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What is Mastering for Vinyl?

Mastering for Vinyl Quick Answer:

Mastering for vinyl is the process of creating a separate master that can be cut into a vinyl record without added unwanted distortion. It consists of a mono stereo image up to 150Hz, a tamed high end, and if needed, a track listing that is consistent with the frequency limitations of record cutting.

Mastering for Vinyl in Detail:

With the resurgence of vinyl records as a popular way to listen to albums, many artists have seen an opportunity for a new stream of revenue.

In turn, this has transformed the often ignored art of mastering for vinyl, and vinyl cutting, into a topic of popular discussion amongst artists, and audiophiles alike.

After nearly a decade of steady sales, it seems the vinyl is here to stay.

After nearly a decade of steady sales, it seems the vinyl record is here to stay.

In the midst of this conversation has emerged an important question: What is mastering for vinyl?

This question is often followed by another: Do I even need a separate master for vinyl?

In short, the answer to the latter question is yes. Although many artists have elected to use their digital masters for the vinyl cutting process, the results are often mixed in terms of quality.

Depending on the master, some of, or all of these issues can occur when using a digital master for the vinyl cutting process:

Although some vinyl cutters are more than willing to take a digital master, and make adjustments as they see fit, many request a vinyl specific master.

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Also, when you consider that you will be unable to hear, approve of, or change any alterations made by a vinyl cutter prior to the actual cutting of the disc, it may be best to implement these changes during the mastering process.

With that said, if you are considering distributing your album in the form of vinyl records, you should absolutely have a secondary master. Make one that was created with vinyl cutting and reproduction in mind.

What is the Difference between a Digital and a Vinyl Master?

The best way to answer this question, is to understand the differences between the digital and vinyl mediums.

It goes without saying, the digital and vinyl formats are completely different in terms of their mediums and storage capabilities. In a digital format, analog signals are converted into digital information by means of quantization and sampling.

From a digitally stored file, these samples are converted back into an electrical signal, and then lastly perceivable sound waves generated by a speaker system. This process is virtually identical every time, with errors or artifacts only occurring with the purposeful degradation of a digital file type from lossless to lossy.

Quantization, or bitrate distortion can occur if the bit depth is truncated without dithering to mask the noise it generates.

Quantization, or bitrate distortion can occur if the bit depth is truncated without dithering to mask the noise it generates.

The digital medium can store information almost perfectly. It’s only limitation resulting from the storage of dynamic information (quantization) and frequency information (sampling rate).

Even these have been optimized in a digital system, to expand far past the range of human perception.

There is almost no limit to what can be stored in a digital domain. The only limitation here is the playback system (the speaker system) and our ability or inability to perceive vast dynamic ranges and ultrasonic frequency responses.

Although you may already be familiar with the workings of a digital system, it is important to think about how it differs from the physical and limited medium of the vinyl record.

The vinyl record is by its very nature, limited. It is limited in its ability to record certain frequencies.

It's limited in the amount of information it can store, and even limited in it’s ability to record and reproduce complex imaging, beyond that of traditional acoustics.

The nearly perfect quantization and sampling implemented in a digital system is replaced by vertical and horizontal cuts performed by an electrically fed needle.

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This begs the question, how could a digital master, designed for a digital system, characterized by an entirely different recording and storage process, translate well onto a limited physical medium?

Often times it doesn’t.

The nature of the two mediums are vastly different - therefore the master needs to be different, if you intend to fully embrace the vinyl medium for what it is.

The Physical Limitations of a Vinyl Record:

The secrets of mastering for vinyl lie in the specific limitations of the physical vinyl record itself, and the cutting process used to create it.

Let’s address the potential issues stated above. Again, they are:

Varying Degrees of Distortion:

When is comes to vinyl record cutting, a general understanding of the physics behind the process is needed.

I won’t be exploring the science too deeply, since the information is vast, complex, and may not directly help answer the questions posed earlier.

So here briefly is an explanation as to how the potential for future distortion occurs during the cutting process, and how that distortion occurs during the playback process.

First it must be understood that the physical shape of the vinyl disc causes a varying rate at which the information can be cut into it.

The circumference of the record is great along the outside, than on the inside.

The circumference of the record is great along the outside, than on the inside.

In other words, when a record is being cut, and also during it’s playback, the greater circumference of the outside of the record allows for a greater surface area to be cut.

Since the lathe, and playback system rotate the record at a unchanging rate, and the surface area becomes smaller the closer to the inside of the record the needle gets, the velocity of the needle slows down significantly.

On the outside of a record, the needle or lathe’s cutter moves at roughly 20 inches per second. But on the inside, the needle or lathe moves are roughly 8 and 1/2 inches per second.

Sonically and technically, this would be very similar to reducing the tape speed of a tape machine from 15 ips to about 3 and 3/4 ips.

Notice the speed functions on the lower right side of this tape machine.

Notice the speed functions on the lower right side of this tape machine.

In a more modern example, this is similar to reducing the sampling rate of a digital recording from 96kHz to 22.05kHz.

In all of these examples, you’d be able to notice a significant decrease in the replication of the high end or the high frequency range.

This is precisely what happens to a vinyl record. As the surface area is reduced, the ability to both create and playback high frequencies is significantly reduced.

By the time the lathe needle reaches the center of a record, 15kHz has been attenuated 3dB.

By the time the lathe needle reaches the center of a record, 15kHz has been attenuated 3dB.

Furthermore, the amount of distortion created during the cutting process, directly corresponds to the amplitude of the high frequency signal at these low surface area, inner record parts.

Because the surface area is limited closer to the center of the record, the lathe must work harder to cut higher frequencies. If the needle works too hard, it will jump out of its groove, causing hissing and distortion.

Due to this physical limitation, it is imperative that the level or amplitude at which the record is cut be closely monitored, and uniform across the entirety of the record.

This is why the track list of a vinyl record needs to be carefully planned.

Typically, softer tracks with a lower integrated amplitude are placed closer to the center of the disc, while the louder more aggressive tracks are sequenced farther to the outside.

Again, the additional surface area along the outside of the record allows for more information to be cut without resulting distortion.

The smaller surface area, and subsequent cutting speed of the center, lends itself to increased distortion at high amplitudes.

So, how Does this Relate to a Digital Master?

As we’ve just seen, distortion can occur on a vinyl record when the amplitude of high frequencies is too prevalent.

This of course, is not an issue when transferring information into a digital medium.

The fact that a digital medium can handle a greater amplitude of high frequencies is often exploited and used.

The equalization curve of a mix, with an accentuated high frequency range.

The equalization curve of a mix, with an accentuated high frequency range.

For example, hip-hop and rap is often characterized by its emphasis on the higher frequencies. This occurs in both the instrumentation, and the equalization of the vocal performance. It’s no coincidence that this new frequency standard was only implemented after the popularization of the digital medium.

An accentuated high frequency range is not exclusive to hip-hop. It can be found in almost any genre today. This may be because its use is often conflated with high fidelity recording.

Because these frequencies are not only acceptable, but favorable within the digital medium, a digital master is most likely to include them.

All this to say, that if a digital master with an accentuated high frequency range is used during the vinyl cutting process, it will no doubt cause unwanted distortion.

Skipping Needle During Playback:

A 24 bit recording holds the potential for 144dB of dynamic range. A vinyl record on the other hand, only has about 55dB to 65dB of dynamic range.

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This is clearly a significant difference, but what does this have to do with needle skipping?

As many of us know, in a fair amount of digital masters, the dynamic range is typically limited. This is due to excessive “brick wall” limiting techniques, aimed at achieving overall louder playback.

Excessive brick wall limiting is common in digital mastering, although this is an extreme example.

Excessive brick wall limiting is common in digital mastering, although this is an extreme example.

But in some instances, perhaps between songs, or song sections, a digital master can go from a very low level of playback, to a very loud one.

In the digital medium this is no issue. In a vinyl medium, such a dramatic increase in volume can cause skipping.

Because a vinyl record is created by cutting grooves into a disc, a dramatic increase in volume will result in a dramatic cut.

Wax cylinders preceded the vinyl record. Lateral movements recorded sound waves similar to how the inner ear functions.

Wax cylinders preceded the vinyl record. Lateral movements recorded sound waves similar to how the inner ear functions.

When the needle of a record player is tracked along this cut, the bump can cause the needle to kick. This causes the needle to exit its intended groove.

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This problem is only exacerbated on the outside of the record. A greater needle velocity increases the likelihood of this occurrence.

If an artist or mastering engineer intended for a large increase in volume, a compromise would need to be reached before transferring the song to the vinyl medium.

Of course if the only version available is the digital master, this dynamic compromise will never be made, and the vinyl will most likely skip as a result.

The other alternative, is that the vinyl cutter will recognize and adjust for this volume differential, by decreasing the overall dynamics of the track using compression or mormalization. This increased compression or normalization will result in the opposite of the original intended effect.

The needle can also skip when high energy low frequencies are out of phase. Although this is easier for the vinyl cutter to fix without causing a noticeable difference is sonic characteristics, it is still wise to fix this before the cutting process.

Lacking Dynamics:

“Brick wall” limiting is often used in digital mastering. It allows for the integrated volume of the track to be louder, but results in truncated dynamics and transients.

An integrated LUFS of -9 isn't uncommon for a digital master.

An integrated LUFS of -9 isn't uncommon for a digital master.

Fortunately, the very act of transferring a digital master onto a vinyl record can restore some of the dynamics and transients lost during the original mastering for digital process.

This isn’t ideal however, as it doesn’t take advantage of the full dynamic range of a vinyl record.

Furthermore due to the afore mentioned physical limitations of both the vinyl record and the lathe, excessively limited and loud signals will overwhelm both, and cause distortion.

In order to avoid this distortion, vinyl cutters will often reduce the volume of master, resulting in a severe limiting of the original dynamic range.

An Overall Less Pleasant Listening Experience:

This is essentially the combination of the prior three potential issues; however, their cumulation provides one of the more interesting and rarely discussed issues in modern vinyl cutting.

As one can imagine, overtime lathes have improved. Meaning they can handle more intense amplitudes without causing a cut that will universally distort.

The keyword here being universally.

Although lathes can handle the creation of higher amplitude vinyl records, that does not mean that most consumer models can handle them during playback.

The playability of a record was once a huge area of concern for manufacturers and labels alike - so much so that they created regulations for vinyl cutting, designed to ensure the adequate playback of vinyl records across even the most basic of consumer devices.

An emphasis and de-emphasis equalization technique is used to ensure playability across various consumer equipment.

An emphasis and de-emphasis equalization technique is used to ensure playability across various consumer equipment.

As vinyl records changed from being the most prominent musical medium, to more of a niche, these regulations fell to the way side.

Today, digital streaming platforms are the primary distribution method for music.

Today, digital streaming platforms are the primary distribution method for music.

When vinyl cutters use a digital master, with its increased amplitudes, low end phasing issues, and overall more demanding specifications, it may not reflect negatively on their systems during playback.

But on consumer grade turntables, we’ll be stuck with the negative aftermath.

Most consumer turntables aren't equipped to handle high amplitude records.

Most consumer turntables aren't equipped to handle high amplitude records.

With all of this information in mind, let’s answer another question.

How to Master for Vinyl?

Use a multi-band compression instead of a limiter.

Use a multi-band compression instead of a limiter.

A basic EQ will work well for this.

A basic EQ will work well for this.

Mid-side processing is best for centering low frequencies.

Mid-side processing is best for centering low frequencies.

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Conclusion:

Although many claim that a digital master is adequate for vinyl record cutting, there are many reasons why you may want to have a separate master for the process.

It is best to be in control of the sound of your record at all stages. This means not leaving anything up to chance, or neglecting to review any changes made to your record before cutting.

By using a digital master for the vinyl cutting process, you are assuming a great deal of risk.

You are risking that your digital master will not translate well, risking that the vinyl cutter will alter your master in a way that doesn’t drastically change it’s sonic characteristic, and risking whether your record will be able to be played back on a full range of consumer grade turntables.

If you care to see your album properly carried through to its final stages, ensure that it is ready for the vinyl cutting process.

Get your album mastered for vinyl.

www.SageAudio.com

Have you ever had a record cut to vinyl?



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Review by Joel S.

If you're looking for great mastering, Sage is where you need to be. I've been working with Sage for years - they do an amazing job and are really easy to work with.

They actually care about your project and want it to sound its best just as much as you do. I'm always excited to get a song or project back from mastering. I've tried many mastering companies, and Sage is by far the best.

If you're serious about your music, it's worth checking them out; you won't be disappointed - they make your mixes sound balanced and professional.

They also offer mixing feedback to help improve your mixes and mixing and mastering education courses to help improve your sound. Shout out to Sage Audio! you can't go wrong - like I said, if you're serious about your music, this is your studio.

Review by April K.

I've been getting my masters done by Sage Audio for the past 4 years now, and I've tried multiple places in my 15 years in the music business. Sage Audio is the only one that has given me the quality I love!

Their mastering membership is an excellent deal for anyone looking for professional mastering and full customer service. Also, I never had an issue with submitting new mix versions for remastering or asking for too many revisions - they have always been very respectful about remastering new mixes and making any adjustments I wanted. I'm staying with Sage, no need to look further! Best masters out there!

Review by Justin G.

Sage Audio is by far the best audio engineering company I've found. I've been with them for 8 years, and it's clear that they set the bar high in regard to mastering services. Their online platform makes it easy to upload tracks and communicate directly with your own dedicated mastering engineer, and their customer service is excellent.

Overall, the sound achieved by Sage Audio engineers is awesome. Their mastering brings out the best in each track - improving clarity, depth, and impact - and they focus on crafting personalized masters that are specific to your needs.

Another thing that sets Sage Audio apart from other mastering services is that the mastering is actually done with your dedicated mastering engineer and not some sort of AI software, and you get full customer service and feedback on your mixes too.

Their commitment to delivering top-tier mastering while maintaining consistent communication shows how much they care about their clients' music. For anyone looking for a personalized online mastering that combines top-level quality with excellent customer service, look no further than Sage Audio.

Review by James T.

The engineers at Sage Audio could not have made my first commercial audio experience any better! Every time I emailed to get a question answered, I worked with the same person consistently.

They know what they are doing; after listening to my masters on numerous systems, I heard my music in a whole new light. My bass and kick were tighter, not muddy, and hit with the "grit" that I intended. My mids and highs were clear, vibrant, and presented well on all stereos and devices.

I could have never achieved this level of quality without their diligent minds and professional know-how! If you are looking to get your project up to a commercial level while meeting a budget, Sage Audio is the place to go!

Review by Rebecca D.

Sage Audio is by far the best mastering service! They are the most professional, kind, and loyal people. Every song they mastered was spot on!

For artists looking to have their music mastered, they have an awesome and affordable mastering membership and are dedicated to making every mix sound like a professional master. Thank you, Sage Audio, for transforming my music!

Review by Daniel S.

The last ten years of my audio mixing career have been plagued by frustration, self-doubt, and compulsive shopping for magic game-changing plugins that can fix my poor mixes... guess what... it was all wasted time and money; I was shooting in the dark.

Until now.

I had heard about Sage Audio a long time ago, but at that time, their pricing seemed too expensive - how wrong I was.

Firstly, there is no substitute for hard work; you must do your part; what this service gave me was perspective - what's different about this master from my own? why? what am I missing? how can I improve my final mixdown in order to get the best possible master?

The included courses are really useful and well explained, but to me, the real power is the community of engineers offering their feedback; there's nothing like a second set of ears, or a lot of sets of ears! Getting other engineers' advice is priceless, and fixing common problems suddenly became very simple.

The best part is that I have made a bunch of mixes on my own now and am starting to get incredibly good responses - my confidence is up, with no additional plugins, no new DAW, not even new monitors.

I've been a Sage Audio member for about 9 months now, and all services are excellent. The 1-on-1 mixing feedback is incredibly helpful, and the professional community is way more active than I could have imagined. I'll be here for the long haul. So, if you're ready to take your music to the next level and change a lot of misconceptions, this is your place!

Review by Thomas E.

I am a musician and songwriter with decent recording skills, but I could never get my final mixes mastered to where the EQ, volume, and clarity sounded good on all playback systems without distortion.

I did extensive research on mastering and tried expensive studio headphones, but I never quite "mastered" mastering. It was very frustrating and took way too much time away from my music.

Then I found Sage Audio, and it sounded like just the service I needed at a reasonable price, so I joined their membership.

It was a game-changing decision. They always respond quickly and are focused on pleasing their customers. They mastered several of my songs, and they all came out perfect.

One of them took three takes because I had to change some levels and panning, but each time, they said, "No problem, we want you to be 100% happy with the final master."

They even asked for ways to improve their service, and they have a unique service where you can upload your mixes and receive feedback directly from them for improvement. I also found in the community, there are great musicians, singers, and songwriters to collaborate with for future projects.

In summary, Sage Audio has saved me a lot of time and provided great masters for my songs, way better than I could have ever done! I give them my highest recommendation.

Review by Frank B.

I've been using Sage Audio for a while now and have been very pleased with their professionalism and quality of work!

I'm NOT new to the audio production world and have been mixing and self-mastering for over a decade. I've used Grammy-winning mastering engineers as well as online AI-driven mastering services, so I know the full range of mastering services available to artists and their producers.

What sets Sage apart, IMO, and, in my experience, is that they are very customer-centric and will do almost anything to make the customer happy with their work. An example is a recent master I wasn't 100% happy with because it was too compressed for Classical material. They jumped right on it, giving me another more gently compressed master, which I'm delighted with. This was a NO EXTRA CHARGE. I know from experience that this isn't the norm in this industry, where egos prevail.

An example of Sage's superior work is when a client I'm working with wanted proof that it was better than a well-known, low-cost AI-driven mastering service. While my instructions to both Sage and the online service were close, only Sage had a human to interpret some of the instructions. As a result, the Sage master was considerably LOUDER and had more HEADROOM to boot. You can't ask for much more for a Pop song.

In summary, I'd recommend Sage to anyone looking for professional mastering for their upcoming release.

Give them a shot. I'm sure you'll be pleased.

Review by Dan Y.

Sage Audio has been a lifesaver for me. Mastering was my weakest point, and I only wish I could've found them sooner. I have used their services for the last 6 months and have also recommended them to several of my musician friends. Every track I send comes back sounding brilliant.

I once experimented by mastering one of my songs by myself, by another leading mastering studio, and also by Sage Audio. Sage's master was hands-down the best: clear, loud, yet dynamic, and the overall sound was smooth. I can say with 100% confidence Sage Audio is the best mastering service around.

It's also a pleasure connecting with their team on a personal level; they are very attentive to details and respond fast.

Review by Irene F.

I found Sage Audio when I was searching for a company that could master my original songs. My initial email was responded to in less than ten minutes. I explained my situation, then created an account and uploaded my mix for mastering.

I let my engineer know what was bothering me in the song and what I would like it to sound like. In a short time, he sent me a notification email to download the master and asked if it was to my liking.

On first listen, it blew me away, as it contained everything I had asked for, and the sound was vibrant, clear, and, quite frankly, perfect. I've been with Sage Audio ever since - they're so easy to work with, friendly, eager to help, and highly professional. I would recommend them to anyone.

Review by Aaron C.

I first used Sage audio 3 years ago to get an album mastered. I hadn't used an outside service for mastering before, so I didn't know exactly what to expect, but I had learned a lot from the Sage Audio YouTube channel and liked the clear, concise way the videos explained various audio principles, so I felt comfortable using their services.

Not only did the masters sound amazing (dynamic, but still as loud as I wanted), but the engineer answered all of my questions and responded to my emails almost immediately.

To add to that, considering all the services you get with the membership is an incredible deal - it Includes mastering, mixing feedback, courses, and community. It's everything you need, and their customer service is top-notch.

As good as their YouTube videos are, I knew this would be a fantastic resource; as a college professor myself, I recognize excellent instruction, and Sage has a knack for breaking down complex processes and demonstrating how plugins work in concise bursts that never overwhelm the learner.

More importantly, you will come to understand when to use the tools in your arsenal and why to do so. You, thus, are learning how to ask better questions of the mastering engineers that you have access to through your membership, and ultimately, you are being empowered to become an engineer yourself!

Review by John G.

I started using Sage Audio to master my songs about three to four years ago - I wish I had found them earlier. Their mastering makes my mixes sound like professional songs, and they're a delight to work with.

Also, they have a very active community of musicians, producers, and engineers, along with mixing and mastering courses - which have provided me with so much useful information. On top of that, the mixing feedback is excellent, and they continually provide thoughtful suggestions, which I've found invaluable for improving my mixes. It's worth checking them out - you will not be disappointed.

Review by Brandon T.

I had Sage Audio master my last 3 albums, and I plan to use them for my next release too. They do an exceptional job of creating balance and clarity for each project, and they are so friendly and helpful when it comes to answering questions and offering suggestions.

Their experience is invaluable, and they have truly insightful feedback when it comes to mixing and mastering. I have tried other companies in the past and came back to Sage to get that professionally polished sound every time.

Review by Ben V.

A few months ago, a friend of mine recommended I try Sage Audio for my final master's. Being a mix engineer myself, I was hesitant at first due to the fact that in the past, when using online mastering, I found that no engineer would care for the track as much as I would.

Knowing the basic rule that you always want to have another set of ears to master anything you've mixed, I realized I had hit a plateau in how far I could take my final master. To my surprise, Sage and the team took my master's to a level I could not reach, both dynamically and sonically.

I'm a full-time artist who is constantly recording, releasing, and traveling. The burden that the Sage team has taken off my shoulders by being a trustworthy mastering service is tremendous.

They have provided me with quick turnarounds while out of the country to meet deadlines for releases and are understanding & receptive when I request changes after hearing a master, even going as far as to follow up with me, confirming that I am 100% happy with the final master, quoting, "I'm not happy unless you're happy."

Another benefit to Sage Audio is their library of mixing and mastering tutorials. Any good sound engineer knows that there are a million ways to reach a rich, dynamic final mix or mastering and that you're never done learning how to engineer. Sage's courses offer a great refresher on fundamentals and a clear understanding of complex techniques to help push you as an engineer.

Cheers Sage, thanks for the excellent service!

Review by Charlie E.

My writing partner and I have recorded and mixed 2 albums and a few singles, the first 2 albums we did were mastered by a different company. The masters were ok, but from that experience, we developed a better and more critical understanding of the mastering process.

Upon preparing to have our 3th album mastered, we did some research and exploration for other mastering options and found Sage Audio - which is where we had our latest album mastered.

We were both very much impressed with the work, the communication, and the willingness to create the exact sound we wanted for the album. We definitely heard a difference in the mastering - Sage Audio masters are clean, clear, and professional.

On top of that, we really enjoyed receiving mixing feedback, which was really helpful for making adjustments to bring the most out of our mixes before sending for mastering. For anyone seeking true audio professionals, I recommend Sage Audio!

Review by Sam V.

Sage Audio mastering engineers are the best I've ever worked with! I've been an Artist, Songwriter & Producer for over 12 years, and believe me, over the years, I've worked with several studios and countless engineers. But since I connected with Sage Audio, those days are over. I took a chance on something new - sent my first mix to see how it would go, and they didn't waste any time lol, they responded the very next day, and the master I got back far exceeded my expectations.

The level of quality and attention to detail was impressive. It was everything & more than what I hoped for, and now I will never trust my mixes in any other hands. They've quickly become my number 1 go-to-guys for mastering, hands down.

Not to mention, they also give you in-depth mixing feedback to help you improve your mixes before sending them for mastering. You can't go wrong with Sage Audio. These guys definitely deserve all the credit in the world. I would strongly recommend them to anyone out there looking for solid professionals to polish your mix. I can personally promise you, Sage Audio will deliver every time!

Review by Ryan B.

I've been using Sage Audio for mastering my tracks over the past year and a half, and they've been great on every front.

If I need a track mastered within a week, they usually get back to me with a high-quality finished master within a few days, and the cost is negligible compared to what some other studios are charging.

They also have an active community, and their mixing feedback option is super helpful; their suggestions are specific, revealing, and accurate.

I highly recommend them if you're a musician, producer, or mixing engineer who needs that last bit of polish before you release. They're worth every penny.

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