Mastering for vinyl at qualia audio lab
We specialize in mastering music for final release, including detailed preparation for vinyl pressing. We offer vinyl premastering and we partner with cutting engineers who make the actual lacquer cut.
We also do vinyl adaptation of digital masters, ensuring your streaming-ready masters sound as best and faithful as possible in a vinyl record.
If you plan on getting your music on vinyl, please consider the information below.
Mastering for Vinyl – What to Expect
Do I need a separate master for vinyl?
1
In most cases, yes.
Vinyl is a mechanical medium with strict limits on groove velocity, excursion, stereo geometry, and tracking margin. A master that is optimized for digital distribution may be technically cuttable, but still lead to compromises.
A dedicated vinyl master is about keeping the cut stable and predictable, while preserving the musical intent.
Do you master for vinyl from the mix, or adapt an existing digital master?
2
We do both.
Vinyl mastering from the mix / pre-master (preferred when available)
Vinyl adaptation from an existing digital master (common for reissues and label work)
Vinyl adaptation is not a “simple EQ pass”. It is a technical translation process that often involves undoing or compensating for decisions that work well in digital but create problems on lacquer.
Does vinyl mastering mean making it quieter?
3
Not necessarily, but it does mean mastering for cutting level and tracking, not LUFS.
A louder cut improves signal-to-noise ratio, but it comes at the cost of more groove space per second of audio, higher distortion, less tolerance for bass-heavy or wide material and a greater risk of mistracking on average turntables.
The final cutting level is always a balance between disc size, playback speed, side length, genre, bass content and stereo width.
How does side length affect quality?
Side length is one of the dominant constraints.
Long sides require tighter groove packing, which often forces a lower cutting level, reduced bass amplitude, more conservative HF handling and a higher risk of inner groove distortion.
If you want maximum fidelity, shorter sides almost always win.
4
Does track order matter on vinyl?
Yes, technically and audibly.
If a side ends with the brightest, densest, most aggressive track, it is more likely to distort and sound dull. In many cases, a better approach is:
more demanding tracks earlier on the side
smoother / darker material later
keeping extreme sibilance away from the inner diameter
We can also advise on sequencing as part of vinyl preparation.
5
Do low frequencies need to be mono?
Not strictly. The low-end stereo information must be controlled as excessive out-of-phase bass can cause cutting and tracking issues, however, this happens in extreme cases. We treat this issue surgically, only when needed.
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What files should I deliver?
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Preferred delivery file specs are:
WAV or AIFF
16 or 24-bit
Native sample rate (do not upconvert)
If possible, send both the approved digital master (for reference) and a non-limited pre-master.
8
Quality Control and Test Pressings
We can ensure the master is optimized for cutting and aligned with best practice for the medium. We partner with respectable cutting engineers and pressing plants who will be able to cut on your lacquer with proper lathes such as the Neumann VMS70.
The final record is also influenced by cutting decisions, plating, pressing quality, and the end listener’s turntable setup. For this reason, test pressings remain an essential step in the production chain. We can listen to and analyze your test pressings at the studio on a high-end, calibrated system at no extra charge.