Mastering

Simon’s passion for the science of sound paired with his eclectic taste in music means that he is constantly engaged in and adapting to trends in both technology and musical styles. When mastering, Simon’s aim is to sonically identify the emotional pulse of the song and subtly enhance the listener’s response and enjoyment without radically adjusting the mix and inviting the listener into the music.

Now that a lo-fi folk song can sit loud and proud and sound as prominent as a banging dance track on streaming platforms, we can enjoy the sonic and artistic merits of all types of music all on the same playlist. That in itself means music must be treated sympathetically to ensure it can live next to many different artists, styles and genres, which is something Simon takes great care in achieving with his masters.

What is the mastering process?

Simply put, mastering is the final stage before release. The goal is to retain the quality of the finished mix whilst tastefully bringing it up to the levels of a professional release. Consideration is given to the full spectrum of the EQ, width and dynamics of the work, as well as the colour, flavour and tonality, both for your individual tracks and the continuous listening experience of your album or EP.

How do I get my track or album mastered? What do I need to send?

Please send a highest-quality WAV file of your stereo mix or mixes. It’s worth checking that the WAV file is the same sample-rate and bit depth (eg. 24bit 48kHz) as the mixing project within your DAW. If you have been working with a limiter on the DAW output, please feel free to send this as a reference (mp3 is fine for this, if relevant), but please remove any final limiting from the actual WAV file to be mastered.

With the files, please let us know the intended release format and platforms, as there are different considerations to take into account for vinyl, cd and/or streaming releases. Please ensure all files are properly titled with artist name, track title and album/EP/single title.

It’s worth considering whether you want any instrumental or otherwise alternate versions (eg radio edits) mastered alongside your tracks. If so, please let us know, and send these at the same time as your main tracks.

What’s most helpful is sending reference tracks and some notes on how they relate to your project. Please also let us know what turnaround time you are looking for or if you have a specific deadline.

Getting in touch

To discuss attended mastering sessions at Soup contact: simontrought@gmail.com

to book remote mastering contact Simon via: info@oaktreemusic.co.uk