What is mastering?
Do you know the process of transforming an average photo with a suitable retouch technique into a photo that looks like it was taken by a professional team of a photographer, a lighting professional and, in the case of a portrait photo, a make-up artist? This is the simplest approximation of what sound mastering is.

My definition of sound mastering, however, is that it is a creative process of sound design with the aim of emphasizing the emotional and shaping the technical side of the sound image of the recordings. The purpose of mastering is to achieve that extra finishing touch that makes a good recording and mix great and makes you want to listen to the song repeatedly. When the synergy of a great song, a recording, a mix, and a great mastering is achieved, the listener gets “goose bumps”.

How can you contact me?
I suggest you send me an e-mail at mastering@blackbirdsound.net or you call me on the phone at +00386 (0) 31 622 402.

How can you make sure I am the right choice for you as a mastering engineer?
I don’t restrict myself to musical genres, my musical taste is very broad. I am happy to make you a demo master for free and in this way help you make the decision.

Can you just listen to the mix before mastering it?
Of course. I am happy to listen to your mix and present my observations and advice (if needed). All this without any obligation that you should order mastering from me.

In what format should the recordings for mastering be?
For mastering, uncompressed recordings (.wav or .aiff files) are needed. Recordings should be at the highest possible bit depth, ideally at least 24 bits. Leave the recordings or mixes in the original frequency, as they were recorded (44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 192kHz), there is no need for re-sampling to a higher frequency. Do not add dithering to mixes and recordings.

How should the recordings be prepared?
It is crucial that you do not use a limiter at the end of the mix. Excessive compression or limiting significantly narrows the possibilities of emphasizing the dynamics at mastering. It is desirable that the mix you send for mastering does not exceed the limit between -6dB and -3dB true peak.

We would like to have a very loud master, is that possible?
I can make the master very loud if desired. It’s helpful if you can provide a reference clip that has the volume you want on your own.

What master recording formats can you prepare?
I can prepare files for you to release recordings on CD, vinyl, cassette, for publication online, for Apple Digital Masters, television, film, etc. In preparing the master, I adapt to your wishes and expectations.

What is Apple Digital Masters?
Apple Digital Masters (in the past knowns as Mastered for iTunes) is a standard for compressing digital audio recordings designed by Apple. The tracks labeled Apple Digital Masters in the Apple Music Store, have been mastered in a special way that ensures the highest level of reproduction quality. Apple only accepts music files prepared by Apple-certified mastering engineers. As a certified Apple Digital Masters engineer, I can prepare for you audio files, which Apple will label as Apple Digital Masters.

After listening to the master, we found out that what was previously masked or hidden in the mix can now be heard, so we would like to fix the mix. Can we send a new mix to master at this stage?
Such situations often happen. I am happy to accept a new revision of the mix and prepare a master of the new version of the mix for you.

Can you prepare a new version of the master if we would like any other change?
Of course. Sound mastering is done in collaboration between the artist and the mastering engineer, which must be as close as possible so that the artist can be as satisfied as possible with the result.

Can you prepare a master for vinyl?
Yes. When mastering for vinyl, there are certain rules that need to be followed (the most obvious being the length), but it is basically a similar process as when mastering for other media. I am happy to talk to you about this.

Where is your studio located?
BlackBird Sound mastering studio is located in Ljubljana, Slovenia.