New here.

Fell for the www.digitalsoundlabs.com $99 for a whole CD thing. Paypal is arbitrating but I don't know how it's gonna go.

Anyhow, it seemed too good to be true and I'm a fool for thinking it could be true. That is, unless the reason that the website has come down and not one of my emails has been answered is that the work on my music is just too important to be distracted from.

Sigh.

Their website seems to be down also...

The guy's name is David Laney, from Arkansas. Don't know if anyone here has heard of him.

Me too..
I manage a band in another state and I also have my own band ..I was planning on testing out a few companies for mastering in hopes they could help us out and I was going to send 3 cds worth of material from both bands...I mailed a check with just 1 track as a test for now , and asked that digital sound labs called or emailed me when they receive the cd and the check so I could better gauge a turn time..and not only has the check yet to be cashed , but no phone call , no email...so when I went to check the site for a phone number...BOOM its down....Of all the ways to scam somone ...what a horrible way to do it...Musicians cant afford much n average in the first place , most of us have to work full time only to come home where our studios are and spend another 40 to 60 hours of our time mixing the same song over and over till its right...I really feel that as much as I love music..that it is a legitimate job and it does take time and effort to do it right..I am always exhusted just trying to get things done in hopes that one day my 1 full time job will be my music to I can finally relax every so often..None the less...scammers posing as mastering engineers should all rot in hell..what they are doing is wrong...Its hard to find somone to master work youve spent all your time on that you can afford in the first place......If anyone heres any news about this please let me know..I really am discusted by this whole thing..Id been willing to pay more too..which is the worst thing....

For anyone else still looking for masters from a stereo mix..I have tried www.yourmusiconcd.com before , and I was happy with the out come despite all the typos on there site , and I had planned on going to them again but I thought Id try another company first just in case...

I also found another company that mix's and masters that allows you to attend the session ..but I cant afford them right now..anyone looking for that and has the cash...let me know Ill post the site..I know its 150 per track ..which considering the fact they dont just master from a stereo mic rather they actually mix it and master it is great ...but its still a little out of my price range..Also there is a programs called A.A.M.S

which stands for Automatic Audio Mastering System..Its only 80 for the programs and you can get pretty good results but I still would rather have somone else master my work than an automatic mastering software tool......

Jason of Silent Auction and AngstLAB Records

In cases like this, I can't urge people enough to take advantage of the Better Business Bureau. Even if the facility in question isn't a member, reporting the situation to them plants a "red flag" of sorts that other people can access.

Although it still takes some research... One place that was famous for [SELF-CENSORED]ing people over (seemingly by the dozen) was actually stupid enough to join the BBB and then was more or less forced to quit - So, he made a new website and is still in business (working on full-length recordings for $99 if I'm not mistaken).

The fellow refunded my money as soon as I started the Paypal arbitration process. Still, I'm pretty disappointed. And yet, it's also a blessing. Because I've recorded a couple better songs in the interim. So there you are. Everything happens for a reason.

hi,

i to fell for this scam...it was Apr when i placed the order and here we are in july and i still haven't recieved my mastered cd...

it was supposidly "finished" and i would be hearing it soon...

that was late may/early june.

i eventually turned it over to the us postal inspector for possible mail fraud in which they're investigating now.

anyways i found a service who offers great results for a low price and they're BBB certified.

He got it finished in two weeks and it sounds almost as good as some of my favorite artists cds!
They're called: "Crazy Daisy Productions"

http://www.crazymastering.com

I have, and use, the AAMS system and am really happy with it. But I also don't really use it to "master" per say, tho it is fine for getting a quick punchy mix that most are happy to listen to.

I use it to diagnose tracks for problem areas, then go back and re-mix....always looking towards a balanced type of blend. The best part is you can take a CD you like, let AAMS analyze it, then you have something you like the sound of to compare your mix to.

I feel it is well worth the $$...now if I could get away from the static mixes I keep doing.....

There are lots of mastering engineers that hang out in places like Gearslutz and here that are both very good at their craft and reasonably priced. Note I did not say "cheap" since they, if they are at all good, have a considerable amount of money tied up in their monitoring setup, their process equipment and their software so they do have to recoup some of that by charging more than the mastering places that advertise mastering for $5.00 per song and who are using cracked software and plugs and are monitoring on computer speakers or worse.

Basically you get what you pay for. I certainly look around for the best price when I am getting a service performed but if someone is advertising unbelievable prices there is usually a reason. Either they do not have the skill level or equipment to do what is needed quickly and professionally or they are doing it in a very unprofessional way and basically luring you in with low prices and not giving you what you expect or want.

My next door neighbor had her basement "waterproofed" The guy who did it gave her a very low price. He had the best equipment but he was in a big hurry to get the job done and he did some shortcuts that resulted in damage to her home, her yard and now after two months the basement is again leaking. So she got a cheap job but the results were NOT what she wanted or expected. Now she will probably have to have the whole thing done over again and it will costs her twice what she would have spent if she hired a professional in the first place.

FWIW and YMMV