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Tuff Mastering

@tuffmastering

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Berlin‘s premier, boutique mastering house. Home to Grammy & MPG award-winning mastering engineer @kevintuffy
✉️: [email protected]

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𝕠𝕦𝕥𝕓𝕠𝕒𝕣𝕕
whilst I don’t think there’s anything inherently better about mastering analogue, there are a few analogue processors I’ve worked with over the years that simply don’t have as pleasant sounding a counterpart in the digital world. I come out on a Mytek Brooklyn p2p on a super short cable run then back into digits via a Burl. everything’s housed in the beating heart of the whole studio: the custom Predki desk designed & built by Piotr Prędkiewicz at @predkiworkshop. just really up there as one of the finest pieces of furniture ever made; we salute you, Piotr 🫡

although they may have spent the past century mercilessly stamping out democratic movements in developing nations in favour of their own material interests with impunity, nobody holds a candle to the Americans when it comes to designing and building mastering equalisers and compressors, imo. I have a couple of absolute OG, stone cold classics in the Sontec & Pultecs, plus a Manley valve (🇺🇸tube 🇩🇪Röhren) EQ for when I need something more coloured. API & Rupert Neve (repping for the UK) bus compressors and a beautiful-sounding (if absurdly hench) peak limiter from Undertone Audio which is a really nice modern spin on the Fairchild. by @tuffmastering

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2 years ago

I know I drunkenly posted a gazillion stories about this last night but feel like it deserves its own post as it’ll probably never happen again. thanks to all the members & judging panel at the @musicproducersguild who awarded me UK Mastering Engineer of the Year 2022. much like the Ballon D’Or, it seems a bit weird awarding individual awards for music production as, like football, it’s a team sport so massive love to every artist, musician, producer, A&R, manager, mix engineer or anyone else who’s ever entrusted me with their record, I wouldn’t be able to do the thing I love (listening to awesome music on massive, expensive speakers everyday) without any of you.

it was really special being presented the award by my dear friend and nailed-on, future mastering award-winner @cicelybalston (HAPPY BIRTHDAY CICELY) 🥳

it was also really lovely being congratulated by @katietavini & @puttingitonwax who are both formidable mastering engineers I look up to a lot and who will both finish their careers with their mantelpieces creaking under the weight of even more awards.

wicked seeing everyone out last night after all that lockdown stuff, thanks for all the drinks - I am absolutely fucking dying today you bastards! 😘🍾 by @tuffmastering

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4 years ago

I’m not sure what it says about the nature of the human condition under late-capitalism that we so readily mediate our own sense of self-validation and worth via pieces of paper like this one but I do. So many thanks @recordingacademy for the Grammy award certificate and an extra special thanks to the incredibly talented @originalkoffee whose wonderful music is really what won this award. It’s up on the wall at @alchemymastering between all of Bazza’s platinum records 🏆 taken in AIR Mastering by @tuffmastering

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6 years ago

our partners at @samply.app had some tech issues this week (as many of you have already noticed). your files are there but all old links were deactivated. just get in touch and we’ll issues you new ones. apologies for any inconvenience! by @tuffmastering

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14 days ago

I am absolutely devastated at the news of the passing of my dear old friend Derek “Sway” Safo. I first met Sway in my first studio job at Soho Studios in the 00s. He seemed to quickly take a liking to me as I ended up recording his second album “The Signature LP” and he put out (and featured on) my only record through his label Dcypha Productions back in ‘07. I played guitar for him at his Koko show supporting Roots Manuva (which was one of the highlights of my life, not gonna lie) he took me for dinner with Akon once, on an insane trip to Toronto and even got me a cameo in an advert on Channel U (and my street cred has never been as high again as for the 6 months that that ad aired, let me assure you). Thinking back, those years were truly some of best of my life.

It’s my firmly held belief that his début album This Is My Demo, remains the greatest hip-hop record to ever come out of the UK. Sway was an absolute genius of a lyricist and an incredibly kind, funny, intelligent and sometimes complex guy, he was always juggling and discussing the many contradictions in his life, finding ways for his British and Ghanaian identities to coexist and the same with religion as he grew up with both Christianity and Islam playing significant roles. We were literally just messaging the other day for his 44th birthday, I cannot fucking believe this.

My heart absolutely breaks for his four children, his family and all of his friends who loved him. Rest easy Little Derek, I love you bro, taken from us far too soon 💔 by @tuffmastering

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17 days ago

“go on then Kev, show us a pic of the baby”

…

“oh, you meant my daughter!” by @tuffmastering

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a month ago

Midday at The Middleway, the début album from @bigtruckshow is out today via the fine folks at @marshallrecords

A bit of a side project band from Laurie & Sam that’s spawned an absolutely marvellous album. Adored working on this one

Midday at The Middleway was produced by @thelaurievincent & @thisisladybird
Assistant producer @adamjbeer
Mixed to perfection as always by the gaffer @jolyonthomas who provided additional production on “Rebounder”
And of course, shouts to the chief @bradblackwell 🫡 by @tuffmastering

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a month ago

CANINES the delicious new EP from Mad Tsai @madsteaparty is out now via the splendid folks over at @rebellionrecordsnyc

Sink your teeth into 8 incredible new tunes and get preordering your vinyl now! 🧛🏻‍♂️🦷

Production was handled by the immensely talented @atombouk @invernessofficial @shy.kidmusic @nicofabito @dpolovick & @davidbalshaw
The record was mixed to perfection, as always, by @grahamcruser & @samsherbinmusic
Mastered here by Kevin
Big love to the team @dhwinning nathan_grimshaw by @tuffmastering

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2 months ago

“WHAT IF I SAY NO?” the incredible new album from @5onger is out now via @itsahardreality

Some days you come into work and just get to listen a really fucking good album and that’s precisely what happened the day I mastered this one. Go run this one up all weekend.

Produced with @blueboy.wav @dash_djj @dandlion @atkinsonnick
PLACES AND FACES features @killowen_
Shouts to the team @wayoutmusicgroup 🤝
Mastered here by Kevin by @tuffmastering

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2 months ago

Monday montage… by @tuffmastering

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3 months ago

One of my absolute favourite songwriters I’ve worked with @orlagartland has composed, produced & performed the original soundtrack for Season 5 of “Trying” and it’s out now.

Features some of her most philosophical and beautiful songs to date with some wonderful guest turns from @matthewmaltese @lianglawrence & @martinlukebrown.

Production was handled by Orla & the wonderful @tomstafford
Some beautiful mixes by Zach @hansonzj
Mastered here by Kevin by @tuffmastering

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3 months ago

You Are The Love

Listen via link in bio or stories.
A song about sleep deprivation, city lights and oblivion.

Taken from Shadowman’s self titled debut album coming September 4th

Lyrics by John J Presley

Photography @the_thrill_of_losing
Design @bureaudefatigue

Shadowman is John J Presley @babenhillier @danielle__perry

Engineered by @danmakesnoise
Mastering @tuffmastering

@republicofmusic taken in Sussex, England by @tuffmastering

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3 months ago