Bach Cello Suite No.1 performed by Yo Yo Ma Bach’s Cello Suites. They are arguably the most widely recognizable compositions written for cello. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) likely composed the suites sometime around 1720, three hundred years ago. They are featured in concerts, advertisements, movies, transcribed for an array of instruments and interpreted for every […]
New Studio Gear – Ampex ATR 102 with Flux Magnetic Heads!!!
Unveiled 30 years ago, the Ampex ATR-102 is still considered by many engineers to be the best mastering deck built. In the early days, the machine wasn’t considered all that great. Some of the early designs were unreliable due to substandard assembly and sub-quality parts from outside suppliers. But after a few years of growing pains […]
Mastered for iTunes Has Been Re-Branded
Mastered for iTunes has officially been rebranded to: “Apple Digital Masters” As a result, all the advantages of high resolution masters will be available available across the iTunes and Apple Music platform (for both streaming and download). And to let listeners know, there is an updated “Apple Digital Masters” badge. What is changing? Beginning August 7, the […]
“Apple Digital Masters” What does it mean
I have been fielding more and more questions in the past few weeks concerning the “Apple Digital Masters” (formerly Mastered for iTunes) logo that is positioned on so many artist pages in iTunes. “Apple Digital Masters” is a declaration by Apple that the “songs and albums for sale on iTunes are exactly as the artists […]
HD Vinyl Unveiled at the AES Mastering Conference in London
One of the more fascinating things unveiled at the AES Mastering Conference last fall in London was the development of HD Vinyl. The prospect of hearing some of the greatest albums ever recorded using digital technology to enhance our classic vinyl medium was too exciting!! HD vinly accomplished three different things; 1) It simplifies manufacturing […]
Audio Engineering Society 2019 Convention – New York, NY
The 2019 AES Convention is a four day event for audio professionals and includes comprehensive papers, workshops, tutorials and pro exhibits. Exhibits-Plus access gains you entry to the exhibition floor, exhibit floor theaters, pavilions and demo rooms, where manufacturers demonstrate and reveal some of the latest audio hardware advances and engineering tools. AES New York 2019 will […]
What is Video Mastering? (also called LUFS Mastering)
Video Mastering is a process which optimizes an analog master for playback with video and more specifically for playback on YouTube, Vimeo, and other streaming websites. Although not a necessary step in post-production it does address the issue that music streaming sites such as iTunes uses a very different audio compression than video streaming sites. […]
Anatomy of a Hit Single
This is not a post designed to give you the ins and outs of how to write or record a hit single. Nor will it show you how to promote your music or which labels to contact. This is a post about an unsigned band from Michigan that doesn’t tour, doesn’t play at local clubs, nor […]
20th Years In Business – Thank You! (A Special Post to all My Clients and Friends)
THANK YOU!!! Audio Bay Mastering began in late 1998. Wow! 20 years later and I have over a thousand clients in 28 different countries and in nearly every state in the union. Over the years I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with amazing musical talent and engineers and have met some incredible people along […]
Songs Mastered Specifically for iTunes and Digital Distribution?
As a mastering engineer, my first job when beginning a new project is to enquire how the song/album will be marketed. Is the music solely for digital distribution? CD replication? What about vinyl cutting? All of these playback mediums require a different master. The difference between an audio master for CD Replication and vinyl is […]