Mastering

Why a separate listening room

Mastering in the same room where you tracked invites you to accept mix flaws that already feel normal. Our mastering space is smaller, more damped and built for critical listening — not multitrack editing. That lowers the chance you receive a master that only works on our main speakers.

The cell shares the Margareten building with live room and control room but stays decoupled enough for repeatable decisions. If you mixed elsewhere, that is the point: a fresh pass without the mix session in your ears.

Source material

Ideal mixdown: 24-bit WAV, peaks between −6 dBFS and −3 dBFS, no brickwall limiter on the mix bus. Skip dither games on export — we dither on the final render. Include BPM, key and whether instrumental and vocal masters are needed.

For vinyl, share cut length and sequence; streaming masters differ in loudness and bass handling. Master formats lists common targets; if unsure, ask before upload via Contact.

Workflow and turnaround

After intake we confirm scope (single, EP up to six titles, album segment) and quote realistic turnaround — usually a few business days depending on load and complexity. Rush only when capacity allows, not as a default promise.

You receive preview files first (sometimes watermarked or slightly lower level) for approval. Only then we finalise — avoiding expensive wrong exports. Initial enquiries answered within 2 business days; active jobs use dedicated threads so nothing gets lost.

Revisions and limits

2 included rounds mean you collect concrete notes (e.g. less harshness 8–10 kHz, quieter intro) and we implement them. Vague briefs like make it more radio without a reference trigger questions — that protects both sides from endless loops.

A new mix version after mastering counts as a new job, not a revision. Large creative rebuilds (arrangement changes, re-timing vocals) belong back in Mixing, not mastering. Pitch or noise baked into the mix can be eased, not erased.

Formats and metadata

Standard delivery: 16/44.1 for CD red book, 24-bit for download, optional stream-oriented versions without excessive limiting. DDP for pressing plants by arrangement and surcharge — see Master formats.

ISRC and UPC sit with your distributor; we can match file naming and track order to your spec. For Podcast recording intros with music we often deliver short clean and fade variants — mention that in the brief.

Prices including VAT

Single track €92 applies per finished stereo mixdown. EP bundle €265 covers up to six related titles — useful when loudness and EQ should match across the set. B2B net: €76.67 and €220.83 plus 20% VAT.

30% deposit on larger packages per Terms. Cancellation mirrors studio bookings: 5 days before a fixed attended date. B2B payment term 14 days when agreed.

Attended vs remote

Remote mastering is our default — efficient for clients outside Vienna or on tour schedules. Attended means you sit in the mastering room, listen and decide live. Book that hourly via Contact; track flat rates do not include unlimited studio time.

Attended pays off when many micro-decisions are pending or you want mastering as a learning session. For straightforward pop singles, remote is often enough. Quality standards and revision rules are the same either way.

What we do not master

No restoration of badly damaged archive tapes without prior assessment, no mastering-as-fix for mixes that already clip, no illegal or unclear-rights content. Material is treated confidentially; project retention 18 months then deletion — see Privacy policy and optional DPA for B2B.

Platform upload and playlist pitching are outside mastering — we deliver files, you release. General questions: FAQ. Studio directions for attended slots: U4 Pilgramgasse station (about 4 minutes on foot). Bus 13A stop Schönbrunner Straße / Mittersteig. From Wien Hauptbahnhof take U4 towards Hütteldorf to Pilgramgasse., hours Monday–Friday 10:00–20:00, Saturday 10:00–16:00; closed Sunday. Evening sessions by appointment..

Included

• Critical listen in mastering room
• EQ, dynamics and limiting for target medium
• Sequence alignment on EP package
• 2 revision rounds included
• Named export files per brief
• Short technical note on levels
• Project archive 18 months