FAQ

If you have any questions, please contact us at magicearsmastering@gmail.com.

What kind of gear do you use?

Magic Ears is a hybrid analog/digital studio. Our philosophy about the gear we curate for the studio is we look for unique, esoteric pieces with character whenever possible. Here is what we have:

HARDWARE

  • Dutch & Dutch 8C monitors
  • Custom Audio Germany HDE-250A M/S Mastering Equalizer
  • Maselec MPL-2 Peak and High Frequency Limiter
  • Tube-Tech HLT-2A Stereo Shelving/Tilt EQ
  • Sonic Farm Creamliner III Dual Pentode Preamplifier
  • Overstayer M-A-S Model 8101 Rotary
  • Thermionic Culture Phoenix Mastering Plus Tube Compressor
  • Rockruepel COMP.TWO Tube Compressor
  • Thermionic Culture The Swift Valve EQ
  • Heritage Audio MotorCity EQualizer Stereo Bundle
  • API 2500+ Mastering Compressor
  • Dramastic Audio Obsidian Stereo VCA Compressor
  • Elysia Xpressor Class A Stereo Compressor NEO
  • Elysia Nvelope Stereo Impulse Shaper
  • Elysia Xfilter Mastering Equalizer
  • Dangerous AD+ converter
  • RME Fireface UFX II
  • D.A.V. Electronics Stereo Image Parallel Processor S.I.P.P
  • TK Audio M/S Station Mid-Side Processor

SOFTWARE

  • Pro Tools 2021.3.1
  • Izotope RX 10
  • HOFA CD-Burn.DDP.Master
  • HOFA DDP Player Maker
  • HOFA DDP Player

An array of plugins from exceptional companies, including:

  • ToneProjects
  • Leapwing
  • Tokyo Dawn
  • FabFilter
  • DMG

Do you need the stems/individual instrument tracks or the final output track?

For mastering, we need the final mix track (not the stems or individual instrument tracks). Stem mastering can be arranged. Ask for details.

Can I still have limiters on the individual tracks?

Yes, you can have limiters on individual tracks (for example the kick, the snare, etc.).

You just can’t have limiters on the final master bus because these limit the overall output of the track and limit (no pun intended) what we can do while mastering. There’s no problem with a little mix bus compression on the master bus.

Is your studio open on the weekend?

Yes! Our studio is available seven days a week, so when we say that you will receive your masters within an agreed timeframe, this includes the weekend! Music never sleeps!

Feel free to order on Friday, Saturday and Sunday!

What format should my tracks be for mastering?

Tracks must be in WAV, AIFF or other high quality format. Please do NOT upload your tracks in MP3 format. We require this to maintain maximum quality.

Tracks cannot have any hard limiters on the Final Master Bus.

What genres do you do mastering for?

All genres, all styles! We are music lovers and enjoy every style. We have delivered high quality professional masters for genres we didn’t even know existed before we worked on the music. So bring us your Death Metal, orchestral Chamber Dubstep music with rap vocals (or any other hybrid you can think of). With EDM, Dubstep and many varieties of rap so popular these days, know that we can fatten up those genres with the best of them!

We approach every genre and every song based on its needs, so you can know that you are getting the highest quality optimized master for your genre.

Do you ever run specials?

Yes! We have a blog on the Magic Ears website, as well as Facebook and Twitter accounts. From time to time, we will run specials that will lower our already low prices! Check back often!

I just purchased mastering but wasn’t automatically redirected to the upload form

This rarely happens. But if PayPal doesn’t automatically redirect to the upload form, please send us an email at magicearsmastering@gmail.com and we will just email you a link to the upload form.

Even if you don’t email us, we will contact you if we see that someone has purchased mastering but hasn’t uploaded tracks.

Will I lose any rights to my track by uploading them for mastering?

No, you retain full rights to your audio. Our only job is to make your tracks sound awesome and prepare them for distribution!

Why should I have my tracks professionally mastered by you?

We ensure your tracks will sound consistent across all playback systems and guarantee their full tonal quality. In short: Your tracks will sound brighter, crisper, clearer, louder and fatter.

We also eliminate all unnecessary frequencies that take up headroom, as well as harsh frequency spikes that can ruin speakers and hearing. This increases the “listenability” of your song and ensures that they can’t ruin speakers or cause ear-fatigue. This is essential for anyone who wants to play their tracks out in clubs or release their music commercially.

We focus on the nuances of every track, ensuring that each track is exceptionally mastered.

We provide one-on-one services and are available to answer your mix questions and advise you, as necessary. We can be a phone call, text or email away.

How do we credit Magic Ears in our liner notes and for online distribution?

Thanks for asking!

“Mastered by Adam Matza at Magic Ears Mastering”