/lab notes · vinyl · partners
Audiowax Journal: where our records' sound begins
Audiowax, the vinyl pressing plant in Porto, published an article in its journal about working with Qualia on mastering, vinyl preparation and test pressing evaluation.
Audiowax presses vinyl for artists and labels from its plant in the Porto area. In Qualia: onde começa o som dos nossos discos ("Qualia: where our records' sound begins"), they explain why they work with us and what that changes for the records they press.
The article covers the ground we deal with every week:
- Mastering is not making a record louder. It is tonal balance, dynamics, stereo image, consistency between tracks and translation across playback systems.
- Vinyl has physical limits. Side length, sequencing, low-frequency content and sibilance all affect cutting and playback, and are best handled before the lathe.
- Often the right decision is to change very little. When a mix is well prepared, intervention should be targeted and only where needed.
- Test pressings tell you where a problem comes from. Listening in a controlled room separates issues in the master from issues in cutting, plating or pressing.
It also tells part of the studio's story, including the influence of sound engineer José Fortes, mentor and friend.
Read the full article (in Portuguese) on the Audiowax Journal.
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