Mastering Equipment List

The following is a list of the equipment which we use for mastering. Additional equipment is listed on our recording page.

Analog Processing:

• Dangerous 2-bus LT (analog summing amplifier)
• Manley Massive Passive Vacuum Tube 4 band equalizer
• Manley Mastering Tube Variable MU Compressor/Limiter
• Manley Tube Stereo Pre-Amp
• Nightpro EQ3-D Mastering Equalizer with "Airband"
• Pendulum PL-2 JFET/MOSFET Analog Peak Limiter
• Prism Sound Maselec-MEA-2 Masters Series equalizer
• Tube-Tech SMC-2B Vacuum Tube Multiband compressor
• Requisite L2M Mark III Tube Mastering Limiter/Compressor

Outboard Digital Processing:

• Digital Domain K-Stereo Processor, Stereo enhancer, expander & equalizer
• T.C. Electronic Mastering 6000 featuring MD3, MD4 (complete M/S Processing), Brickwall 2 and Reverb Licences
• Waves L2 Outboard Ultramaximizer, peak limiter / volume maximizer & dither/noise
• Weiss DS 1-MK2 Compressor / Limiter / De-esser
• Weiss EQ 1-MK2 Dyamic & Linear Phase Equalizer

Computer-based TDM Digital Processing:

• Audio Ease Altiverb - Sampled Acoustics Processor
• Massenburg Design Works- MDW High-Res Parametric EQ
• PSP Xenon Precision Limiter
• Serato Pitch'N'Time
• Sony Oxford EQ
• Sony Oxford Inflator
• URS A & N Series EQs (Neve and API console EQ emulation)
• Waves L3 Multimaximizer (combination of the L2 & Linear-Phase Multiband Processor)
• Waves Restoration Noise Reduction Toolkit

• Note: In the mastering process, it is our usual practice to rely on our Class-A outboard gear. With the exception of the occasional use of the plug-ins mentioned above, plug-ins are rarely needed but can sometimes provide the right sound for a track or can be automated to fix problem masters. We also have a huge assortment of other TDM Plug-ins which can be occasionally handy for special effects. Please see our recording equipment page for complete list.

Analog Tape Recorder:

• ATR Services (Mike Spitz) Custom Remanufactured 1/2" ATR-102 (Ampex) with stock and Aria electronics and Flux Magnetics Mastering Series Extended Response Heads
• Dolby 363 SR/A Noise Reduction w/350 modules
  

Converters:

• LavryGold DA924 (digital to analog converter)
• LavryGold AD122-96MKIII (analog to digital converter)
• Weiss DAC1-MK2 (digital to analog converter for room monitors)

Monitors:

• Lipinski L-505 Monitors
• Velodyne DD-10 Digitally Controlled Active Subwoofers, 2 (stereo)
• Auratone 5C
• Yamaha YST-M10 Active Multi-Media

Non active monitors are powered by a Bryston 3B SST amplifier

Software:

• Sonic Studio DDPv2 (assembly & premastering with optional DDP output - Sonic Studio was formerly Sonic Solutions)
• Pro Tools TDM 7.2
• WaveBurner Pro with POW-r dither, Logic Audio
• Spectrafoo Signal Metering and Analysis (software based phase scope, bit scope, ultra-accurate metering, and real time frequency analyzer, etc.)
• Toast Titanium Data Back-Up

Computers and Hardware:

• Macintosh G5 w/2.5 dual processor w/ 2 gigs of RAM
• Plitron 8894-X00-00 Isolated Power Distribution Unit (Isolation Transformer & Balanced Power)
• Pro Tools | HD 2 Accel Digital Audio Workstation (HD Core, Accel Card & two 192 i/o)
• SurgeX surge protector

Board:

• No Board or Patch Bay! "Point to Point" patching for all analog gear.
• Analog cabling used for analog gear is exclusively Requisite Cable
• JL Cooper Electronics 4/100 Motorized Midi Fader Controller (for manual fades and abilty to mute and unmute simultaneously to easily compare mix to master channel)

Digital Sample Rate Converter/Interfaces:

• Dangerous Monitor ST (studio monitoring interface and speaker switcher)
• LavryGold Digital Optimizer (real time sample rate converter/dither & noise shaping)
• Tascam IF-AE8 (digital transfer of Tascam 8 tracks-->Pro Tools)
• Wave Editor with iZotope 64-bit Sample Rate Conversion and M-Bit dither
• Z-Systems z.8.8

Analog Transfer:

• Manley Tube or Millennia HV-3C solid state Stereo Pre-Amp --> LavryGold AD122-96MKIII (analog to digital converter) --> Pro Tools HD

CD-R Writers:

• Various Plextor compact disc writers which write red book standard CD-Rs and support CD text & ISRC Codes

Digital Tape Recorders:

• Sony DTC-A6 DAT
• 2 Alesis ADATs
• Tascam DA-88 available on request (rental)

Cassette & CD Players:

• Tascam 122, 3 head deck w/XLR i/o
• Sony CDP-CE275 CD player with digital output

Turntable:

• Technics SL-1210MK2SE (variable speed with strobe, plays LPs, 78 & 45 rpms + most of KAB's Upgrade Mods
• Ortofon Cartridge CC PRO S30
• Creek Phono Pre-Amp OBH 18

Patch Bays & Wiring:

• Analog cabling used for mastering is exclusively Requisite Wire
• Analog mastering gear is connected point to point (no patch bay) and is configured on an as-needed basis
• Digital cabling is Apogee and Requisite
• 3 custom AC cables by Requisite on the "playback/record" devices.