Mastering Engineer

Digital-to-Analog converters (and their Analog-to-Digital counterparts) play a vital role in the modern studio. In particular, two-channel DACs allow us to properly monitor our audio output by converting a digital signal to an analog one. The signal remains pristine, and we hear our projects as intended on our monitors. There is no shortage of high-quality two-channel DACs for your studio...

Magic Garden Mastering is a boutique facility in Atwater Village, Los Angeles, run by accomplished mastering engineer Brian Lucey. Credits include Michael Bublé, Elvis Costello, Shania Twain, Chet Faker, Lucinda Williams, Depeche Mode and The Black Keys, as well as the soundtrack to many hit movies and streaming series. Last week his client Juanes won the Best Latin Rock or Alternative Grammy for “Origen”, which is the 7th time he’s mastered a Grammy winner. Continue reading →

In the realm of pro audio, continued learning of new techniques is vital to perfecting your craft. Luckily, there are many incredible resources out there for further educating yourself in the world of engineering and production. Some forms of media are great for dipping your toes in and learning a new trick, but podcasts can expand on new information in a more long-form approach. Podcasting has truly become a highly effective platform for learning in our industry. World-class engineers regularly can be found talking on podcasts about many of their integral practices, all without the hindrances of time constraints and visuals. Who better to learn from than the people making timeless sounding records and the hits of today? No one. Continue reading →

Daniel Holsinger is a Clearwater, Florida-based recording, mixing and mastering engineer. For the past ten years, he's been carving out a place in the recording industry working with a number of labels like Universal Music Group and Island Def Jam and a wide array of artists including John Legend, Fabolous, Editors, Rodrigo y Gabriela and Chick Corea. Working from the aptly named Daniel Holsinger Studios. Daniel has built a powerful rig that allows him to work fluidly, no matter what kind of project is on the docket. His set-up includes two Avid S1 control surfaces, a Universal Audio Apollo x6 interface, Yamaha NS-10M monitors, ProAc SM100 monitors and much more. To learn a little bit more about Daniel and his studio, we sat down for a Studio Spotlight interview. Read on to find out what gear is most integral to how Daniel works in the studio, what inspires him and one of his favorite records of all time. Continue reading →

Based out of Miami, Florida, Ricardo Sangiao is one of the hottest names in mastering at the moment. Known for his work in the Latin, hip-hop, and dance genres, Ricardo has had a hand in many platinum releases in the past few years and shows no signs of slowing down. He's mastered records for Rick Ross, Danny Ocean, and Diljit Dosanjh, just to name a few. Working under legendary engineer Bob Katz, Ricardo has learned from the best and is now applying his knowledge at his own studio, World Class Mastering. Ricardo recently sat down with Vintage King for a Five Sounds With interview to talk about a number of records he has worked on, his process and the gear he uses. Continue reading →

Kim Rosen is a mastering engineer based out of Ringwood, New Jersey, where she owns and operates her own studio, Knack Mastering. Over the course of the past decade and some change, Kim has put together an impressive resume of records, including Grammy®-nominated releases from Bettye LaVette, Bonnie Raitt, and The Milk Carton Kids, in addition to a win for Aimee Mann's Mental Illness. We had the pleasure of talking with Kim as a part of our ongoing 20 Questions series in which we interview top engineers and producers about their careers and day-to-day lives. Continue below to learn more about how Kim got started in the industry, find out what song defines her mastering work, and get details on the tube amplifier she created with her husband. Continue reading →

The lifestyle changes brought on by COVID-19 (Novel Coronavirus) have truly transformed the gig-based economy that many musicians and audio professionals work within. From venues being closed and tours being canceled to budgets being slashed and recording projects being put on hold, there certainly has been a lot of bad news for the people in our industry. Despite it all, the events of the past few months have brought our community closer together than ever before. Whether you have a few extra bucks to spare or you're an artist, engineer, live crew member in need of support, we've put together a list of organizations that are here to help those that have been affected by the crisis. Continue reading →

Mastering is a mysterious and often misunderstood element of the record-making process. However, it’s also one of the most crucial. In an era when producers and engineers are working on songs from the very first note to the final mix, having a second set of ears to provide a professional opinion can be worth its weight in gold-plated cables.An essential element of success in collaborating with a mastering engineer is to prepare your sessions in the proper way. While it can be intimidating sending off your production to a mastering engineer the first time, the simple act of preparation will make for a good rapport with whoever you are working with and allow your tracks and albums to shine. Continue reading →

A great audio engineer understands the importance of learning their craft from the masters. Books and magazines have always been a great resource, but the explosion of podcasts on engineering, mixing, and mastering has made quality information more available than ever. In this blog, we’ll break down some of our favorite podcasts for audio engineers, including gear-driven tech talk, podcasts on how to run your own studio, and behind the scenes interviews with artists and producers. Continue reading →

Pete Lyman is a world-renowned mastering engineer who has worked on records for Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Weezer, and Fall Out Boy, just to name a few. More recently, Lyman mastered Brandi Carlile's 2018 album, By The Way, I Forgive You, which received Grammy nominations for Record of the Year and Album of the Year. The importance of converters to the workflow of a mastering engineer like Lyman cannot be emphasized enough. So when his friends at Rupert Neve Designs sent over the RMP-D8, Lyman immediately began working the eight-channel Dante mic preamp and mastering-grade 24-bit 192 kHz converters into his chain. Continue reading →