VINYL MASTERING

HISTORY, PRODUCTION, SPECIAL FEATURES

Competent partner

We have been creating audio vinyl masters for our customers since 2006.

Internationally represented

Active in over 50 countries with numerous vinyls that have been mastered by us.

Top customer service

We are at your side competently and advise you on vinyl mastering.

SUCCESSFUL COOPERATIONS WITH WELL-KNOWN ARTISTS

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Every music lover knows that not all recordings are created equal. Even though the trend towards the digital medium has developed over the last few decades, lovers of good records remain true to their records. More and more artists are offering their works on the “black disc” again, and with good reason. Vinyl has character and sound. Therefore will Audio mastering for vinyl increasingly important.

VINYL PRODUCTION - SPECIAL FEATURES ?!

Vinyl

Whether in the classical genre, R&B, soul, funk, rock or hip hop, more and more vinyls are being pressed and the demand is increasing tremendously. Of the unmistakably balanced sound of a vinyl remains unsurpassed to this day, in the digital age.

However, it has turned into a good art Audio master for vinyl production to make and usually with Hypercompression or brilliance in the highs and exciter processed song to make it accessible for the record without spoiling the work. This not only requires a good ear, but also specialist knowledge in music and expertise, both digital and analogue, because regardless of whether the record project ends up in the Lacquer cutting process on a lacquer film, or at DMM process is recorded onto copper foil before it goes to the pressing plant, there are a few things that need to be done to the sound beforehand mastering be observed so that the playback of the vinyl record also works.

VINYL MASTERING AT PEAK STUDIOS

With over 17 years of experience in der Production of vinyl master files Peak Studios will accompany you and your project from recording to mixing to cutting the vinyl master in the pressing plant. No matter which method you choose, our trained team of experts for the ideal sound is your competent contact and the perfect interface between digital and analogue.

 

VINYL MASTERING SERVICE

    • Advice on the manufacturing process (lacquer cutting or DMM)
    • Advice on page length, vinyl size (12, 10 or 7 inches) and playback speed (e.g. 33 or 45 rpm)
    • Recommendation for ideal track arrangement and break times
    • Digital test pressing (incl. pickup simulation, system noise, crackl and clicks)

 

VINYL MASTERING PRICES

Prices for vinyl mastering are an important criterion when deciding on the right mastering studio, especially when it comes to a special area like that Vinyl mastering goes. We have therefore tried to make this as transparent as possible. We are happy to offer generous discounts for larger projects!

VINYL MASTERING COST

Mastering specially made for vinyl pressing. Playback in the highest vinyl master quality.
from 60 per song *
  • Manufacture according to the guidelines of the press shop.
  • 2 change versions included.
product

VINYL STEM MASTERING COSTS

Mastering of subgroups. Stem mastering enables deeper editing of your audio masterial.
from 40 per stem **
  • Analog mastering of subgroups.
  • 2 change versions included.

VINYL
MIXING
COSTS

Our vinyl online mixing guarantees an analogue sound experience with a unique New York sound.
from 120 per song *
  • Analog mixing of a stereo mixdown.
  • 2 change versions included.

*Stereo mastering = 1 stereo track. When uploading multiple group tracks, the vinyl stem mastering is automatically booked.
** at least 2 stems

Prices include VAT

FAQ ON VINYL MASTERING

Some believe one has for the medium Vinyl and for one digital release make two different masters. This isn't necessary if you don't give the track excessive loudness through hypercompression, as in the past, or brilliance in the highs, as is common nowadays. The track would sound wonderful on vinyl and there would be no need to make two different masters of your music.

However, this is how it is handled nowadays, in the digital second age. Therefore, it usually makes sense to prepare an extra master for vinyl (vinyl mastering), as this is often not so sharp in the highs. Our mastering tips list a few things to keep in mind when Online mastering for vinyl records should be considered in order to get a good sound of the music.

The Mono compatibility is extremely important, especially with the medium vinyl. Especially loud sounds with strong attack times are problematic here and can lead to the needle jumping if you overdo it. On the other hand, strings and pad sounds are given less weight in the Vinyl Master. A good mono center from about 300 Hz down is desirable.

It is essential for the vinyl master to remove the stereo information in the bass range in order to achieve a rich and central bass sound and to avoid later jumping the needle on the record. Since the track is supposed to breathe, you have to work carefully on the compression, so you only try to weaken the peaks with a low Treshhold value but not to mix the whole song into a dynamic pulp.

A track to be released on vinyl should be a certain dynamism kept to sound good and clean on a record. Again, it always depends on the genre and the song itself. Processors are also to be avoided Add overtonessuch as an exciter that will later "shrill“Can sound. Overall, you have to be careful with the high frequencies (S-sounds) of a vinyl master. If no precautions are taken, they can either "muddy" or to "sharp" to make noticable. These procedures can be identified on the basis of the production of a vinyl.

EQ'ING IN THE VINYL MASTER

When eq'ing I use a low-cut filter at around 40Hz to minimize possible rumble on the record. With a Hicut filter the upper frequencies are limited. For a vinyl master are here 17kHz a good approach, as a record cannot always reproduce this faithfully to the original. Try a very gentle one with different slopes roll off to achieve. With a gentle roll-off (e.g. 6 db or max. 12 db/oct. as edge steepness, you can definitely set your hi-cut EQ for the vinyl master at 15 khz.

With the so-called "Half Speed ​​Vinyl Mastering" in the Lacquer cutting process it is even possible to display a frequency response of up to 25 kHz. This is because instead of 33/13 RPM (revolutions per minute) with only 16 2/3RPM is worked. The advantage of this is that the precision when transferring all information from the Vinyl Master is significantly increased. So you have less distortion, better transient response and benefits from a greater dynamics.

S-LUTES

As already mentioned, you can S sounds on a plate "shrill" to make noticable. To avoid this, I'll describe two approaches:

  1. With the help of the bandpass filter a De-esser's, let's look for the “sharp” frequency between 3-10 kHz (depends on the song). Then carefully adjust the de-esser. This should be done with feeling so as not to weaken too much of the particular frequency. It always depends on the song, so it is difficult to give exact values ​​here. That will not only made this way at Vinylmaster, but can be particularly important here to help you clean sound to ensure the plate. For the pros: Pull okatve over the core frequency at the same time 
  2. alternative approach is the use of an EQ. We also use it to find the specific frequency and extract it in a narrow band (high Q value), with -1 to 5 dB. The timbre of the whole track is influenced here, but this can be wanted. There is NO the one perfect solution.

MID-SIDE EQ'ING

Stereo information be in the bass range not just removed for vinyl masters, is here though inevitableto prevent the needle from jumping. It sounds better overall when the bass is more central. For this purpose, the low frequencies are removed from the side signal with a hipass filter. In theory, this can be done with any audio processor that has a Mono bass control owns, can be realized.

When using Compressors one should be careful in the vinyl master. The track should be able to breathe. Low ratios are used here (1,1: 1 - 1,6: 1). The threshold value is also kept lower in order not to let the compressor grip too strongly and only to weaken the peaks a little. M / S compression is also a good option here, so that the side signal can be processed separately from the mono signal. Last but not least, the track order on the disk should be determined. The farther one approaches the middle of a record, the worse will be the appearance of high frequencies and their Transients. Therefore: The track with the greatest "Brilliance“Put first.

Brilliance is understood in our context as an "addition" of heights in the range of approx. 6-20 khz, which process is relevant in vinyl mastering. Here, large jumps in level and extreme energy weighting, in the upper Khz range, should be avoided in the mix as a matter of urgency, because due to the manufacturing method, the cutting and the nature of the vinyl, it can lead to the pressing plant rejecting the production, or - which in our eyes is still a lot Worse is - the record or needle on the record starts jumping and your music doesn't sound good anymore. You can mitigate this with a lower one Overall loudness - anything between -12 and -20 LUFs (but please don't nail us on that).

If the Press Shop or specialized editing studios (cutting) have received the order, there are two ways to produce master slides for the pressing of your music.

OUR MASTERING CUSTOMERS

Connie Conrad
5/5
I've been working with Chris for years. In contrast to other mastering studios, his mastering is characterized by the fact that he feels the mood and the musical style of the tracks and does not focus on extreme drones in the loudness war. His sensitive mixing and mastering is rarely found on this planet!
Marco Matic
5/5

Top mixing and mastering studio! the boss Chris is super friendly and responded to all my special requests...great result. I can only recommend it to everyone...no matter what genre of music!

frank rest
5/5
Great job in a short amount of time. Fast response time in communication, immediate help with questions. Great audio mastering, super fair price. Gladly again for the next project. Everything smooth! Thank you Chris!

IS YOUR MIX READY?

In our free mix analysis you can find out whether your track can be refined for vinyl mastering.

STILL QUESTIONS ABOUT VINYL MASTERING?

Send us a message - we will usually get back to you within 3 hours (on working days).

You can reach us by phone from Monday to Friday from 09 a.m. to 20 p.m.

your contact

Do you have any questions or would you like to speak personally about your project?

Chris Jones

Managing Director of Peak Studios

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