MI7 - "Competence and Passion for the Media Industry"

my profile

Masterbox

"This one goes to eleven...."

Copenhagen, Denmark

last active:: about 1 month ago
last update:: 2 months ago
member for:: about 1 year

contact

Home page:: myspace.com/masterboxdk
AOL Instant Messenger:: Private
MSN:: Private
Skype:: Private
ICQ:: Private
other IM client:: Private
e-mail: thomas@masterbox.dk
Time Zone: Copenhagen

my biography

As a kid I learned the piano, but I allready had my eyes on the drums. Therefore I started playing in a marching band, and later on played in some rock-bands. I started out creating electronic music in 1990, and since then the "tech-side" of creating and shaping music has become my big passion. After more than 15 years in the media-business I finally found my call in mastering.

To me mastering is a skill that takes "good ears", a lot of practice, good acoustics and equipment. Because of the software development, almost everyone is able to create his own good-sounding master with the advanced processing-tools available. In Cubase 4 or Wavelab 6, for instance, you find high grade equalizer and multiband compressor plugins. Those tools will bring your mixes to a more professional sounding level, but the mastering-trick and that fullblown professional sound is not done just like that.

As mentioned it takes primarily training to create a good master, and another crucial issue: good room acoustics. If you want to do your mastering yourself, you should know your room and your monitors very well. It's not difficult, it just takes a LOT of practice.....

my sounds

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Title: Heaven's on Fire by Luke (Flouvio RMX) - A remix done by me in 2003, while I was still producing.: Description: A remix done by me in 2003, while I was still producing.
Title: Mastering example 2 - 0-7 sec original, 7-15 sec mastered version, 15-25 sec original, 25-35 sec mastered version, 35-50 sec original, 50-58 sec mastered version, 58 sec - 1 min 4 sec original, 1 min 4 sec - end mastered version.: Description: Here's another example of the sound enhancement when mastering has been applied to a mix: 0-7 sec original, 7-15 sec mastered version, 15-25 sec original, 25-35 sec mastered version, 35-50 sec original, 50-58 sec mastered version, 58 sec - 1 min 4 sec original, 1 min 4 sec - end mastered version.
Title: Mastering example 1 - 0-11 sec original, 11-21 sec mastered version, 21-29 sec original, 29-42 sec mastered version, 42-50 sec original, 50-60 sec mastered version.: Description: Here's a small example the sound enhancement when mastering has been applied to a mix: 0-11 sec original, 11-21 sec mastered version, 21-29 sec original, 29-42 sec mastered version, 42-50 sec original, 50-60 sec mastered version.

my tags

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analogue-gear mastering sound

my influences

Productions from 9 inch nails, Recoil, BT and Goldfrapp!

my gear

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Cubase 4, English
review
Audio Interface
review
Software Sequence...
review
M60Xd, Digital Mo...
review

Richard Thomas | 9 months ago: Hi Masterbox, how are you?
Interesting to read your advice on mastering and I particularly enjoyed reading your comment to Yadi (which should actually be on Yadi's page, I guess). I'm not familiar with remixing, I don't understand any bit of it, but I learn as I come across people like you.
May I ask you to check out my songs and vote for me? Perhaps you don't like them, but then you might, and in that case…
Greetings and success in your musical work from the Netherlands,
Richard
electronic | 11 months ago: I wonna dance man!!! Great!
Cloudmachine | about 1 year ago: Great Mastering skills.
Especially the last song i like.
People forget how important it is for the overall quality and it realy makes a superb result from a good recording if the mastering is done by people with good ears.
Our songs are mastered by Sander van der Heijden an he's also a well known mastering tecnician.

Greetings from Cloudmachine
OmarHash | about 1 year ago: I like your mastering skills and sound. You do NOT kill the dynamics and maintain/bring-out/keep the LIFE in the tracks. Everything sounds clear, warm, and rich in the stereo field.

You are 100% right ..... mastering is a skill and takes "good ear" with a lot of practice.
Kendamkier | about 1 year ago: Hi Masterbox - Thanks for the add(-:

Ken
Masterbox | about 1 year ago: Hi Yadi, sorry I've been busy, therefore my late answer.
Regarding soft-/hardware, I use a combo, but must admit, that good hardware is essential to me.
For "surgical" use, I tend to choose software plugins. I have a TC Powercore system with the MD3 mastering plugin (from the system 6000) and their Dynamic Equaliser to process for instance a too boomy bass or De-essing vocals or cymbals.
For low- and high-cut I use the native PEQ Orange from Algorithmix, which is simply outstanding.
After software I tend to send the signal into analog processors. Here I can both choose between solidstate and tube compressors and EQ's to ad "colour" and "airy" highs - something that I find the analogue domain clearly better suitet for.
After this processing the signal is captured again and limiting is aplied by an waves L2 hardware limiter/maximizer.
This is just my way of doing the job, how 'bout you, are you using software. Your stuff sounds pretty cool, so could you tell a little about your way of doing the mastering job, or if you go to the place with the SSL and TC 6000-system, to get that sound?
Steven Keen | about 1 year ago: Thanks, Thomas. You'll of course be doing the mastering when the time comes :) See you at work, dude!
Yadi Hinz | about 1 year ago: Hi what do you use the most to make masters?

Analog hardware or software.

Once I was in a mastering studio they used the combination of an SSL desk and the M6000
Steven Keen | about 1 year ago: Hey Thomas!

Nice to see you here... Hurry up and upload some of your mastering work - you'll have clients queing up in no time!! :)