Audio Mastering for Indie, Alternative & Experimental Artists in Australia
I’m Dan O’Connor, a mastering engineer in Perth, helping artists prepare their music for release on any format or platform — and doing my best to radiate a love of music, art, and the people who make it.
ENCODER Sound is an approved provider of Apple Digital Masters
photo by Josh Wells Photography
About Mastering Engineer Dan O’Connor & ENCODER Sound
I’m a mastering engineer, musician, and long-term contributor to the Boorloo/Perth’s exploratory music community. For over 15 years, I’ve moved between studio and stage, record label and research, thinking deeply about sound — its texture, the spaces within, and the context a given recording inhabits.
I work with alternative, independent, and experimental music, aiming to preserve its spirit while preparing it for the world.
I’ve mastered projects by Mia June, Teen Angst, Moth Swatter, Heathcote Blue, Gap Year, Jocelyn’s Baby, Nika Mo, Éric Normand (Quebec), Sage Pbbbt, Jeremy Segal (Berlin), Sugar Wife, and Web Rumors (Berlin).
My work has been released on labels including Father/Daughter Records (USA), Blue Grey Pink (AUS), Pink House Records (AUS), Rockton Records (AUS), Group Therapy Records (AUS/Germany), Edition Wandelweiser Records (Germany), Burnt Seed (AUS), Tone List (AUS), and Tour De Bras (Canada).
Producers and Mixers Dan has worked with:
Everyone below is fantastic at what they do and connected to Boorloo/Perth or Walyalup/Fremantle (though some now live abroad). If you’re looking for someone to recording, mix, and/or produce your next project, these are the folks.
Rhien Tan — Producer. Mixer. Engineer.
(Gap Year, Segue, Shy Panther, Teen Angst)
Jeremy Segal — Producer. Mixer. Engineer.
(Buckland, Didion’s Bible, The Drowners, Wound Honey)
Ezekiel Padmanabham — Producer. Mixer. Engineer.
(Scratching, Mia June, Nathan Staggers)
Arran O'Mara — Producer. Mixer. Engineer. Sound Designer.
(Selfless Orchestra, Injured Ninja, Oakabella Mae, Max Barton)
Lachlan Kettell — Producer. Mixer..
(L0k, LUNCH Records, DEHNOE, Peter Panspermia and KAYAK JONES)
Brendan Dietrich — Mixer. Engineer. Live Sound.
(Permeclipse)
Em Burrows — Producer.
(Web Rumors)
Ryan K Brennan — Producer. Mixer. Engineer.
(Jocelyn’s Baby, Julia Jacklin, Marcus Minus, Sugar Wife)
ENCODER Sound is located on Boorloo and recognises the Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation as the traditional custodians of this land. We pay respects to their elders past, present & emerging.
+ What does an audio mastering engineer do?
A mastering engineer will apply their wealth of listening experience and knowledge of digital and analog signal processing to optimise a recording or set of recordings in preparation for distribution. A mastering engineer receives the final mix of a song and adjusts the sonic qualities of the music such that it is well received by the fan on the intended prsentation format (streaming, vinyl, cassette, CD). The mastering engineer also looks at how the many songs of an EP or album are sequenced and sit together sonically, achieving consistency across the larger work. You can read more at this blog post: What does a mastering engineer do?
+ How much does mastering audio cost?
Mastering is not a one-size-fits-all process, in the sense that every project is unique and every mastering engineer has their own take on how a given audio project should be mastered. Furthermore, every mastering engineer is working with a different level of experience and specialisation, in different studios. This all points to the cost of mastering being based on a number of factors. For Discussion on the topic head to this blog post: How much does a mastering engineer cost?
To summarise the blog post...For a piece of music under 5 minutes in length, expect to pay somewhere between $100 and $500 (Australian) —$100 for a professional local-level mastering engineer, and closer to $500 (or more) for a big name mastering engineer with major label credits. At ENCODER Sound we quote per project, so the best thing to do is contact us for a quote.
+ Is audio mastering necessary?
The vast majority of major releases, even from top producers, artists and mix engineers, go through a mastering process before release. Audio mastering is essential in preparing music for its distribution format, whether that be streaming, CD, cassette or vinyl, and the benefits of engaging a mastering engineer on your project are many. Primarily, the mastering engineer offers an experienced, independent, and fresh pair of ears available to hear your creative work. This presents the oppurtunity to optimise your audio project beyond its current state. Having worked with a mastering engineer you can release your music with the confidence that an experienced listener has finalised your work, ensuring optimal playback for fans.
+ Will my music be ready for release after mastering?
Yes, mastering is the final stage of music production. The files delivered to you by the mastering engineer can be uploaded to the various streaming platforms, or printed to CD, vinyl, and cassette.
+ What is the difference between mastering and mixing?
During mixing the mix engineer brings together the individual recordings/tracks/instruments into a complete mix — a complete song, usually a stereo file. Mastering is the process of taking this mix, a stereo file (the song), and enhancing it such that it sounds amazing when your fans and listeners hear it out in the world. The mastering engineer draws on extensive listening experience and applies a range of audio processing techniques to optimise the stereo audio file.