MONITORING CHAIN: 
  • Primary system:  Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) Nautilus 802 loudspeakers, Pass Labs X-250 power amplifier  
  • Secondary system:  Dynaudio Acoustics BM15 loudspeakers, Bryston amplification
  • Controller:  Crane Song Avocet monitor control system / monitoring D-A

ANALOG OUTBOARD Includes:
  • Manley Variable-Mu (Mastering Edition) compressor / limiter
  • Crane Song STC-8M Class A mastering compressor / limiter
  • MASSIVE_Workstation
    “SS-oweL” Stereo Compressor (Custom unit based on the SSL4044E/G buss compressor with added MCI416 transformer output)
  • Crane Song Ibis Discrete Class A parametric equalizer
  • API 5500 Dual Equalizer (hybrid 550 B/D/M EQ)

DIGITAL INTERNAL AND OUTBOARD PROCESSING - Highlights:
  • DBX Quantum ll (Digital Multi-band Mastering Processor) 
  • Universal Audio Digital (UAD) collection:  Fairchild 670, Teletronix LA2A, Urei 1176LN, Precision Mastering Series Limiter, Pultec EQP-1A, Cambridge EQ, Pultec MEQ-5, Precision Mastering Series Equalizer, Precision Multi-Band compressor, Neve 33609C Stereo Compressor, more...  
  • Eliosound Air EQ
  • AM-Suite (Native to the Samplitude/Sequoia family)
  • Izotope’s RX Series audio restoration tools
  • K-Stereo processor (by Bob Katz / Algorithmix) 

DIGITAL CONVERSION and ROUTING HARDWARE Includes:
  • Crane Song H.E.D.D. 192 - Harmonically Enhanced Digital Device
  • Bel Canto e.One Dac3 upsampling DA converter (PCM1792 / CS8421)
  • Lavry Engineering (dB Technologies) 4496 Conversion System:
    • M*AD824 2 channel A/D converter
    • M*SYNC Master clock
    • M*DA824 2 channel D/A converter
  • Crane Song monitoring D/A
  • Mark of the Unicorn (MOTU) digital routing
  • DBX Quantum II Type IV Conversion System
  • Lynx AES 16-channel Digital Interface / Router

db_Sony-MCI_JH110C_mastering_deck
SOURCE PLAYBACK / TRANSPORT Includes:

  • MCI JH110C open-reel analog deck (with 1/4” and 1/2” head stacks)
  • Tascam DV-RA1000 Direct Stream Digital (Sony DSD) system
  • Alesis MasterLink ML-9600 High Resolution Master Disk System
  • Rega P3 table w/glass platter, RB300 arm and Dynavector 10x4 MC cartridge
  • Cambridge Audio Azur Series 640P MM/MC Class ‘A’ phono stage
  • Tascam DA-30 MkII DAT deck
  • Sony Mini Disc
  • Cambridge Audio Azur Series 650BD SACD/HDCD/DVD-A
  • Tascam 122 MKIII cassette
  • Technics RS-DC10 Digital Compact Cassette

DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATIONS Feature:
  • (PC) Modified (2010) Sonica Labs G-340 High Performance Audio System
    • Intel Core i7-920 Quad Core processor - 4.8GT/s QPI
    • Intel X58 Chipset EVGA 3XSLI
    • 6 GB DDR3 1600MHz Patriot Viper RAM
  • Terastation Pro 2-Terabyte NAS-RAID
  • Samplitude Professional recording / mastering production system
  • Steinberg WaveLab Audio Mastering and Editing Suite
  • Plextor internal and external drives utilizing PlexTools Professional
  • Mac Intel Core 2 Duo

db_MASSIVE_Monitoring
DITHERING OPTIONS Include:
  • Lavry Engineering Dithering with Acoustic Bit Correction®
  • Apogee UV-22 HR (Hardware and software) Dithering
  • POW-r Dithering system
  • Crane Song “Analog Dither”
  • Crane Song HEDD 192

WELL, THAT’S GREAT.  ANYTHING ELSE?
  • Room treatments by GIK Acoustics, Klups, RealTraps ®
  • All interconnections are Belden 1800F cable with Neutrik connectors.  Amplifier and speaker connections are Silver Serpent and Cobalt cables respectively. 
  • Monster Power® Professional and Blue Circle power conditioning and filtering
  • Custom console by Sterling Modular
  • The famous “Stereo Stupidifier with Digital Sonic Decrapulator”

logo_api logo_BelCanto logo_BowersAndWilkins logo_cobalt_cable logo_crane_song logo_GIK Acoustics
logo_lavry logo_manley logo_pass_labs logo_realtraps logo_samplitude logo_sonica-x

THE GEAR:

Of course, any mastering facility is only as good as the engineer. But after that comes the monitoring chain, the room and the gear selection.

Every piece of gear at MASSIVE Mastering was carefully chosen from some of the greatest mastering gear available. Some stock, some modified, some one-of-a-kind --

All exceptional in function and uncompromising in quality.



 
MASSIVE Mastering -
World-class analog and digital treatment for your analog and digital projects -
Since 1995

"Massive Mastering is the only mastering facility I use. When you find a place that works that well consistently, you stick with it."

Jason Walsh - Owner, Farview Recording - St. Charles, IL

© 1995-2010 - MASSIVE Mastering LLC / John Scrip -- Contact us -- MASSIVE Mastering LLC - P.O. Box 68143 - Schaumburg IL 60168 - 1.630.237.4393