About

Alchemy Mastering at AIR specialises in all formats of analogue and digital mastering, providing high-end audio services to the global music industry. From independent artists to major labels and cult TV soundtracks to Hollywood blockbusters, our team has the craft and vision to enhance your release.

Explore this page to find out more about our team, mastering suites, equipment, and our Online Mastering, Direct to Vinyl Recording, and Half Speed Mastering services.

For bookings & general enquiries, please contact mastering@airstudios.com.

One of the most celebrated mastering engineers in the industry, Barry ‘Bazza’ Grint started his career in 1984 and founded Alchemy in 1998, after working at Abbey Road, Porky’s Mastering, Tape One, and the legendary Trident Studios. Having recently become a part of the AIR team, Barry will be working on nurturing new talent at Alchemy Mastering at AIR.

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Proficient in all mastering formats, John has recently mastered multiple UK Top 10 albums for David Bowie, including his latest, Toy, and Duran Duran’s 15th Studio Album, Future Past. Other work includes albums for Band Of Skulls and Primal Scream, and projects for former Red Hot Chilli Peppers guitarist, Josh Klinghoffer.

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Shortlisted for the Music Producer’s Guild Mastering Engineer of the Year in 2021, Cicely’s body of work includes early releases from saxophonist Nubya Garcia, albums for alternative and post-rock bands Palace and Kinder, and vinyl remasters for Simply Red and Funeral for a Friend.

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Jasper has worked for both major and independent labels with artists like Yard Act, Gathering of Strangers, Purple Disco Machine, M Huncho, and The Feeling.

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As a mastering engineer specialising in catalogue, mainstream, compilations, and restoration, Phil has worked with iconic artists such as Elton John, Blondie, The Specials, Fun Lovin’ Criminals, and Donna Summer. More recently, he has been mastering Grammy Award-winning Amy Wadge’s EP, When Did You Get Old?, and remastering Ultravox’s Vienna 40th Anniversary Deluxe Edition.

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Online Mastering

AIR Online Mastering will master your project within 5 days from £100 per track. Book, pay and upload your project and our engineers will start work on your track right away.

Mastering 1

Mastering 1 specialises in audio restoration with a Sterling Plan A and Focusrite Blue 300 mastering console feeding ATC25A monitors. With replay from Studer A820, Sony 1630, Nakamichi DR2 all formats can be catered to. The Neumann VMS80 vinyl cutting lathe has been equipped with a half-speed mod.

Mastering 2

Mastering 2 features an in-house custom console, Avocet mastering controls and the legendary Sontec MES-432D. The Sequoia DAW is fed through Cranesong convertors to the ATC150A monitors. Analogue replay is from a custom Studer A80 or Ampex ATR100. The Neuman VMS80 vinyl cutting lathe is equipped with a half speed mod.

Mastering 3

Mastering 3 features a custom console based around Maslec MTC mastering controls and the legendary Sontec MES-432D. The Sequoia DAW is fed through DAD convertors to ATC150A monitors. The Neumann VMS80 vinyl cutting lathe is equipped with a half-speed mod.

Services

Your tape or digital audio is fed through our range of top-end analogue/digital processors. We produce a digital WAV file for use on all music streaming services.
We cut your audio onto a 14" lacquer (a pre-master) ready for the pressing plant to create your vinyl records. Our experienced engineers perform the transfer on our VMS80 cutting lathe and ensure your music is optimised for the format.
Previously known as ‘Mastered for iTunes’ Apple Digital Mastering is a specialist workflow that ensures the stamp of approval from Apple when buying or streaming music via their services. Each of our engineers are certified with Apple to carry out this process.
Recording, mixing and vinyl come together as we record live performances from Lyndhurst Hall or Studio 1 directly onto a vinyl pre-master in our mastering room. This is the ultimate pure analogue recording.
Vinyl mastering but with the turntable, electronics and audio set to half its original speed. Your tracks will benefit from improved groove ‘accuracy’ as the cutting takes twice as long to transcribe the audio. This reduces mechanical stress and results in a smoother, more natural top end.
CDs are still commonly used for physical music sales. AIR will master, sequence and create DDP pre-masters for your CD replication.

Contact

Contact Nikki for more information about Alchemy Mastering at AIR by using the form below.

If you already know what you’d like to have mastered then please use our Mastering Web Form form.