BANDS: Please don’t feel offended if I don’t have you on this news “highlights” page - There just isn’t the room - I don’t even keep a schedule on updating it. :-) HOWEVER, feel free to send me reviews on your stuff! I love to hear about it, and I’ll do my best to post it (time permitting, of course). Look below for the current “Client Reviews” menu

NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH NOVEMBER 2007: Just adding something so you don’t think I fell off the planet. Too much to keep up with at the moment. Still desperately need a secretary. Updated the client page recently though...    

MARCH THROUGH OCTOBER 2006: I *still* need a secretary desperately... Moved into the new room May 2nd (I think) and was up and running on May 3rd. What a great and natural sounding space...  Bass trapping went in a slightly different direction - Heck, a LOT of things went in a slightly different direction... 23 bass traps - A mixture of GIK’s, RealTraps and a few custom units. Other than that, just busy as usual...    

NOVEMBER 2005 THROUGH FEBRUARY 2006: I need a secretary desperately... I think I’ve got it covered though. Busy, busy, busy... SO many projects, the holidays - THE NEW ROOM!!! Yes - It’s in development. I’ve consulted with so many in the field... HUGE thanks go out to John L. Sayers, Ethan Winer, Dave Hill and others. Hopefully, the new room will be completed in April, 2006. It’s not as big as I’d like, but we get by with what we can, right? With over 400 pounds of broadband absorption ready to be installed and another 400 of bass trapping on order, I think the new room is going to be great. I absolutely can’t wait to get in there!!!      

JUNE THROUGH OCTOBER 2005: I can’t even begin to relate to how busy it’s been...  Finally got away briefly a couple times - Visited the absolutely wonderful crew at Crane Song twice over the summer also. There are some photos on my Crane Song Adventure page. Added an IBIS (also by Crane Song) EQ to the racks - What a great unit. I get a question here and there about “putting all my eggs in one basket” with the growing collection of key gear by one manufacturer - But when you’re talking about Crane Song, that’s not a bad basket to be in as far as I’m concerned. Dave Hill and the gang are designing some of the best gear available anywhere in my opinion. And I still have a home for the rest - It’s not like it’s all going somewhere :-) Also got hold of a modified SSL 4000 E/G buss compressor clone with vintage MCI 416 transformers on the outputs. Sweet... But enough of the gear and a few days off - New releases by Willie and Me, Tamara Davis, Ruth Ann Sharp, Daitribe, Lynda Barnes Lovett, TK-421, Steelpetals, Secular End, Trinity’s Cross, Miss Ohio, Ultrathrash, Formaldehyde Sleep, Squarewheel, MWC, Audio Violence, Below the Sound and more that I can’t even remember without several more cups of coffee...   

APRIL / MAY 2005: First off, some MASSIVE ink - MASSIVE Mastering is featured in the June issue of EQ Magazine’s “Room with a VU” - Big thanks to Mitch Gallagher and the EQ crew. Read it online HERE or as it was in the magazine as PDF file HERE.  Also, it was a pleasant surprise to see a MASSIVE endorsement in the 2005 Universal Audio catalog. With all the kudos UA receives from users all over the world, it was very flattering that they chose a quote from your humble host. Down to business - Big couple months... Upgraded a piece or two - Got hold of one of the first TASCAM DV-RA1000 DSD recorders (one of my famous “non-techie” reviews is already up at www.studioreviews.com) and upgraded the monitor controller to the amazing Crane Song Avocet. Then started getting hard at work on new releases from ASA, Brothers in the Cross, Silent Kanon, Hyperflesh, Abe Quigley, Kindred Nation, KK and the Flying Hamsters of Doom, A new full-length from Anger of the Lamb, Faceless, the Schaumburg Youth Orchestra and more.  I really need that vacation soon... 

JANUARY / FEBRUARY / MARCH 2005: More combining months. So busy I can’t think straight. A few to look out for - From Seattle, WA, Paul Michel’s (unusually named for a debut) “Our Last Goodbye” - Mississippi’s Cory Harris completed work on “My Thoughts” - Yet ANOTHER Vocabulary of Aimless Men; a basically “unplugged” album called “Power Failure” - San Diego’s Christopher Mast’s latest, “If I told You, I’d Have to Kill You” is scheduled for release on April 1st - T-Bird Huck and the Blues Busters long awaited “Lifetime of Blues” is coming out any day now - Virginia’s Hybrid will be releasing their latest, “Silent Echoes” - Ted Kuik’s “Can These Bones Live” - Chicago’s Raluca Agape was in with their new effort “Chateau Everell” - Canada’s Randy Shoaf finished up work on “Bring it On” (recorded at Blue Bear Sound in Gloucester, Ontario) - Falsetto Boy - Secular End - David Piper’s “Lemonade Shoes” - From the UK, Staven Crown’s new release is ready to go - Grammy nominee and Gold Record winning artist Dave Rudolf has spent a lot of time up at MM working on two new releases - “Westward Whoa!” and “Soft in the Head” - Some very cool stuff scheduled for release in April. Sufferdown’s new CD “My Path” - The Schaumburg Youth Orchestra - D-Boy’s “Tha Scenic Route” - There’s more that I can’t remember off the top of my head. I need a vacation... Oh, how could I forget? Johnny Monaco (Enuff Znuff) released his solo effort “Your Secret’s Not Safe with Me” in February.  

NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2004: Here we go combining months again... It’s almost time to do January’s news. Just the highlights - DEBRIS INC. is the new project featuring Dave Chandler (St. Vitus) and Ron Holzner (Trouble). Their self-titled debut CD was mastered in November for Rise Above Records (London) for a March, 2005 release. Other cool stuff that was run through the mill was Michigan’s ORANGE ROBOT (The Medicine Pocket), New York metal-monsters BATTLE CRY (self-titled), California’s BAD INFLUENCE, Michigan’s DEGENNARO GUITARS - Several “special releases” for the holidays. January is already turning out to be one of the busiest months ever... Hopefully, I can jot down a few things by March... :-) 

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2004: I hate to combine months, but I’ve been crazed for time. September and October are “traditionally” slow mastering months (as August & September are “traditionally” slow recording months) for indie artists. So, this is the time to make changes. Tore the whole place apart (thanks to Jason Walsh at Farview Recording for the help!) and had new carpeting put in. Seems like a small thing, but when you think about having to completely dismantle every single connection to every single piece of gear, rack, outlet, speaker, etc., and move it out for a day... Modified some furniture, added a new DAW, subwoofer, upgraded some cable runs and STILL had time to finish SUBSONIC’s “No Such Soul” CD, plus radio and video edits (the vid was shot in Chicago in October), due out in November. DONNIS released his new Hip-Hop CD in October in Japan.  METAL MILITIA and VIGNOLA are both on the Grammy ballot again with their new singles.  And yet another VOCABULARY OF AIMLESS MEN CD “Boredom Springs Eternal” just went through the warm, analog garden at Massive Mastering in late October.  

AUGUST 2004: August was a month with a lot of “soul” to say the least. Singer STACY DONAHUE joined talents with engineer/songwriter Tom Sparks to record a new Country-flavored CD called “Windows of the Soul” to be released soon.  Florida’s FIRST FOUR QUARTET will be releasing their new CD of vocal-oriented Gospel music to inspire the soul entitled “Send the Light.” On the opposite end of the spectrum, MM is in the middle of completing the new SUBSONIC release “No Such Soul” to be released this fall. Subsonic is the solo project of RON MARKS. True Metal fans will undoubtedly remember Ron from his amazing guitar work with CELTIC FROST. “No Such Soul” covers a breadth of styles to keep everyone from Metalheads to just plain “rockers” - even CF fans will find something to shout about.  

JULY 2004: Had a little down-time due to some family related crisis. Not much though - Even MORE ANGER OF THE LAMB for their next release is in the can. Canada’s SOFT SEQUENCES has some new material fresh off the drive. East coast folk artist BOB MICHEL will be releasing his recently mastered “The Oystermen’s Ball” CD. ORION NINE was in again for this year’s contribution to the Levi’s Summer Sampler CD. More gear and software upgrades, the completion of FrankenDesk, etc. August is already looking like a nightmare, but looking forward to it! GRAMMY® UPDATE: VIGNOLA’s “Shine” will be on the ballot for Best Gospel Performance. METAL MILITIA will once again appear in the Best Metal Performance category with “Machines of War.” Best of luck! 

JUNE 2004: So much for the Summer “lull” - Keep your eyes open for Eccentric Hip Hop by Michigan’s DION NEW, London’s SIMPLE FORM with a new E.P. “Where I Was Then” and yet another collection of “basement tapes” from Florida’s VOCABULARY OF AIMLESS MEN. Also, two new live recordings by the Schaumburg Youth Orchestra. Tracks are starting to come in from ANGER OF THE LAMB for yet another new project that should be out his fall. Lots of sample masters went out in June, so we can only assume that July and August are going to be a bit busy. However, turnaround is STILL at about one week! 

MAY 2004: Well, you can’t have mayhem without M-A-Y and this May fit the bill. MOBfest is right around the corner, so breakneck sessions for featured acts poured in. On the “SOUTHSIDE” sampler alone, tracks from 23 different bands including NO ONE, SMOKE, REBELS WITHOUT APPLAUSE, SUPERMERCADO, ADD, NDX, GRIGORI 3, LUGNUT, STONEHENGE, TERMINAL FIX, THE STASH? and others were tweaked and added to the MFSS compilation. The event involves several Chicago area clubs and is in mid-June. Also on the Chicago area front, look for the new Half Massive release “Time to Figure Things Out” and Evolution X’s “A New Way Has Come.” New Bryston amplification installed for the B&W 802’s this month. Sweet... Projects already backlogged for June, but turnaround is still at about a week. 

APRIL 2004: April & May are notorious for dance performances and competitions. This year is no exception. Still in the middle of editing and sequencing over 10 full shows. Also, look for new albums from several new & repeat clients including: Singapore metal monsters Opposition Party, and awesome alternative CD’s from New York’s Jett Craze, Florida’s Vocabulary of Angry Men and cool crossover metal from Chicago’s interworld. 

MARCH 2004: Look for new releases from Chicago-based Rock ‘n Roll Dad and the Mamma Jammaz, the debut release from singer/songwriter Aracely Bock, Florida’s Sun State Quartet and others. Lots of web and gear tweaks this month... 

FEBRUARY 2004: The shortest month of the year has had some of the longest projects - Look for DOUBLE CD SETS from Mark Mallett (“Through Her Eyes...” on Nail It Records) and a double-live CD from The Radiators (“Earth Vs. the Radiators - The First 25”) released along with a DVD set through Image Entertainment Corp. The album features guest appearances by Gregg Allman, Karl Denson George Porter, Jr. (The Meters), Mark Mullins (Harry Connick, Jr.), Theresa Anderson, and Michael Skinkusall among others. NETHERLANDS: Jacco’s “Silueta” was just in again for a quick re-master to be released in the U.S. on Centaur Records. BULGARIA: Another one of Jacco’s compositions was recently recorded by the Bulgarian National Symphony. Should be mastered here in March... PORTUGAL: New Winds latest CD, “A Spirit Filled Revolution” was also mastered in February for an upcoming release. 

JANUARY 2004: The new year started off with a bang - A series of “long-term” projects (albums being put together piece-by-piece) have been starting to come in. One that stands out is The Brothers Dimm. A project out of California, TBD have a classic sound reminiscent of Crowded House, The Beatles and Bourgeois Tagg with wonderful instrumentation and production. The full-length is in the works out on the coast, and I personally can’t wait to hear the whole thing. Very catchy well-written and well-recorded stuff from “Studio D” that I’m honored to have here in “Room D” Look for a sample file or two soon! 

A big chunk of January will be taken up by theatre - I’m (again) handling sound design for “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” A cast of over 100 with a two-week run. I must be out of my mind.  

DECEMBER 2003: Yikes, too busy. And the holidays... Look for about a dozen new releases from artists including Matt Jackson, Shred, Vini and the Demons and others. The Demons are having their CD release party in Chicago on January 9th. The newly remastered version of the Nutcracker Suite was presented in 13 sold-out shows (approximately 6000 patrons) at the Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts in the first half of the month. 

NOVEMBER 2003: Congratulations to MASSIVE Mastering clients ORION NINE for their inclusion on the “It’s Out of the Blue” CD released by Levi Strauss & Company along with COLD, SHINEDOWN and PAPA ROACH. Go buy some new denim and get your hands on this collectors edition CD! 

Just wrapped up some live engineering for members of Muddy Waters’ band. Great time. Luther Johnson, Jerry Portnoy, Bob Margolin, Calvin Jones and Willie Smith. Blues legends all, and their legendary status is well deserved. 

OCTOBER 2003: GRAMMY® AWARDS UPDATE: The ballots are in! I’ve got three in the running. If you’re a voting NARAS member, here are the ones to watch for...

• FIELD 4 (ROCK) CATEGORY 18 (BEST METAL PERFORMANCE)
  #020 - SIX STRING SUICIDE by METAL MILITIA
• FIELD 4 (ROCK) CATEGORY 21 (BEST ROCK ALBUM)
  #129 - PERPETUAL STATE OF AGGRESSION by METAL MILITIA
• FIELD 11 (GOSPEL) CATEGORY 53 (BEST POP/CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL ALBUM)
  #073 - SILVER AND GOLD by VIGNOLA

October has been a pretty hectic month. With all the upgrades, I pretty much shut down for about two weeks for experimenting and the “Learning Curve” of the new gear. Now, it’s back to “normal” for the most part. I try not to do “reviews” on my own clients. However, there have been a few notable projects that have come through this month. ANGER OF THE LAMB (New Jersey, USA): Godsmack meets Amorphis meets NIN sprinkled with Mushroomhead. Two things - FIrst, the mixes I received were well done and very workable. Nice dynamics, not smashed, VERY well produced by founding member Brian Snell. On top of that, the tunes are catchy and well-written. Brian obviously studies his craft well and isn’t afraid to use extreme contrasts in a mix. And, it works. I understand that AOTL is going through a personnel change, but expect big things from these guys once they get back into the swing. This new E.P., “Breathe” is certainly going to open some doors for Anger of the Lamb. THE HEXTALLS (Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada): Setting up for their next release after “Call it a Career” (on the infamous “Shredder Records” label), mastering The Hextalls is the most fun we’ve had in here in a long time. Imagine the dry production of Green Day along with the upbeat energy of Blink 182 and the lyrical style of the Angry Samoans, and you’ve got the seasoned pop-punk of the Hextalls. Technically, a textbook sample of solid work. Full and open guitars, in-your-face vocals and tasteful synth parts. Highlights: “Dad Shot the Dog” and “Chuck Norris, King of the Forest” will play in your head for days. A great punk performance for the connoisseur, and even the part-time punker. 

SEPTEMBER 2003: Finally, after a long series of experiments, demos, trials, etc., chose a new “core” Digital Audio Workstation system for MASSIVE Mastering. The winner: Steinberg’s NUENDO 2. As stated before, I only perform certain tasks in my DAW, but when I do it, it MUST be the BEST quality. I tried every “top rated” system (and many “non-rated” systems). While certain systems may be a bit more geared towards multi-tracking, many would demonstrably “color” the sound. Nuendo kept the sound pristine from start to finish. It also seriously outperformed all others when “abused” and taken to the limits. Mastering, unfortunately, occasionally means “smashing” the mix. Most of the other DAWs just fell apart during these experiments. Nuendo 2 handled it with flying colors. It was also the only one that I could perform my “secret techniques” on without “complaining” about it. No, I’m still not giving away those secrets... Major kudos to Steinberg for putting out what could be a nearly perfect media production system. 

AUGUST 2003: Just finished some live work with Sheila E. (She’s currently, on tour with Ringo Starr). What an absolute pleasure to work with. She’s positively fabulous behind the kit, a top notch percussionist, and a kind and gracious person. I hope I have the chance to work with her again in the future. I’d personally like to give kudos to some of her sponsors - DW, Shure, Paiste, Toca. Visit her web site and check out her line of children’s percussion equipment!

JULY 2003: Spent a lot of the month on a full production schedule for MWC. Recorded at Soto Sound in Palatine (Thanks to Jerry Soto at the helm), mixed and mastered here at Audiographics. MWC is... well... let’s call it “Alternative Fusion” and leave it at that. We recorded four tracks for an E.P. that should be out in August. Trying to keep the “live feel” in the final product, we recorded the group as a whole. One pass for instruments, one pass for vocals with little or no overdubs. Pretty catchy stuff that stays in your head for days.

JUNE 2003: Doing some pre-production with Jacco Muller - Seems as if Jacco isn’t content putting out world-class flamenco albums... He will soon have a new composition in the “Masters of the Modern Era” CD Series. It will be recorded by the Bulgarian National Symphony (guess who gets to master the final cut for him...). “Mirage” will be recorded this fall. I can’t imagine what’s next for Jacco and his seemingly endless supply of talent.

CLIENT REVIEWS: