How convenient to knock other mastering labs for your own benefit. You don't hear us talking about the competition. You don't do a FREE song! I think your getting worried.

Ryan Clement
www.audio-cd-mastering.com

Please have some professioanl Courtesy. We don't talk bad about your lab or anyone for that matter. We have a lot of return business because we do a great job. I am an artist/producer that provides an affordable service for artists, producers and record labels. What makes you more a part of the music industry then me. Atleast give the little guys some credit and say the Mercury bundle instead of Diamond. I'm not that guy.

Thank you!

Ryan Clement
www.audio-cd-mastering.com

You should probably read a little before you start throwing things around and making yourself look silly... You might notice that *I* said nothing about your place - Not here, not in the "scam" article (but while we're on the subject, is that photo in your header *your* room? I've seen the same photo on a couple different sites - Someone is misrepresenting).

quote:

This dude is just hating.

Again, note that "this dude" is NOT me. Actually, when this thread started to "turn" I asked the Admin to take a look at it and freeze, edit or what not. I'm not into thrashing places by name (even with as many names as I have to thrash).

quote:

How convenient to knock other mastering labs for your own benefit. You don't hear us talking about the competition.

Again, read the thread.

quote:

You don't do a FREE song!

And read my site while you're at it. Although I suppose calling it a "sample" is different than a "free song" -- I don't feel the need to do "free songs" -- I can hardly handle the workload as it is. And God help me the last time I offered samples online... I shut that idea down after about 12 hours...

quote:

I think your getting worried.

No, that absolutely positively would not be the case.

quote:

Please have some professioanl Courtesy. We don't talk bad about your lab or anyone for that matter. We have a lot of return business because we do a great job. I am an artist/producer that provides an affordable service for artists, producers and record labels.

And that's all good with me. Assuming you're legit and you aren't misrepresenting like so many other "mastering studios" out there (such as those places that blatantly use photos of other studios or fake gear / client lists), I'm in no way trying to take any business from anyone. Personally, I can tell you that because of that article, *I've* raised suspicions that needed to be addressed. I've probably lost a decent amount of business from people who thought I was going overboard. But I have principals, and I generally stick to them.

quote:

Originally posted by Hans Klein:
The name of this dubious engineer-owner is Ryan Clement. I called his phone number and much to my surprise, he actually answered. I told him that I wanted to stop by to check out his studio for a possible mastering project.

You know what he told me?

He said "This is a private studio, so it's not possible"

I asked why being "private" means that I am not welcome to use his facility.

His second answer made even less sense. He said, "If I have to show you the studio, it would cost you three times more".

How convenient, ha? I wonder what he would have said if I replied: No problem, I'll then pay you 3 times more. Would he have given me the first answer (it's a private studio)?

I don't know about you, but it makes me very suspicious when I can't check out a studio in person or if in order to do so, the fees advertised on the site become significantly higher.

If that's actually true, I have nothing against what he said. *IF* it's true, it's amazingly suspicious. He was suspicious, it makes me suspicious. I can't even imagine a reason for it unless there's something to hide.

Is there?

EDIT:

I've just read a page or two on your site and I'M suspicious. There's a fair amount of [SELF-CENSORED] just on that front page... Such as:

quote:

(Originally posted on the page in question):

Most audio mastering facilities with similar equipment and experience charge around $200 dollars a song.

Name one. Name one mastering facility that uses Digi converters and has a MP that charges $200 per song. Come to think of it, name one mastering facility with a full compliment that charges $200 for one song.

Whoops - On another page:

quote:

We only charge $200 a song when we master for major record labels.

Okay, *you* charge $200 - But only for major record labels. That's more than Gateway charges major record labels.

Again -- I'm not pointing fingers here -- My intention was to try to put out a fire and it looks like I've poured gasoline on it. But if you're "one of the top mastering labs in CA since 1999" and you don't allow clients to be in attendance (?!?), while you charge the average Joe on the street $25 and a "major record label" $200, I can definitely see why some people would be very apprehensive. I know I'd be.

quote:

I am also a marketing consultant for Side One Dummy Records and we had a top Billboard album Flogging Molly a couple weeks ago.

Ummm... Dave (Collins) mastered that.

I don't see how what label you work for as a marketing consultant has to do with mastering. I work with scores of gold, platinum, Grammy, Tony, Dove (etc., etc., etc.) award winning artists all the time in "non-mastering" situations. That's for the label-marketing forum.

John,

You are the man!!!

You got him!

And rest assure,
I swear to you that's what he said:
================================================
"This is a private studio, so it's not possible"

I asked why being "private" means that I am not welcome to use his facility.

His second answer made even less sense. He said, "If I have to show you the studio, it would cost you three times more".
===============================================

It's not really my intention to "get him" -- Personally, I wish there just wasn't the rampant "scamming" going on.

Of course, I'm curious to find out who's photo that is... If it's his, someone is scamming him. If it's not, I have no sympathy and he won't get any friendly treatment here...

His silence at this point isn't helping matters...

John,

You must admit that a lot of the stuff written in his site, caught your attention too.

I wish he would come back so I could remind him of our conversation.

Whether you realize it or not, You got him. You raised so many valid points that I doubt he will be able to explain what appears to be a misleading marketing of his services.

The stuff written on his site is nothing but a sweet lure for naive musicians. He wrote all the nice things musicians wanted to read.

Nothing wrong with that as long as it was true.

I believe he knew exactly what he was doing and he does look silly now. He did it to himself.

All because he declined to me a personal service and changed his rates when I asked why.

He is an idiot or a liar, either one is not someone I would trust with my money.

Highly suspicious. That's my story and I am sticking to it.

I think my reply should have been directed to Hans. Sorry John! Hans send us one of your songs. Theres only one way to find out!

RE: Private - In 2002 I was robbed at gunpoint in our Studio then called Graphic Sound Arts. They took my MPC, Trinity, Planet Phat and a microphone. I'm not going to feed into this anymore. Let me check out your studio! We are in it for the repeat business. We do one free song. If you like the song you send your project, if not fine. I feel the same way you guys do. We do one free song to make sure othere do what they say they do. How can you hate on that? I'll fly out! Where is you studio?

quote:

Originally posted by John Scrip:

Of course, I'm curious to find out who's photo that is... If it's his, someone is scamming him. If it's not, I have no sympathy and he won't get any friendly treatment here...

His silence at this point isn't helping matters...

quote:

Originally posted by ryanclement:
I think my reply should have been directed to Hans. Sorry John! Hans send us one of your songs. Theres only one way to find out!

Since he asked for it, I have sent, per his online instructions, a mix for him to do a mastering demo.

The mix is not a great mix, though. It's more like the kind of mix people with low budget make at home or in a modest project studio.

The logic is, musicians on a budget never get great mixes to get mastered, only pro studio can deliver that quality more consistently.

Let's see what he does with it and if the sample sounds really good, I don't think the idea that the picture on his site is not his real studio, would bother me that much.

Hans

It would bother the owner of the studio though... Again, I'm not pointing fingers - at him. But I've seen that photo on more than one site. That's someone's hard work, property and personality. It might be his, it might be someone else's.

Yes - I have my doubts -- That's (photo) not set up as a mastering room (actually, the monitor positioning is terrible), it's set up with huge-budget gear (from the few pieces I can readily identify on it) and none of that gear is on his gear list.

As someone whose site has been "pirated" over and over again, and who always seems to get thrown into the mix when (I won't mention an names) uses photos of Metropolis Mastering on their site or when (won't mention any names) has photos of The Plant's mastering room on their site -- It's deceptive, it's fraudulent (it's also intellectual property theft). No matter how good the engineer might be in those cases, the fact that they have to hide who they are and steal photos of other facilities to impress speaks volumes about their character in general.

quote:

Originally posted by John Scrip:

It's deceptive, it's fraudulent (it's also intellectual property theft). No matter how good the engineer might be in those cases, the fact that they have to hide who they are and steal photos of other facilities to impress speaks volumes about their character in general.

I can't argue that, John. You are absolutely right. Of course, If that's not his set up, it's gonna reflect on his work.

Usually a good set up equals a skillful engineer Though you are right, that set up is not for mastering. I've seen a mastering guy working on a regular recording facility.

That's why I am dying to hear his sample.



Hans

Find me the same photo on another website and they probably stole it from me. I mix and master. I can send anyone the original photo and or photos from different angles. Come on guys I could have any setup I want. I've been paid for a long time. Check and see when our most recent domain was registered. I don't steal photos or anything for that matter. I don't have customer complaints and never had to give a refund. If a client isn't satisfied. we will redo.

What is the song called or file name?

Just so guys can figure it out. My family and I are in the real estate business. I have a mastering company to help the artists that would otherwise not master their songs. I also work to help labels like Side One Dummy provide more content online. I am an artist that is working for artists. Mixing and mastering has always been a way for me to spend my time constructively and employ a few talented friends in the process. I have been ripped off before by listening to sales people tell me what gear I need. I don't know everything. Who does? I never said that mastering was even profitable. You shouldn't assume things. I can take a picture of me in it right now. The new studio i'm building for mixing is going to have a 002 and Apogee Rosetta 200. We will be printing to a tascam 900. You would like me if you knew me.

quote:

Originally posted by ryanclement:
Just so guys can figure it out. My family and I are in the real estate business. I have a mastering company to help the artists that would otherwise not master their songs. I also work to help labels like Side One Dummy provide more content online. I am an artist that is working for artists. Mixing and mastering has always been a way for me to spend my time constructively and employ a few talented friends in the process. I have been ripped off before by listening to sales people tell me what gear I need. I don't know everything. Who does? I never said that mastering was even profitable. You shouldn't assume things. I can take a picture of me in it right now. The new studio i'm building for mixing is going to have a 002 and Apogee Rosetta 200. We will be printing to a tascam 900. You would like me if you knew me.

Ryan, this has nothing to do with whether you are a nice guy or not. John is a true professional and you have been taken up a lot of his time.

He is been raising valid points and you (I am assuming you now remember my call) gave me a disingenuous answer when I requested to see your facility.

I may not be as important as John, but my time is a big deal to me as well and you have wasted it plenty:

I have set up an audition page to conduct the mastering reviews.

Here is mine first:
Well, I got a sample from R. C. alright. It was at best, louder sounding. He only worked on boosting levels (but even that wasn't done right as there was clipping above 0 dB) oh yeah, he also raised the top end, that's pretty much it.

He did it quick, and it sounds like it too. Frankly, people like him shouldn't be in the mastering business, I don't care if it's only 2 songs for $50.

To me, that would had been 50 good dollars thrown away for something that is just louder but not a better sounding master.

His comment after mastering the mix was "Bass is a little high in the mix"

How about, bass is VERY high in the mix, Ryan? You were supposed to try to re-shape the bass area so that it didn't sound like I am listening it from another room (muffled).

The voice of the singer sounds muffled too. The drums sound overall, muddy without detail.

Now, the cuts have been converted to mp3 at 192 Kbps - 44.1 kHz which should be enough for auditioning and it's a bit rate that most mp3 sites play back online.

I am not going to deny that it's a problem mix. but, that's what you get in real life, especially the kind of jobs these bargain mastering labs get all the time.

The irony is that it takes *real* skill to make that mediocre mix come alive. You'll hear it for yourself.

Again, IMHO, you shouldn't be doing mastering for even $10 a song.

I am really sorry if I seem unfair or nasty to you, but you brought this upon yourself. The next time it could be an angry paying customer who learned his mixes could have been worked on better and could report you to the BBB.

Now, please go hear for yourself at:

http://www.isound.com/hakle

Mix order:
1- The original mix
2- The Audio-CD-Mastering.com master
3- The master by anonymous engineer l
3- The master by anonymous engineer ll


Hans Klein

You don't know what you are saying. Some people like bass in their songs. If I cut it in mastering it would effect everything and not just the bass. If your vocals are muddy then roll off in the mix. You don't even know what masking is. Don't blame me cause your mixing is garbage. Late! Keep talking about me in this blog. I appreciate the publicity!

I should hire you to hate on us full time. I appreciate everything you have done here.

www.audio-cd-mastering.com

quote:

Originally posted by ryanclement:
You don't know what you are saying. Some people like bass in their songs. If I cut it in mastering it would effect everything and not just the bass. If your vocals are muddy then roll off in the mix. You don't even know what masking is. Don't blame me cause your mixing is garbage. Late! Keep talking about me in this blog. I appreciate the publicity!

Ryan, I suppose you think that the other 2 mastered mixes sound flat without bass and a lot worse than yours, right?

And yes, some people like bass in their songs, but when it sounds muddy on most systems, ain't pretty.

The mix was not supposed to be an easy mastering job for you. You probably get these by the dozens every week. If that's what you do to them, look how it can sound when a real mastering guy processes a *garbage* mix.

quote:

Originally posted by ryanclement:
If your vocals are muddy then roll off in the mix. You don't even know what masking is.

Roll off the top or the bottom? Hi cut filter or low cut?

Whatd does (I suppose) vocal masking have to do with it, anyway?

The mix IS what it is, I didn't mix it, you were supposed to make it sound better than the original and you failed miserably at it Mr. Ryan Clement.

There, since you want publicity, I just mentioned you by name.

Let's see what your future potential clients are going to think when they key your name, find this discussion, go to the audio site and finally get to hear a real sample of your work, Sir.

And please, one more thing, don't delude yourself thinking that this is all about "hating on you" Geez!

H.K.