As we are nearing the end of the year, we’d like to thank all of the incredible artists, labels, brands & partners who have come to us to bring their projects to life: to write, produce, record, mix, master, distribute, digitise and more! It’s been an amazing year and we’re looking forward to seeing you again in 2023!
Keeping you up to date with some of the recent releases to add to your playlists, here is what the Mastering department has been up to last month:
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Blog by Laura White – Mastering Bookings Manager
You can imagine the variety of requests and bookings we get through the doors at Studios 301. Every project is different and every project is memorable in some way. Songbirds is one of those projects. Steve Smart and I were fascinated about the technical aspects and logistics for this collaboration and how, with some credible industry supporters, they manage to get a great cause across the line in one of the strictest of environments.
Steve, who needs no introduction into the music world, with his ridiculous amount of credits under his belt, veteran of the music scene, master of the versatile, has mastered the last two instalments of the Songbirds project and we were really keen to know more about the inmates, their stories and the recording process.
Songbirds is part of the Community Restorative Centre, which has been around for close to 70 years supporting people affected by the criminal justice system and aims to change lives positively within their communities in NSW. The project facilitates songwriting and arts workshops in NSW prisons which is inspired by successful overseas prison-arts programs such as Jail Guitar Doors, Bread and Roses (US and UK) and Vox Liminis (Scotland).
Under the guidance of Director Murray Cook (musician, teacher, songwriter and performer), the program aims to create an environment for prisoners to share experiences and work with acclaimed and successful artists to produce tracks they have written. Songs are written and recorded inside the prison walls from Long Bay to Broken Hill.
And the credible supporters part? They also need no introduction but on this album tracks were produced by five times ARIA winning producer Paul McKercher (Iggy Pop, Hoodoo Gurus, Midnight Oil, Cruel Sea, You Am I) at the state-of-the-art Free Energy Device studio and features cameos from a stellar cast of musicians, including Jim Moginie (Midnight Oil), Scott Johnston (Rose Tattoo), Abby Dobson (Leonardo’s Bride, Baby et Lulu) and Bow Campbell (Front End Loader, Dead Marines) and of course mastered by Steve Smart at Studios 301.
We invited Murray into 301 to chat about the project as we were so fascinated by the overwhelming talent coming from within those walls. We really wanted to learn how Murray delivers each instalment with such class and faces constant limitations of minimal technology whilst adhering to strict prison regulations. Obviously each artist’s name is protected and published in their first name for privacy issues but it really doesn’t deter from the stories they tell and the medium in which they choose to represent themselves.
Every aspect is thought of, even down to the symbolic cover art of the album, designed by an inmate by the name of Tiny. His “Magpie” featured on the cover is representative of the healing power of music and the freedom it can bring. The songs and albums are transformative and a release of something albeit maybe figuretly for the time being.
I think the most beautiful thing about this project is the way each person is given a platform creatively, and kudos to Murray, who makes each song shine. The project in Murray’s words is really about using the music as a transformative and healing venture for the inmates. The program doesn’t stop there either, it continues to support participants with music and creativity, linking people with continuing opportunities and organisations that help them post-release of both album and human. Murray believes that projects like these can reduce social isolation that is definitely a factor for not just prison for the covid world as well.
Check out Murray and Steve having a chat on the Mastering Couch on our socials.
If you would like to donate to this and future projects you can do so here:
After the success of his previous 3 Day Masterclasses, we are proud to present the next instalment of Simon Cohen’s deep-dive into Vocal Recording, Editing and Production for pop music. Simon will guide you on an in-depth illustrative look at his vocal recording process live with a vocalist, take you through editing, mixing and producing a vocal, and share some of his secret techniques specifically for pop vocals.
| Date: | 19-21 October 2022 9:30 AM – 5:30PM |
| Location: | Studios 301, 3B Ellis Avenue, Alexandria, NSW 2015 |
Chelsea Warner is a meticulous producer, songwriter, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist and we’re excited to welcome her to the amazing roster of Studios 301 producers and engineers. We sat down with Chelsea to get to know her a little bit and find out more about what she’s up to and what inspires her:
I have always been constantly drawn to anything and everything musical around me, and that eventually translated into learning keys, guitar, songwriting, production, singing + vocal production when I was in school. While studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music I found myself falling in love with jazz & neo-soul, becoming absolutely infatuated with Erykah Badu & D’Angelo, as well as old school hip hop, like A Tribe Called Quest & Slum Village. As I grew as a writer & producer, an early obsession with J Dilla ended up combining with my more modern R&B and pop influences, like Ariana Grande, SZA & Smino/Monte Booker, to create my current lane of R&B.
As both a writer/producer and artist, I naturally leave my musical fingerprints on whatever I work on, but I love moving in-between genres and helping other artists realise their visions, no matter what the style. Since I started working within the songwriting scene in Sydney, I’ve grown to love working on other artists’ music & being able to help with their storytelling just as much as my own.
When I write on piano it’s completely different to when I write on guitar. I have more theoretical knowledge of piano, so I often think a lot more technically and tend to understand what I’m playing and why it is/isn’t working. On guitar though, I see shapes more than I see actual chord voicings, so sometimes if I get experimental I end up with cool progressions and voicings that I have no idea what to call, which is fun.
I met Arwen Hunt (Vice President, Creative/A&R AU/NZ) at a guest lecture at my university. I bravely sent her some of my own demos and strangely enough, the relationship kind of snowballed from there & I ended up being thrown into heaps of writing sessions by the team at UMPG. Eventually I signed with them as a writer/producer/artist, and it helped me indescribably to get my foot in the door as a young writer and producer.
I always start with chords or a sample, especially when I’m driving a writing session as a producer, and I love building up the harmonic elements first. If it’s just me writing with a guitar or at the piano, the chords and vocals always somehow come out together.
Do I have a notebook or my phone to voice memo? If I have a way to record the idea, I’ll do that and probably finish the song then and there. It happens sometimes – a whole song just flows through you, and if you don’t grab it out of the air, it’ll float past you.
A sampler of some sort (I use the Ableton one but I want to get a physical one). Lately, Spectre by Waves Factory. And a midi keyboard – I’ve tried drawing things in or just not using keys-based instruments when I’m on the go or don’t have a keyboard for some reason, but I just really prefer being able to play some layers in.
Of course – I owe absolutely everything in my life to a general sense of curiosity and love of learning. I’m not satisfied if I don’t deeply understand something & I chase the feeling of constant growth. I really want to become a better mixer, so I would love to learn more about engineering and audio in general, as well as studio hardware.
Make sure to visit Chelsea’s Profile page to read more about her, listen to some of her work and book her for your next production.
We are trading in line with the current NSW Government guidelines specifically those for the City of Sydney. We re-opened on October 11th for fully vaccinated attendees. We thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through these challenging times together. As a registered COVID Safe business, we are committed to keeping our community safe alongside our COVID-19 guidelines and COVID-19 Safety Plan.
#BACKTOBUSINESS
Congratulations to all the amazing artists who are nominated at this year’s ARIA Awards. Best of luck to everyone for the awards night on 24th November 2021.
Mastered by Leon Zervos
Vocal Produced by Simon Cohen
Mastered by Leon Zervos
Vocal Produced by Simon Cohen
Mastered by Leon Zervos
Please join us in officially welcoming Tahlia-Rose Coleman as the newest mastering engineer to our Studios 301 team!
She joins our mastering roster under the mentorship of head engineer Steve Smart. Her training with Steve has given her invaluable knowledge of analogue mastering processes and insight into mastering a chart topping track.
Working in both analogue and digital domains, she has recently worked with Jai Waetford, Lipgloss, cult.disco, Warwick Kennedy and The Strangers and more.
Contrats to Kiah Gossner for the nomination as “Best Studio Engineer/Producer” at this year’s SAM Awards! Visit southaustralianmusicawards.com.au for a full list of all nominees and to find out more about the South Australian Music Awards. Good luck for 18th November.
We’re happy to have the Abbey Road Institute students back in the studios for this trimester. If you are an aspiring music producer, Abbey Road Institute will host an Open Day at Studios 301 on 20th November. The day will include an exclusive workshop with our producers and engineers.
Studios 301 are committed to the health and well-being of our staff, partners and clients. In-line with Australian Government guidelines, we are able to offer selected services (subject to our strict guidelines). Find out more
In addition, we are offering our full selection of online services including Online Mastering and Online Mixing.
Meg Mac, Barkaa, Delta Goodrem, Nick Littlemore, Lime Cordiale, A.GIRL, Jonathan Zwartz, RØDE Microphones, HP Boyz & Willstah, Terr Bite, Channel 7, The Necks with Tim Whitten, Hooligan Hefs, Masked Wolf and more…
Dance/ Electronic
Congratulations to our long term tenant and Studios 301 producer Chris Arnott who recently won an APRA PDA in the dance/electronic music category.
We’re excited to announce that GRAMMY nominated and ARIA winning producer, engineer and mixer Adrian Breakspear is joining the Studios 301 roster of engineers. His credits include Gang of Youths, Boy and Bear, Delta Goodrem, Ricky Martin, Pharrell and more.
Music Tech presents:
After the success of last year’s 3 day masterclass, Simon Cohen is back with another 3 day deep-dive into pop vocal recording, editing and production. Simon will guide you on an in-depth illustrative look at his vocal recording process live with a vocalist, take you through editing, mixing and producing a vocal, and share some of his secret techniques specifically for pop vocals.
Highlighted by his vocal work on Justin Bieber’s worldwide #1 smash hit “Love Yourself” and the recent success of Masked Wolf’s “Astronaut in the Ocean”, it’s Simon’s precise and detailed approach to vocal recordings which has made him a sought-after Grammy and ARIA nominated engineer for both Australian and international artists alike. His vocal production is further showcased working with artists including Lizzo, Troye Sivan, Black Eyed Peas, Illy, Jessica Mauboy, Thelma Plum, Genesis Owusu, Thundamentals, Joy, Jess Kent, Justice Crew, Coda Conduct, Paces, Nicole Millar and more.
Exciting times for Australian rapper Masked Wolf (aka Harry Michael) as he is sitting on one of the biggest tracks in the world right now with his song Astronaut in the Ocean.
The song recently hit #1 on the Shazam hip-hop charts, Top #10 on the Global Spotify Viral chart, #3 on the Global Shazam Top 200 chart, just cracked the official Top 40 on US Pop Radio and the buzz just keeps on building.
This is a pretty big deal for Australian hip-hop overall with Masked Wolf trailblazing his own path for Australian based rappers making waves overseas.
We had a quick catch-up with the Masked Wolf to get his comment on what it’s like to have one of the biggest tracks in the world right now and working with vocal producer Simon Cohen at Studios 301.
What he had to say on the buzz the song is getting:
“It’s insane… I’m just happy people are hearing my music all over the world and I can’t wait for them to hear what’s next.
I’ve been working with Simon for a few years now. It’s super important to me that my music is at the highest standard possible and to do that you need to work with the best. In my eyes one of the best vocal engineers in the world is Simon Cohen.”
We look forward to seeing what’s next for Masked Wolf and continuing to work with him on his upcoming music.
Please join us in welcoming the newest member of the Studios 301 team: Kristelle Morin. Kristelle joins Australia’s biggest roster of mastering engineers as the new Bookings Coordinator.
Kristelle joins us with over 15 years experience in the music industry as a DJ, Label Manager and Artist Manager. Her passion for music led her to London where she resided for 10 years, as a Label Manager for Tribe Records, an independent record label. Together with the label she created memorable party experiences hosting and spinning records for lovers of Afro & House music in cities like New York, Paris, Amsterdam, London, Sydney and Johannesburg.
We’re looking forward to having her be part of the family!
Just under a week to go before Australia’s first Mastering Engineer’s panel takes place at Studios 301 hosted by Tony “Jack the Bear” Mantz and featuring Mastering Engineers Leon Zervos, Ben Feggans, William Bowden and Klaus “Heavyweight” Hill.
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.
Date: 17. October 2019
Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm + BBQ
Place: Studios 301, 3b Ellis Ave, Alexandria, 2015, NSW, AU
Price: $29
In April we launched our I Am Indie competition and we’re very happy to say that we have since been swamped with an amazing amount of unreal applicants. We’ve been well and truly blown away by all the high quality of entrants! (Well done guys) In order to provide such an amazing prize package we teamed up with our buddies at Ditto Music for everything that happens once you leave our studio (including a World Wide distribution package, Social media Starter marketing kit and a one-on-one consultation). For the benefit of those who want to know a little more about the team behind Ditto and what they do, we caught up with the manager of the Australian office, Sarah, to get the scoop and how they are enabling artists to release their music worldwide!
The Melbourne Ditto team: Anthony Barton, Sarah Hamilton & Vader Fame
Photo credit – Elleni Toumpas
What is your role at Ditto and what do you guys do?
As mentioned I am the manager of the Australian office – we are based in a fantastic music hub filled with other music companies in Collingwood, Melbourne. We are an international company with headquarters in Liverpool in the UK, and offices in London, Nashville and San Diego. We have a small but wonderful team here in Oz. I do a range of different things from helping artists and labels with questions they have, to project managing international and local release campaigns, to organising partnerships with other companies in the music industry, to pitching for coverage with Spotify and the other stores, to educating artists on how they can best get their music heard. It’s a mixed bag and I absolutely love it – the digital world is always changing and never boring.
How do you help artists realise their dreams?
In 2016, independent artists have access to a lot of the same opportunities that major label artists have. This is both exciting and challenging – exciting because you can get added to a Spotify playlist next to Sia and get a million plays in a week, and your career has taken off. (just one example of many). You can crack the ARIA charts and iTunes charts as an independent artist, and still own 100% of your music. You can control and create and experiment with your own music and get it out there.
Simultaneously, it’s challenging because every artist has access to these opportunities. To be successful as a musician you need to make the music you want to make, decide on your priorities and pathways, educate yourself and continue learning and get a team of professionals around you who also believe in what you’re doing. It’s not easy but it’s more attainable than ever, and people will always love music – that will never change.
What is the biggest challenges you think artist face?
This relates to what I said above but expanding on that, it’s being heard above the noise of all of the other bands out there! There are millions of songs, thousands of blogs, social media is constantly in our faces (if we choose for it to be) so things are fragmented, and it’s hard to cut through it all.
Also the obvious challenge for most bands is a lack of funds. People just don’t buy music like they used to – sales are still just going down further. Streaming and paid subscriptions are on the rise but there is still an enormous gap and artists usually have to support their music careers with a second job.
Artists have to figure out where to prioritise their funds, and it’s tricky. I would love to see artists supported financially so that they can do what they do best – make music.
What specific services do you offer and what excites you about your role and working with artists?
Our services include digital distribution to online stores like Spotify, iTunes, Apple music, Shazam etc, and setting up of VEVO channels for artists and labels. We can help with release strategy, pre-orders on iTunes, We also offer services like publicity, social media campaigns, pitching for playlists, and will soon be launching our record label in a box product here in Oz which means that people have access to everything they need to start their own label. It’s launched in the UK and US and it’s so exciting seeing the labels that are being set up – really cool to see. (https://www.dittomusic.com/record–label-in-a-box)
The thing that excites me about working with artists is just listening to all of the amazing and unique music that we have coming through. It’s astounding the talent that is out there!
I also just love talking to people who are passionate and excited themselves. Musicians are just generally interesting and hard-working people who have stuck at something and made their vision a reality. I love talking with people about what they’re doing and their vision – it never gets old and I don’t think it ever will.
How did you got involved in the I Am Indie competition with 301?
We’ve always been a fan of Studios 301 and the name is synonymous with a top-class recording studio in Australia. A heap of Ditto artists from Sydney have recorded at Studios 301, and after meeting with Lynley (Studios 301 Mastering Manager) at BigSound last year I was keen to work with Studios 301 in some way. When the guys approached me with the idea of the ‘I am Indie’ competition there was no question.
We love being able to offer a great package to artists in Oz and help them achieve their goals.
Can’t wait to hear the winner!
For more information and to enter the I Am Indie competition – Please click below.
Studios 301 are excited to announce that we have teamed up with the MusicOz Foundation to be an official partner of this year’s Australian Independent Music Awards. The AIMA’s are an amazing platform which help recognise and highlight Australia’s most talented independent musicians and artists.
We are proud to be a part of this platform for independent artists which in previous years has boosted such names as Bliss N Eso, Blue King Brown, Porcelian, Sick Puppies, Cog, Mammal, Felicity Urquhart, Blue Juice, The Fumes, Stone Parade, Fiona Joy Hawkins, Art Vs Science, The Jezabels and many more.
To celebrate, MusicOz have extended the entry date until midnight this Sunday 21st August.
As an exclusive offer MusicOz & Studios 301 are giving away a Rhode NT1-A Microphone to ONE lucky handpicked applicant next week. To go in the draw simply enter now.
Good luck with your entries folks!
ABOUT The MusicOz Foundation – Australian Independent Music Awards
Musicoz is a national initiative dedicated to improving the quality of original music culture in Australia. For over a decade Musicoz has been developing the music industry at the grass roots level by seeking out, recognising & encouraging the talents of unsigned and independent artists and providing them with much needed development support and opportunities as they carve out their careers.
The awards cover 18 genres of music with over 5000 entries each year.
We managed to get a quick interview in with the winners of our I AM INDIE competition, Phantastic Ferniture, after a weekend recording in Studio 2 with Tim Carr and working on their forthcoming EP. Speaking to Holly our Studios Coordinator, here’s what they had to say.
Studios 301: How was it recording at 301?
Ryan: It was nice not having to record ourselves. Everything we’ve done before has been me or the band having to do it. It was quite relaxing for me not to be yelling at everyone telling them to do things.
Liz: And it was also nice for us not getting yelled at by Ryan.
Julia: It was cool just being at a studio space like Studios 301. We haven’t really done that before.
Liz: It felt a lot easier than usual. It’s hard to make things go smoothly when you’re recording yourself. And also having that external opinion (from Tim Carr) being able to bounce your ideas off, instead of just us.
Ryan: We don’t get to use spaces like that everyday, with nice gear and big rooms.
Julia: Or have that much time.
Liz: It was nice doing things in normal daytime hours. Normally we’re still going at 1am. It was also good to have so much space to set everything up and easily go back to instruments, instead of having to do say guitars, then pack it up, then do drums. You can easily go back to things.
Studios 301: Do you feel like you played better because of it?
Collectively: yeah, I reckon.
Studios 301: How did you find working with Tim?
Ryan: Tim’s great because the just lets us figure out what we want to do, and then he’ll put one little idea out there and it take it from good to really good.
Liz: He’s also such a fast worker. I was quite astounded how quickly he mixed things between takes.
Julia: He’s obviously so experienced and he’s knows exactly what he needs and he just does that while we’re recording.
Studios 301: I guess that’s the skill as a producer, being quick and making one suggestion that takes the music somewhere else.
Ryan: Normally the four of us have such strong opinions so it nice to have someone listening to our opinions and taking it on.
Julia: I think the great thing about working with Tim was because we all do have strong opinions, if we were working someone also with strong opinions as well it might have been difficult.
Ryan: We would literally be throwing stuff across the room.
Julia: He was super accommodating and really listened to what we wanted.
Studios 301: So what’s the future hold for Phantastic Ferniture?
Julia: Just mainly finishing the EP, releasing it and seeing if people like it and going from there.
Ryan: We’ve only got two songs released so far. We’ve also already thought about video clips. That’s half of what we do in the studio. Just spending time figuring out what we’re going to wear and what clip’s going to look like.
Studios 301: What are the plans for the video clip? Can you give anything away?
Liz: It’s going to involve dancing.
Julia: And people that are playing us, but not us
Studios 301: Any cameo’s?
Julia: We’re definitely trying to get celebrity cameos
Ryan: Hopefully over 50’s
Liz: Or under 50’s
Julia: So basically anyone (laugh’s)
Keep an eye out for Phantastic Ferniture’s movements at
For more information on INDIE Single and EP packages check out https://studios301.com/recording-packages/
Some highlights of who we’ve had in the studios recently:
Kita Alexander
We have Sarah McLeod in studio today working on new music!!! cred @sarahmcleod1
A photo posted by @studios301 on
Nicole Millar
Jack Colwell
Good to be back! Something extra for your ears, soon. 😉 x
A photo posted by Jack Colwell (@jvckcolwell) on
Horrorshow
Vallis Alps
Mid-tour recording Can’t wait to share our new stuff with you
A photo posted by Vallis Alps (@vallisalps) on
Jess Kent
Nicky Night Time
A photo posted by NickyNightTime (@nickynighttime) on
Illy
Paul Conrad
want a shake? @reeldeeprecords #studio #music #reeldeep
A photo posted by Paul Conrad (@thepaulconrad) on
by Harvey O’Sullivan
Mastering is an important step in the music production process, and perhaps the most misunderstood. Once you have your songs written and they are ready to be released to the world, the process could simplistically be represented as:
Recording/Tracking -> Mixing -> Mastering
The recording and mixing stages are fairly self explanatory, at the end of mixing you will have the final stereo mixdowns of your tracks, which often people think is the end of the music production line. You can play these mixes back on your car stereo, on your phone, on your computer, and they sound like a finished song. So what is the point of mastering?
A mix engineer will take the multi-tracked audio from the recording sessions and will focus on creating a coherent mix out of them. Mastering is about then taking that mix and optimising it for the destined playback format. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t just “making it louder”.
Let’s say you record 10 songs for an album. When you arrange those songs into a sequence you might find, for example, that the songs vary in volume or that some have more treble than others. Mastering will smooth out the differences and make your album a coherent listening experience from start to finish.
Mastering engineers also make sure that your tracks will sound good on all range of speaker systems and playback methods, from the smallest iPod earbuds through to big PAs. Often what comes out of the mixdown stage might have an overload of sub-bass frequencies and uneven overall dynamics, or any number of potential issues. It might sound good on the speakers that they were mixed on but when listened to on different speakers in different rooms they do not sound as intended. Mastering engineers work in highly calibrated and precise listening environments to ensure that your tracks “translate” as evenly as possible on all playback systems.
Releasing music can sometimes be a confusing business. There are codes to take care of, like ISRCs and UPCs, and there are a variety of different formats to service such as DDPs, MFiTs and WAVs. A professional mastering studio will be able to guide you through this process and advise you on what’s right for your project.
But why do we have specialist mastering engineers for this? Why can’t it all be taken care of by the mix engineer?
The key is specialisation. Mastering has it’s own specific gear, a mastering console for example is very different to a online mixing console. A mastering suite has very distinct requirements different to that of a mixing room. While there may be considerable crossover in knowledge between mix and mastering engineers, gaining the experience and skills to operate the tools specific to mastering up to a professional standard takes time and dedication.
And yes, a mastering engineer will also be able to make your tracks bigger, louder and clearer.
Book in your mastering instantly online here
For more info contact:
Lynley White-Smith
Mastering Manager
mastering@studios301.com
Andrew Edgson is one of Studios 301’s new generation of mastering engineers. Over the last 10 years he has mastered for Aria Award winning and multi platinum selling projects including Matt Corby, Sarah McKenzie, Vance Joy, and The Griswolds just to name a few. Recently he has been working with a whole swag of tastemaker bands that have caught the eye of triple j and The Madden Brothers. We caught up with Andrew to talk all things mastering, and to find out what he’s been working on lately.Can you tell us a bit about your recent work and what you’ve been up to?
The last 6 months have been really busy for me. I’ve been able to work with a broad range of artists including Matt Corby, Hayden Calnin, Bag Raiders, A.D.K.O.B, Chase Atlantic, Jack and The Kids, The Lulu Raes, Ben Gillies, Burrows, Drued, The Hamiltons, The Frankner, Warhawk, Georgia Mulligan, DMAs, Pepa Knight, The Great Awake, BRUVVY, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, The Song Company, Pinchgut Opera, The Australian Chamber Orchestra, and the list goes on…
There has been some industry hype surrounding a few of the artists you’ve been working with recently… I’m talking about the triple j Unearthed wins from both A.D.K.O.B, Jack and the Kids, and all the attention Chase Atlantic are getting from The Madden Brothers. Can you tell us what’s going on with these projects?
It’s great to see these bands getting the recognition they deserve, A.D.K.O.B were one of the winners of the triple j unearthed competition late last year, winning a slot on the St Jerome’s Laneway festival. In a similar vein Jack and The Kids won the more recently announced unearthed competition getting a spot on the Groovin’ the Moo festival. Chase Atlantic have been picked up by The Madden Brothers, and are currently in talks with international labels.
What these sessions were like?
All of the sessions were actually unattended, so in these cases I was working alone, simply hoping that any changes I made were helping bring the artist’s vision closer to fruition. It’s a tough call as to whether I prefer this way of working. In one way it’s great to not be on the clock, so if I want to listen to 30 mins of Beyonce mid session I can, however there is the issue of delayed feedback. In the end we are working on art, and that is something that shouldn’t be rushed for the simple point of saving a few dollars.
Wow that’s a big 6 months. How important is it to stay connected in the industry and have close ties with management and artists?
The international music industry is surprisingly small, so I try to keep relationships with people in all roles, at all levels, across the globe. I wouldn’t recommend spending too much time concentrating in one space, as it’s so easy to reach a point of diminishing marginal returns. This concept can actually be applied to a lot of things; for example why become an expert mixing engineer in a specific genre only to find a year later the genre is out of fashion, along with your career. Be smart with your time, it’s pretty much the most valuable thing you own.
Looking through your discography you have a keen interest in jazz and classical but also mastered all the way over to indie and dance. How do you manage to stay across genres and not get pigeonholed?
As much of a cliché this is; I honestly enjoy a broad range of music, the variety is what keeps things fresh for me.
How do mastering engineers get their work?
To a degree it is a popularity contest, but this is predicated on a consistent level of quality work. This platitude seems appropriate, “you’re only as good as your last record”.
Are you an analogue or digital guy?
My mastering is usually a combination of both digital and analogue. There are however certain genres and even specific recordings that benefit from an entirely digital approach, much in the same way there are some recordings that scream out for the vibe soaked analogue treatment. It’s a matter of assessing a recording on its merits and choosing the appropriate approach to bring out the best in the music.
How did you get into mastering?
It’s a matter of having good ears, a habit of working hard and a being in the right place at the right time. I have come up through the ranks at Studios 301, so I have a good understanding of how to do all of the jobs available in a recording or mastering studio. Mastering is where I found the right balance for my personality; it has absolutely developed into a passion of mine, and is something I would be happy to dedicate the rest of my life to. There is a great piece of advice I picked up along the way – happiness in life is finding something you really enjoy doing, and doing that every day for the rest of your life. For me, this is mastering.
You’ve been mastering at Studios 301 for 10 years, what are the biggest changes that you have seen happen in music?
The biggest change is the change in distribution strategies that are now open to artists. When I started out, CDs were the primary method of getting music out into the world, now there is a multitude of formats and file types. The relevance of this to a mastering engineer is we need to be across all the different codecs and how they impose their own sound onto a recording, and how best to get around their shortcomings.
What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give someone wanting to be a mastering engineer?
If you want to become a mastering engineer, get yourself setup with a good quality monitor controller, a great DAC, and a set of speakers that you think sound great in the space you have available to listen in. Your speakers are the tool that you make all your decisions through, so if they are not setup right you are already handicapped, and it will be very difficult (almost impossible) to produce results at the consistency you need to. Once you are setup in the speaker department, you need to spend as much time listening to music as possible; your aim is to teach yourself what sounds good and what doesn’t sound good, this should turn into a pursuit that lasts a lifetime. Lastly get practising on the tools, mainly EQ and compression, which should be developed to the point of being second nature. I think it’s worth pointing out that the brand of tool is almost irrelevant, it’s what you do with them that counts.
Check out more on Andrew Edgson:
www.triplejunearthed.com/article/dirt-mastering
For enquiries please contact Lynley White-Smith at mastering@studios301.com or +61 2 8396 7265
Credits:
A.D.K.O.B – Glue
Matt Corby – Knife Edge
Hayden Calnin – Cut Love
Chase Atlantic – OBSESSIVE
PEPA KNIGHT – Eventually (Tame Impala Cover)
The Lulu Raes – Burnout
In recent years, Ben Feggans’ passion for independent music has established him as one of the most sought after mastering engineers in the country. Carving out a niche for indie dance, electronic and hip hop, Ben has mastered numerous releases for artists such as Rüfüs (“Blue EP”), Ngaiire, Willow Beats, The Kite String Tangle and Dustin Tebbutt, Miami Horror,Tuka, and 360.
Ben worked closely with the Australian record label Future Classic since its humble beginnings in 2005, propelling Australian artists including Hayden James, New Navy, Flight Facilities, Flume and Mitzi to international acclaim.
We caught up with Ben to talk all things mastering.
You’ve managed to carve out a niche around the Indie/Dance, Electronic, Dub and Hip-hop sound. How did that come about?
BF: It just kind of evolved that way! I have a real passion for electronic and acoustic music, and initially worked with many electronic music artists as a mix engineer before mastering. I think you have to understand what the music is about when working on it, and the artists get that.
What’s your definition of mastering?
BF: Mastering is “the presentation of a mix”. It’s like framing a picture, you don’t want to upset the balance of the painting, just enhance what is already there.
What makes your approach unique?
BF: I’m quite technical so I use a combination of analogue and digital processing that is extremely well matched sonically and electronically. It’s mostly a simple chain but the right chain that works together as a whole. My approach is “less is more”.
How does your process differ from other mastering Engineers?
BF: My process is probably similar to other engineers. I give the entire track a good listen before making any changes, just to get a feel for what the artist is trying to achieve in their overall sound, then make a decision on the sound balance and processing. Different styles of music have a certain focus in terms of frequency balance, impact and dynamics. From experience, you tend to know which areas are the best to enhance for overall enjoyment to the listener. It’s also important that the style of music is mastered for the target medium it will be played on.
What excites you about the future of music?
BF: I have worked with labels such as Future Classic for over 10 years and enjoy the direction that indie/dance music has taken in Australia. Artists such as RUFUS and Ngaiire are pushing the boundaries with songs that are radio and dance floor friendly. I hope that there is more of a cross over sound in the future.
If you could have made one key piece of equipment you use, what would that be?
BF: The Duntech Sovereign speakers are essential. In terms of gear I’d like a Knif Soma EQ to match by Knif Vari-mu compressor. Mastering equipment is so expensive in Australia – maybe Studios 301 can buy me one?
Do you have an tips or advice for people mixing or getting songs together for mastering?
BF: Listen to your online mix on a variety of playback systems. Level match and compare with commercial tracks, and ensure there are no frequencies (especially sub frequencies) that are out of control but you just can’t hear it due to your room or speakers. A spectrum analyser and RMS metering definitely can assist this. Leave a few dB of headroom when bouncing audio for mastering. Most importantly, be satisfied with your mixes and remember it takes years to sound like a pro!
What’s the most important aspect in the mastering process?
BF: The room, monitoring and experience. You can’t master a record without the knowledge that your room and monitoring are accurately telling you what is going on.
Check out Ben’s blog posts here:
https://studios301.com/blog/ben-feggans-on-loudness-part-1/
https://studios301.com/blog/ben-feggans-on-loudness-part-2/
https://studios301.com/blog/dangerous-bax-vs-uad/
And his posts on Gearslutz https://www.gearslutz.com/board/members/15707-ben-f/
For mastering enquiries or to book Ben Feggans please contact
Mastering Manager
Lynley White-Smith (02) 9698 5888
lynley@studios301.com
