TCM MASTERING: HOME MUSIC STUDIO TIPS & INFORMATION

TCM Mastering: Home Music Studio Tips and Information

Over the last two years the TCM Mastering Home Music Studio blog series has provided helpful tips and vital information for the home musician. Whether you were just setting up or have had a home studio for some time, the blog series has proved extremely popular and more importantly, of great value to musicians of all abilities and genres.

Double Tracking Guitars.

Not surprisingly, mixing guitars and drums have proved to be two favourites. However, the blogs have covered much more than just the popular topics. We have covered everything from the initial studio setup and gear choices; the different types of microphones and techniques you can employ for recording a harp, bagpipes and percussion; tuning drums; recording strings and horn sections; signal processing to editing and final mastering…..and a whole lot more.

If you have a question on the recording process – you can find it in the TCM Mastering Home Music Studio blog. Just use the links below to take you to a section of interest or use the Tags on the right side of the page.

Glass Master In Clean Room.

Part 56 – Mastering

Home Studio With MIDI Setup.

Part 52 – Intro To MIDI

Gate On Kick Drum.

Part 45 – Mixing Drums

Maroon 5 Backing Vocals Bussed To A Stereo Channel & EQ’d.

Part 39 – Mixing Vocals

Early Digital System – Synclavier Edit Page.

Part 35 – Editing Music

24 Track Multitrack Recorder.

Part 29 – Multitrack Recording

Pro Tools DPP-1 Pitch Change Processor.

Part 24 – Signal Processing

Recording Drums At Home.

Part 19 – Recording Drums

Multiple Mic Placements On Harp.

Part 13 – Recording Stringed Instruments

Mic Placement Underneath Piano.

Part 8 – Recording Piano

Left to Right: Neumann U87 Condenser, Shure SM58 Dynamic, Avantone CR14 Ribbon Microphones.

Part 5 – Microphone Types

Home Studio Built In Garden Shed.

Part 1 – Your Room

Owned and run by multi-platinum music producer Ted Carfrae, TCM Mastering and TCM Music Group have been providing

a professional, fast and affordable service

to all genres of the music industry for decades – from major record labels and international artists to brand new, up and coming music talent.

Take a look at some recent clients, by clicking here.

If you have questions about recording or would like to know more about what TCM can do for you and your music, our contact details are here.

West 1 Entertainment News

Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act continues to tour the UK to packed and enthusiastic crowds.  For more information go to the website by clicking here.

Ben & The Band.

Ben, the band and dancers perform one hundred per cent live with the support of a full lighting and sound crew.

West 1 Entertainment Ltd has announced the latest dates for the up and coming Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Concert which is set to smash all previous box office sales with this vibrant, fresh, professional show.

JULY
WEDNESDAY 25th – OLD BUCKENHAM AIRFIELD, NORFOLK

AUGUST
SUNDAY 19th – TRIBFEST
FRIDAY 24th – WEYMOUTH PAVILION
SUNDAY 26th – ISLE OF WIGHT

SEPTEMBER
SATURDAY 1st – THE VENUE, NEW CROSS, LONDON
SATURDAY 15th – GREENROOMS, LIVERPOOL
WEDNESDAY 19th – THE WINTER GARDENS, BLACKPOOL

OCTOBER
FRIDAY 5th – ASTOR THEATRE, DEAL, KENT
FRIDAY 19th – REDITCH THEATRE
THURSDAY 25th – DUDLEY CONCERT HALL

NOVEMBER
SATURDAY 3rd – THE VENUE, NEW CROSS, LONDON
SATURDAY 10th – THE RANGE, WOLVERHAMPTON
FRIDAY 30th – THE MEDINA THEATRE, ISLE OF WIGHT

DECEMBER
SATURDAY 15th – FRANKIES, MANCHESTER

Ben as Michael Jackson has taken the theatre world by storm with his innovative, true to life presentation of the King of Pop’s moves and iconic music, backed by his incredible band and dancers – the ultimate tribute act in Europe. Lead by the show’s creator, James Baker who himself is an established musician and producer, this show is selling out all over the UK!

Contact details are info@w1entertainment.com or if you’d like more information on Ben The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act, go to the website by clicking here.

TCM MASTERING: DO YOU WANT YOUR MUSIC TO STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD?

Do you want your music to stand out from the crowd?

The answer is most likely, a resounding YES. In fact everyone wants their music to stand out…..easier said than done though, right?

Ted Carfrae & CJ Boggs In The TCM Studios.

Once you have finished recording and mixing, your music is ready to be played to anyone you wish to share it with. If your aim is to get a recording contract or get your music published, you can give your music a final shine and help it to stand out by getting it professionally mastered.

There are plug-ins on the market that allow you to master your own tracks. Many use presets and therefore cannot hope to produce the professional results achieved by highly skilled mastering engineers, add to that if you aren’t familiar with the software you could end up with a final mastered track that lacks punch, clarity and definition.

A major problem is that it’s very difficult to be objective about your own music which you’ve spent weeks or months writing, recording and mixing to then finally master it yourself, for the world to hear and judge.

Ted Carfrae and CJ Boggs at TCM Mastering and TCM Music Group have been writing, producing, recording, mixing and mastering music for decades.

Despite having years of experience working with EMI, Sony Music, Universal Music, the BBC and everyone from Katherine Jenkins, Ray Prim, Klubkidz, UB40, Liberty X, Beto Hale, David Cassidy, Robert Gillies, Jaki Graham to Cilla Black and Doris Day – Ted still seeks out another mastering engineer for his own projects because he values a fresh pair of experienced ears.

Take a look at some of TCM’s recent clients.

Fronted by top record producers and engineers Ted Carfrae and CJ Boggs, with worldwide sales exceeding 25 million, the TCM Music Group know and understand what today’s musicians want and can deliver services quickly, efficiently and at a rate to suit every pocket.

If you have any questions regarding the recording or mixing process, drop us a line. Our contact details are here. We love to hear from you.

TCM Mastering and TCM Music Group provide a professional, fast and affordable service to musicians of all genres – whether you’re a newcomer or seasoned pro.

So if you have some songs that need producing, recording, mixing or mastering contact us for details on our rates and some incredible recording packages.

West 1 Entertainment News

West 1 is a relatively new company formed in 2011, by Ted Carfrae and business partner James Baker, to handle artist management and promotion.

West 1 is particularly proud of…..

Ben The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act currently on tour, is selling out all over the UK. For more information go to the website by clicking here.

Ben, the band and dancers perform totally live with the support of a full lighting and sound crew. This show must be seen to be believed – if you are a Michael Jackson fan, you must see Ben and the band perform. This is a sincere musical tribute to the greatest pop icon of all time.

See below for tour dates.

JULY
FRIDAY 20th – WEYMOUTH PAVILION
SATURDAY 21st – FRANKIES, MANCHESTER
WEDNESDAY 25th – OLD BUCKENHAM AIRFIELD, NORFOLK

AUGUST
SUNDAY 19th – TRIBFEST
FRIDAY 24th – WEYMOUTH PAVILION
SUNDAY 26th – ISLE OF WIGHT

Ben The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act – Performing Live On Stage To A Huge Festival Crowd.

SEPTEMBER
SATURDAY 1st – THE VENUE, NEW CROSS, LONDON
SATURDAY 15th – GREENROOMS, LIVERPOOL
WEDNESDAY 19th – THE WINTER GARDENS, BLACKPOOL

OCTOBER
FRIDAY 5th – ASTOR THEATRE, DEAL, KENT
FRIDAY 19th – REDITCH THEATRE
THURSDAY 25th – DUDLEY CONCERT HALL

NOVEMBER
SATURDAY 3rd – THE VENUE, NEW CROSS, LONDON
SATURDAY 10th – THE RANGE, WOLVERHAMPTON
FRIDAY 30th – THE MEDINA THEATRE, ISLE OF WIGHT

DECEMBER
SATURDAY 15th – FRANKIES, MANCHESTER

If you would like more information, contact West 1 Entertainment at info@w1entertainment.com or go to the website – Ben The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act – by clicking here.

Check out Ben and The Band performing ‘The Love You Save’ live at Glastonbudget 2012 (below).

TCM MASTERING: ONLINE MASTERING FOR TODAY’S MUSICIANS

TCM Mastering and TCM Music Group provide…..

professional, fast and affordable online mastering

 and studio facilities for today’s musicians.

Take a look (below) at some of our recent, satisfied clients.

Further down, we also have info and tour dates for West 1′s Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act.

EMI Records – Mastering. Universal Music – Mixing & Mastering.

Sony – Production, Mixing & Mastering.

Level 14 Studios (Nashville) – Production, Mixing & Mastering.

Blackfoot 2000 - Mastering.

Filip Herbst – Mastering.

J D Monaghan’s Debut Album – Mastering.

Beto Hale, Rebirth - Mastering.

Strawberry Rain Music – Restoration & Mastering.

Benny Soebardja, ‘The Lizard Years’ – Restoration.

Utku Yerebakan – Mastering.

Michael Constantino – Mastering.

Beto Hale – Mastering.

Hex Hector (NYC) – Production & Mastering.

Dusty Springfield – Remixing.

DJ HiFiSean – Mastering, James Scott, Mastering.

Joey Moskowitz (NYC) – Production & Mastering.

Sligo Fogg – Mastering.

Jackie Deshannon – Mixing, BJ Thomas – Mixing.

CYLiX – Mastering.

Kelly Doze – Mastering.

JPD Productions -  Mastering.

Klubkidz – Mastering.

Figjam Records NYC – Project Development.

Ray Prim – Mastering,

Julian Marsh (Florida) – Production & Mastering.

Gregg Morrish (Wales) – Production & Mastering.

Doris Day ‘My Heart’ – Production & Mixing.

Tahsin Oygar – Mastering, Lee Austin – Mastering.

2 Wired (Germany) – Mastering,

Rechord Studios (Greece) - Mastering.

SES – Mastering.

508 Park Avenue Records (Texas) – Mastering.

Robert Gillies – Mixing & Mastering.

Markus Teders – Mastering, George Labiris – Mastering.

Petula Clark – Mastering.

Stephen Weller – Mastering, Dean Westbrook – Mastering.

Stephen Morant – Mastering, Liam Thomas – Mastering.

If you have any questions regarding the recording or mixing process or would like more information about our facilities and rates, drop us a line. Our contact details are here. We love to hear from you.

West 1 Entertainment News

Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act continues to tour the UK to packed and enthusiastic crowds.  For more information go to the website by clicking here.

Ben & The Band.

Ben, the band and dancers perform one hundred per cent live with the support of a full lighting and sound crew.

West 1 Entertainment Ltd has announced the latest dates for the up and coming Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Concert which is set to smash all previous box office sales with this vibrant, fresh, professional show.

JULY
FRIDAY 6th – WOODVILLE HALLS THEATRE, GRAVESEND, KENT
FRIDAY 13th – THE FERRY, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
FRIDAY 20th – WEYMOUTH PAVILION
SATURDAY 21st – FRANKIES, MANCHESTER
WEDNESDAY 25th – OLD BUCKENHAM AIRFIELD, NORFOLK

AUGUST
SUNDAY 19th – TRIBFEST
FRIDAY 24th – WEYMOUTH PAVILION
SUNDAY 26th – ISLE OF WIGHT

SEPTEMBER
SATURDAY 1st – THE VENUE, NEW CROSS, LONDON
SATURDAY 15th – GREENROOMS, LIVERPOOL
WEDNESDAY 19th – THE WINTER GARDENS, BLACKPOOL

OCTOBER
FRIDAY 5th – ASTOR THEATRE, DEAL, KENT
FRIDAY 19th – REDITCH THEATRE
THURSDAY 25th – DUDLEY CONCERT HALL

NOVEMBER
SATURDAY 3rd – THE VENUE, NEW CROSS, LONDON
SATURDAY 10th – THE RANGE, WOLVERHAMPTON
FRIDAY 30th – THE MEDINA THEATRE, ISLE OF WIGHT

DECEMBER
SATURDAY 15th – FRANKIES, MANCHESTER

Ben as Michael Jackson has taken the theatre world by storm with his innovative, true to life presentation of the King of Pop’s moves and iconic music, backed by his incredible band and dancers – the ultimate tribute act in Europe. Lead by the show’s creator, James Baker who himself is an established musician and producer, this show is selling out all over the UK!

Contact details are info@w1entertainment.com or if you’d like more information on Ben The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act, go to the website by clicking here.

TCM MASTERING: PROFESSIONAL, FAST & AFFORDABLE ONLINE MASTERING

It’s probably fair to say that most people (even some musicians) have little idea what mastering is or what it entails. But the difference it can make to your music, when done properly, is truly amazing.

Once you’ve mixed your tracks, you’re left with a decision…..try mastering them yourself or hiring a professional. There are plug-ins on the market that allow you to attempt this final process yourself. However, if you don’t know what you’re doing you could end up ruining a perfectly good mix of your music.

TCM Mastering & TCM Music Group Studios-UK & Nashville, USA.

Founded and owned by multi-platinum mastering engineer and music producer Ted Carfrae, TCM Mastering and TCM Music Group have been offering a professional, fast and affordable service to the music community for over three decades.

TCM  have worked with most of the major record labels whilst their clients range from new, up and coming artists to established international musicians.

Take a look at some of the clients TCM has worked with recently.

If you’d like more information on what Ted and the TCM team can do for you and your music, give us a call or drop us a line. Our contact details can be found by clicking here.

With a professional mastering engineer you get many years of experience and a fresh pair of ears that may hear things in your mixes that need fixing. Bear in mind it’s very difficult to be objective about your own music if you’ve been working on it for weeks or months.

The mastering engineer works in a ‘tuned’ room, has specialist gear and high quality speakers which enable him to hear the music as it really sounds without colouration and emphasis on the high or low end.

Remember, music is produced in all kinds of different rooms and studios all over the world. So music tracks end up sounding very different in terms of quality, EQ, compression etc.

Think about this…..top bands often spend vast amounts of money and months recording and mixing. They don’t master their music themselves. They hand their mixes over to a professional who is specialised in this final process. A professional who can turn their precious music mixes into polished final tracks that can then be released on CD, aired on radio and TV or downloaded off the internet.

Make Your Music Shine.

If you have questions on mastering or any part of the music recording process, please drop us a line or contact us by clicking here.

Important ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ To Follow Before Getting Your Music Mastered Online.

1. If your mixes are of poor quality, for example unbalanced, over compressed or over equalised. Mastering will do little to improve them.

2. TCM Mastering recommend you use the following high quality audio file formats when making your music: WAV, AIFF, SDII at 16 or 24 bit sample rates, or higher. Although we can work with MP3 files (minimum bit rate of 192Kbps) we strongly recommend you do not work in this format as they are of a compressed, substandard quality and not ideal for high-end mastering.

3. For your final mixes avoid any additional processing such as: Normalising, Equalisation, Compression, Limiting or Finalizing. These elements will be added during the mastering process.

4. If you want to compress your audio files prior to uploading to TCM, we recommend that you use the Windows RAR/Winzip format which can compress your files without loss of quality.

If you are unsure about any of the terms or details above, please contact us by clicking here, we’ll be happy to chat and explain the process.

Finally – You are the most important person in this process. So please tell us what your expectations are of the music you send to us. Music is very subjective and therefore the more guidance we have from you at the beginning, the better your end result will be.

West 1 Entertainment News

Ted Carfrae (of TCM Mastering and TCM Music Group) and business partner James Baker formed West 1 Entertainment in 2011, which will handle artist management and promotion. One act they are particularly excited about is…..Ben The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act.

Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act.

Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act is currently on tour in the UK playing 100% live, to packed crowds.

Tour dates are below.

SATURDAY 30th JUNE  – THE CORN EXCHANGE, CAMBRIDGE
FRIDAY 6th JULY – WOODVILLE HALLS THEATRE – GRAVESEND, KENT
FRIDAY 13th JULY – THE FERRY, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
FRIDAY 20th JULY – WEYMOUTH PAVILION
SATURDAY 21st JULY – FRANKIES, MANCHESTER
SUNDAY 19th AUGUST – TRIBFEST
FRIDAY 24th AUGUST – WEYMOUTH PAVILION
SUNDAY 26th AUGUST – ISLE OF WIGHT

For more information go to the website by clicking here.

TCM MASTERING & WEST 1: LATEST NEWS

Getting your music noticed and to stand out from the crowd, is harder than ever these days. There are so many outlets for the home musician  – which on the one hand is good, but it also means that there is huge competition from anyone who has a basic recording setup in their home.

TCM Mastering & TCM Music Group Studios-UK & Nashville, USA.

If you are trying to produce a professionally finished track or collection of tracks, getting your music mastered by a specialist can make all the difference between a few hits on the internet, to it going viral or securing a recording contract. Anything you can do to improve your chances of your track being heard or played is worth it.

At TCM Mastering we take great pride in every single track we master. TCM provide a professional, fast and affordable online service for today’s musicians, whether you’re producing your first music track or you’re a seasoned pro. Take a look at some of TCM’s recent clients.

TCM’s Ted Carfrae has just finished mastering ‘Bassline Flow’ (Techno) from Blackfoot 2000.

Blackfoot 2000

We asked Blackfoot 2000 for a little background…..

My artist name is ‘Blackfooot 2000′ and I produce Electronica music. The musical approach I employ is simple, in that I love making bass heavy songs with ‘banging beats’ and set pieces which come in occasionally to keep the song fresh without becoming too relentless.

I’ve been producing in my home studio for a few years now using Cakewalk Sonar and various synthesizers like the ‘Korg microKorg’ and ‘Spectrasonics Trilian’, but only recently have gotten the courage to start putting songs out there.

The principle behind my music which helps define it, is that the main melody for every song I create, must be original and created by me. I’m not a fan of grabbing a loop of a song that’s already established, then using that melody to fuel my own creativity.

Korg’s microKorg Synth.

I will either come up with the initial melody in my head or muck randomly around on the piano banging out notes until a fundamental melody emerges. Once I’ve got that initial melody down I can then build up the rest of the song to match it – first a bassline to match the melody, then a drum beat to match that bass and melody, then vocals and so on until I’ve got a basic riff down which becomes the theme of the song.

 

My musical background in Jazz helped cultivate this riff-based approach. Back in 2007, before I started producing music seriously, I used to be in a Bristol based Jazz band called High Jingo where I played keyboards. Originally I’m from London, but whilst I was in Bristol, without realising it I soaked up the whole ‘Live Music Vibe’, and trust me they have a lot of live music festivals out in the West Country, and Jazz features heavily!

 

Spectrasonics Trilian Bass Virtual Instrument.

Playing in a Jazz band at the time influenced me as an artist because the Jazz we were playing was based heavily around improvisation ‘freestyle expression’, around Jazz riffs and chord progressions.

I’m influenced by what I consider to be highly original artists like – Daft Punk, Basement Jaxx, Zed’s Dead and Wookie (Uk Garage). Basement Jaxx in particular because they always tend to use their own samples that they created, so their beats always sound fresh.

My ambition with music, is to to make my own contribution to the music scene by sharing my own original ideas and putting my music out there. Hopefully, this should inspire even more musical-originality back from it, which is something that I find rather exciting!

Check out Bassline Flow on YouTube (below)…..

West 1 Entertainment News

Formed in 2011 by Ted Carfrae and James Baker, West 1 is busy promoting and organising the tour of Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute.

If you’d like to see live footage of Ben & The Band performing, click here.

Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act.

Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act is currently on tour in the UK, playing live to packed crowds.

Upcoming tour dates are below.

FRIDAY JUNE 22nd – THE GREEN ROOM, LIVERPOOL
SATURDAY 30th JUNE  – THE CORN EXCHANGE, CAMBRIDGE
FRIDAY 6th JULY – WOODVILLE HALLS THEATRE – GRAVESEND, KENT
FRIDAY 13th JULY – THE FERRY, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
FRIDAY 20th JULY – WEYMOUTH PAVILION
SATURDAY 21st JULY – FRANKIES, MANCHESTER
SUNDAY 19th AUGUST – TRIBFEST
FRIDAY 24th AUGUST – WEYMOUTH PAVILION
SUNDAY 26th AUGUST – ISLE OF WIGHT

The act is one hundred per cent live. And along with the talented musicians and dancers in the band, the act is supported by a professional crew who expertly handle lighting and sound.

If you’re a Michael Jackson fan, Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act, is the closest you will ever get to experience Michael Jackson live in concert.

Take a look at Ben and the Band performing ‘The Love You Save’ live at Glastonbudget 2012 (below).

TCM MASTERING HOME MUSIC STUDIO BLOG: VALUABLE TIPS & ESSENTIAL INFORMATION

TCM Mastering Home Music Studio Blog: Valuable Tips and Essential Information

How do you mic an acoustic guitar? What’s the best way to record a horn section? What is double tracking? The TCM Mastering Home Music Studio series of blogs provides answers to these questions and many more. You’ll (hopefully) find that it’s full of valuable tips and essential information for the musician working from home.

Home Studio With MIDI Setup.

If you’re thinking about setting up a home studio, then start at the beginning – Part 1 – and work your way through. If you already have a home studio but need help in certain areas of the recording process, you can find what you’re looking for by using the Tags on the right hand side of the page or click on some of the links below.

TCM Mastering Studio – Kent, UK.

Part 56 – Mastering

Part 52 – Intro To MIDI

Multiple Mics On Drums.

Part 45 – Mixing Drums

Part 39 – Mixing Vocals

Editing Analog Tape & Digitally In Logic.

Part 35 – Editing Music

Part 29 – Multitrack Recording

Recording Horn Section In Home Studio.

Part 24 – Signal Processing

Part 19 – Recording Drums

A Selection Of Mics On Acoustic Guitar.

Part 11 – Recording Acoustic Stringed Instruments

Part 8 – Recording Piano

Part 1 – Your Room

TCM Mastering and TCM Music Group have been offering a…..

professional, fast and affordable

service to the music community for over three decades.

Founded and owned by multi-platinum music producer Ted Carfrae, TCM  have worked with most of the major record labels whilst their clients range from new, up and coming artists to established international musicians.

Take a look at some of the clients TCM has worked with recently.

If you’d like more information on what Ted and the TCM team can do for you and your music, give us a call or drop us a line. Our contact details can be found by clicking here.

West 1 Entertainment News

In addition, Ted Carfrae formed West 1 Entertainment with business partner James Baker last year (2011) to handle artist management and promotion. One of their acts that continues to stun and excite audiences is…..

Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act.

Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act is currently on tour in the UK, playing live to packed crowds.

Upcoming tour dates are below.

FRIDAY JUNE 22nd – THE GREEN ROOM, LIVERPOOL
SATURDAY 30th JUNE  – THE CORN EXCHANGE, CAMBRIDGE
FRIDAY 6th JULY – WOODVILLE HALLS THEATRE – GRAVESEND, KENT
FRIDAY 13th JULY – THE FERRY, GLASGOW, SCOTLAND
FRIDAY 20th JULY – WEYMOUTH PAVILION
SATURDAY 21st JULY – FRANKIES, MANCHESTER
SUNDAY 19th AUGUST – TRIBFEST
FRIDAY 24th AUGUST – WEYMOUTH PAVILION
SUNDAY 26th AUGUST – ISLE OF WIGHT

Take a look at Ben and the Band performing ‘The Love You Save’ live at Glastonbudget 2012 (below).

The act is 100% totally live, comprising a talented band of musicians, dancers and a professional sound & lighting crew.

If you’re a Michael Jackson fan, Ben – The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Act, is the closest you will ever get to experience Michael Jackson live in concert.

It’s not just another tribute act, but a sincere and totally professional musical tribute to one of the greatest entertainers the world has ever seen – the incredible Michael Jackson.

Check out the website for more information, by clicking here.

TCM MASTERING: PROFESSIONAL VINYL RESTORATION

As well as recording, mixing, mastering and production – TCM are renowned for their professional quality audio restoration from just about every type of format. Check out the TCM webpage for full details.

Ted Carfrae of TCM Mastering and TCM Music Group, has recently been restoring a large vinyl albums and singles collection for a client in Hawaii.

Ted says: “We receive and restore vinyl from every corner of the globe. It’s so easy to send or ship packages nowadays, the world has become a smaller place. Of course the best thing about professional restoration is that all those precious recordings that might never have been released on CD can now be transformed skillfully to produce CD quality masters”.

At prices starting from just £25.00 per album, professional restoration that was available only to big record companies is truly affordable and available to everyone.

If you’d like more information, drop Ted an email for further details at…..

info@tcmmusicgroup.com

Or if you have any questions on recording, mixing or mastering TCM would love to hear from you. Take a look at the TCM Mastering or TCM Music Group websites for details on recording packages and rates.

TCM MASTERING: ONLINE MASTERING – THE BEST SPECIFICATIONS

Ted Carfrae owner and founder of TCM Music Group and TCM Mastering discusses the best specifications for online mastering…..

TCM Studios: Ted Carfrae In UK & CJ Boggs In Nashville, USA.

Once you have a final mix of your music track(s) that you’re happy with, a professional mastering job will go a long way to show your music off at its best. Especially, if you intend to try to find a publishing deal or recording contract, or even release it on You Tube or My Space.

You can of course try mastering your music yourself. However, the mastering options available to the home musician are often limited by the equipment and lack of expertise.

By the time you’re ready to master your music, you’ll most likely have spent lots of time, effort and money getting to that stage. So it makes sense to employ the services of a trained professional, who specialises in this particular task and has access to the best equipment.

A professional mastering engineer is specifically skilled in this final part of the music process, and very importantly, provides a fresh pair of trained ears.

Clockwise From Top Left: Ted Carfrae & Jaki Graham; In The TCM Mastering Studio;  With Cilla Black; David Cassidy & Mike Tocci; Ted With Awards; Ted, CJ and Troy Luccketta.

Check out who our clients were in 2011.

More Important ‘Do’s and Don’ts’ To Follow Before Getting Your Music Mastered Online.

1. If your mixes are of poor quality, for example unbalanced, over compressed or over equalised. Mastering will do little to improve them.

2. TCM Mastering recommend you use the following high quality audio file formats when making your music: WAV, AIFF, SDII at 16 or 24 bit sample rates, or higher. Although we can work with MP3 files (minimum bit rate of 192Kbps) we strongly recommend you do not work in this format as they are of a compressed, substandard quality and not ideal for high-end mastering.

3. For your final mixes avoid any additional processing such as: Normalising, Equalisation, Compression, Limiting or Finalizing. These elements will be added during the mastering process.

4. If you want to compress your audio files prior to uploading to TCM, we recommend that you use the Windows RAR/Winzip format which can compress your files without loss of quality.

If you are unsure about any of the terms or details above, please contact us by clicking here, we’ll be happy to chat and explain the process.

Finally – You are the most important person in this process. So please tell us what your expectations are of the music you send to us. Music is very subjective and therefore the more guidance we have from you at the beginning, the better your end result will be.

So when you place an order at TCM Mastering we ask you to take the time to complete the ‘Special Instructions’ box of our online order form.

TCM Mastering is a division of the TCM Music Group which was founded by record producer and mastering engineer Ted Carfrae. TCM offers the following professional services: Record Production, Mixing Services, Audio Mastering & Audio Restoration.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, Ted Carfrae of TCM Mastering and TCM Music Group has formed a new business partnership with James Baker – West 1 Entertainment – which will handle artist management and promotion.

One of the acts that West 1 is very excited about is…..

‘Ben – A Tribute To Michael Jackson’

See below for upcoming tour dates.

This weekend’s dates for Ben – A Tribute To Michael Jackson are…..

19th April—–Congress Theatre / Eastbourne
21st April—–Carnegie Theatre / Cumbria
22nd April—-The Pavilion Theatre / Glasgow

TCM MASTERING: HOME MUSIC STUDIO TIPS & INFORMATION

TCM Mastering: Home Music Studio Tips and Information

Over 56 parts, the TCM Mastering Home Music Studio Series has covered everything from…..studio room setup, gear choice, mic types and techniques for recording various instruments, signal processing, overdubbing, editing, mixing, MIDI, mastering…..and much more.

Start with part 1 and work your way through, click on the links above or find what you’re looking for by choosing from the tags on the right of the page.

TCM Music Group and TCM Mastering provide full recording, mixing, mastering and production services from their facilities in the UK and Nashville, USA. And don’t forget TCM are experts in Audio Restoration too.

Producing music takes time and effort. Give your music that final shine by using our online mastering service. TCM take pride in providing a professional, fast and affordable service to the music community.

For more information, click here and Make Your Music Shine.

As mentioned in an earlier blog, Ted Carfrae of TCM Mastering and TCM Music Group has formed a new business partnership with James Baker – West 1 Entertainment – which will handle artist management and promotion.

One of the acts that West 1 is very excited about is…..

‘Ben – A Tribute To Michael Jackson’

Ben On Stage & Recording In The Studio.

‘Ben – A Tribute To Michael Jackson’ is now regarded by many, to be the World’s No.1 Michael Jackson Tribute show.

The music is 100% live. There are no backing tracks and Ben’s Live in Concert Michael Jackson experience features his incredible band of musicians and talented dancers. Ben and the band are currently hard at work, touring the UK along with his team of professional sound designers and lighting technicians. The shows have received incredible reviews, as the tribute show that has got to be seen to be believed.

Click here to view a few testimonials from some very satisfied clients.

If you love the music of Michael Jackson, check out Ben – A Tribute To Michael Jackson.

This weekend’s dates for Ben – A Tribute To Michael Jackson are…..

19th April—–Congress Theatre / Eastbourne
21st April—–Carnegie Theatre / Cumbria
22nd April—-The Pavilion Theatre / Glasgow

TCM MASTERING & TCM MUSIC GROUP PROVIDE A PROFESSIONAL, FAST & AFFORDABLE ONLINE SERVICE FOR TODAY’S MUSICIANS

This is the last scheduled blog for TCM Mastering and TCM Music Group.

However, Ted Carfrae owner and founder of TCM wants to stress that TCM continues to work with musicians from newcomers to seasoned pros and he will continue working with CJ Boggs in Nashville to provide a full professional, fast and affordable online service to the music community.

If you have any enquiries, please contact Ted or CJ by clicking here.

Ted, as mentioned in an earlier blog, has formed a new business partnership with James Baker – West 1 Entertainment – which will handle artist management and promotion.

One of the acts that West 1 is involved with and is very excited about is…..

‘Ben – A Tribute To Michael Jackson’

‘Ben – A Tribute To Michael Jackson’ is now regarded by many, to be the World’s No.1 Michael Jackson Tribute show.

The music is one hundred per cent live. There are no backing tracks and Ben’s Live in Concert Michael Jackson experience features his incredible band of dedicated musicians and dancers. Ben and his band are currently hard at work, touring the UK along with his team of professional sound designers and lighting technicians. The shows have received incredible reviews, as the tribute show that has got to be seen to be believed.

Click here to view a few testimonials from some very satisfied clients.

From the end of March we will be starting a new blog for West 1 – this blog will include all the latest West 1 Entertainment news. So if you’re a Michael Jackson fan, be sure to check it out.

But for the moment, thanks to everyone who has followed the TCM blogs over the last year or so. We really appreciated your interest, enquiries and questions. And if you have any need for or help with production, recording, mixing, mastering or audio restoration don’t hesitate to get in touch with us. We’re here to help. Click here for contact details.

Many Thanks and Best Wishes for the Future.

Ted Carfrae and all the TCM team.