MASTERING

ANALOGUE TAPE FORMATS

• 1/4" – 1/2" – 1" – 2" tape width
• 5" – 7" – 10" – 14" spool sizes
• 3¾ips – 7ips – 15ips – 30ips tape speeds
• Beta SP
• Cassette

DIGITAL TAPE FORMATS

• DAT (including time code)
• F-1 — Sony PCM701
• 1630

Mastering is the final step in the production of an audio track. It's a vital process that allows for final adjustments to ensure maximum impact on the listener.

Our engineers work in a purpose-built studio, interconnected and ventilated to exacting specifications for the most accurate acoustic reference, while using some of the finest analogue and digital gear you'll find anywhere. All playback formats from 5.1 surround to mono are available with seamless integrated switching.

MASTERING SERVICES OFFERED

• Stereo Mastering — single stereo mix in, final master out. Our default and most common service.
• Stem Mastering — work from your separated stems (drums, bass, vocals, etc.) for finer control over the final balance.
• Online Mastering — send your mixes via the upload link below, get masters back without attending the session.
• Attended Mastering — in-person session at the studio in Boyle. The fastest path to a finished master when you want to be in the room.
• Mastered for iTunes / Apple Digital Masters — certified delivery for streaming platforms.
• Dolby Atmos consultation — for clients releasing in spatial audio, we advise on the chain and partner with Atmos-certified facilities for the encode.

Aidan Foley founded Masterlabs in 1998 as the first dedicated mastering suite in Ireland. Over 25+ years he has mastered records for U2, Van Morrison, Foo Fighters, Sinéad O'Connor, Damien Rice, Christy Moore, James Vincent McMorrow and several hundred more artists and labels — see the full client list.

All mastering and vinyl cutting at Masterlabs is performed by Aidan directly. Get in touch via the contact page to book.

See the Vinyl Cutting section for details on our Neumann VMS Special lathe, optimal running times, and the cutting process.

Audio restoration is the term used for the process of removing imperfections such as hiss, crackle, noise and buzz from audio recordings. Restoration can be performed directly on the recorded medium (e.g. washing a record with a cleansing solution) or through a digitised transfer using both software and hardware.

Vinyl restoration is a form of audio restoration that seeks to repair the sound of damaged records. Modern techniques are usually performed by digitising an audio source from analog media — such as lacquer recordings, optical sources and magnetic tape — and then cleaning it up in a digital audio workstation.

DAWs can perform broadband de-noising, de-crackle and de-hiss tasks automatically, and our engineers manually remove pops and ticks without leaving artifacts. Restoration is a time-consuming process that requires specific experience in music and film recording techniques.

After completing the acetate cutting form, please get in touch via the contact page to arrange secure upload of your mixes.