Analog mastering is one of the best secrets of high-end mixing engineers now. Since most everything is mixed in the digital realm, top producers will do something called analog mastering. This is where the digital version is converted back to an analog recording so it can be mastered through analog processors, though in many instances it is also recorded to an analog two-track machine to acheive the fatness that analog tape gives to the recording. It also takes the harshness away from all digital recordings, and can even out the bottom end giving the low frequencies that nice analog sound.

Layback mastering can cost a bit more than basic purely digital mastering, as it takes additional time and there are additional costs for the analog tape, but for serious projects, it can be the end step in achieving the top quality for the project. Since digital recordings can seem cold to many listeners because no matter how loud the sound gets, digital always gives you flat reproduction. Analog tape, however, saturates as the volume increases in level, so peaks are rounded rather than clipped, which turns into a warm, fat sound as the harmonics are smoothed over. This is much more nice to listen to. Furthermore, an increased input signal will result in a more exaggerated difference. Since the highs saturate first, this will mean that as the signal goes up, the highs naturally soften up, resulting in a less brittle, and a more pleasing recording.

There are many mastering studios around the United States that have the tools to do analog mastering, however, you also need to have an engineer with the proven experience to get the best results possible with the equipment. I have tried a few studios and one of best quality is www.stevethomasmastering.com. He is a top analog mastering engineer, yet he also has done thousands of albums as a mixing engineer as well. In addition, his expertise rivals some of the most pricey mastering houses in the United States. If you already have someone you are using that’s fine. But, I would certainly to give him a call.