MASTERING
"We should close our eyes and listen only with our ears and stomach, to indeed be able to enjoy music."
Background:
As in the 80’s when the possibility for digital recording first appeared, we experienced a growing fascination with this technique. Unbelievable possibilities and innovative functions arose. During a continuous general enthusiasm for everything digital, one slowly began to notice that many of the new, digital recordings began to sound cold and sterile. The comparison between film and video is often used to show this condition. Despite constant innovations and improvements of digital technology, the recently discovered new technology and the "old" technology became intertwined and the love of old technology was once again renewed. In many mastering studios, where one so affectionately and laboriously added the final touches to the produced music, there was often strong reliance on analog technology. Therefore, the presence of various more expensive Hi-Tech devices became the warranty for highest quality possible for the customer.
In the realm of computer technology, enormous progress has been made. The use of high resolutions and very complex algorhythms on the digital level provide a drastic improvement in sound quality. But, many engineers do miss their well-known “analog" controllers. Gradually, various digital versions of the old analog equipment have been developed. Some software producers have since faithfully reproduced the behavior of some of these analog devices so well that it is no longer possible with A/B comparison tests to figure out if analog equipment or software was used in the process. This has been confirmed by prominent and well-known tone engineers.
Chris Oz relies on this new technology. The advantages are obvious.
By using digital simulation, all signal connections between different devices with their associated problems are omitted, such as a hum or noise. Extremely complex equipment setups are configurable, storable and able to be recalled. Dynamic, timeline-dependent changes of all parameters become possible. Finally all titles can be opened in only one session including all equipment settings. Therefore, the possibility of direct comparison between each song and direct corrections are possible at any time.
Try and remember: have you not already been in at least one situation in which you were already on your way home in your car, or on the train, or in an airplane, feeling unsure after a long and expensive mastering session because you just did not feel good after listening to the finished Premaster CD? You immediately notice that you would have done a few things differently. However, this would mean more time and money, and any corrections would come at a considerable expenditure. This scenario will not happen to you after a mastering session with Chris Oz. Because here, thanks to the enormous flexibility of our mastering system, there is little to no compromise and you are in control until the end. After "sleeping on it" and consultations with the artist or the record company, even weeks or months after the fact, you can nevertheless make corrections, and you can then relax. Because all corrections are fast and in full compatibility with the original mastering session at little expenditure.
HARDWARE:
Apple Mac Pro 8-Core
AVID Artist Mix + Artist Control
Command 8 Pro Tools Controller
MOTU 24 AO
RME Fireface 400
DNA Music Labs Hotkey Matrix
Novation LAUNCHPAD
MONITORING:
Agent Audio Oktopussy Surround Monitor Controller
Equator Audio Q15 Main Monitors
ADAM Sub12 Subwoofer
Yamaha HS 50M
Avantone MixCube
Gettoblaster
iPhone
SOFTWARE:
ProTools 12 HD
Batch Commander
Sonic Studio PreMaster CD DDP
Wavelab 7
PLUGINS:
Waves Mercury Bundle
Izotope Studio & Repair Bundle
Nomad Factory Integral Studio Pack Bundle
Native Instruments Komplete 10 Ultimate
Digidesign HD Bundle
BF Classic Compressors HD
BF Fairchild Bundle
BF Moogerfooger Bundle
BF Pultec Bundle
Antares Auto-Tune+Time
Celemony Melodyne
Reverb One
SansAmp PSA-1
Crane Song PHOENIX
Drawmer Dynamics ECL / GCL
Fairchild 670
Pultec EQH-2 / MEQ-5
Smack!
McDSP Compressor Bank / Filter Bank
Sound Toys Pitch Blender / Time Blender
All raw recording formats can be delivered in digital form. Even 2” tape can be digitized.
The mastered songs are made available via FTP server.
A DDP Master can also be sent directly to press via Upload.