Abbey Road Launches New Services

Abbey Road has announced it is launching new and improved on-line mastering and mixing services. Through a rebuilt file-sharing interface that enables users to send and receive tracks more easily, the service will provide musicians around the globe with easier access to the studio's equipment and team of engineers, with feedback and communication between customers and engineers a key element of the initiative.

Users of Abbey Road's on-line services can send notes for the engineers and reference tracks along with their material, with the redesigned on-line mixing and mastering services actively encouraging direct interaction between clients and engineers.

Since 2010, Abbey Road has offered on-line mixing and mastering. Attractions of the services are that musicians can use of them, irrespective of their geographical location, and for a fraction of the cost of attending a mixing or mastering session at the studios in person. There has been a large growth in the user base taking advantage of the studios' collective technical expertise and assortment of vintage and modern kit – including SSL mixing consoles, EMI TG12410 mastering consoles, vintage compressors and superbly serviced Neumann vinyl lathes – since the debut of the on-line services.

"Since we launched our on-line mastering and mixing services over half a decade ago, there has been an explosion in intuitive, app-based file-sharing services like Dropbox that the musicians of today are familiar with," said Lucy Launder, Abbey Road's Head of Mastering. "It was time for us to upgrade our original FTP-based systems and make the whole service more intuitive and quicker to use. We're aware that there are automated ways to get your tracks mastered on-line these days, but nothing beats having one of our experienced team of engineers work on your tracks. You can't tell an algorithm how to master your songs.

"In contrast, we listen to your music and find out what you want from our services before we start work, and you'll also have an opportunity to tweak what we do if you're not entirely satisfied the first time. Automated services simply can't do that! We already offer some of the world's finest audio equipment and expertise. Now you can make use of it that bit more easily."

The price starts at £90 (ex VAT) to master a single track in stereo. Additional fees are incurred if users wish to use a specific engineer chosen from Abbey Road's nine experienced mastering engineers. Prices for online mixing will vary according to the size and complexity of the project.

Image: Lucy Launder, Abbey Road's Head of Mastering.

www.abbeyroad.com

(JP)