MASTERING ENGINEERS ADVICE — future

There aren’t many people who can do mastering or engineering or mixing for a full-time profession. One reason why is because of the way they self-brand and handle clients. The main thing for me is you need to be able to do just one thing, so people know who you are. You are an expert in that one area; you’re not just the “I can do anything” guy. You have a website that looks professional. The way that you answer emails is professional. You have a brand, and the way that you deal with clients on the phone is very...

The first way to advance yourself as quickly as possible in the audio industry is to find the right people to gel with. The way I did that was I worked with a guy called Kevin Metcalf. He was a lot older than me and knew little about tech. I, on the other hand, was familiar with it and was into programming – that was my skill set. He had the credibility and was very experienced as a mastering engineer, but then he didn't have any of the skills that I had. It's brilliant: I'm offering him all my experience,...

The way that I see mastering going in the future? It's not dying, for sure. In fact, I think mastering is more important now than it ever was.  Originally, it was just a transfer service where you would get a mix onto a vinyl or CD, and it always sounded the same way as the mix. You would put cuts and filters on to be able to get it there, and that was all it was. Now, since people have been doing a lot more home studio stuff, it’s become a way for them to get professional feedback. I think...