HOW TO PLACE YOUR ORDER
How It Works
- To build your analogue processing package first select the analogue equipment you require your stem to be run through.
- Once you have your package selected, add it to basket and proceed through the checkout. Now you have paid for your service you can upload your files and all information via our upload form in your account here. Please ensure you add your order number so that we know which order is linked to which files. Here you can add any notes or information you feel we need to know. Such as the kind of sound you wish us to achieve when processing your stems.
- As soon as we have received your payment and files we will download and begin working with your order. The processed stems will be returned to you in the timeframe you have selected when building your package.
- When your order is completed you will receive 3 processed stems via the email provided. Each stem is processed a unique way so you have various options to choose from.
Studio A
Audio Animals Studio A is a state of the art mastering studio for both stereo and Dolby Atmos mastering. Installed into Studio A is one of the industries most sought after mastering chains, costing an eye watering £150,000.
Studio B
Audio Animals Studio B is a state of the art mixing and mastering studio for both stereo and Dolby Atmos. Installed into Studio B is an exceptionally unique mastering chain installed for stereo mastering. Costing upwards of £65,000 and including some of the industries most sought mastering equipment.
Processing Chains
By selecting any of the processing chain options you can deliver your stem to be processed through multiple pieces of equipment of our choosing. For instance if vocal bus is selected, we will choose which specific pieces of equipment to process the vocal bus through, to achieve the best possible sound for the vocal bus. Processing chains utilise our knowledge and expertise of how to process a specific stem.
- Vocal Bus – EQ, compression, de-essing and saturation is used to adjust the vocals so that they sound full of life and are controlled throughout the mix. A popular option for our clients who want to add a warm glow to their vocal that sounds polished and ready to drop into the mix.
- Drum Bus – EQ, compression, saturation and transient shaping is applied to the drum bus, to achieve a full rich sound that brings the drums to life.
- Instrument Bus – EQ, compression and saturation is applied to any instrument and processed to achieve a sound that has a more pleasing 3d image, often only found when processing instruments with analogue equipment.
- Stereo Mix – Essentially a stereo master without the limiter applied. This means you can take the processed audio we return back and adjusting it to sound exactly how you want it, you can then apply a plugin limiter to achieve your desired loudness and release your own analogue master.
WHAT IS ANALOGUE PROCESSING?
Online analogue processing is a process that allows you the client, to experience high quality professional analogue equipment from the comfort of your own studio. We take your stem and process it through your chosen equipment. Delivered back to you are 3 processed stems to choose from each with their own unique processing applied. With the aid of knowledge and the industries best analogue mixing & mastering equipment we are able to achieve a sound that is sonically superior to anything you will have heard before. Catering for musicians and producers from every corner of the globe. No matter where you live, online analogue processing has never been easier to outsource to a professional engineer.
Nick Burchall (Studio A)
Elysia Alpha Compressor
UnFairchild 670M II (expanded)
Shadow Hills Optograph Compressor
Hum Audio LAAL
Elysia Nvelope
Maselec MLA-3
Maselec MPL-2
Bettermaker Darthlimiter
Buzz Audio REQ 2.2
Maselec MEA-2 EQ
Goly Porter Grinder EQ
Goly Dynamic Shelving EQ
Goly 4 Band Dynamic EQ
AudioTales Designs 1951 ME EQ
AudioTales Designs 1954 EQ
Dangerous Music BAX EQ
Whitestone Audio P331
Rupert Neve MBT
Vertigo VSM-2
SPL Gemini
Paul Ashmore (Studio B)
Hum Audio LAAL
SPL Iron
Vertigo VSE-2
Goly 4 Band Dynamic EQ
Goly Porter Grinder EQ
AudioTales Designs 1951 ME EQ
AudioTales Designs 1954 EQ
SPL PQ
Buzz REQ 2.2
Elysia Nvelope
Rupert Neve MBT
Analog Design Black Box HG-2
SPL Gemini
BEFORE & AFTER MASTERING DEMOS
Mastering in the hands of a skilled mastering engineer can transform your music to the next level. This couldn’t be anymore obvious when listening to the before and after audio demos below. You will notice a warmth and glow that makes your music highly pleasing to the ear that subconsciously makes the listener sit up and take notice. You have only got to ask yourself how am I perceiving the before and after examples? Can you notice the added detail and presence mastering has added? Can you hear the added depth and 3D image that has been achieved?
- Original – Clients original mix unmastered and level matched to the master
- Master – Audio Animals mastering applied to the original mix, showing the difference mastering has made
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY ABOUT US
What sets Audio Animals apart from other companies is that we understand our clients and their needs. We understand you want revisions included in the service. We understand you want a fast reliable turn around. We understand you want to only pay for the service you require and not be charged for add-ons you do not need. We understand our clients, which gives us the ability to provide a service that is designed with them in mind.
Dominik
“All I can say they never disappoint! Always deliver everything I am looking for. Loud, powerful and pro sound, exactly how I wanted it to be. Audio Animals are really professional and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND to everyone. Definitely I will keep using this service in the future!”
Sam Cole
“Nick perfectly balanced my track and I could clearly hear each instrument against the vocals, but still preserving the song’s dynamics. It didn’t matter what device I played it through, everything sounded great and clear. Something that we all want when people listen to our music.”
Rob Horvarth
“We were looking for an experienced mastering engineer. Paul at Audio Animals Ltd. appeared to be the right man for the job and he did not fail us. Paul delivered an extraordinary and breathtaking master. Our Album has been lifted to the next level and we are extremely happy.”
Harry Mindgame
“I’ve had many tracks mastered by Audio Animals. Always been happy with the results. Mastered my own mixes in the past and I prefer to send it out to Nick to get done. Comes back exactly as I wanted it! The most consistent team that there is. You know your work is in safe hands.”
TZ
“I just wanted to let you know that the whole band is amazed by your skills. It is unbelievable how excellent the sound could be, if there are professionals working on it (YOU!). We thank you from the bottom of out hearts, I have never been so satisfied while listening to songs that we recorded.”
Kosta Lois
“I have to say Nick Burchall has one of the best ears in the entire record business for mastering. He’s definitely become my go to guy! He takes what I give him and puts the final polish on it – also he’s always right on time for all of my deadlines and easy to work with. A pleasure to work with!!!”
ANALOGUE PROCESSING FAQ
What Equipment Do You Recommend Selecting?
We recommend specific equipment for specific purposes. The Audiotales Designs 1951/1954 EQ, Vertigo VSM-2 and UnFairchild 670m MK2 are the most commonly requested units for this service.
- Audiotales Designs 1951/1954 – Excellent EQ that has it’s own unique tone and sound. Perfect for vocals, drums and stereo mix.
- Vertigo VSM-2 – The Swiss army knife of saturation. 2nd and 3rd harmonic saturation at it’s best.
- UnFairchild 670m MK2 – The king of compressors. A direct clone of the original Fairchild 670M compressor.
What Is Analogue Processing Often Used For?
Analogue processing is designed to give our clients access to our high-end analogue equipment within their production and recording process. This service is used a lot for vocal processing as well as clients wanting to add analogue elements to their song for sounds that are a focus point. Drum bus processing is a particular favourite of our clients.
What Is The Turnaround?
All orders will be turned around within the time frame selected when placing your order. Turnaround time is based on days the engineer works between Monday to Friday. If you have a specific day you need your master back for, please let us know when placing your order.
- 1 Working Day (returned next working day)
- 2-5 Working Days (returned within 2-5 working days)
- 5+ Working Days (returned after 5 working days)
Can You Process My Stereo Mix?
Yes, much like our stereo mastering service, we can process the stereo mix through our mastering chain giving you what is essentially a stereo master that can then be tweaked further and a limiter added to it. The huge benefit of this is that by receiving a fully dynamic processed master is that you can change the sound of the master and add any additional processing you desire. This means you can take the processed audio we return back to you and adjust it to sound exactly how you want it, then apply a plugin limiter to achieve your desired loudness and release your own analogue master.
How Many Processed Stems Do I Receive Back?
All orders are delivered back to the client as 3 unique versions. The reason for this is so that the client has more to work with and can experiment with which stem works best.
- Stem 1 – The ideal processing type we feel the stem should require for the best possible result.
- Stem 2 – A more exaggerated processing type when compared to stem 1. This could include more saturation, or a more noticeable overall tone.
- Stem 3 – A more subtle processing type that would be considered cleaner, a less night and day difference which is ideal if you want to add additional processing to the stems after receiving them back.
Can I Process The Stems Further Once I have Received Them Back?
Yes, all stems are delivered back to you with a full dynamic range with plenty of headroom. This allows you to apply any processing you want to apply on your end after receiving the processed stems back and ensure they perfectly fit with your sound. We recommend sending your stems with minimal processing applied. This way you can apply additional EQ, compression, saturation, reverb, delay etc to the stem to make it your own.
What Are The Benefits Of Analogue Processing?
The main benefit of analogue processing is that often many producers never add any analogue flavour to their music until it arrives to us for mastering. Using this service our clients are able to now apply analogue processing to the core elements of their song, bringing it to life in ways you just can’t achieve in the digital domain. Combined with our skills and expertise our clients benefit from a professional processed stem that will slot straight into the mix and sound full of life.
When Do I Pay For Analogue Processing?
Orders / payment must be made before work on your stems begins. This ensures our engineers, take the necessary time and care required to return you the very best service.
How Many Master Revisions Can I Make?
There are no revisions included in this service, due to the amount of time it takes to process the stem through 3 unique signal chains.
What If I Have Accidentally Sent The Wrong Stems?
If work has not yet begun on your audio, you can simply get in touch with us and replace the file.
If work has already been completed on your stem and you need to replace the stem for a new one. A new order will need to be placed and the work started again from scratch
Before sending your audio always make sure it is correct and the file you are sending is the audio you intend to be processed.
How Do I Send My Files?
Your audio can be uploaded safely and securely via our upload form in your account here. Leave all processing active that you want to keep in the stem. You can alternatively bypass any effects or plugins and add them to the processed audio you receive back.
- File Type: Wav
- Bitrate: 16/24/32bit
- Sample Rate: 44,1kHz – 96kHz
- Headroom: -3db / -6db
How Is This Service Different From A Service Like Access Analog?
Access Analog is a great service and it gives people access to analogue equipment via the internet. The one issue with this is that the person processing the audio (you) usually has very little knowledge of how to get the most out of the equipment and how to use it correctly. Our analogue processing service works in a different way and allows our clients to entrust us with applying the correct processing for the stem.
What Will I Receive Back?
3 processed stems will be returned back to you, each with their own unique processing applied. It is important to deliver multiple versions of the processed stems in order to cover all possible outcomes.
Stems masters are returned in the following formats, if you require any others, please let us know:
- 96kHz 24bit wav
- 48kHz 24bit wav
- 44.kHz 24bit wav
- 44.1kHz 16bit wav
Can I Tell You Roughly How I Want The Processed Stem To Sound?
Yes, if you have an idea of how you want the stem to be processed then please let us know in your order. We will ensure the stem is processed as close as is physically possible to the details given, and supply you with 3 processed stems that are variations of how we interpret the information supplied. A reference mix can be provided if you have one.
Can I Send You A Screenshot Of The Plugin Emulation Settings I Want Applied?
Yes, you can send a screenshot of a plugin emulation or a similar plugin showing the settings you want applied in the analogue domain. We can then copy the settings in or match them accordingly. 1 stem returned to you will include the processing you have requested and the other 2 stems will be variations of these setting with more extreme settings and another more subtle.
Can I Send A Reference Of My Processing in The Box For You To Copy?
Yes, you can send a reference mix or a reference stem that we can reference against. This allows us to get as close as is physically possible whilst ensuring the stem is processed correctly for the best possible sound.
Can I Send The Mix Of The Track Without The Stem You Are Processing?
Yes, this is very much welcomed. Having the reference mix minus the audio we are processing allows us to treat the processing as if we are mixing the song into the rest of the mix. This is very helpful for us and allows us to achieve a sound that takes the rest of the mix into account. This is especially helpful when processing a vocal bus, drum bus or instrument bus.
