Mastering, not magic

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

A: I work on all type of music except maybe techno or hardtech. I always prefer to work on something more "human" with vocals more emotions than kick and snare

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: Got before harware, but sold all a long time ago, for many reasons. Hardware was cool for sensation you get when you turn the knob, but painful if you have to do a recall session of a master you did 2 or 3 weeks ago, can be expensive for the maintenance, some need time to warmth so can't start a session immediately,..... So now pass on full numeric, the quality increase a lot this last 15 years aliasing can be easely handle, so much easier and fast to work with. You need 2 of this compressor just drag and drop you want do a m/s comp with this compressor it take 30s to set it,..... Recall session in second ,.... This permit to reduce the investment so reduce the price to be more affordable for artists And the most important setup is the monitoring but not just the most expensive cos bad placement the best in the world become the worst. So read lot scientific measurements freq response sound dispersion vertical horizontal,... And finish with classic setup neumann+ jbl and Calibrate everything. Last measurements in room was 200hz - 20khz +/-1 db 35hz - 200hz +/-3db

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: None, cos to much false information about mastering, so read science books focus on audio, do my own tests and measurements. Maybe the only will be engineering who don't talk about "tricks" or "this will change your mix"

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Currently, design futur aircraft engine for mid 2035, a small try for doing my part for ecology, after designed cars. Musically works on small tracks that come and go

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: I do the work I m pay for, can hold quality without issue

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: Help artist to finish their project, to be a micro part of it, and discover new artists and songs

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

A: How much it cost? I answer : the price of course cos they ask. But I mostly answer: send the track I master it and send it back like this you can listen if you like or not and for me permit to see the work to do. Sometime the mix it s very good and nothing have to be modify just push gentle the volume.

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

A: That I will solve all the mix or recording issue. Can do a lot, but get its limit too

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

A: Just contact by mail, I m open to any project, all levels

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

A: Do it since years, but still working as aircraft engine designer. So it happen I do months without projects cos I don't looking for clients, and it's not the first thing I looking for "clients". Get others incomes so I m not running after money, and I m maybe the worst mastering seller and I aware of it, I m technic guy not commercial.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Mastering style? I just do what I have to do, don't care famous or "small" artists. I m paid for a job, I do it

Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

A: Lot of artists, for a lot of differents reasons. Can be some artist for theirs vocals performances or emotions they give. But can be for others which get more political message in it.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Don't trust all that you can see in YouTube tutorial. Don't trust that gears price means quality, learn to use what you get. And do mistake and understand why it sound like this and not as you want.

Q: What's your strongest skill?

A: In mastering work, it's the EQ, can do EQ that no other's mastering studio will be able to do. Not cos I'm better, but come for scientific and engineer background, work with different algo, use tool that aren't use, but classic mastering engineer do it permit to go much deeper in details.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: Be contact by mail, receive the wav file, and work as soon I get all. Can take 1 to 24h for 1 track depend on when I receive the mail. And send back a master version to the artist like this they can listen if they like or not before any payment. Cos even if I try to keep low price for some artist it can be an important investment mostly in this crisis time, so prefer to work like this.