Medway Studios is an online mastering studio in East London UK which offers online EDM mastering for dance and electronic music labels and artists.
EDM Mastering Engineer
It's run by mastering engineer Jesse Skeens (aka Medway) who has over 30 years experience in electronic music production, mixing, and mastering. For more information take a look at my bio.
With competitive rates and personalized service, my aim is for you to be 100% satisfied with the value of the work I deliver. Read more to find out why hundreds of satisfied clients have chosen to have their work mastered here to the highest quality.
Listen to before and after samples. I also do house, trance, drum & bass, and tech house mastering.
Why Master?
Mastering is the last step before reproduction and distribution. Any final sonic or technical details need to be taken care of at this stage.
Ideally, this mastering process will include sweetening an already great mix but corrective measures are also applied to account for any problems that might have arisen in the mix stage. Done right, this will enhance the original vision you the artist had so your music can be fully appreciated by you and your audience, no matter what the playback system is.
Correctly mastering EDM music is a key to getting DJs to play your song and fans to share. Crowd reaction is usually greatest towards the most impactful tracks in a club. In order to aid you in getting the best possible master I also offer free mixdown advice. This will help get your pre-master free of any major problems before proceeding to the mastering stage.
Want to know more? Here are a few reasons on why you should have your music mastered here:
- A song with great ideas that is not mastered correctly will unfortunately get passed up in the competitive nature of today's music scene.
- Achieve consistency across releases to position your label or artist profile as a serious player.
- Personalized service - I take great interest in the success of your project and will work with you to make sure it’s right. This includes giving advice when needed to prepare each track submitted for best mastering results.
- Mastering is much more than just making a track louder. I strive to make EDM tracks sound balanced with enhanced depth, width and warmth.
- Sound great across multiple playback systems such as, laptops, iPods, clubs and including streaming services like Soundcloud, Youtube, and Spotify.
The Process
Here's the basic process of what will happen to your audio when you order as I bring it to its fullest potential.
- Equalization is applied to properly balance the frequency response of your track. Any troublesome resonances or other EQ errors will be reduced.
- Multiple stages of analogue compression adds groove and glue to the music so it sounds more together and alive. Multi band mastering software and various plugins are also used when needed to further tighten the mix and give a more polished result.
- Stereo widening and M/S (mid side) processing gives a larger more 3D depth of field.
- Different forms of saturation and special processing such as parallel compression give extra sheen, depth and detail
- Tasteful limiting with high quality limiter plugins and accurate metering brings up the RMS level to commercial standards without killing dynamics or adding distortion. Even for music that requires the loudest of levels, care is taken to ensure the final master is still warm and not harsh or abrasive.
- The final master is then checked against other commercial releases or any included reference tracks for loudness and balance. Kick and bass should be tight, full and round; synths, vocals and effects clear and wide.
Analog Mastering
Medway Studios employs a custom designed SSL specifically chosen for the demands of dance music mastering. The qualities this unit imparts are as follows:
Transients become more detailed bringing the mix forward.
The smooth release imparts a tight groove to the rhythm. Although there are reasonable emulations of the SSL, the real thing is on another level and truly brings life to otherwise flat sounding digital mixes.
Additionally an API 2500 compressor provides thick punch and a warm round tone just from running through the renown 2520 op-amp circuit.
A custom valve Pultec Eq/Pre amp is also utilized for saturation and colour by subtly driving its tube circuitry and Lundahl transformers. Even without the Eq engaged this unit imparts a nice roundness to programme material. With the very musical low and high filters, your music can achieve a smooth top end along with deep rich low end which really brings it to life.
An HDE250 (Sontec) provides precise control and sheen to compliment the Pultec's overall tonal shaping. Here's a more in-depth guide on the differences between digital and analogue mastering.
Stem Mastering
Have a mix that needs a little more work than just a stereo master? For an extra fee I can take between 4 to 8 stereo stems to give more control over your master. 4 Stems allows for basic kick and bass work, 8 stems can be ordered when extra separation is needed on certain elements of the mix. Alternatively, you can order the full EDM mixing and mastering package here which allows unlimited stems.
Further Options
For those who want to release certified Apple Digital Masters I can provide those. If you need your master completed urgently there is an option to select 24 hour delivery (applies to business days only - contact if you need it over the weekend).
Finally, if you order 4 or more songs there is a 15% discount automatically added to your total.
Past Clients
Throughout the years the following artists have had their masters pass through Medway Studios: ATFC, DJ Pierre, A Tribe Called Quest, Cevin Fisher, Crystal Method, Ralphie Rosario, Full Intention, Wide Boys, Jason Nevins, Seamus Haji, Crystal Waters, Tom Stephan, Chris Willis (singer on David Guetta's 'Love Is Gone'), Spooky, Infusion, Hernan Catteneo, Soul Minority, Pig and Dan, Guy J, Milton Jackson, Johnny Vicious, Lutzenkirchen, Pole Folder, Saved Records, UNKLE and more...
Testimonials
These are a small sample of some of the emails I receive on feedback from clients:
"Wow man, I am really blown away. Your new version is by far the best, it actually exceeded my expectations :D You did a really good job." Darin Epsilon
"Hey Jesse, I just wanted to say, what a great job you did on that mix, I played it last night @ my gig and it was huge." A Conigliaro
"Im speechless!!!!!! The masters are so fat! Wow. You made my day. Can't believe what I hear." Andre - NDM
"We really liked the sound coming of your studio, nothing really can compare to it." Altair6
"The masters sound unbelievably great! They have the warmth, vibe and heaviness I was looking for!" J Rivera
"I absolutely love it! Track sounds so clean and all the individual tracks came out just the way I wanted. Really appreciate everything you did and I'll for sure be using you again in the future." M Giuffre
Mastering Services
- Stereo Master: £40
- 4 Stem Master: £55
- 6 Stem Master: £65
- 8 Stem Master: £75
- Alt Mixes (Radio, Instrumental, or file change): £10
- Apple: £10
- Spotify: £7
- Vinyl: £15
- Express: £25
When Express service is selected: Your initial version of a stereo master sent within 24 business hours of receiving files. Stem masters will be sent within 48. For weekend/holiday delivery please contact first to check for availability.
Apple Digital Masters, I am a certified provider for Apple. This is a file optimized for Apple's encoding process to produce more dynamics when played on iTunes.
Revisions are free of charge for the initial file sent. One updated file is allowed for free, any further files submitted will be at £10 each, counted as an alternate mix. Alt mixes are £10 and must be the same exact mixdown as the main mix such as radio, extended, and instrumental versions. Mixes with different mixdowns count as a separate full mastering charge. They should also be submitted at the time of order. Otherwise, there is an additional charge of £10 for recording them after the initial mastering process.
Discounts for 4 or more masters.