Soundfackery Mastering

Mastering for Rock and Metal

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29 Reviews (6 Verified)
Soundfackery Mastering on SoundBetter

Hard and heavy mastering for rock and metal bands by "Some sort of unstoppable monster" (metaltemple.com)

"Can't rate him highly enough." Justine Potter (BBC, LA Productions, Red Productions)

Do you want your music to sound competitively loud, but without unwanted pumping and distortion? Do you want that special sheen that you hear on all your favourite albums? Do you need a little help tweaking your mix with the aid of stem mastering?

I'm a specialist rock and metal mastering engineer and I use a hybrid analogue and digital workflow. By running your music through just the right blend of transformers and valves, I add those juicy harmonics that you hear on every classic record, before locking everything down tight in the box.

I have worked in audio for over 30 years and my clients include the BBC, Channel 4, Red Productions and many others and I am proud to say that I am endorsed by AMS Neve, makers of the best audio gear in the World.

I speak English, French and Hungarian.

I'd love to hear about your project. Click the 'Contact' button above to get in touch.

Credits

Discogs verified credits for Steve Kilpatrick (2)
  • Michael Cretu (3)
  • Michael Cretu (3)
  • She Makes War
  • Michael Cretu (3)
  • Cairns (3)

29 Reviews - 3 Repeat Clients

Endorse Soundfackery Mastering
  1. Review by Stuart K.
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    Excellent work again. Steve is super easy to work with, attentive to revisions, and fast. Couldn't be happier!

  2. Review by Stuart K.
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    Gave some very helpful feedback on our mix. Worked fast and did an excellent job bringing the best out of our track!

  3. Review by Studio of TCOMAS
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    It was a great pleasure to work with Steve. He is very professional and patient and delivered high quality work to our satisfaction. We highly recommend!

  4. Review by diogo f.
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    Steve mastered a song of mine for the second time. It was a long song with various styles. He did a pretty good work just like the first project he mastered. He knows his work!! Recommend this sir!

  5. Review by diogo f.
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    I worked with Steve to master my second track. He was very easy to understand and was also very kind. He put effort in his work and also gave me a lot of information about my track since im still an amateur in the mixing part. He is a good Mastering engineer who does great work!

  6. Review by Cameron B.
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    I conducted a University educational interview with Soundfackery regarding Media Composition and was really pleased with the informative content that came out of the discussion. All forms required were signed on time and everything went really smoothly. Really happy with the end result!

  7. Review by Toothdrinker
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    by Toothdrinker

    Had a great experience working with Steve - made my mix sound so much bigger and was really accommodating with feedback. A real pleasure, thanks again!

  8. Review by Brian H.
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    Steve did an amazing job mastering my new original Haunted. Sonics are off the charts! His price is reasonable and he's very open to suggestions and feedback. Highly recommended!

  9. Review by Rob Thorpe - Polar Institute
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    by Rob Thorpe - Polar Institute

    Thanks for mastering my upcoming EP! Steve did a wonderful job highlighting subtle details in the mixes, communicated well and was great to work with.

    Would definitely recommend!

  10. Review by SEB BRIERLEY - MEGALODON FRIED RICE
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    by SEB BRIERLEY - MEGALODON FRIED RICE

    Another top quality mastering for our tunes, would always keep going back for these as really great to work with. Managed to nail our sound down perfectly.

  11. Review by Gavin Rourke
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    by Gavin Rourke

    I’ve used Steve for a few projects over the last couple of years ranging from a rock/funk hybrid (Jesus Burgers) to punk/metal (deVilorean) and he always delivers perfect results. Great to work with and has a wealth of knowledge. I won’t go anywhere else.

  12. Review by Joseph James Whiting
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    by Joseph James Whiting

    Steve has mastered all of our projects and we always use him due to the quality of work and quick turn arounds he provides. He's knowledgeable and responds promptly to any queries we may have, even if its away from mastering work. We will undoubtably be using him again for future projects.

  13. Review by Wicked Side
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    by Wicked Side

    We have used Steve's service to have our latest single "Ride Out the Storm" mastered. The service was excellent, brought extra life to the song. On top of that, great communication and quick turnaround time. Overall, we're very happy with the result. Would definitely recommend and use the service again!

  14. Review by Chris V.
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    Steve mastered some songs for me and brought new life to them! He's great to work with and pretty efficient with time.

  15. Review by Mike Wafer
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    by Mike Wafer

    Steve is a very talented composer with an original sound who brings so much to the table, it was great to work with him on our Environmental documentary. Look forward to working together again soon!
    Mike Wafer/Documentary Director

  16. Review by Chris Oliveras
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    by Chris Oliveras

    Steve is incredible! His turnaround time was super quick. Quality of the recording was phenomenal and he followed all requests. For this particular project, I had Steve re-arrange the composition I had for different instruments and give the song a more “movie soundtrack” feel. 100% satisfied. Can’t wait to work with him again.

  17. Review by nicholas n.
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    It was great working with Steve on my documentary. He was quick and very responsive to the timeline and any changes we needed to make. The tracks came out great and receiving the files was very smooth. Thanks again.

  18. Review by Gabriela Isas
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    by Gabriela Isas

    I worked with Steve on a few projects. He did music, ADR, Sound Design and final mix on my 3D short as well as sound design for an animated sequence in a feature length documentary. Steve is incredibly talented and quick to understand what I was after - and delivered much more than I expected. He's a pleasure to work with and I would not hesitate to recommend him for the quality of his work and his demeanor and attitude.

  19. Review by Kings Habit Films
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    We have worked with Steve on several of our productions over the past few years. This includes two feature films and he is currently producing a new rock album for a joint project called "Dear Superstar". Steve's knowledge of both the industry and his craft are absolutely unparalleled. He has a particular pride in his work, which is a rare thing to find these days. We have many more projects in the pipeline and hope we can continue to secure Steve for all of them. I couldn't endorse this man enough, if you have the opportunity to work with him - DO IT!

  20. Review by Alfie Dennen
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    by Alfie Dennen

    We worked with Steve on a short film project which saw him not only delivering sound recording on an intensive 2 day shoot but also an original and brilliant score for the film. The score was so aesthetically coherent to the film's feel, subtext and overall narrative that for me it has come to represent the work as much as the finished product alone. Of course Steve is also incredibly easy and good to work with so I could not recommend him more highly.

Interview with Soundfackery Mastering

  1. Q: What are you working on at the moment?

  2. A: Just working my way through a pile of Metal albums that all need my TLC.

  3. Q: Analog or digital and why?

  4. A: Love them both. I grew up with analogue and still use a lot of analogue gear, but digital allows me to do an infinite number of things that would have been impossible before. When I master, I use a ton of analogue gear, but also a number of plugins too.

  5. Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

  6. A: You will want to come back.

  7. Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

  8. A: I've been in audio for over 30 years. I did study music production at university, but the majority of my skillset comes from real world experience.

  9. Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?

  10. A: High on Fire. They raw and mean and just what Metal should be.

  11. Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

  12. A: For mastering, I specialise in Rock and Metal, but I have worked on everything from Classical to Folk, to Blues, to Jazz to Metal, to Electronica. I love all music and have worked in all areas at one point or another.

  13. Q: What's your strongest skill?

  14. A: The folks I work with tell me I have good people skills and good ears. I'll take that.

  15. Q: What do you bring to a song?

  16. A: I bring a polish and sheen to a track that makes it sound competitive in the market. I can also get the track as loud as the client desires, just without unwanted pumping and distortion.

  17. Q: What's your typical work process?

  18. A: I will usually chat with the client about how they would like their music mastered. How loud, bright, warm, dark etc. Then I'll set up the tracks in my project and listen through carefully for any problems the mixer may have missed. Assuming there are no issues, I'll make my first pass at the master and then send it to the client for feedback. I have to say, I have a high success rate here and I rarely get asked to any changes. However, if the artist does want some changes, I provide them with two mastering revisions, if they need them.

  19. Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

  20. A: Most commonly, I master albums and EPs for Rock and Metal bands.

  21. Q: What do you like most about your job?

  22. A: The best thing about my job is that it doesn't feel like a job. I love what I do, so every day feels like a holiday.

  23. Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

  24. A: Mac, Antelope Orion 32+, Focal Twin 6, Neve 8816 and a RE20.

  25. Q: Can you share one music production tip?

  26. A: Yup, make sure you're doing what your client wants, not what you want.

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Soundfackery Mastering

I was the Mastering Engineer in this production

Terms Of Service

I include up to two rounds of mastering revisions and, due to the popularity of my service, my usual turnaround is 7 days, but expedition is possible.

I also offer stem mastering and mix feedback.

Gear Highlights
  • Being a Neve Artist I have to say my Neve 8816 and 8804
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