ABOUT FIXED MASTERING

Fixed Mastering is a full-service analog and digital mixing and mastering studio based out of Los Angeles, CA. Our studio features top-of-the-line gear exclusively sourced to provide you with the best sound quality possible. Our team of mixing and mastering engineers bring decades of experience working with every musical genre. We offer mastering for digital release, including all streaming services, as well as mastering for physical media such as vinyl, CD, or cassette. We pride ourselves at Fixed Mastering on quick turnaround time, excellent customer service, individualized attention, and a high quality product. Our many satisfied clients can attest to this!

Contact us today! We look forward to working with you and giving your tracks the quality sound and attention they deserve.

WHAT IS AUDIO MASTERING?

Audio mastering is the last stage in preparing a song for mass distribution and consumption. Audio mastering ensures that the audio mix translates well across a variety of playback systems. An audio mastering engineer may also enhance and correct the music as needed so that it improves its sound on every playback system while retaining that translation. Proper audio mastering is critical for music to be perceived as commercially competitive and to ensure that the artistic content of the song is delivered to listeners in an uncompromising manner across any range of playback system - whether the cheapest earbuds, the most audiophile setups, and everything in between.

All of these goals can be accomplished in audio mastering by utilizing techniques involving adjustments to amplitude, frequency balance, dynamics, stereo-field, tone, etc. The mastering engineer adjusts the volume, dynamics, and other tonal aspects of your music so that the final audio master is commercially competitive to its respective musical genre. It’s also important that the audio mastering engineer is able to meet artistic intent & expectations for a piece of music as well. For example, while audio mastering, a mastering engineer adjusts the relationships between frequency ranges so that it playbacks in a balanced way on a variety of sound systems. Using equalization, the mastering engineer can adjust the frequency balance so that it’s closer to other songs in it’s genre, or to correct qualitative issues like booming bass or harshness. The final product from audio mastering also ensures that nothing is clipping or distorting in an unpleasant way, so that it translates well on a variety of systems and appears pleasing to the listener. All these sorts of adjustments are made during the audio mastering process, and can range from subtle to extreme, depending on what the music needs. In the end, audio mastering should always lead you to a song that sounds great on every system.

To learn more about audio mastering, please contact us today!

HOW IS AUDIO MASTERING DONE?

Audio mastering is performed by a mastering engineer. A mastering engineer is an audio engineer who is experienced in preparing music for publication and distribution. The mastering engineer assures that the final product is ready to be released on a myriad of digital and physical formats and avenues. An experienced mastering engineer can provide masters for any required distribution channel. Here at Fixed Mastering, our audio engineers have not only experience in mixing and mastering, but also years of experience in music theory, composition, production, and acoustics. In addition this broad music industry expertise, our audio engineers have experience in every genre of music. This allows the artist and their team to have trust in the mastering engineer that their final project will be true to their specific creative vision, no matter the genre or style.

A mastering engineer usually receives the mixdown or premaster from the mixing engineer or artist(s). The mastering engineer then uses software, hardware, or a combination of both to achieve the final master. During the process of mastering, the engineer critically listens to the music on high-end monitors that were sourced specifically for audio mastering. Here at Fixed Mastering, we predominantly use the Dutch and Dutch 8c monitors. In addition to mastering grade monitors, the studio room must be an accurate listening environment. Our studio is acoustically refined using a combination of design, positioning, and acoustic treatment. Here at Fixed mastering we use analog hardware in a custom mastering chain for each track and/or album. The most valuable tools that a mastering engineer has in their arsenal are their highly trained ears and their years of experience.

If you are ready to send us your mixdown(s), please submit here!

why do you need audio mastering?

Traditionally, musicians would work under record labels to release their music. The music labels would oversee the production, recording, post-production, and marketing of the albums. These days, musicians have many more options for showcasing their work to the public instead of the traditional model. There are a multitude of options for self-releasing your music online. Whether you use Distrokid, CDBaby, Bandcamp, or a local or international distributor, you still want your music to be the highest quality possible. A highly skilled and trained mastering engineer will provide you with any versions of your tracks that you need for your chosen publication formats. For example, if you want to put out a quality vinyl record on par with the major labels, you will need a mastering engineer to provide you with the proper vinyl pre-masters for the cutting engineer to use.

In addition, a mastering engineer can work hand in hand with you throughout your career to provide you with knowledgeable expertise and feedback. A trusted mastering engineer can provide you with mix feedback for each project, helping you to improve your craft over time. Your mastering engineer can also advise you on information and any new changes about streaming services and working with distributors. Any long-time career musician can tell you that it is important to have a good relationship with your mastering engineer.

Above all, you need audio mastering because you want the most amount of people to hear your music, and you want your music to be the best quality possible. If you work with a mastering engineer, your music will be compliant in all formats, the mastering process will make your music sound as best as it can. A mastering engineer will take care to respect and honor your artistic vision, while also taking your music to the next level.

What are you waiting for? Send us a message today!