Guru Project :: Services :: Mastering

Mastering is the crucial final step in the production process of a recording. Simply put, mastering is the final adjustment of tone and space so that your album is consistent with great sounding records in your genre. If you look carefully, you'll notice that all the major labels have their commercial releases mastered before replication.

Why does your record need mastering? If you plan on releasing your recorded material on CD, you will probably need to have it mastered. For some styles of music, all that will be needed is a level adjustment and sequencing for the final CD. Other material may require compression, equalization, reverb, and perhaps some editing. The most critical aspect is to insure that material will sound good through various playback systems, such as in the car, on the radio, off a boom box, and through a high quality speaker system. As production budgets get smaller, more album projects are being completed at least partly on home systems, which can result in a reduction in sound quality. If you're an independent band who's labored long and hard over your mixes only to find that they are missing the tone, depth, and punch of your favorite records, then you're already on your way to understanding the necessity for mastering. In the simplest terms, mastering makes the difference between a demo and a real record.

In almost every mastering session, the following actions are performed:

• Optimizing average and peak volume levels for proper relative loudness
• Signal processing - compression & EQ
• Arranging tracks in final sequence
• Timing of the space between tracks
• Establishing a sonic "field" for all tracks
• Placing track markers at head of all tracks
• Removing unwanted noise like clicks, pops and hiss
• Cleaning up beginning and end of each track (including fades)
• Inserting Master Track Log - the PQ codes required for replication

Why Use Guru Project?

• Our mastering process is backed by 25 years of experience in the consistent production of exceptional results for hundreds of clients and various national releases including many of our celebrity clients.
• We use our own  custom designed state-of-the-art studio monitors specifically tailored to producing the most honest sound possible.
• Our signal path and analog-to-digital converters are among the best available
• We charge less for superior work and quality

Pricing:

Starting at $99 per song