Square Cad: A Mastering Podcast

Real Life CSI! Forensic audio and mastering utilize similar tools to polish audio, but the similarities end there. Forensics and restoration specialists have a specific goal in mind, intelligibility, and will be use every technique at their disposal to achieve it. Even though the intelligibility threshold sounds like an easy one to achieve it is actually a ton of work.

Square Cad spoke with Arlo West , owner and operator of Creative Forensic Services, about the ins and outs of forensics and restoration. Arlo has worked on thousands of restoration projects, including the latest Mel Gibson freakout tapes, and shares his thoughts about restoration workflow, goals, and how his work differs from studio engineering.

Music: Magnetic Fields "It's a Crime"

Client approval workflows vary from studio to studio, but Nick Moon from Tone Proper Mastering in Portland is trying make the process easier and more efficient with a new DDP player called Tonic. Nick hopes that a simplified interface and approach will increase usage of DDPi, and improve client communication during the approval process. Nick shares his thoughts about how Tonic could be another nail in the coffin of CDs, as well as his ideas about increasing efficiency and improving client relations across the board.

We also hear from Mike Mecklenburg, general manager of The Duplication Factory in Minnesota, about how CDs are created from DDPi.

Music: The Jam "Standards"

This is an Extra from Square Cad Episode 4, the Hype Check of Dangerous Music's Bax EQ. In it Tom Waltz and I talk about different flavors of compression, eureka moments in mastering (like when Tom forgot to plug in a compressor and really liked what he heard), and Tom shares a story about working with Ted Jensen.

Music: A Tribe Called Quest "Buggin' Out"

Square Cad digs through the hype to evaluate the Dangerous Music Bax shelving EQ. Chris Muth, electronics designer for Dangerous and renowned engineer, shares his thoughts about the BAX's design. Based on the ubiquitous topography of Peter J. Baxandall the BAX aims to be a transparent shelving solution reminiscent of a home or car stereo. Later, Tom Waltz of Waltz Mastering shares his first hand experience with the BAX, as well as his thoughts about gearlust, the high-frequency shortcomings of digital EQs, and whether he thinks a $2200 dedicated shelving EQ is worth it.

Music: Desmond Dekker "Beautiful and Dangerous"

Master Craft! This week Square Cad welcomes Australian engineer Tony Mantz of Jack the Bear for a case study in mastering. Tony walks us through his process as we review a recent electronica/dance master. We also discuss why mentoring and encouraging artists is so important, and discover that you can learn a lot about a man from his ringtone.

Intro-Outro Music: MSTRKRFT "Bounce ft. Nore and Isis"

On this episode of Square Cad it’s all about A/D and D/A conversion. John Siau, Head of Engineering for Benchmark Media, talks about converter design and the future of conversion in digital audio.

Part 1: Clock Watcher 0:00-18:33

John discusses Benchmark’s history in broadcast, and how dealing with hundreds of pieces of gear in a chain prepared him for creating high-end converters. He also talks about what goes into making an accurate converter, and why you may want to reconsider before you buy an expensive master clock.

Part 2: Sigma Delta...Por Vida 18:34-26:40

Next I talk with John about conversion schemes and which are the most robust. From his point of view Sigma Delta conversion is the clear winner even though a resistor ladder network is quieter. He also talks about the extensive and lengthly testing process that takes a converter from theory to your rack.

Part 3: The Future Will be Converted...Quietly 26:41-34:53

To wrap things up John speaks about the 2010 AES convention, why firewire doesn’t have to be a bad interface choice, and what he thinks future advancements in conversion will mean for working engineers.

Music: Deerhunter "Spring Hall Convert"

On the inaugural episode of Square Cad, a mastering focused podcast, we hear from Joshua Reiss and Daniele Barchiesi. Josh and Daniele are researchers who have developed a reverse engineering algorithm. This algorithm can uncover the gain, panning, and equalization used on a set of tracks or a finished stereo master. The goal is to be able to reveal an engineer’s ‘performance’, and display his or her settings. You supply the tracks, it lets you know what was done to them.

We’ll also hear from Chris Athens of New York’s Sterling Sound for his thoughts on the implications of this technology.

Intro Music: Missy Elliot, ‘Work It’

Outro Music: Red Fang, ‘Reverse Thunder’