Forensic Audio Mastering

Forensic Audio Mastering now has a number of high end audio processors available for hire on daily or weekly rates. For further information and bookings please contact us by email simon@forensicaudio.com.au or call 0401 499 667.

Items currently available include: Avalon 737, Universal Audio 6176, Avalon U5, Lucid 88192, Purple Audio MC77, Empirical Labs Distressor, A Designs Pacifica, BAE DMP. Please scroll down for further details.

Avalon 737sp Channel Strip

The Avalon 737 has been a standard in recording studios for over 10 years and can be consistently heard on tracks by artists ranging from Outkast to Bjork. The Avalon 737sp is a pure class A tube based channel strip featuring a microphone preamp/DI , optical compressor and equalizer. The microphone preamp is one of the cleanest tube based preamps around and relatively neutral in sound. The compressor is an optical based design and the EQ is one of the best vocal EQ’s available and has the the ability to carve out the tone of the vocal while sounding natural. The Avalon 737 makes an excellent front end to any recording path with its real strength being in vocal recording. The neutral character of the 737 allows many layers of vocals to be stacked without complicating the low mids of a mix. It also makes an excellent bass DI/recording channel. More Info

Hire Rates: $60 per day; $300 per week

Universal Audio 6176 – 610 Microphone Preamp and 1176 Compressor

The 6176 is a recreation of the classic 610 mic pre amp/DI with an 1176 compressor in the one unit. The 610 preamp has a dark tube character that can add depth and character to any microphone. The pre amp suits everything from solo intimate vocals to strong rock voices in dense mixes. The 1176 has been a classic FET based compressor sought after since the original was released in 1968. It provides extremely fast compression and is great at controlling dynamic voices while adding its own unique character to the sound. The 6176 may be used as a combined channel strip, or the mic pre and compressor may be split and used as individual units. The Universal Audio 6176 is recommended for those recordings that require a high quality signal path but with a vintage sound. The 6176 also makes and excellent bass recording channel with a much darker and rounder tone than the avalon 737. More Info

Hire Rates: $60 per day; $300 per week

Avalon U5 DI

The Avalon U5 is an extremely clean and musical sounding class A DI. It provides one of the most musical and full bass tones and has been referred to and “the holy grail for bass”. The U5 also combines six passive tone shaping circuits that allow you to manipulate the tone of the instrument at the source as well as various filtering options. The output of the U5 can be at mic or line levels allowing you the choice of processing the signal further with you favorite mic pre or running the signal directly at line level into your recording system. The U5 also makes an excellent DI for acoustic and electric guitars, synths and other low output acoustic instruments. More Info

Hire Rates: $30 per day; $150 per week

Lucid 88192 – High End Channel AD/DA Convertor

The Lucid 88192 offers 8 channels of uncompromising analog to digital conversion. The Lucid integrates seamlessly with most recording platforms offering AES/EBU and ADAT connectivity and all connections I/O connections are on XLR connectors. More Info

Hire Rates: $60 per day; $300 per week

Purple Audio MC77 Limiting Amplifier

The MC77 is Purple Audio’s recreation of the legendary 1176  FET Limiter as heard on almost every record produced since its introduction in 1966. The MC77 is often heralded as the best sounding 1176 clone available, with many people preferring them over the vintage black face 1176. The compressor is at home on everything from vocals, electric guitars, bass, kick drums and snares. More Info

Hire Rates: $40 per day; $200 per week

Empirical Labs Distressor EL8X

The Distressor has fast become the modern day classic compressor, and has gained its reputation due to its versatility and tone, from clean gentle levelling to aggressive slamming in “Nuke” mode. The Distressor sits comfortably on everything from vocals to drums. The EL8x version of the Distressor features the bit mod and stereo link. More Info

Hire Rates: $40 per day; $200 per week

A Designs Pacifica – Dual Channel Mic Pre

The A Designs Pacifica is a close recreation of the Quad Eight sound, which is often regarded as one of the best designs of its time, but never achieved the cult status of the Neve and API consoles. The preamp can be driven relatively clean, or can be pushed further into saturation using the pad. More Info

Hire Rates: $50 per day; $250 per week

BAE DMP – 1073 Style Mic Pre with Jensen Transformer DI Input

The BAE DMP is one of the smoothest and fullest sounding recreations of the Neve 1073 Mic Pre. The DMP features the mic pre only (no EQ) of the BAE 1073, but simply sounds fantastic. It also makes one of the best DI’s around, with the Bootsy Collins mod providing a separate Jensen transformer for the instrument input. More Info

Hire Rates: $40 per day; $200 per week

Package Deals Available – Please contact us with your needs for a quote.

Please Note:

• To hire any of the items the terms and conditions of hire must be accepted. Sufficient ID and a Credit Card must be provided in person when items are collected.
• All new customers will be required to provide a deposit the first time gear is hired which will be refunded when the gear is returned in original condition.
• Day hire is for 24 hours from the time the equipment is collected. Weekly hire is for 7 days (168 hours) from when the equipment is collected.
• Prices are subject to change so please confirm the full cost when placing your booking.
• The anticipated hire fee is payable upfront when the gear is collected.

Forensic Audio Mastering has undergone some major upgrades in the last few weeks. The upgrades have involved improvements to the acoustics of the room and the the addition of new analog hardware processing equipment. These improvements have allowed us to take the mastering room to a world standard, as well as being the only dedicated mastering studio in Perth to offer this level of analog processing. Forensic Audio is now fully equipped to provide world class mastering at highly competitive prices.

The first major upgrade to the studio was the addition of the Sterling Modular Plan E Mastering Console. Essentially this desk provides a creative and intuitive workflow while maintaining an acoustically transparent profile. The desk allows all of the analog processing equipment to be within arms reach of the mastering engineer, allowing the engineer to maintain a balanced perspective on the audio by always being in the optimum position for the speakers. The cloth panels and design of the desk ensure that the furniture minimizes any effect on the acoustics of the room.

The studio has also acquired a Dangerous Audio Master console and insert switcher, with an analog mid/side matrix. The Dangerous Master integrates every piece of gear in the studio, allowing the engineer to provide the best levels to the analog mastering chain while having all of the gear on insert loops. This means that the analog gear can be inserted and removed from the analog mastering chain with the push of a button. In addition to this, the Dangerous Master has an analog mid/side matrix which can allow us to alter the width and depth of the stereo field in the analog domain, as well as being able to insert other analog outboard to process the mid/side signal.

The new Pendulum Audio OCL2 Optical Valve Compressor provides high end compression with its unique optical flavour, as well as providing an extremely clean and transparent valve gain stage. This compressor compliments the studios other mastering compressors, the Crane Song STC-8 and the API 2500. In addition to this we have also acquired a plugin licenses for the PSP Neon High Resolution Equaliser, Sonnox Oxford Limiter and the Sonnox Surpresser.

Finally the studio has increased the amount of broadband absorption and bass trapping in the mastering room, as well as adding Auralex T-Fusors to provide diffusion on the rear wall of the studio. This has greatly improved the low end bass response of the room and has added a greater sense of depth and accuracy to the stereo image.

Overall, Forensic Audio Mastering has undergone a major upgrade of it’s facilities to provide the most accurate monitoring possible as well as the best no-compromise analog and digital processing. Please feel free to contact us if you would like to discuss your project or book a mastering session.

Forensic Audio Mastering has recently acquired an OEM License for the Sonoris DDP Player software. This now allows us to freely distribute the DDP player to our online clients so they can fully audition and approve their master.

Previously when using online mastering services, there was always the frustration of not being able to properly audition the final master with the correct spacing between songs, track markers, and to confirm all the meta data (CD Text, ISRC’s) without receiving a physical audio CD. This new software license now allows us to upload the DDP image of your final master, and will allow our customers to open and play their master exactly as it will be produced at the manufacturing plant, with no hidden surprises. The software also allows our customers to burn audio reference CD’s of their master.

Now you can have your tracks mastered online and approve the final master with confidence.

The DDP Player can be downloaded using the links below and from the sidebar. A license key to activate the software will be forwarded to our online customers as required.

Download DDP Player For PC

Download DDP Player For Mac

Please feel free to contact us if you have any further questions about our online mastering service.

Forensic Audio Mastering has just added a Crane Song IBIS Discrete Class A Equaliser to their already extensive list of high end analog signal processing. The IBIS provides clean and smooth sounding EQ delivering unprecedented control over the analog signal, and is capable of overall tonal shaping to extreme surgical corrective equalisation. It also allows the mastering engineer to add second and third harmonic content to enhance the audio signal through the various color options.

The IBIS now compliments the studios other high end analog equalisers, providing an exciting option for the mastering engineer to choose the desired signal path that is the best match the track being mastered. The choices now range from the warmth of tube processing with the Manley Massive Passive, the smooth op amp flavour of the API 5500, through to the ultra clean and musical tone of the Class A IBIS.

Forensic Audio Mastering are now offering online mastering.

A new drop box is now available for you to upload your mixes and to receive your mastered tracks. This has allowed the studio to greatly improve the turn around times for unattended mastering sessions, eliminating the need for using regular postal services. This also allows us to greatly improve the efficiency and ease for our international clients, preventing additional postage charges and potential delays.

The new drop box is available through You Send It and is as easy as clicking the drop box link in the sidebar. All you need to do is enter your email address, click Choose File/Browse and select the files to be uploaded. Then click Send It, and the tracks will be uploaded to us. Once we have completed the mastering, a link will be sent so you can download the mastered tracks for approval.

In addition to this, if all you require is a final DDP file set and not a physical CD for production, the final production master can be uploaded directly to you and the manufacturing facility.

For further details please do not hesitate to contact us.

Forensic Audio Mastering is excited to announce that the studio has undergone some major upgrades.

The digital audio workstation (DAW) at the centre of the studio has now been upgraded to a full Pro Tools 8 HD 2 Accel system with a Digidesign 192 I/O interface. This upgrade has significantly increased the processing power, with a Pro Tools HD Core Card and Pro Tools HD Accel Process Card being added to the studios Mac Pro Computer. In addition to this, the 192 I/O interface has allowed the studios other analog to digital converters (Cranesong HEDD and Lucid 88192) to run at their full potential, achieving sample rates up to 192 kHz at 24 Bit.

The analog signal processing chain has also been upgraded with an API2500 Stereo Bus Compressor, providing a different flavour of compression, and complementing the studio’s Cranesong STC-8. Finally the studio has added the Flux Mastering Pack to it’s already extensive list of plug in processing. The Flux Mastering Pack includes the Flux Epure II Equaliser, Solera II Dynamics Processor and Pure II Limiter. These plug ins, especially  the Epure II Equaliser, are some of the best digital processing available today and also include M/S processing capabilities.

Forensic Audio is a unique, high end mastering service based in Perth, Western Australia. The studio integrates state of the art digital software with the best high-end analog processing, to ensure that your project can reach it’s full potential.

The studio is owned and operated by Simon Struthers who has worked on recordings by Bob Evans, Felicity Groom, Apricot Rail, Umpire, The Kill Devil Hills, The Bank Holidays, Iretsu, My Majestic Star, Simone & Girlfunkle, Kristen Blakers, The Tucker B’s, Deloris, The Leap Year, Dave Anderson, Adam Said Galore, Mukaizake and many more.

Please take some time look through the information on this site. For further information and bookings please feel free to contact Simon on 0401 499 667 or email simon@forensicaudio.com.au