Tag: Mastering

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Contentor’s fourth album, Canto das Sereias, offers a captivating exploration of our dreaming condition as human beings. Released exclusively on Bandcamp, this album invites listeners into a world of ethereal soundscapes and introspective themes, masterfully produced by Adriano Lanhoso.

Project Goals:

The album revolves around a common theme of a call for action, a dreaming and dystopic future. To capture this, it needed psychedelic and otherworldly textures. On the track “Subsídio de Perdão,” saturated vocals create a speech-like feel, while emotional layers, synths, and delay emphasize the dreaming condition, with in-your-face drums calling for action.

Your Role:

I recorded and played keys on tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, and 8 at Deer Hipster Studios. Additionally, I recorded all the vocals except on track 10. I also mixed and mastered the entire album at Deer Hipster Studios.

Technical Details:

I mixed the album on a Midas F32 and used the Eventide Space Reverb to create dreamy soundscapes, particularly on tracks like “Dream On.” For the song “Dream On,” Adriano recorded the Kalimba, which had a dreamy feel. I added a nostalgic chord progression, slightly saturated to enhance the nostalgic feeling, and laid it underneath the Kalimba to emphasize the theme of the song.

Outcome:

The band was very satisfied with the outcome, as it was our first project together. The collaboration resulted in a cohesive album that truly captured the intended themes.

Personal Insights:

During the production, I faced challenges like a computer breakdown, which led to the loss of processing on my parts. I recreated textures close to the originals, although not identical. The lack of access to separate drum tracks required a change in the mixing approach to maintain sonic consistency. This project was also challenging due to some of material had already a certain tone. However, the talented musicians’ skills attracted me to work with them, aiming to help them create a cohesive sound, and with adaptation, flexibility and trust, I believe we nailed it.

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At Deer Hipster Studios, we had the opportunity to work with J Fitz, an accomplished and super talented Irish artist. With several Blues band projects under his belt, J Fitz has made a significant mark in the music scene. One of his projects even earned the prestigious Danish Best Blues Album award, showcasing his exceptional talent and dedication to the genre.

Project Goals:

The goal for this project was to ensure J Fitz’s Healing Rooms EP was ready for release across several digital platforms, as well as accompanying a videoclip. This required meticulous attention to detail in the mastering process to ensure the tracks sounded their best in both audio and visual formats.

My Role:

As the mastering engineer for J Fitz’s entire EP, I was responsible for ensuring each track reached its full sonic potential. This involved fine-tuning the audio to achieve a cohesive and polished sound across all songs, ready for distribution on digital platforms and to accompany the videoclip.

Technical Details:

The mixes for J Fitz’s Healing Rooms EP were already sounding great from the start, which made my job as the mastering engineer a pleasure. My focus was on fine-tuning the tracks and preparing them to be played across different types of media players. This involved ensuring consistency and clarity, so the music would sound its best no matter where it was heard.

Outcome:

J Fitz was very pleased with the final result of the mastering process. The quality and polish achieved in the tracks were such that it led to the recording of a videoclip for one of the songs. This success underscored the importance of meticulous mastering in bringing the artist’s vision to life across various media.

Personal Insights:

Working with talented artists like J Fitz is both a joy and a privilege. This particular EP resonated with me on a personal level, as I was going through a tough phase in my life at the time. The music’s emotional depth and artistry provided a source of inspiration and connection, reminding me of the powerful impact music can have.