Murat Colak on SoundBetter

Cutting-edge sonics for cutting-edge music! I specialize in mastering, mixing, and recording contemporary classical, orchestral, jazz, cinematic, experimental and electronic music. I work with a state-of-the-art hybrid set-up out of New York City.

I operate Geryon Sound, a private, boutique music production studio in a beautiful neighborhood in Uptown Manhattan, where I master and mix with a state-of-the-art hybrid workflow. I also offer high-end location and studio recording services with a select collection of great microphones and crystal clear, uncompromised conversion in addition to vocal and instrumental production in my studio.

My years of training in music (Masters degree in music composition and tech, and a Doctorate in music composition and theory) informs a highly detail-oriented and empirical approach you'd find nowhere else. I specialize in contemporary classical / electroacoustic music and I use this highly technical skillset to bring a unique and innovative sound to electronic dance music, rap, and pop.

Providing a highly artistically informed service, I am an official Apple Digital Masters provider and recipient of an advanced certificate in audio mastering from the Mastering Academy in Hamburg, Germany.

Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Murat Colak

Carrie Frey
Noam Bierstone
Eve Egoyan + Mauricio Pauly
Carrie Frey
Ian Power (3)
Various
Laura Jordan Cocks
Em Spel
Michael Pisaro-Liu feat. Julia Holter
Joy Guidry
Eren Gümrükçüoğlu* - JACK Quartet*, Nivos Quartet*, Ensemble Suono Giallo, Conrad Tao, Zulfugar Baghirov, Thom Monks
Eldritch Priest
Eldritch Priest
Yarn/Wire
Camilo Méndez*, Roberto Alonso, Vertixe Sonora Ensemble*
Eve Egoyan + Mauricio Pauly
Carrie Frey
Santiago Díez Fischer, lovemusic
Canberk Ulaş
Charles Calomiris - Pano Hora Ensemble
Camilo Mendez*

11 Reviews

Endorse Murat Colak

by Danilo T.
Verified
Murat has put in a tremendous amount of effort to polish the tracks I provided (which were far from ideal). His dedication and ability to work within the given limitations were truly commendable. I deeply appreciate the thoughtful care he brought to the process and wouldn’t hesitate to collaborate with him again!
by Dustin G.
Verified
Murat was easy to work with. Any revisions and edits were easily communicated and the turnaround was very fast. Piano editing was excellent.
by Guillermo
Working with Murat was very easy, with communication being always fast and clear. He made my music sound better than I thought it could sound, and even fixed a few things I was not aware about. I definitely hope to be able to work with him for my next recordings, and would recommend him to everyone.
by Hannah Selin
Murat did an incredible job with stem masters on my album of electroacoustic compositions. His mastering added clarity, depth, and warmth to the sound, while also managing to create a sense of cohesion across six completely different works for various instruments.
by Mau Pauly
Murat has mixed my latest five releases and has mastered two of them, plus two more upcoming ones. I love the process of working with Murat and am always blown away by the results. At this point, I can't imagine a recording project that doesn't go through Murat's studio at the end. His capacity to understand the particular needs of each project is unmatchable.
by Mahir Gul
I have worked with Murat on my two songs, and he did spot-on work and came up with many great ideas and included them in the mix. I would recommend him to everyone.
by Ian Power
I have released three albums of delicate, abstract chamber music and Murat has mastered all of them and produced one. I'm not sure there's a set of ears I would feel more secure with. Murat is a consummate professional, an expert recorder and masterer, and he has the ears of a musician which make all the difference in the world. He will go with your vision and have lots to contribute from his broad experience. Very competitive rates as well. Highly, highly recommed.
by Carrie Frey
Murat is the best! He gets the perfect sound for each piece instinctively, at an extremely high level of detail. I would trust his ears with any record.
by Marek Poliks
Murat is the best in the business, no ear more delicate and skilled, no heart as committed to a perfect, impactful, professional mix.
by Artun Çekem
Murat did the mix & mastering for several of my pieces and the result has always been fantastic. He elevates sound to a new level!
by Duduk Player - Canberk Ulaş
Murat's masters are wonderful! He cared about my work a lot and worked very quick and detailed.

Interview with Murat Colak

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Recently, I mixed and mastered a ground-breaking release for machine learning environment and classically trained performers. It's called "Archon" and it's by composer / AI audio researcher Marek Poliks and Spanish virtuoso violinist Roberto Alonso. You can listen to it at the link below: https://open.spotify.com/album/73SIPmnzDUmCpl9D9eAa7i?si=hIAMs5m-RGuZjpMpC6CwGA
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Album mastering and mixing projects and full on record productions.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Both. Digital has so much power, flexibility and control, and analog has always had and will always have a lot of love, a lot of mojo, a lot of musical imperfections.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: You're not gonna get what you get from me anywhere else. I'm going to give you something special.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: Understanding, learning from, and contributing to an artist's unique vision.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: That anybody with some experience in music and computers can do it..
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: Make sure you're working with an experienced professional with a deep understanding of and excitement about the music you are making.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: A Martin acoustic guitar, an AEA R88a ribbon microphone, a very nice two-input audio interface, a lap top with a DAW, and a pair of Audeze headphones.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: I started playing guitar as a teenager like many others. I taught myself how to read music and music theory early on. Years later, I finished a masters degree in music composition and technology, followed by a doctorate in music composition and theory. Recording, mixing and mastering were always involved in these activities and it is what I exclusively do for the past five years.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Sensitive, warm, edgy.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: You! Because you're great.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: Composition is everything <---> Everything is composition
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Mostly art music - acoustic, electronic, or a mix of both.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: Understanding your musical intentions and putting them into words (turning the process into a dialogue) so we can not only communicate clearly but also get inspired and achieve marvelous results!
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: I bring my 25+ years of experience as a musician / performer / composer / producer / theorist to the table. I focus on the art and turn the production process to a productive + creative dialogue. If you want to work with someone who's gonna deliver something listenable, but not special, move on to the next provider :)
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Depends on the scale of the project. For larger projects, I meet the artist for a pre-production chat and go through all the details, timeline, and budget. Smaller projects rely on a quote - contract - invoice system via email.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: It's a hybrid (analog+digital = best of both worlds) set-up with full range Neumann speaker system calibrated by Neumann's M1 calibration suite and PSI AAVA bass traps.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: There is a lot. But top three would be Quincy Jones, Rick Rubin, Kanye West. I have an in-depth classical training, but I also studied and worked on many other genres. People in the popular music world inspire me more than people in the art music world, and I work on art music with a vision that is inspired by these names.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I focus on mastering and specifically of acoustic and electroacoustic (classical, contemporary, jazz, experimental, cinematic etc) music. I am also a busy mixer and have a very loyal clientele. I have a great mic locker and a very high quality mobile recording rig and I record groups in the entire tri-state area. I also do entire productions (aesthetic consulting + recording + editing + mixing + mastering) and focus mostly on genres that include significant amount of instrumental performance.