Brad Blackwood: Mastering With Objectivity

Brad Blackwood is a Grammy & Pensado award winning mastering engineer based in Memphis. Tennessee

He went to Full Sail, then moved to Memphis to hone his skills at the legendary Ardent Studios. After spending several years learning the ins and outs of recording and mixing, Brad turned his focus on resurrecting Ardent Mastering, a division which had closed years before. His success was immediate as he learned under and cultivated working relationships with producing and engineering greats such as John Hampton, John Fry, Jim Dickinson, Skidd Mills, and Jim Gaines.

In 2003, Brad decided to expand his services he offered his clients and the result is Euphonic Masters. His client base followed, allowing him to continue to work with a wide variety of artists including Maroon 5, Lamb of God, Korn, Alison Krauss & Union Station, the Black Eyed Peas, Sara Bareilles, Sick Puppies, Thursday, Saving Abel, the North Mississippi Allstars, Sister Hazel, and many more.

Over the course of his career, Brad has had the opportunity to work on a number of acclaimed projects, and in 2012 he became the first mastering engineer ever awarded the Grammy for Best Engineered Album, Non Classical for his work on Alison Krauss & Union Station’s Paper Airplane. In 2014, Brad was also honored to receive the first ever Pensado Award for the category of  ‘Master of Mastering’.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN ABOUT:

• How to feel confident that your mixes will translate
• Brad’s morning routine to make sure that his ears are calibrated for mastering every day
• Mastering in untreated studios vs pro spaces
• Why you should diversify the genres of music you work on
• Why you should listen to music as little as possible before mastering it
• Mastering albums vs singles
• What levels to aim for with your masters
• Making different masters for multiple delivery platforms
• Mastering with gear positioned behind you, rather than in front

To learn more about Brad Blackwood, visit: https://www.euphonicmasters.com/

To learn more tips on how to improve your mixes, visit https://masteryourmix.com/

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