Todd Tobias

Mastering Engineer

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168 Reviews (166 Verified)
Todd Tobias on SoundBetter

Todd Tobias is a mastering engineer in the rock, acoustic, ambient, singer-songwriter, experimental, jazz and classical genres. Todd began his career making records with indie rock pioneers Guided by Voices in 2001.

Affordable MASTERING services, ideal for the home-recording musician:
- $12 per song (for 2 or more songs) for standard mastering.
- $17 per song (for 2 or more songs) for mastering with analog tape transfer. A tape transfer can glue things together in a subtle way if you believe your mixes might benefit from that treatment.
- $25 per song (for 2 or more songs) for 2-stem mastering (music and vocals mastered separately for greater control over the sound of each). This requires separate music-only and vocal-only mix files for each track).

For a SINGLE SONG, mastering is $20/ $25/ $30 respectively for each service.
For podcast editing, the charge is $0.75 per minute of RAW audio.

I will provide the artist with 1) individual WAV data files for all mastered songs (ready for upload to bandcamp, soundcloud, etc.) AND if needed: 2) a DDP file for CD, or cassette or vinyl LP master files to send to your manufacturer.

I will apply Equalization, compression and limiting among other tools, edit to your specifications and normalize the volumes across the board for all of your songs.

What you provide: a mix file for each song (.wav or .aiff format) with no dynamics processing applied (no compression or limiting - that's my job)
Thanks!

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

AllMusic verified credits for Todd Tobias
  • Von Hayes
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Ricked Wicky
  • Ricked Wicky
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Circus Devils
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Guided by Voices
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Todd Tobias
  • Todd Tobias
  • Todd Tobias
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Boston Spaceships
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Boston Spaceships
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Mars Classroom
  • Mars Classroom
  • The Flower Machine
  • The Flower Machine
  • The Flower Machine
  • The Flower Machine
  • The Flower Machine
  • The Flower Machine
  • The Flower Machine
  • The Library Is on Fire
  • The Library Is on Fire
  • The Library Is on Fire
  • Graham Repulski
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Boston Spaceships
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • The Cosmos
  • The Cosmos
  • Boston Spaceships
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Boston Spaceships
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Boston Spaceships
  • Takeovers
  • Von Hayes
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Spanish Prisoners
  • Spanish Prisoners
  • Spanish Prisoners
  • Spanish Prisoners
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Psycho & the Birds
  • Takeovers
  • DJ Irene
  • DJ Irene
  • DJ Irene
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Coffinberry
  • Coffinberry
  • Coffinberry
  • Daniel Desnoyers
  • Daniel Desnoyers
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • George Griggs
  • George Griggs
  • George Griggs
  • George Griggs
  • George Griggs
  • George Griggs
  • George Griggs
  • Psycho & the Birds
  • Psycho & the Birds
  • Psycho & the Birds
  • Keene Brothers
  • Psycho & the Birds
  • Nassau
  • Nassau
  • Nassau
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Clouds Forming Crowns
  • Clouds Forming Crowns
  • Clouds Forming Crowns
  • Clouds Forming Crowns
  • Takeovers
  • Takeovers
  • Takeovers
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Celebrity Pilots
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Clouds Forming Crowns
  • Clouds Forming Crowns
  • Clouds Forming Crowns
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • The Moping Swans
  • The Moping Swans
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Robert Pollard
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • DJ Irene
  • DJ Irene
  • DJ Irene
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Guided by Voices
  • Ministry Offer
  • Ministry Offer
  • Ed Real
  • Rob Tissera
  • Ed Real
  • Rob Tissera
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • The Library Is on Fire
  • The Library Is on Fire
  • The Library Is on Fire
  • The Library Is on Fire
  • Hospital Garden
  • Hospital Garden
  • Ricked Wicky
  • Ricked Wicky
  • Ricked Wicky
  • Von Hayes
  • J Temp 13
  • Ricked Wicky
  • The Sorrys
  • The Sorrys
  • The Sorrys
  • Brother Earth
  • Brother Earth
  • Brother Earth
  • Brother Earth
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Circus Devils
  • Vicious Vic

168 Reviews - 54 Repeat Clients

Endorse Todd Tobias
  1. Review by Antony D.
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    Always a pleasure working with Todd. I keep coming back. You will too.

  2. Review by Jimmy O.
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    This was my second time having Todd master some songs for me, and again I'm very happy with the results and the level of service Todd provides.

  3. Review by Zach K.
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    Fantastic results every time!

  4. Review by Alfie G.
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    Always excellent results!

  5. Review by George
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    by George
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    Todd knows how to make music sound better

  6. Review by Adam L.
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    Excellent as always Todd!

  7. Review by Kevin C.
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    I keep working with Todd b/c he's really communicative & makes it super easy to get things sounding great.

  8. Review by Charlie R.
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    Todd worked wonders with an ambient track of mine, adding much needed clarity to my muddy mix. Highly recommended to all, A+++!

  9. Review by George
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    by George
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    Todd is specialist of mastering. He knows how to make music ready for production. Thank you for your time and skills!

  10. Review by TECHER G.
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    Todd is a great mastering engineer. Patience, listening, high skills, professionalism, your tracks will be revealed and upgraded with his mastering processes.

  11. Review by Andrés J.
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    Second time working with Todd and have nothing but the best impression from his work. Very kind and rapid communication and really good sounding masters, as well.

  12. Review by Chris A.
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    Exactly what I needed, when I needed it. Todd did an excellent job mastering my single and he provided two versions, which I greatly appreciated. He was fast, communicative, and friendly. 10/10 would recommend.

  13. Review by Renaud LAMOTTE
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    Wonderful experience, Todd is very attentive and puts a lot of talent to refine every detail of the mastering for a result that exceeded my expectations. Very friendly communication and exemplary professionalism. A big thank-you.

  14. Review by Charles M.
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    Great value. Easy to work with. Willing to go the extra mile.

  15. Review by Chris T.
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    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ as usual!

  16. Review by Sujith R.
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    He always gives the best results in a very quick turn around time.

  17. Review by Matt N
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    by Matt N
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    Todd does great work. He's professional and easy to work with and the results speak for themselves. Highly recommended!

  18. Review by Kevin C.
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    Working with Todd has been great. He's very communicative, friendly, & he makes my songs sound awesome.

  19. Review by James K.
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    Todd Tobias is quite legitimately one of my favourite musicians and producers of all time. The magic of Circus Devils will never leave me.

    Todd was incredibly efficient in responding (and that was after I asked a dumb question and sent some mixed up messages by accident).

    He did a fantastic job as you'd expect and he was unbelievably efficient.

  20. Review by Nick P.
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    Great work, amazing advice and talent!

Interview with Todd Tobias

  1. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  2. A: #1) PLEASE don't apply compression and limiting to your mixes with the aim of making them loud. it's best to leave plenty of headroom when you print your mixes (keep them on the quiet side). I can make things loud on my end. When I get a mix file that's already been pushed up against a limiter (for loudness), the frequencies are smeared in a way that make it difficult for me to make EQ adjustments. #2) Try your best to keep the bass drum and bass guitar in balance with each other when you prepare your mixes. I often hear recordings where the bass guitar overwhelms the bass drum, and it's not possible to pull out the bass drum and make it 'thump' properly without also pushing up the bass guitar. Happy mixing!

  3. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  4. A: For those who can pay more, I offer mastering with separated vocal / instrumental sources. This allows me to focus on the music by itself, and the vocal by itself before combining them together again. Often an adjustment made to the music will affect the vocal in an unfortunate way, or vice-versa. All I need from the client is a music-only mix and a vocal-only mix for each song.

  5. Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?

  6. A: What is the benefit of a tape transfer? Transferring your mixes to tape adds slight tape compression and tape distortion - things difficult to replicate digitally. The difference in sound can be very subtle. Some people wonder if there is any real difference. In general I think tape can give a song more body and add presence. Again, it's not a drastic change. If you are happy with your mixes as they are, it might be best to go with standard mastering. But if your songs are digital and home-recorded, you might want to give a tape transfer a try.

  7. Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?

  8. A: Some clients believe the mastering guy can somehow erase mistakes made in mixing. Getting the best mix possible is important before mastering. A request like "please bring out the vocal and the snare drum and the guitar" is a mixing request, not a mastering request.

  9. Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

  10. A: What is your preference regarding dynamics? (squashed and loud, or quieter with room to breathe?) Often I try to strike a balance between the two. Also, when the project is an album or EP, I will ask, will you be sending your project to a CD or vinyl manufacturer? In that case I will provide what the manufacturer needs in the form of a DDP file (for CDs) or .wav files for album sides (vinyl).

  11. Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

  12. A: I am here for the DIY artist who does a lot of their own recording and mixing and wishes to optimize the quality of their recordings. I am also here for artists who've done their recording at a studio but do not want to spend loads of money for a result that can be achieved by me for less. Often high-end services are not required to achieve a positive result. Granted, if you have spent loads of money at a studio to record your songs, then you will probably not want to hire the "budget mastering guy." This title does not imply that I do budget-quality work (See the reviews). I tune my ears closely to each individual track, and never use pre-sets or filters. There are some very pricey tools used by high-end mastering engineers that I simply cannot afford. Is the difference in the quality of mastering proportional to the difference in cost? Decidedly not. It's all about the person you hire to do your work.

  13. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  14. A: Both

  15. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  16. A: I began as a musician and learned sound engineering as a necessity. Later on I took up mastering the albums I produced after learning from my master, Chris Keffer.

  17. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  18. A: rock, acoustic, heavy rock, ambient, lo-fi, instrumental, folk, singer-songwriter, or anything home-recorded

  19. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  20. A: I master anything from rough, lo-fi rock to clean, acoustic music.

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Circus Devils/Girl In Space

I was the engineer/mastering engineer in this production

Terms Of Service

Turn-around time: 4 days

Gear Highlights
  • wavelab editing and mastering program
  • TEAC A-3340-S 1/4 inch reel tape deck for tape transfer
More Photos
SoundBetter Deal

Mastering at $12 per song (tape transfer $17 per song)* *This price is for 2 or more songs.