Make the Most of Your Mastering Session

Mastering is both a collaborative process and a technical one: it’s expedited when you and your engineer discuss the creative goals and technical details.

Airshow is an audio resource outside of your actual session. We can help evaluate mixes-in-progress prior to a mastering session and quality check vinyl test pressings. Schedule a no-cost listening session before your mastering session.

We encourage an open dialog throughout your project to ensure we meet or exceed your expectations.

Ready to start booking a session or a listening session? Start here.

What You Provide

Mastering projects are often scheduled on a tight deadline. To avoid delays, please review these notes to be sure all of your project elements are complete. Please fill out our Mastering Information Form to send us project details.

Media: Airshow can work with virtually any media.

  • Analog tape: all tape formats on ¼”, ½”, and 1” (2-track). All speeds and noise reduction systems.
  • PCM Digital: Up to 192k /32 bit
  • DSD: 64x or 128x
  • Legacy tape and disc formats, including analog tape, DAT, Sony F1, and Audio Cassette. Call for details.

Use our server or your preferred file transfer service to send us digital mixes; we’ll send you electronic references via our FTP server.

Info: Fill out our Mastering Information Form, which contains all the information we’ll need for your project.

Point of Reference: A point of reference (i.e, other recordings) can illuminate your goals for the project, so let us know what we should reference when mastering your project.

Aural reference: If your reference listening environment is a boombox, your personal headphones, your favorite nearfields, or your car stereo, listen to your reference copy in that setting before you consider the mastering complete.

What We Provide

Each project will need a Master Parts Package tailored to the release format(s) of your project.

  • a reference for review
  • quality-checked masters
  • a project archive kept at Airshow

Please review the reference. We wait for final approval before preparing the master. If revisions are required, they are billed at our hourly rate. Once you have approved the mastering, please anticipate a day or so for us to create and quality-check the master before shipping.

Read our blog post about what masters you may need for your professional archive and your immediate release plans. Ordering multiple parts before we have archived your project saves engineering time and corresponding charges. Please take the time to discuss your release plans with your mastering engineer.

White Papers written by and about Airshow

Click a title to download.

High-Res Audio’s Future Lies Outside the (Jewel) Box (2014)
An update of our 2012 review of high-res formats, now including HD downloads, Mastered for iTunes and vinyl cut from 24-bit masters.

Cover Your (Data) Bases (2014)
Everything you need to know metadata and your music, including ISRCs, UPCs, CD-Text, online databases and recognition software.

Audiobooks and the Independent Author (2014)
Airshow’s studios are well-equipped for an author to self-produce an audiobook with the support of knowledgeable, experienced engineers in a studio purpose-built for voice-over recording. We pooled our thoughts to arrive at some recommendations for a self-publishing author to affordably release their ideal audiobook.

Plangent Processes Transfers (2010)
Airshow partners with Plangent Processes to offer the latest restoration and transfer services with customized electronics for high-bandwidth analog transfers on an ATR-100 tape machine. Contact David Glasser or the Boulder Studio Manager at 303-247-9035 for more information and a demonstration.

HD and Vinyl Releases (2010)
Learn about new ways to release high resolution music and prepare your project for vinyl production.

Mastering in the Age of Downloads (2006)
Does mastering still have a place in the era of the digital download?” Not surprisingly, we answer in the affirmative – and we give some good reasons.

Guide to SACD (2004)
Info for producers and engineers contemplating SACD releases.