“Kyle made it an album.”
—Kevin Trudo (as told to the Beacon-News)
Mastering to vinyl requires attention to detail, an experienced ear – and an engineer who understands the difference between mastering to a physical medium and more conventional CD mastering. All mastering jobs are not equal, and there are special considerations to be taken when mastering for the analog realm. If you’re considering making the move to vinyl, we can help you – whether or not you’re based in the Chicago area.
Less is more.
CDs and mp3s are digital music formats – regardless of how or where the music is stored, it exists fundamentally as an electronic file. That’s not the case with vinyl. The physical medium of an LP means your music is literally cut into the surface of the record. The format has its own limitations: Audio music be generally less “loud” and less compressed than in the digital realm, and frequency reproduction at both the high and low end of the spectrum is more limited. These limitations result in a sound that most listeners consider more dynamic and “warm” than its digital counterpart – if the audio is mastered correctly.
Don’t try this at home.
Poorly mastered CD or mp3 files yield an unsurprising result – bad-sounding music. But if audio is poorly mastered and then cut to vinyl, it can actually result in a defective product. The needle on a record can skip out of a groove if the audio has been handled poorly – resulting in a record that’s quite literally unlistenable. Your music won’t just sound worse. It might actually be unplayable.
How do I master at Backthird Audio?
At Backthird Audio, we master albums to vinyl at the same low rates for which we master CD projects. Check the bottom of this page to hear “before” and “after” samples of projects we’ve mastered specifically for the vinyl format. For more general information about mastering, including our current rates, visit the CD mastering page.
If you’re ready to master your album with us, upload your tracks, preferably as stereo .wav or .aiff files in the highest resolution available. We prefer 24bit/48k or 16bit/44.1k. Please avoid sending mp3's if possible as they are compressed with lower quality sound and your music deserves better!
When you submit, please note that you’d like your tracks mastered for vinyl, not for CD. You’ll be asked to pay online by credit card. We’ll master your music and send you a link to download the final, high-quality files within 7-10 days.
Audio Samples:
Most computer speakers are awful. Try listening through headphones.
Carapace - Made in Aurora (Unmastered)
Carapace - Made in Aurora (Mastered for Vinyl)
Crazy Dream - Noah Gabriel (Unmastered)
Crazy Dream - Noah Gabriel (Mastered for Vinyl)