The Studio

Hybrid analog and digital.

A hybrid analog and digital mastering setup on California's Central Coast — real hardware where it earns its place, digital precision where accuracy matters most. Every tool here serves a purpose and adds its own color.
Book a master — $70/track Ask me a question Hear before & after
20+Years at the desk
5,000+Artists mastered
24–48hTypical turnaround

My setup is built around a hybrid analog and digital workflow — analog hardware for character and feel, digital precision where accuracy matters most. Everything lives in a treated studio environment, and every tool in the chain serves a purpose and adds its own color. Below is the actual signal path a record travels through here — click any stage to see the gear behind it.

Signal Chain
Your mix in
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→
→
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Master out
Monitoring & Room
Accurate playback is the foundation of everything. I cross-reference between speakers and headphones throughout the entire process — the goal is a master that translates, and you can only know that by testing it on multiple systems.
Yamaha HS8 Studio Monitors
Near-field reference monitoring
Hardware
Sennheiser HD 660S
Open-back reference headphones
Hardware
Focusrite Scarlett 18i20
Audio interface & D/A conversion
Hardware
EQ & Tone
Most of the mastering work happens here. The Dangerous BAX EQ brings a musicality to broad tonal shaping that's hard to replicate digitally. The digital tools handle precision, correction, and anything that needs a scalpel rather than a brush.
Dangerous BAX EQ
Mastering-grade analog EQ
Hardware
FabFilter Pro-Q 3
Linear phase surgical EQ
Plugin
UAD Neve 1073 Preamp & EQ
Analog-modeled color EQ
Plugin
UAD Pultec EQP-1A
Classic program EQ emulation
Plugin
Waves H-EQ
Hybrid analog-modeled EQ
Plugin
iZotope Ozone EQ
AI-assisted spectral shaping
Plugin
Dynamics & Compression
The Shadow Hills is the heart of the dynamics chain — two compressor stages in one unit, optical and discrete, each with a different character. Plugins handle the multiband work and anything that needs more precision than analog allows.
Shadow Hills Mastering Compressor
Dual-stage analog mastering compressor
Hardware
FabFilter Pro-C 2
Transparent mastering compression
Plugin
FabFilter Pro-MB
Multiband dynamics control
Plugin
UAD SSL G Bus Compressor
Console bus glue & cohesion
Plugin
Waves API 2500
Punchy analog-style compression
Plugin
iZotope Ozone Dynamics
Intelligent multiband dynamics
Plugin
Limiting & Loudness
The final stage before delivery. Hitting streaming loudness targets without flattening the life out of a track takes careful ears. The goal is always the loudest version that still breathes — not the loudest version possible.
FabFilter Pro-L 2
Transparent true peak limiting
Plugin
iZotope Ozone Maximizer
Intelligent loudness maximizing
Plugin
Waves L2 Ultramaximizer
Industry-standard peak limiting
Plugin
Analysis & Metering
Metering isn't just about hitting numbers — it's about verifying that what your ears are telling you checks out. Hardware and plugin metering together gives a complete picture of where the master stands before it leaves the studio.
TC Electronic Clarity M
Hardware loudness & spectrum meter
Hardware
iZotope Insight 2
Multi-band metering and analysis
Plugin
DAW
Pro Tools 2025 Studio
Primary digital audio workstation
Software
Microphones & Recording

Available for recording sessions and audio capture alongside mastering and post-production projects.

Shure SM7B
Broadcast dynamic microphone
Hardware
Rode NTK
Large-diaphragm tube condenser
Hardware
Royer R-10 Ribbon
Ribbon microphone
Hardware
Shure SM57
Instrument dynamic microphone
Hardware
Shure SM58
Vocal dynamic microphone
Hardware
Shure Beta 87A
Condenser vocal microphone
Hardware
Sennheiser e85
Instrument condenser microphone
Hardware
DBX 376 Tube Channel Strip
EQ, compressor & tube saturation
Hardware
Studio Projects VTB1
Tube preamp
Hardware

Explore Venia Mastering

Services, before-and-after samples, and free tools — here's the rest of the site.

→Online Mastering$70/track · 24–48h →Mixing & MasteringFull mix + master →Stem MasteringMulti-stem control →Film, TV & SyncBroadcast & picture →Before & After SamplesHear the difference →Free Mastering ToolsLUFS analyzer & more →About MichaelThe engineer ↗On SoundBetterReviews & credits
Let's make your record sound finished

Send me a mix. I'll run it through the whole chain.

$70 per track, 24–48 hour turnaround, 3 revisions included. Not sure yet? Ask me anything about your track or your release, and I'll get back to you within 24 hours.

Book a master Ask me a question
Call or text (805) 250-0004 · info@veniamastering.studio