doubt because of producer Kalju Tonuma. Kalju captured the punk/rock band perfectly. I used the EMI TG Mastering Console on this record to bring that unique colour to the mixes.”
SKUNKHOUR – Feed
Named after the poem “The Skunkhour” by Robert Lowell, the Australian rock band’s second album Feed, spent 14 consecutive weeks in the top 50 of the ARIA albums chart, peaking at No. 21. According to Australian musicologist, Ian McFarlane, it “featured a more adventurous and varied sound”. The band signed an international deal with U.K. label Acid Jazz, which issued the Feed album in Europe.
A word from Steve:
“Feed was one of the many albums that I mastered from the Studios 301 Mixing Room M, at the opposite end of the corridor from mastering. Mixed & co-produced By David Hemming. I was already a fan of their previous releases, so before mastering, I have to admit I was a little nervous, but once we got going, I found that they were a great bunch of guys. ‘Up To Our Necks In It” is an all-time classic song.”
REGURGITATOR – Tu-Plang
Tu-Plang is the first full-length album released by Australian band Regurgitator. After being offered a deal with Warner Music, the band travelled to Bangkok to record their debut album. They named it “Tu-Plang”, the Thai word for “jukebox”. A couple of the album’s tracks contained actual samples of the street sounds of Bangkok.
Released in May 1996, the album made the top 10 in Australia and achieved platinum status. The album won Best Alternative Release and Best Debut Album at the 1996 ARIA Awards.
A word from Steve:
“I mastered the first two EP’s for Regurgitator, but nothing could have prepared me for ‘Tu Plang’. Produced by Magoo and Regurgitator, it took two long days to master this monster. The first reason was that they wanted every song to be completely individual, as well as all fit together as an entity on the album. Each song was mastered with the EMI TG Console after we finished we cleared of all the previous settings ready for the next song. I mastered each song without comparing it to the previously mastered songs, which was done to give it a jukebox quality. The second reason it took almost a full day to complete was the multitude of edits throughout the record.”
JEBEDIAH – Slightly Odway
Slightly Odway is Jebediah’s debut studio album. In 1995, the band won a national campus band competition having played only thirteen times together. Six months later they signed to Sony subsidiary Murmur, home to Silverchair and Ammonia. Signed on the strength of their live shows alone; there were no demo recordings.
After establishing themselves on the indie charts with an EP and single, the group’s debut album Slightly Odway arrived in September 1997, achieving national top 10 and platinum sales status. It peaked at No. 7 on the ARIA albums chart and appeared in the top 50 for non-consecutive runs totalling 54 weeks. The album placed at No. 15 in a list of the greatest 100 Australian Albums compiled by triple j.
A word from Steve:
“The mastering session started around 6 pm with John O’Donnell (Murmur Records) arriving with the band to the studio. We all sat down and had a brief chat about the record and then they all left to go out for dinner, leaving me to have all the fun on my own. Neill King produced this incredible record, so there wasn’t much to do here. By the time they got back, I had most of it done, so we had a listen to what I had, and they left me to finish it off. I utilised the EMI TG Console once again. From the first track “Leaving Home” right through to “La Di Da Da”, it doesn’t miss a beat.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LADdnqNejtI
THE WHITLAMS – Torch the Moon
Torch the Moon is the Whitlam’s fifth studio album, released in July 2002. It debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA albums chart. It featured the singles “Fall for You” (June 2002, No. 21), “Best Work” (September, No. 35), “Royal in the Afternoon” (July 2003, No. 66), and a cover version of Icehouse’s “Don’t Believe Anymore”.
A word from Steve:
“Another record from Studios 301 Mixing Room M. This time from The Whitlams and producer Daniel Denholm. Working with Tim Freedman is always enjoyable, he has a great vibe. The mastering session was smooth mostly because Daniel Denholm tends to give you a great sounding product. All the mixes were printed to half-inch analogue tape, so they had this great silky tone. The album went together effortlessly – it was a dream gig.”
GRINSPOON – New Detention
New Detention is the third studio album by Australian alternative rock band Grinspoon. It was released in 2002 by record label Grudge and peaked at No. 2 on the ARIA albums chart. By December the same year, it was certified platinum. The album provided four singles: “Chemical Heart”, “Lost Control”, “No Reason” and “1000 Miles”. The singles had a strong showing in the triple j Hottest 100 of 2002, with the tracks listed at No. 2, 14, 15 and 47, respectively. The ballad “Chemical Heart” marked a change in focus for the band towards a more mature, mainstream sound.
A word from Steve:
“This album was produced by Phil McKellar and had a few different mixing engineers on it, pulling it together was a lot of fun. The track “Chemical Heart” took me by surprise when I first heard it; it was a different sound for the band. I’ve mastered a few records for Grinspoon, and they’re a great band to work with because they’re a great bunch of guys that love doing what they do.”
LEE KERNAGHAN – Electric Rodeo
After successfully reinvigorating Australian country music throughout the 1990s, Lee Kernaghan released his sixth album Electric Rodeo to continue his legacy as one of the pioneers of Australian country music. The album peaked at No. 5 on the ARIA albums chart and was certified platinum in 2003.
A word from Steve:
“Working with Lee was always great. He has a great work ethic and is the quintessential professional. Garth Porter, Ted Howard and Rob Feaster were the team on this particular record, so the final mixes were in excellent shape on lots of analogue tapes. Lee is a perfectionist but knows how to keep the session going smoothly with his great sense of humour.”
SPIDERBAIT – Tonight Alright
Three-piece thrash pop group Spiderbait is one of Australia’s most distinctive and famous bands of the 90’s and 2000’s. Their album Tonight Alright peaked at No.14 on the ARIA albums chart and became certified platinum in 2005. It featured the No. 1 Australian single; a cover of “Black Betty”, which by the end of the year received double platinum certification. In the US, it reached the top 40 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock singles chart. The song also made the soundtrack to the EA video games Need for Speed: Underground 2, and Need for Speed: Underground Rivals for the PSP.
A word from Steve:
“Recorded at Radiostar in Weed California, produced and mixed by Sylvia Massy Shivy. This album was a dream gig to work on; everything went so well. The songs were great, the mixes and production were excellent. One of my favourite songs (and film clip) of all time “Black Betty” is on it. I still love listening to this record.”
KISSCHASY – United Paper People
One of the most revered and beloved Australian rock acts of the 2000s, Kisshchasy’s debut album, “United Paper People”, is pop with a rock/punk core. The first single from the album was “Do-Do’s & Whoa-Oh’s”, which received heavy rotation on both commercial and alternative radio, and nominations at the ARIA Awards, as well as Channel V & MTV Awards. United Paper People reached certified gold in Australia.
A word from Steve:
“Phillip McKellar and Barrett Jones nailed this one. Fantastic songs and amazing production. Not much to do here just helped bring it together without getting in the way.”
KASEY CHAMBERS – The Captain
With the release of her solo debut album, The Captain, Kasey Chambers was prophetically touted to be the next major country music star to come out of Australia. Released in May 1999, The Captain initially won Kasey the 1999 ARIA Award for Best Country Album, then in 2000, earned her the ARIA Award for Best Female Artist. The album went on to receive double platinum certification in Australia and peaked at No. 49 on the US Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
A word from Steve:
“I had previously worked with Kasey on the ‘Dead Ringer Band’ with her father Bill and brother Nash. The Captain was Kasey’s first solo album, and what an album it turned out to be. Mixed at Studios 301, Mix Room M on the Neve. Nash Chambers brought an honest sound to the production; it’s such a great sounding record. I’ve always enjoyed working with the Chambers Family, just nice people to be around.”
WASHINGTON – I Believe You Liar
In 2010, Australian musician and songwriter Megan Washington, also known as Washington, released her debut album I Believe You Liar. The album peaked at No. 3 on the ARIA albums chart, and by the end of 2011, received platinum certification in Australia. Washington went on to win both the 2010 ARIA Awards for Best Female Artist and Breakthrough Artist, along with five further nominations for work associated with I Believe You Liar, and “How To Tame Lions”.
A word from Steve:
“I got sent the mixes for this album by John Castle, who made everything easy for me. The songs and mixes were pure magic. Megan popped into the studio at the end of the mastering session for a playback, and it was such a privilege to be involved in bringing this fantastic album out into the world.”
THE CRUEL SEA – Over Easy
In 1998, The Cruel Sea reunited with Tex Perkins to release album Over Easy, preceded by a single, “Hard Times”. The album peaked at No. 13 on the Australian albums chart and was followed by the Takin All Day National Tour throughout the rest of 1998.
A word from Steve:
“Working on this album was an incredible experience. The band, Daniel Denholm, Phil McKellar and Paul McKercher make up the ultimate dream team. It was mixed in Studios 301 Mixing Room M, just down the corridor from the mastering suites, so I would often pop into the mix session for a sneaky listen. When it finally came to mastering, I knew the album inside and out already. We mastered on the EMI TG Console, and it sounds amazing.”
In a career spanning over three decades, Leon Zervos has mastered a swag of Grammy and Aria Award winning music with album sales totalling over 100 million. Moving to New York City in the early 90’s, Leon worked as a senior engineer at renowned mastering houses Sterling Sound and Masterdisk.
In 2009 he relocated back to Sydney Australia, where his career began, to rejoin the Studios 301 team as a Senior Mastering Engineer.
Staying busy, Leon has most recently mastered music for the likes of Cold Chisel, The McClymonts, Pete Murray, Jessica Mauboy, Bernard Fanning, Thundamentals, sleepmakeswaves, The Jungle Giants and Amy Shark to name a few. If you care to peruse his discography further, it’s just like looking through a collection of your favourite albums spanning the last 30 years. There’s no doubt you’ve heard many a tune mastered by Leon, you just may not have known it at the time.
SANTANA – Shaman
https://studios301.com/our-work/shaman/
Debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 2002, Shaman was the follow-up album to Santana’s Grammy Award winning Supernatural. Continuing from where Supernatural left off, guest features included Musiq, a 16 year-old Michelle Branch, Chad Kroeger, Seal, Macy Gray and Dido.
Words from Leon:
“This was such a great album to work on. The label was ARISTA run by LA Reid at the time, and the A&R was Josh Sarubin. The album came in on multiple formats, from one inch and half inch tape to files on discs and drives. There were many different producers, mixing engineers and studios, so putting it all together as one album was the key to it sounding great. ‘Shaman’ has amazing artists on it; Citizen Cope, Seal, Placido Domingo to name a few. Big hits on the album were “The Game of Love ” featuring Michelle Branch and “Nothing at All” featuring Musiq. I had been a big fan of Santana, so this album was a joy to work on. ‘Shaman’ debuted at No.1 and went on to achieve multiple platinum status.
I also mastered the surround release of the big album ‘Supernatural’ mixed by Elliot Mazer. Elliot is known for producing CSN&Y, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin and many more, so being in the studio with Elliot was very cool indeed”.
MAROON 5 – Songs About Jane
https://studios301.com/our-work/songs-about-jane/
Maroon 5’s debut album, Songs About Jane, boasted five charting singles including hits “Harder to Breathe”, “This Love” and “She Will Be Loved”. The album sold over 10 million copies worldwide, peaked at No.1 on the Australian albums’ chart and projected the band into stardom. While Maroon 5 is very much a singles act these days, Songs About Jane stands as their most complete album with cohesive storytelling that’s weaved through every track.
Words from Leon:
“This was a huge album. I remember traveling after its release and everywhere I went I heard this album playing. Great music, great band. The A&R for this album was James Diener from the then new label, Octone Records”
MUSE – The Resistance (5.1 surround sound mix)
https://studios301.com/our-work/the-resistance/
Released on 15 September 2009, The Resistance topped the album charts in 19 countries and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It also won the Grammy award for Best Rock Album in 2011. Critics praised The Resistance for it’s genre-breaking scope and Matthew Bellamy’s stellar arrangement of classical-inspired instrumentation. The version mastered by Leon Zervos was a limited 5000 copy release, which included a DVD containing a 5.1 surround sound mix of The Resistance and a longer version of “Unnatural Selection”.
Words from Leon:
“I mastered the surround version of the album with the band. I remember what a great bunch of guys they were. The mixes were fantastic and the end result in surround was spectacular”.
If you weren’t living under a rock in the year 2000, you’ve heard mega hit “Lady (Hear Me Tonight)” by Modjo. Debuting at No.1 in the UK, the revivalist disco track became the 16th best-selling single of 2000, and a top 10 charting hit in thirteen countries. The track took French house to its highest peak; a peak that despite the current revival movement, has yet to even come close to what it was in the late 90’s/early 2000’s.
Words from Leon:
“Lady by Modjo” was a smash hit. The A&R was Mark Davenport from MCA, and the song still sounds amazing with a great melody and groove”.
*NSYNC – NSYNC
https://studios301.com/our-work/nsync/
In 1996, *NSYNC were shipped off to Sweden to record their first single at Cheiron Studios with Denniz Pop and Max Martin. In 1998, their debut self-titled album (introducing us to Justin Timberlake), was released worldwide during the boy band era that was 1995 – 2005. NSYNC peaked at No.2 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and spent a total of thirty weeks in the top 10. Fun fact: when NSYNC blew up in 1998, it was four years before American Idol hit the airwaves, five years before MySpace and iTunes launched, and seven years before any of us watched our first cat video on YouTube.
Words from Leon:
“I mastered the US and worldwide release of the ‘NSYNC’ album. I could tell it was going to be big with so many potential singles on the album. The A&R was Dave Novik from BMG-RCA. Dave had some massive hits as an A&R Manager – a highly respected man”.
Voted the ‘No.1 Greatest One-Hit Wonder of All Time’ by VH1, the “Macarena” spent 14 weeks at No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, which remains one of the longest runs in history atop the Hot 100. The Spanish pop duo, Los Del Rio, had been together for three decades by the time they wrote “Macarena” in 1992. However it took four years and several different versions before a remix with English language verses became the worldwide dance phenomenon.
Words from Leon:
“What a worldwide hit this song was! It had hit written all over it and I remember it being used in the Democratic National Convention in 1996!!The A&R was Carmen Cacciatore and Dave Novik from BMG-RCA”.
POWDERFINGER – Golden Rule
https://studios301.com/our-work/golden-rule/
Golden Rule is the seventh album by Powderfinger, produced by Nick DiDia, and released on in November 2009. It went 2 x platinum in Australia, and was No.1 on the Australian Albums chart. Golden Rule is a departure from Powderfinger’s signature sound with unusual instrumentation, dramatic angular structures, dissonant strings nestling between harder riffs and experimental harmonies. However it still maintains the band’s knack for producing classic rock songs.
Words by Leon:
“A great band and album produced by Nick DiDia. Powderfinger have so many great songs on this album”.
Welcome To Wherever You Are established a new grunge and alternative direction for INXS, incorporating sitars, a 60-piece orchestra, and a more “raw” sound to their music. It peaked at No.1 on the UK charts; the first Australian band to do so since AC/DC’s Back in Black. Michael Hutchence and the band often commented in interviews that this was their favourite album, even more so than Kick.
Words from Leon:
“INXS were a huge act all over the world. This album was amazing. I really enjoyed working on this one and still love it. It doesn’t seem that long ago…!”
AVRIL LAVIGNE – Let Go
Avril Lavigne’s Let Go was the biggest pop debut of 2002 going 6 x platinum. The No. 21 top-selling album of the decade, it launched Lavigne’s career as a “pop punk princess”, and contributed to the rise of female fronted punk-influenced pop music.
Words from Leon:
“I mastered a single called “Complicated’ and it just blew up. Soon after I mastered the album, it went on to be huge worldwide. Great mixes by Tom Lord Alge from South Beach in Miami”.
AEROSMITH – Nine Lives
https://studios301.com/our-work/nine-lives/
Produced by Aerosmith and Kevin Shirley, Nine Lives peaked at No.1 on the Billboard Top 200. One of its singles, “Pink”, won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance with its harmonica-spiked, bluesy feel, and ended up as the album’s biggest hit. The horn-driven lead single “Falling in Love” and power ballad “Hole in My Soul”, also charted.
Words by Leon:
“This is one of my all time favorite albums I worked on. It was done before and after the holidays in 1996, it sounds amazing. Produced and mixed by Kevin Shirley at Avatar in New York. Steven Tyler was a gentleman”.
MOBB DEEP – The Infamous
https://studios301.com/our-work/the-infamous/
Embedded with hyper-visual lyricism, dark soundscapes, gritty narratives and hard beats, The Infamous marked Mobb Deep’s transition from a relatively unknown rap duo to a commercial success. Upon its release, it debuted at No. 15 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, and No. 3 on the US R&B / Hip Hop albums chart. Featuring guest appearances by Nas, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, and Q-Tip, who also contributed to the production.
Words by Leon:
“This was a groundbreaking album for East Coast Rap. Rob from Mobb Deep along with Matty and Schott from Loud records were there for the mastering. It still sounds fresh today”.
THE BLACK CROWES – By Your Side
https://studios301.com/our-work/by-your-side/
With the release of By Your Side, The Black Crowes regained commercial and critical ground, with the album reverting to the soulful rock swagger of the band’s best-selling debut, Shake Your Money Maker. Released in early 1999 on Columbia Records, By Your Side debuted at its peak position of No. 26 on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Words by Leon:
“I mastered the album ‘By Your Side’ and all the catalogue albums for a new release. This band is so underrated . The perfect combination of rock and soul. The band were such a great bunch of guys and amazing musicians”.
To prog metal enthusiasts, Dream Theatre need no introduction. For their fourth album the band took a far more commercial and “radio-friendly” approach to their usual offering. The fans and critics shared mixed opinions, some called it a “sell-out” and “trimmed-down”, while others hailed it as Dream Theater’s finest moment.Falling Into Infinityis the band’s first and only album to feature keyboardist Derek Sherinian, following the departure of Kevin Moore in 1994.
Words by Leon:
“I mastered many projects for Dream Theater. What an amazing bunch of musicians. Produced by Kevin Shirley. Being a drummer myself it’s great to know and have worked with Mike Portnoy – he is amazing”.
Capitol Punishment is the debut and sole album released by late rapper Big Pun. His lyrical prowess mixed with a newness embodied the sound of 90’s hip-hop. With critical and commercial success, Capitol Punishment was the first solo Latin hip hop record to go platinum. It peaked at No.5 on the Billboard 200 albums chart, No.1 on the Top R&B Albums chart, and was nominated for Best Rap Album at the 1999 Grammy Awards.
Words by Leon:
“Big Pun was so original. Nobody was like him. So this album was one of a kind. Pun was at the mastering along with Sean C from Loud Records”.
LOU BEGA – A Little Bit of Mambo
Propelled by the success of the smash single “Mambo No. 5 (A Little Bit of…)”, A Little Bit of Mambowent platinum in over ten countries. On VH1’s 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders, Lou Bega remarked, “I knew it wouldn’t swim in the middle because it was too different from all the stuff that was outside, so I’m quite happy with it. Mambo makes you happy, Latin music makes you happy; it’s sexual, it’s erotic, energetic, I think that’s the point.”
Here at Studios 301, we field a lot of questions on how tracks should be prepared and submitted for mastering. Modern day digital audio workstations can throw up a dizzying array of options at the export window, thus we’ve outlined our preferences on how you can provide your mixes to our mastering engineers for optimal results.
We prefer interleaved 24Bit Stereo WAV files to work from. AIFF and/or dual mono LEFT and RIGHT files can also be accommodated. If you only have 16Bit source files, these are still acceptable.
The sample rate of the mixdown file should be the same as what the project was recorded at. Leave any downsampling to us. If you require masters outside of the standard 44.1Khz sample rate, please let us know.
A lot of queries we get regard master buss processing, whether it should be left on or not. This is often case-by-case, as it’s easy to overdo compression/saturation/limiting on the master buss. We don’t advise removing it however, as it may lose the intended vibe. If you are unsure, you can provide us with both a version with master buss processing on, and a version with it off, or ask us for a mix evaluation.
If you have any specifics about edits, fades, crossfades, or spacing between songs, let us know upfront to minimise delays in completing the project. You can provide us with audio examples of timings and fades as it’s often easier to do this than explain over email.
If you require versions of the masters as singular tracks as well as versions with the tracks crossfaded or edited together, it’s also best to let us know this in advance.
Please feel free to email mastering@studios301.com with any other questions. Otherwise, we’ll look forward to mastering your new tracks!
What do you get when you mix 50’s soul and RnB, and put them with textured and atmospheric electronic sounds? Sydney artist Jacob Moore and his EP, ‘All In Time’.
We caught up with former 40 hours competition winner recently and here’s what he had to say about his journey of tirelessly putting his EP together and working at 301 with Jack Prest.
On winning 40 Hours comp:
On the side of performing & producing for a bunch of rad Sydney based acts over the years, I had been building up a broad range of songs on the side that I really liked but had not yet found a home. I had a strong urge to establish something that pertained a vintage soul-blues flavor yet utilized today’s electronic leaning ‘bedroom producer’ ideals as this method was how I had been handling my producer duties over the years – literally creating band music from home & only entering the studios to put the finishing touches on my older work. One of these tracks ‘return to me’ fitted this template so I entered it in Studio 301’s 40 Hours songwriting competition & was announced as one of the winners in August 2015. This enabled me to work with Producer Simon Cohen on a very vocal heavy track ‘infinity’ – Simon was really fun to work with & I felt he ‘got’ the sound I was aiming for. We ended up doing a soft release of this track as my first solo single to give people of taste of the work I was preparing in the back end.
On working with Producer Jack Prest:
After releasing my first solo track ‘infinity’, I felt that we had established the musical ‘colour palette’ I wanted to present to the world. I was ready to take things further so after brainstorming a few ideas for my other new tracks with Abbey & the team at 301, we decided to enlist Producer Jack Prest who is renowned for his prowess in electronic music & as a ‘finisher’. We could then fuse all my acoustic & electric home recorded noodlings. take it to one of the big studios at 301 and really beef it up using Jack’s knowledge & production ideas. A couple of the sessions we brought in some musical friends of mine to play some extra instrumentals so I could take more of a directors chair approach. Working with Jack was super rad – he was very informative, could always share a laugh with me (very important!) & would always throw up a second opinion which I always found to be very valuable. I can’t wait to be able to come back and work with Jack & the team at 301.
In the second part of this blog on loudness I’m going to delve more into metering and dynamic range in order to compare your music to other releases.
Level Matching
I often receive feedback from people that their track doesn’t sound like it has the same low end impact and presence as others. Quite often this is due to one aspect- the track they are comparing to is louder. Because of the way our ears perceive high and low frequencies, even a tiny 0.5-1dB difference will make the louder track appear to have more bass and top end, making it sound a little clearer and fuller – or slightly better, in most people’s opinion. If you want to make a fair comparison, you have to level match. Doing this, you may find that the track you are comparing to may actually sound worse.
Level matching is paramount in mastering when comparing your processed mix to the unprocessed mix. Incorrect or heavy handed processing will result in the mastered track sounding ‘smaller’ than the un-mastered track when level matched, especially noticeable by comparing the chorus or build-up of the track. When the chorus comes in the processing becomes even more apparent as it clamps down on the track. Using level matched A/B comparisons is the best way to check when your processing is improving the sound rather than just making it louder.
Peak and RMS metering
Loudness metering is generally done by a combination of ear and average level metering, such as the VU metering in Leon’s blog [link]. All software DAWs employ peak level metering to let you know about digital overs, which is very important to avoid clipping the signal, but will not give an indication of perceived loudness. Many also have average (RMS) metering now as well, emulating the VU meters found on analogue consoles. As they were traditionally mechanical, The VU metering rise time is slower than a digital Peak Programme meter (PPM), so the VU meter will represent an ‘average’ level rather than the instantaneous peaks, making the VU meter a more accurate representation of the perceived loudness. This is how people mix in the analogue world on a console.
All good so far, but what happens if you have a huge kick drum that dominates the mix? A low frequency high level sound wave will push the average level right up and your metering will ‘ping’ off the stops, yet as we learnt in part one [link], this does not necessarily mean it’s loud- you have to take the frequency balance into account. A big 60Hz sine wave will have huge RMS level, yet many speakers will struggle to produce this and you have just eaten up your entire spectrum.
When mixing, the PPM will show you the transients (like snare hits), and the VU will show you the average (RMS) level. If the average level is very high on certain bass notes or the kick drum, this is eating up all your available headroom and not letting the higher frequencies cut through, so you will lose clarity and impact. Try having more consistent energy in the sub region, and if you want a big sub, place that sound in isolation from other sounds in your arrangement. Use the PPM meters for transients. Again, try to keep these at a more consistent level so your transients don’t lose impact after peak limiting. Many meters now incorporate peak and RMS metering to help with mixing.
Dynamic Range
This brings us to Dynamic Range. Dynamic range is the measurement between the minimum and maximum volume level, given in decibels (dB). The dynamic range of human hearing is around 140dB- This is from the threshold of human hearing to a jet engine. The dynamic range is directly related to the audio bit rate, for each bit you will theoretically get 6dB of dynamic range. So CD quality is 16 x 6 = 96dB.
In the past, the dynamic range was limited by the recording medium (see chart). In order to fit record sources with a high dynamic range, such as an orchestra, the dynamic range had to be reduced. However, if you are reducing the dynamic range you are also reducing the impact of the sound. So the orchestra recording with a small dynamic range will have much less crescendo impact, due to the difference between the quiet and loud passages being reduced.
Looking at the dynamic range chart, storage media has increased in dynamic range by up to 30dB since cassette. Yet modern releases have been reduced in dynamic range by using excessive compression, peak limiting and clipping for loudness.
Now consumers are becoming more aware of this, and as you may have noticed, many artists are bringing back dynamic range into their masters with great success. You can search the Dynamic Range Database for your favourite artist here http://dr.loudness-war.info/
Loudness Metering
The latest loudness measuring tools take into account short term loudness, long term loudness, and frequency perception to give you a loudness number. There are many standards for metering, but the most common are EBU 128 and ITU BS.1770. Many software DAWs and mastering tools such as Ozone now have loudness metering standard.
Here are a few meters that you can use in your DAW:
Sequoia is designed for mastering and includes loudness metering.
EBU 128 will give you an Loudness units relative to Full Scale(orLUFS) reading and ITU BS.1770 will give you an Loudness, K-weighted, relative to Full Scale (orLKFS) reading. Without getting too technical they are essentially the same except for the gate time. What you are looking for is the integrated loudness. Using loudness metering will assist you in making accurate A/B comparisons. Another advantage of proper loudness metering is the TP max (True Peak Max) number. This will alert you if the intersample peaks will overload a poor quality DAC or lossy encoder.
NUGEN VisLM is an excellent loudness tool
Conclusion
I know, I know, you want your track to be louder than everyone else’s. Maybe because I work as a mastering engineer you are thinking I have a secret technique for loudness. In reality it mostly comes down to the mix. Mastering should enhance what is already there, and not change the mix drastically in the pursuit of loudness. Keep in mind that a good song will still sell regardless of how loud it is. Hopefully in these two articles I’ve demonstrated that loudness is a delicate combination of frequency balance, dynamic range, and the arrangement of your mix. If you are pushing for level and your mix falls apart, then your track has reached its “loudness potential”.
To book Steve for your mastering project, contact Lynley on 02 9698 5888 or mastering@studios301.com.
In most mastering situations, stereo mixes are used for the final mastering session. But sometimes I go a little further than that… And the producer or mixer brings in their computer, with their DAW mix sessions, into my mastering studio with them.
The advantage of this from a mixing perspective is that we can play the mixes in the mastering studio speakers and listening environment, where the engineer has the opportunity to listen to the mixes in a very accurate room with pristine converters, amps and speakers. From there, we can get into the project in its entirety to adjust any problematic aspect of the final mix (e.g. individual instrument levels, equalisation and compression). In doing this, we are able to make fine adjustments in the mix, without having any side affects that may occur to the mix by simply using overall mastering eq and compression. Overall, the mix sounds better, the master sounds better as a result, and the producer or artist hasn’t had to pay much more (if any) for a better sounding song.
As an example, in a track I was recently mastering, we had a great sounding kick drum with nice sub energy, but the bass guitar had large amounts of sub frequencies in it as well. Under normal situations in a mastering session, I would simply use a high pass filter or equaliser to tighten this up for a firm rhythm section… But the side effect can sometimes be that in tightening up the bass guitar, we loose the energy in the kick drum. In the situation where we have the mix opened up in the DAW, we can easily go in and make the adjustments to the bass guitar only, without any side effects to the kick drum!
In another instance, the vocal was too bright but the percussion was slightly dull, so we were able to go to the vocal eq in the mix and reduce the high frequencies. This then allowed me to add brightness to the whole track with my beautiful Sontec mastering eq.
And in another situation, we had guitar parts that were recorded using two microphones, but unfortunately one of them was out of phase. This gave us a really weak guitar sound, but having the mix at our fingertips, we were able to go in, find it, and phase flip it – which immediately ended up in a really strong sounding guitar. This is something I simply could not have fixed in mastering a normal stereo mix.
Overall, the common problems I hear when mastering – over compression, clashing eq and phase problems to name a few – can all be fixed much faster and more effectively in the mix, rather than trying to work around it in mastering.
Lastly, the benefits of this process for many mixers/producers have had longer-term benefits. By having the “fixed mix” saved in their DAW, and then referencing it back in their own studio, they have been able to use it as a reference to tweak their own studio monitoring systems for better results.
Here’s what to do If you want to mix in my mastering studio…
In order for us to do this together, you’ll just have to bring your laptop or tower containing the software and relevant mix projects (but don’t forget your iLok and other dongles!). From there, we hook you into our USB > AES/EBU device that runs straight to my Prism Dream DA convertor… and into my analogue mastering chain from there.
Displays, keyboards, extra peripherals, cables, etc. are all catered for at 301 – so you don’t need to pull your studio apart to make this happen.
How much does it cost?
I charge my usual hourly rate to work this way. Sometimes it works out quicker when you bring in your DAW, because I can quickly fix a problem like above, and then keep on mastering without having to work around mix issues. On the flip side, lack of preparation, or half-baked mixes can cause a blow-out in time – so I strongly recommend that if you are considering working this way, to get your online mix sounding as best as you possibly can – and then I can simply enhance it, rather than having to re-“mix” it with you in my mastering studio.
Finally, none of this is to say that all mixes need these adjustments, or this much intervention, but it’s a great option to have up your sleeve if you are looking for a lower cost way to improve the sound of your mixes (and thus masters.)
All in all, stay confident in your mixing ability, take the mix to the point where you believe it’s at its best and then from there it can only get better…
Steve.
Lynley, our Mastering Coordinator, is happy to talk through this process with you in more detail if you are interested in mix-mastering with Steve Smart. You can reach Lynley on 02 9698 5888 or mastering@studios301.com.
One of the most common questions people ask a mastering engineer is “why is my track not as loud as everyone else’s?”
In this article I’m going to explain in simple terms how humans perceive loudness and how it can be measured accurately. Since the early Motown days of pressing vinyl, there has always been a race to have the loudest cut. This was a skill developed by cutting engineers and is the foundation of mastering records. The idea being that the song would sound louder on a juke box and on the radio thus making it stand out from the rest. The loud cut was limited by the physical medium of the record and the cutting head.
When digital came along this all changed- there is a ceiling of 0 dBFS (decibel Full Scale) that is the maximum permissible limit of digital audio. Since the introduction of digital peak limiting and clipping in the 1990s the true “Loudness War” began, much to the detriment of listener enjoyment.
Television stations have been following loudness guidelines for years due to the many listener complaints that the ads were louder than the program content. In America this is known as the CALM act, and Australia is moving in a similar direction with OP59 standard. Most audio people know that the ads are louder do to the decrease in dynamic range of the ads compared to the normal program. Program audio has dialogue, music and background sounds so it needs to have some dynamic range in order to sound natural and also have impact for action scenes, whilst the ad is smashed to an inch of its life so the quiet parts are almost the same level as the loudest part.
Measuring loudness is quite difficult, and due to changing standards for television, accurate loudness metering has only recently been developed. Fortunately the same way of measuring loudness for broadcast is creeping into music, so when you tick Apple “Sound check” or Spotify’s “normalize” function the level of music is will remain consistent from track to track. This will be a revelation for the music industry and may put an end to the loudness war, as tracks mastered purely for loudness will actually sound worse when volume matched to music mastered at a more conservative level.
Human Perception
Sound has two properties, wavelength and amplitude. The frequency of the wavelength is measured in Hertz (Hz), and sound pressure level (SPL) is measured in Decibels (dB). The human ear of a small child can hear from 20Hz to 20kHz, and the high frequency response decreases with age and more rapidly with loud noise exposure. Just talk to a live sound engineer over dinner and you’ll get my drift. What many people don’t know is that humans do not hear the entire frequency range at the same loudness level. Furthermore; as amplitude changes, so does our ears response to the frequency spectrum.To understand why different frequencies are not heard equally, you’ll have to look at the research by Fletcher and Munson reported in a paper entitled “Loudness, its definition, measurement and calculation.”
The Y-axis represents Sound Pressure Level (dB SPL) or volume, in simple terms. The X-axis represents the frequency range. As you can see, our ears are most responsive to the middle range of the frequency spectrum around 1kHz-4kHz range right where human speech is. At lower volumes our ear does not hear the low or the high frequencies and well as the midrange. At higher volumes the curve begins to flatten out and we begin to hear a flatter frequency response compared to lower levels. The flattest response is around 85dB SPL, which is also about as loud as you should have your monitoring for 8 hours to avoid hearing damage.
an SPL meter.
Grab an SPL meter from Jaycar, which should set you back $40 and sit in an equilateral triangle between your monitors. Ensure your monitors are away from wall and the corners of the room or you will have an inaccurate boost in the bass response. Put the meter on C weighting and play some pink noise from your DAW at -18dBFS. Once you are around 85dB SPL this is your listening reference level. You can even measure your room frequency response if by downloading test tones http://realtraps.com/test-cd.htm
Frequency Balance
What does this have to do with music loudness? Think about the different frequencies of instruments in your mix and where they sit in the audio spectrum. Here is an excellent frequency range chart that can also show you how each range is related to our hearing response:
When people say to me “why is my track not as loud as everyone else’s” I point them to the mix, not the mastering. I’ve noticed over the years as clients mixes improve (meaning, they both sounded better in the control room AND in the real world), they also become louder.
Look at it like this: if you’re mixing a hard rock tune, and your guitar and bass are masking your kick and snare, you need to turn the kick and snare up louder to give them the impact you need. That means transient material that is louder relative to the more steady-state (RMS) stuff. And that means a quieter mix. Now, if you carve out some low end from the bass that allows the kick to speak with impact at a lower fader level, and carve out some midrange from the guitar that lets the snare speak at a lower fader level, your transient-to-steady-state (peak-to-RMS) level will be lower, meaning a louder mix. You will also have better separation.
Then you’ll find that when the track is mastered and pushed to commercial loudness levels, the mix balances don’t fall apart, compared to an average mix that is pushed too hard. A word of warning though- as our ears are most sensitive to midrange, this is the area that can become unpleasant with excessive midrange boost.
The loudness of your mix mostly comes down to the frequency balance and where the spectral energy is. It also comes down to dynamic range, which I will discuss in part 2. The older VU meters and average level meters (RMS) will react strongly to low end, giving you a false representation how loud your mix is compared to others. Loudness meters take the way we hear into consideration with weighting filters and will give you a much more accurate number.
