elson mastering specializes in providing high-quality audio mastering services across a wide variety of musical genres.
Mastering engineer Scott Elson is dedicated to making every client’s artistic vision a sonic reality by bringing out the absolute best in musicality and sound quality. The result is music that not only sounds exceptional, but also deepens the connection between artist and listener.
We regularly collaborate with artists, producers, engineers and labels in all parts of the world, and deliver audio ready for any format. Get in touch to find out how we can help with your next project, and send us a track for a complimentary mix evaluation or mastering sample.
Scott is my first call for mastering. For all his technical mastery, he never loses sight of the music. I can flow seamlessly with him between technical and musical issues, and never have to explain what I mean.
He adopts the project as a contributor, with an authentic interest in helping me fulfill and exceed the expectations of my artists and clients.
Scott is a powerful ally and has become a friend I count on to check my work and make it better.
Mastering is a partnership between the mastering engineer and the client. At elson mastering, we care about the finished product as much as you do, and will stop at nothing to get it right.
While a lot can be accomplished in mastering, the best place to start is with a well-balanced mix. Along with the services below, we are always happy to offer complementary mix assessments for potential clients. Upload a track via our DropBox account to get the process started.
Mastering is the final creative step in the audio post-production process. We'll fine tune the sonic balance, address any technical issues, and make sure your music sounds great across all systems, media formats and digital delivery services. Our mastering projects come in many forms - singles, EPs, albums, soundtracks, compilations and audio for video.
We are an Apple sanctioned Mastered for iTunes (MFiT) studio. For a release to be officially badged as Mastered for iTunes, the masters delivered to Apple must be created by an engineer on their official Mastered for iTunes Provider List. This ensures the engineer has followed Apple's protocols and the audio has been prepared for encoding in their AAC file format without error.
We often deliver high resolution masters to vinyl cutting houses properly formatted and documented for each side of a record. We can also identify and address potential sonic issues specific to vinyl such as excessive sibilance or high end, low frequency imaging problems, and considerations in track order due to the complexity of the music.
For clients making Compact Discs, we can create a DDPi (Disc Description Protocol image) for delivery to a replication facility. It's the ideal format for an absolutely error-free master, creating a superior sounding CD which is also more reliable across a wide range of players. Clients can download the same DDP image from us and listen to it with our software player.
A physical PreMaster CD (PMCD) may be used in CD duplicaton where smaller runs of discs are being produced by burning and not stamping. If a DDPi Master isn't an option, we can create a CD PreMaster and error check the physical layer of the disc to ensure its quality. We can also create additional CD reference discs for listening purposes only.
You may not be able to play your cassettes, DATs or vinyl records that have been sitting in the closet for a decade. The first step to preserving that audio is transferrring it to a digital file. From there it's possible to do remove unwanted hum, hiss, pops and noise, and enhance the audio in many ways.
Scott is incredible to work with. Super nice dude and very professional. Even though the material we presented him with was recorded in a very DIY manner, he managed to pull out albums that sound like real albums.
We had no idea what we were doing, but he spoke in a language we could understand and the results were beyond what we could have hoped for.
Our purpose-built mastering suite offers startlingly accurate acoustics, giving us the perfect environment to make informed sonic decisions about how make your music shine.
Every tool in our mastering signal chain matters. Whether the gear is analog, digital, vintage or state of the art, each one has been hand-picked for what it can bring to the table.
Some of our favorite tools are made by the likes of PMC, Bryston, Mytek, Manley, SSL, iZotope, Dangerous Music, Waves and Sonnox among others. Some add color while others are transparent, so we wield gear wisely - only using what’s needed and appropriate.
It all comes together to create an space where art meets audio and music comes to life.
I have worked with Scott on several occasions. He has an excellent ear for all genres of music and also the technicalities involved in getting the final product just right. I recommend him highly.
Scott grew up with an appreciation for a wide range of music due to a family that was active in both performance and education. Early studies in piano eventually led to the guitar, ongoing band memberships and an inclination to capture the music that surrounded him.
After completing degrees in both Electrical Engineering and Music, Scott joined Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering Studios in 2001 as a staff engineer. His initial duties consisted of digital editing and creation of final production masters, but he was soon assisting in daily mastering sessions and eventually starting taking on mastering clients of his own.
Scott founded elson mastering with the goal of making quality mastering available to artists of every stature. With a foundation tailored to the needs of audio and music production, he brings a unique combination of technical expertise and creative feel to every record he is a part of.
Over the years, artists at every stage in their career have trusted Scott to put the finishing touches on their records. His commitment to always serve the music comes through in every project.
Scott is a member of both the Audio Engineering Society and The Recording Academy’s Producers and Engineers Wing where he votes in the annual Grammy Awards.
Scott has done an excellent job mastering our songs. He understands the sonic challenges that electronic music can present, especially when integrated with more traditional instruments.
He is friendly, comfortable to work with and has authentic enthusiasm for the music. We couldn’t be more satisified.
Every project is unique. Call, email or fill out our inquiry form to get a quote and start the booking process.
As a supporter of the independent music community, we offer competitive rates for unsigned bands. We'll do our best to work with your budget.
We also have a large network of talented musicians and producers, so please reach out if we can help make a connection.
