LorenzVauck.com

Dear Friend of XARC Mastering,

Lorenz Vauck here! I hope you have had a relaxing and productive summer so far?

Here at XARC I´ve taken the time during the summer to add new equipment to the studio. There now is a total of 6 tube EQ´s that I can chose from to perfect your project, along with a total of 5 tube compressors. Also, additional analog tape devices and “tube gaining stages”, which are pre-amps in a sense that uses tubes, but can be driven to add extra warmth to your music jus by running through them, have also been added and I can exchange the tubes whenever needed to get a different tube-sound (tubes do sound very different to each other).

For each project I am doing I am always choosing the best EQ / compressor and evaluate each and every EQ / compressor for each cut / boost that I am doing to find the perfectly right sound even for the smallest cut / boost. This is a very time-consuming work that notmany studios offer, but since you and I want only the very best from the mastering at XARC, I always go this extra route and clients are very happy with that. As an example please see the feedback I´ve received from lightshade about my work at:

http://www.xarcmastering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2519

It´s also a big plus working over the internet since in 99% of the cases there is no big time-pressure and so, compared to traditional studios, I don´t have to finish everything in “one go”, but can put the project aside if my ears get tired to do the next steps the next day with fresh ears. Usually I repeat this during a few days until I come in one morning and say “I can´t make it better than this”. And only then, once I am convinced that everything is as perfect as it can get, I will send you the approval master.

Of course you can still request changes free of any additional charges if that is needed. Nothing has changed with that policy.

On another note:
If you’ve been with XARC for long, then you know that from time to time I like to offer a special discount to thank existing clients for their continuing support and to encourage new clients to start their first mastering session, of course (let´s be honest! :=)

This is why to celebrate the close of summer you can currently get a very generous 20% discount on any of your next order. This is one of the largest coupons ever offered and saves you a nice amount, especially for large projects.

To use it, simply input the code: SUMMEND in to the proper location on the contact form on the XARC website or mention it when we begin to discuss your project via email.

The coupon is good until October 31, 2012.

To discuss your upcoming project, just visit:

http://www.xarcmastering.com/contact/

As always, if its been a while since you’ve had a project done, you can see the recent client reviews over at the XARC forum at:

http://www.xarcmastering.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3

You can also listen to dozens of recently updated before and after demos at:

http://www.xarcmastering.com/demos/

We’ve also got a “Get Your Quote” pricing-tool (the exchange rates for USD / CAD / GBP are updated daily):

http://www.xarcmastering.com/pricing/

Remember, take 20% off of the total investment price displayed..

I wish you the best with your music and look forward to hearing from you in the future.

Thanks again for your continued support.

To Your Success,

Lorenz Vauck
Managing Director & Chief Mastering Engineer
XARC Mastering
Gompitzer Str. 108
01157 Dresden
Germany
VAT-IdNr.: DE814199915
Web: www.xarcmastering.com / www.lorenzvauck.com
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LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/xarcmastering
Email: info@xarcmastering.com
Phone: +49 (0)170 750 22 92
Fax: +49 (0)351 465 610 62
ICQ: 195597977
YIM: xarc_mastering
AIM: xarcmastering
MSNM: info@xarcmastering.com

“XARC’s detailed service is outstanding, and the mastering
itself is absolutely up there with the best.”
Computer Music Magazine, UK (Issue January 2006)
www.xarcmastering.com/about/cmm06.pdf

XARC Mastering in your words:
www.xarcmastering.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3

Tell others about XARC and receive $17 USD for each successful
referral! How? Visit: www.xarcmastering.com/affiliates/

Dear Friend,

I hope you had a good first two months of the new year?

I just wanted to quickly let you know that I have again added a new before / after demo to the ever growing big before / after demos section of my website. This time it is a song from Lewis Newman called “Piano Track”. It´s a very dark and ambient song, with a very nice mood to it!

Here is what Lewis replied to me after I´ve sent him the approval master so he could let me know any changes he might require before we go final:

“Hi Lorenz,

I just had a listen to it on a few different systems, and i think it sounds absolutely amazing!…

I am so pleased with it, so much better than the unmastered mix. There’s nothing i would want to change.

I did an A/B comparison, and the unmastered one seems so flat and boring compared to the new version!

I just want to thank you for everything.

The master is exactly what i wanted, and on top of that, your service and communication is absolutely excellent.

I’m doing a demo to send to music libraries at the moment, so i will have more tunes for you soon if that’s ok!…

Thank you so much again, you are great!

speak to you soon,

Lewis.”

The before / after demo can be heard at http://www.xarcmastering.com/demos/ (Lewis Newman – Piano Track)

Besides a pretty huge before / after the mastering difference, this demos again shows the massive benefits of my newly installed equipment, including a “new old” tape machine, new passive tube equalizers and a new custom build dynamics processor which again shows its full potential on this demo if you listen to how much details are revealed “out of the dark”.

Especially the tape machine and the tube equalizers, which I carefully select for each and every boost/cut I do on each song, gave the song this massive and fat, airy but still warm analog sound. With all those possibilities at hand, it often takes a few days to finish just one song! But hearing the results and getting such feedback from my clients, I always see it´s worth it to not do it like “common” mastering studios which finish a song in an hour or two usually.

So enjoy listening and let me know any questions you might have, I am always here to help and listen to your thoughts / ideas / questions.

I hope you are enjoying the christmas time and got all gifts for your loved ones already?:)

As announced earlier, I have now added the before / after the mastering demos from the album “Æskudraumur” by “Róbert Óttarsson”. This is a “special” demo in terms of that instead of switching between the unmastered and mastered version all 10 seconds, it´s 1 minute extracts of 4 songs before and after the mastering in single WAV files. Here are the links:

Unmastered WAV

Mastered WAV

However, as per request, there is also a switching demo available, but of only one song from the album.

Besides a pretty huge before / after the mastering difference, those demos also are the first ones that make use of newly installed equipment, including a “new old” tape machine, two new passive tube equalizers and a new custom build dynamics proessor which shows its full potential on these demos if you listen to how much details are coming out of the songs (hihats, guitars and all this little ear candy) after the mastering that couldn´t be heard before. Enjoy!
All other demos can be found here as usually.

As for now I do wish you and your family a merry christmas and in case we don´t hear again, a happy new year!

P.S.: The 10% discount for following XARC on Twitter is soon to be running out as many clients have been taking up on it. You can also pre-pay now at the discounted price and master at a later time or buy it for someone else as a christmas gift (maybe someone of your friends is currently near to finish an album or song). Just contact me with your Twitter name when booking.

Dear Friends,

I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your business.

Thanks to you, we’ve grown from the first on-line mastering studio in 2003, to an established business with thousands of satisfied clients in now over 70 countries in only seven years! I’m also happy to see that many of you have become very good friends, making the last years all the more enjoyable.

In other news, XARC now has a presence on Twitter, over at: http://www.twitter.com/lorenz_vauck/ Please stop by and say “Hello” by adding XARC to your “Following”-list. This is an easy way to stay in contact and connected and to hear about all the news at XARC Mastering. Also, any new post on this blog (and those have been many in the last months) will be published on Twitter as well.

As a little holiday gift, when you follow XARC on Twitter you will receive a 10% discount on your next project. Just let me know your Twitter name when booking.

I’m also pleased to report that XARC continues to get pleasing feedback from clients, underlining that the approach is right to focus on communication and non-compromise high quality mastering with the extra edge for a upfront fixed price (see http://www.xarcmastering.com/pricing/). Here is what Sorin Lazar from Iceland (http://is.linkedin.com/pub/sorin-lazar/25/8b7/92a) replied to me after I finished mastering the latest album from Róbert Óttarsson named Æskudraumur which he produced:

“Man, it’s a GO! I don’t need to listen in the car or more stereos. This is the final MASTER. You were right about the analog feel, it is stunning. Forget about the strumming guitars.. the drums sound now like $$$ and the overall sound is like this project was recorded in Nashville not Sauðárkrókur. So, I guess you want to hear it, right: YOU ARE EXTREMELY GOOD! Excellent job.”

In a few days I am also planning to add a before / after the mastering demo of this album at http://www.xarcmastering.com/demos/ Keep an ear on it to hear what Sorin is talking about.

If you have any upcoming projects, as always, I would be pleased to work with you. Feel free to contact me, so we can discuss your needs, and book you a spot in the schedule. The current turnaround time is at about 1 week or shorter, as usually also depending on how much work your project requires to get it to the best quality possible.

With that, I will leave you for now, wishing you every happiness this holiday season, and hoping for a prosperous, successful New Year for you and your family;

Thank you again for your continued support!

XARC Mastering in your words:
http://www.xarcmastering.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=3

Best Regards,

Lorenz Vauck
Managing Director & Chief Mastering Engineer
XARC Mastering
http://www.xarcmastering.com/

“XARC’s detailed service is outstanding, and the mastering
itself is absolutely up there with the best.”
Computer Music Magazine, UK (Issue January 2006)
http://www.xarcmastering.com/about/cmm06.pdf

One of the artists for which I have produced results that I’m particularly proud of is an Estonian group, by the name of Soul Militia.

From their site…

The R&B/Soul/Hip Hop trio Soul Militia formed in Estonia in the late 90’s. Semy, Craig and Lowry were already pursuing careers in music business when a series of fortunate events brought them together. Starting out as a quartet the group released their debut album in 2002 appropriately titled “On The Rise” . The completely self- written record spawned a couple of radio hits and was the first contemporary R&B album released in Estonia.
(more…)