Professional Analog Mastering.
Professional Analog Mastering.
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Bob Ludwig is a mastering legend - after stepping down from Sterling Sound in 1992 to form Gateway Mastering, Ludwig continued perfecting his craft and delivering some of the best-sounding records of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Although it’s not entirely clear, it appears Ludwig is no longer accepting new projects - at least, that’s what Gateway’s website claims. Hopefully, his break from mastering is short-lived, and we can hear more of his fantastic work in the future.
Bob Katz was one of the first mastering engineers who sought to share his knowledge with others - having authored multiple books on the subject. ‘Mastering Audio: the Art and the Science’ is still a must-read for any aspiring mastering engineer.
Just as importantly, Bob Katz is a mastering legend on par with Ludwig - although his catalog may not include as many “big names,” his immense wealth of knowledge and skill have earned him a top spot on this list.
Although Sage Audio is a relative newcomer compared to other studios on this list (if you can call being in the industry 20 years “new”) - Sage Audio quickly distinguished itself by being the first professional studio to implement industry-leading online mastering services in the early 2000s.
Today, they’re by far the most reviewed and recommended mastering studio, and they offer a unique mastering membership. Their monthly membership, combined with amazing-sounding masters, an online mixing community, and educational programs, makes for a mastering studio and experience that can't be found anywhere else and is hard to refuse.
Although it hurts not to rank the historic Sterling Sound higher, one factor put them a little lower on this list - price. They no doubt have some of the most talented engineers and prodigious mastering facilities in the world - not to mention a catalog you can scroll through for days.
But it’s a hard one to recommend when the majority of artists today simply don’t have the budget to work with them.
The most well-known studio on this list, Abbey Road, has been operational for nearly 100 years - although best known for its recording facilities and sessions with the Beatles, Pink Floyd, and other legends, Abbey Road offers world-class mastering, among other services.
The price per master is somewhat high, and having to pay extra to pick which engineer you work with may put off some, but there’s no doubting this studio’s historical significance.
Within a short period of time, Salt Mastering has handled some of the most influential music of the 2000s and 2010s. Their expertise lies in indie and indie-pop genres, having LCD Soundsystem, The Rapture, and The War on Drugs return to their services for multiple albums.
If your music aligns with these artists, or you’d like your music mastered directly to vinyl, you’ve found a fantastic studio that understands your sound better than most.
Perhaps not the most recognizable name on this list, Mayfield Mastering is a hidden gem tucked away inside Nashville’s smaller, quieter neighbor, Berry Hill. Situated next to legendary recording studios like Blackbird and Sputnik, this mastering studio has had its hands on thousands of projects, both big and small.
A state-of-the-art facility and experienced engineers make this a top-tier mastering studio.