
I'm Dave Blackman and I own and run Hiltongrove Mastering, a dedicated mastering facility based in the Essex countryside. We're an Apple approved MFiT provider, and I've been a mastering engineer since 1996 - I'd like to think I know what I'm doing by now! Past clients include Coldplay, Keane, Killing Joke, and Echo and the Bunnymen.
We are Hi-End mastering facility offering the best of both analogue and digital processing. Monitoring is provided by B&W 801 Nautilus monitors and a Crane Song Avocet monitor controller, in a room designed and built specifically from the ground up as a mastering studio. Outboard is by Barry Porter, Prism Sound, Thermionic Culture, SSL, IGS, DAV Electronics and TC Electronic, all feeding a SADiE workstation.
Also available are Cedar processors, Cedar ReTouch software and Izotope RX. We also offer digital audio watermarking.
The studio has been approved by Apple to provide hi-res audio files that meet its Mastered For iTunes specifications (MFiT). Once the mastering is complete, We can supply you with WAVs for digital distribution and streaming, DDP file-sets for physical replication, vinyl cutting masters, or what-ever physical parts you require.
We're happy to work with you remotely as well as offering attended sessions.
Send me an email through 'Contact' button above and I'll get back to you asap.
222 Reviews - 61 Repeat Clients
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Great sound and easy to work with! Will definitely be coming back for more work.
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Dave did another great job! Highly Recommended!
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Dave's master turned out great. All the pieces sounded a little closer together, sitting in the same sonic space a bit more. I noticed a little more softness to the transients which was really nice for the song. He kept the overall character of the EQ true to the mix as well, which I especially appreciated. He also got the track turned around within the week as requested. Great work!
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Dave is very professional. It's the second time that I master a single with him. The quality and speed of service overcome my expectations, and price is quite reasonable. Highly recommended.
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Done a bunch of masters with Dave, always excellent quality and fast turnarounds!
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Got the master sounding perfect the first time - thanks Dave.
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This is my fourth time using Dave, I am extremely pleased with his work again!
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Superb, superb! This is the real deal. Dave knows what he's doing. His mastering gave my tracks indescribable warmth, strength and clarity.
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Dave was quick to respond and on time for delivery. Master sounded great to me
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No complaints, everything's good.
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Kind, Skillful, satisfying!!
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Dave was super quick to answer and to provide a version.
It sounds great!
Super happy. - check_circleVerified
Great service, great guy! Will be returning.
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Excellent sound and fast turnaround!
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First rate in every way. Highly recommended.
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Got the job done in one go and did what I asked. Would use again!
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I'd thoroughly recommend Dave and Hiltongrove Mastering. I gave him an ok-ish mix and a blank page and I got it back sounding better than I thought it ever could, wrapped in velvet, with mix clarity and width, beautifully and musically eq'd with a perfect loudness to suit the music/genre. I'm looking forward to working with him again :)
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Dave's mastering is glorious - juicy and punchy in all the right places. Took a strong mix and made the whole thing even stronger, I'm absolutely STOKED about how my track came out. I've never heard my music like this before, I will 100% be choosing Dave as my mastering engineer for future projects.
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Working with Dave was amazing, as always!
Outstanding results and delivered way ahead of my deadline! Couldn‘t ask for more and will definitely work with him again for upcoming projects.
100% recommended - check_circleVerified
Dave did an amazing job with mastering my music. He did exactly what needed to be done to take the music to the next level. I will definitely work with him again soon. 🙏
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Working with Dave for the second time and it‘s been nothing but delightful! His attention to detail is amazing and he gets changes done on point when you need it.
I can only recommend Hiltongrove Mastering! - check_circleVerified
Excellent master and Dave is very easy to work with - good communication, fast service and top notch work. Thanks again.
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Great work and fast service! Highly recommend Dave!
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Great work and delivered right on time! Thanks, Dave!
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Dave really did a great job and matched all of the expectations I had. He is super responsive and replies very quickly, which made the whole process smooth and easy. Looking forward to working with him again!!
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Dave Blackman is really good with his mastering skills, he has the patient and professionalism. He mastered my track and I'm really glad that it is now wide and tight. Every artist want that 5-10% lacking in his/her music, you can trust hiltongrove!
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Very fast, very good, very reliable !
Will definitely work with Dave again
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We returned to Dave a second time to do the mastering and we will hire him again when it's time for a third batch.
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Dave did an incredible job on mastering my EP. The songs got exactly the mastering they needed and it was done so quickly. Communication was incredible. Id highly recommend Hiltongrove for mastering, i will be back for more soon 😊
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This is the third mastering project that Hiltongrove have done for us and there will be many more in future.... I trust Dave implicitly with my mixes and am confident he will get the best out of our songs time after time.
Thoroughly recommended 10/10
Thank you
Paul & Beki xVICE SQUAD
www.vicesquad.co.uk - check_circleVerified
Excellent sounding finished master, quick turnaround on revisions as well
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Great audio quality and communication, quick turnaround!
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Dave did an amazing job on my new album, I wouldn’t have wished to work with someone else. Thanks again !
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Dave always does a fantastic job and has very quick turnaround times. Customer for life. Thanks again!
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Very responsive, nice guy, and very happy with the final output!!
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Dave always does a fantastic job! Will definitely be back for more!
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Very pleased with the mastering of my song. Great job, good communication and fast turnaround!
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Stunning work and great communication. Dave really elevated the mixes. The masters jumped off of every set of monitors I played them through. Compression wasn't noticeable and volume was great. 10/10
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It is a pleasure to be working with Dave again.
The song sounds amazing. - check_circleVerified
Awesome work!
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YET AGAIN Dave Delivers.... Our lockdown EP March 2021 is the second mastering session we have done with him and it has gone smoothly with fantastic results.
Dave mastered our album Battle Of Britain which was released in 2020 to critical acclaim.
It was a no brainer in engaging Hiltongrove for our latest project and future releases too.
Thoroughly recommended 5 STARS
Paul Rooney
Vice Squad - check_circleVerified
Second time using Dave's mastering. Just a great as the first time.
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We had very specific ideas of how we wanted to present our music. Dave managed to work it out!
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When it comes to Dave, a quote from a book reviewer springs to mind (converted to English currency for the sake of this review): "pound for pound, Dave gives you the most." Excellent value, excellent ears, excellent setup and, above all, excellent communication. You cannot miss.
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Excellent mastering. The song came back all polished and warm. Great job by Dave.
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Dave is great to work with, he mastered our song in only three days and did an absolutely fine job. The master is very warm and full in both tonality and stereo image. As a DIY band we were on the fence whether getting your song mastered by a professional is worth the money (which was way more affordable than we anticipated).
It is. Do yourself and your song a favour and send it to Dave.
He knows how to make the best out of it. - check_circleVerified
Awesome, vibey, punchy masters with quick turnaround!
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I could not be happier. Dave will be my first choice for Mastering in the future.
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Dave did a great job again and delivered a beautiful master! Gives the vocals that extra sheen.
Quick turnaround time, easy to work with. Would definitely recommend!
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Quick turnaround, high quality, easy to work with. Will work with again for sure.
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Dave did a great job mastering my new single. The master sounds clear and crisp!
Will definitely come back to Dave for future releases. Great service and quick turn around!
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Once again, Dave delivered and excellent master with a very quick turnaround!
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A very easy simple process with a very helpful engineer,
They managed to polish my t_rd of a track into something that you can listen too. - check_circleVerified
Great communication and fast work
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Powerful, punchy masters and quick turnaround!
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This is my third time using Dave and I am extremely pleased again!
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Good job ! really efficient and understanding person.
I recommend it. - check_circleVerified
Dave did an exceptional job! Communication was quick and easy, and he delivered fantastic sounding masters within a short time. I'm a fan!
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Big, rocking master with plenty of clarity and punch! Quick turnaround too!
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Dave delivered great punchy masters for my EP. Pro Level Mastering!
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Dave did a wonderful job with my single...
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Hiltongrove was a pleasure to work with.
Dave was attentive to all of our concerns and questions and gave quick responses and a great turn around so that we could get our music released faster. And with great results! Seriously consider them if you're looking for a professional touch on your tracks. - check_circleVerified
I really enjoyed working with Dave.
He immediately understood what I was looking for and I was very satisfied with the end result.
I recommend it 10/10 - check_circleVerified
fast turnaround, great quality! what more could ya ask for fr
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A consummate professional, Dave was remarkably easy to work with. Helpful, too. He identified one of our tracks to be a little too hot for mastering, so we went back and got him a better mixed version. There's a certain warmness that comes through with his masters, and I'm happy to report that the same was achieved with our album. 100% would work with him again in the future.
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Attentive to client’s input and overall vision for the track, sent us back a great sounding master!
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Amazing job! Highly recommended!
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Great work !
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Outstanding job by David, the track sounds great!
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Truly accurate, filigree mastering 👍🏻
We’ve ordered a number of masters for our single to have options for comparison. Dave is rightfully the #1 🥇 - check_circleVerified
Good communication and able to realize my vision. Ended up with a big, powerful master with plenty of clarity, punch, warmth, and musicality.
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I knew I would choose Hiltongrove when they reviewed my mix and provided advice free of charge, it was very helpful and led to a much better end result. They mastered the tracks with a perfect balance of dynamics and with a very quick turn around.
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Very dense and solid master& Just as I wanted. A good result from a good professional. Highly recommend to work with Dave if you want your mix sound properly!
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Delivered sooner than expected, very professional when i wanted a revision & i got what i was looking for.
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Working with Dave was a pleasant experience. I got the master I had in mind. I asked him to make some specific adjustments and he did them without any problem. The interaction was fast and the service efficient.
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Totally professional and great to work with. Just 1 revision and the master was great.
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Dave is amazing, he mastered my tracks quickly and gave them that polished, professional sound. He was patient with me when I had questions (or wanted something tweaked) and communicated clearly. I'm super happy with the way my new album sounds. Hire him today!! You won't regret it.
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Dave is a great mastering engineer patient and knowledgeable.
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The mastering process gave my work a sweet boldness that I just couldn’t get on my own...and with a quick turn around!
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Quick turnaround and great end result.
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Dave is a real professional, with great attitude and the communication with him was fluent and easy. I hope to make another project with him soon. Strongly recommend!
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Very pleased with the work Dave did on my track. After two revisions the song sounded just as I wanted to. Resulting in a great sounding master.
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Working with Hiltongrove was an amazing experience. They were helpful, patient, and gave me an awesome result!
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This is my second time using Dave and I am extremely pleased again!
Highly Recommended! - check_circleVerified
Hiltongrove has great communication, mastering product, rates, and revisions as well. All around a nice experience.
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Super-fast turnaround,
professional attitude,
Hi-quality fanstastic sounding masters!Dave is a total pro. Turned 3 masters around BEFORE my tight timeline. I had one note and he had a revision within 24 hours. Would totally recommend. Oh, and they sound awesome! I knew I had synths in the somewhere. :) he brought out sounds I forgot about
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Dave is a total pro. Turned 3 masters around BEFORE my tight timeline. I had one note and he had a revision within 24 hours. Would totally recommend. Oh, and they sound awesome! I knew I had synths in the somewhere. :) he brought out sounds I forgot about
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Great communication and kool sound. The track was increased with their work. Nice mastering
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everything went flawlessly
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Finished very quickly, the master sounds impeccable. I’ll be sure to work with them again in the future!
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Great Master and great sound !
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Dave delivered a great master of our song. He is a professional and skilled guy. I can recommend Hiltongrove. Thumps up!
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Great sound and fast turnaround!
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Wonderful experience. Helped me hone in on a trouble spot in the mix beforehand which was very helpful. Very happy with the resulting master.
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FABULOUS experience! This was everything we hoped for, and more. Highly recommend!!
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Dave is an excellent mastering engineer.
This is my first time working with him and it was a great experience.
I will be working with him again. - check_circleVerified
Great Mastering skills. Warmly recommended
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Dave is an excellent communicator and conducts his work in a professional manner. He provided me with a high quality remaster in a timely fashion. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for high quality mastering at a fair price.
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Great experience working with Dave- mastered what I needed and it came back sounding great. I’m looking forward to having the rest of my project mastered by Dave in the near future
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Dave did an excellent job mastering my most recent album. He worked quickly and produced high quality masters. I will certainly work with him again and recommend him highly. He communicated effectively and without delay. Thanks Dave!
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Hiltongrove's main man and magnificent mastering marvel Dave is absolutely TOP NOTCH in approach and delivering professional quality masters. I have worked with Hiltongrove on several projects, the latest being my most precious full length album and the results are STUNNING. I cannot recommend Dave enough... 5 STARS ... THANK YOU
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Flawless job great guy highly recommended
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Dave was great! Met my timeline (I was attaching tune to a video) and Leveled out my uneven recording...would definitely use Dave and SoundBetter again! Moe Donnelly
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Returning client here - second time I've used Dave's mastering skills and, as always, he delivers. Reliable, professional and great value.
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I'm very happy with whole process of woking with Hiltongrove and the result was great!
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Excellent work, on time. Will definitely come back.
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Dave did a great job with my mixes. Great sound, professional work & fast delivery. Highly recommended!
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Really solid master and nice EQ that bought some extra clarity needed. Recommend 100%
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Second time working with Dave. I knew nothing could go wrong
Professional, fast delivery and great sound!!! - check_circleVerified
Dave at Hiltongrove is very helpful and professional. I record and mix fast Rock music at home which is not easy to get right.
The tracks I sent came back noticeably better, smoothing out some of my mixing inadequacies and adding power and polish to my production.
After trying several mastering services over the years I am definitely using Hiltongrove to master my finished album and for future projects. - check_circleVerified
Nice Job Dave! Thanks!
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Dave did an incredible job on my track, adding a polish and smoothing out my mix. He knows how to make a great mix really shine!
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A great job - always a pleasure working with Dave - he is a real pro and he got it right the first time for our most recent project together!
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Was no fan of the first master but after giving a better description of what I wanted and a reference track he nailed on the first revision. Recommended.
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I am really happy with Dave's work on my tracks. He was a pleasure to work with, and I will definitely be sending my stuff to him in the future. All round nice chap. Highly recommended.
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Dave was great! He responded in a timely manner and very courteously. I'm super pleased with how everything sounds.
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He is efficient, fast and professional. I had shocked when I was listening for the first time.
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Another incredible sounding master by Dave ! Open to every ridiculous request we threw his way ! So thrilled to work with him given his pace and precision, a true godsend. Cheers !
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the best of the best!
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The attention that he gave to us was priceless, he understood what we want even that the songs are in another language.
He clear our doubts and the comunication was very good.
I recommend it totally. - check_circleVerified
Top drawer, professional service. I've used a lot of mastering engineers over the years and Dave is up there in the top 5% . Just gets it right, without any issue and it is exactly the sound I was looking for - not just a generic mastering. Experience shows and Dave has a lot of it. Will be my goto mastering house now.
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First time working with Dave, and he did and amazing job. Great communication and fast delivery. Top mastering from a professional. I will definitely come back!!
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It was great working with Dave. I am very satisfied with the master and would definitely work with him again.
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Fantastic...great collaboration with Dave on my request. I will work again in the future.
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Lives up to its name , great service
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Excellent, excellent, excellent
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Fantastic engineer, great results right from the start and very quick to respond, will be using Dave's services again in the future!
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Dave turned my job around really quickly and did a revision quickly too without fuss. Most importantly sounds great! Many thanks.
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Quality job, helpful and friendly throughout.
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Dave is fast and very professional. Excellent work!
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Worked with Dave to master a "classic country" song, and he both got the vibe of the song and suggested some important fixes to the mix prior to mastering. Quality product and experience.
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It's a pleasure to work with Dave! The sound picture is amazing after his mastering magic)))
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Had an EP and a single done by Dave. Made all those little tweaks I didn't know it needed, sounds better than I could have imagined. Very professional and had them done right when he said he would.
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Excellent, after looking at the profile you really can't doubt it
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Second time working with Dave and great results again. Fast turnaround and always happy to make any changes.
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Dave is a real professional. He has helped me turn my mix into something really alive and full of presence. Great work!
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Dave did a fantastic, quick job. Masters sounded clean and captured the polish I was looking for. Thanks Dave!
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Very efficient and quick turnaround time too. Would use service again.
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Another one straight away. Again, top Mastering. Professional and fast turnaround. Recommended.
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Top Mastering. Professional and fast turnaround. Recommended.
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I've been working with Dave on the second project with a difficult task. Dave's made a great job. We've achieved the result we needed despite the artist's whims. Thank you so much for your professionalism and patience. It's a pleasure - to have a deal with you!
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A good Joe.
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We had a tight schedule as always, but Dave is a pro and the result was top-notch all the way. Recommended!
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Amazing to work with Dave, really premium sound and warm treatment.
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Dave is fast and gets it right the first time!!!
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Dave was accessible and prompt. The mix what fantastic.
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Dave thank you very much. Highly professional made my song sound crisp and polished and much better than the previous masters id got from two other so called mastering engineers which still had a somewhat muddy sound. il definitely will be coming back with other tracks soon Dave Thank you again
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Dave's done a great job on the song. His mastering gave a new breath to the track. Dave, thank you so much for your professionalism and quality work!
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Professional and fantastic service... will definitely work with Dave again!
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Fast work and brilliant sound as always! Thanks Dave
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Dave master was great and his turnaround was quick. I had a small revision to make to the initial version but had a revised master from him in less than 24 hours. Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for high quality mastering at a great price!
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Dave has done an excellent job with the song I submitted. The mastering he provided gave the song clarity, depth, dynamics and wideness! I could not ask for more! Thanks a lot Dave for being so professional!
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Great job and really great at incorporating feedback. The first master was far off what we wanted, but he took all my requests into consideration and gave us just what we had imagined. Recommended!
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Amazing work
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Dave was really fantastic throughout this process. He always got back to my questions very quickly and the master sounds great!
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Dave beat my deadline by 1 business day. I am really happy with the quality of my mastering and will certainly consider him for future projects.
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Dave did an incredible job. We were quite unprepared going into the entire process and Dave was so patient with us; will DEFINITELY be going back for another master in the future. Professionalism, quality, and class. Thrilled to say the least!
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Fast and Efficient. Quality was great as well. Will definitely come back for more!
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If you want a huge radio ready single. This is this place.
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Fantastic results at a very decent price. I also requested a change and it was done with no hassle, he fully understood what we were after and gave us more than we expected. Highly recommended
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Great job, good service. Much thanks!
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Hiltongrove was at all times professional and courteous. I felt that Dave took feedback really well and provided his fantastic service promptly and with excellent attention to detail. If you’re looking for a pro with reasonable prices, go with Dave art Hiltongrove.
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Best Mastering Studio, looking forward to working together again!
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Dave is a great engineer to work with. His masters brought our mix to where I am more than satisfied. He swooshed past my expectations! I'd recommend him - highly.
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Dave did a fantastic job. Great mastering. Perfect communication. Fast delivery. I will definitely come back for future projects. Thanks a lot!
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Great Master ! Very quick turnaround ...
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Very flexible and extremely easy to work with. His stuff sounds great!
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Hiltongrove did a fantastic job on my track! Definitely would recommend them!
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Quick turnaround and great outcome - a pleasure to work with!
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WOW! Dave go Hawk And The Wilds song The Wave sound great everywhere: in headphones, in the car, in the studio, even on the smartphones built in speaker! Outstanding work :D
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Excellent mastering! Great communication, very receptive to feedback, and extremely prompt with revisions. Highly recommend without hesitation and would definitely work with Dave again!
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Dave from Hiltongrove was extremely efficient and gave quality masters in the span of over a very short period of time. It was excellently done and the communication back and fourth was crystal clear!
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Hi can honestly say, Dave did a perfect match on my track with the ref i provided him with. Can secure more work will be following.
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It's comforting to know that when I receive tracks back from Dave, that it's gonna sound good. Really, really good!
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I can definitely recommend hiltongrove mastering and will work with them again in my next projects. I needed one song to be mastered. The responses were really quick and the sound is great and cristal clear! Just perfect!
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Very good mastering!!
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Dave provided me with a great MFiT master--all the low-midrange mud was gone. My track never sounded better. Best value on this site for mastering for sure!
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I needed Dave to re-arrange the song order on my DDP. Dave turned the job around very quickly and for a very reasonable price. Thanks again Dave!
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Awesome job! Completed fast without sacrificing the quality of the work. Excellent!
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Very happy. The final mixes sounded great, communication was professional and very responsive. I will definitely use again.
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Dave performed an exceptional job in subtle interpretation of my tracks into elegant masters. I was extremely pleased with how it all came together, particularly the sweeping orchestrations. I highly recommend Hiltongrove for their quick service and exceedingly reasonable fees for performing their impressive magic. Thanks!
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Fast , Amazing & Awesome !
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What more can I say Hiltongrove this is the 2nd time of come to them to Master a song and they are AWSOME they are fast and accommodating. Very pleasent to work with as well. And they made my song POP.
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I gave Dave my album to Master. He took a really nice mix and made it even better. I am really, really happy with the way it sounds.
Dave was really easy to work with and the turn around was very fast. I highly recommend working with him. I know I will again. - check_circleVerified
Dave is a great mastering engineer to work with. Easy communication and fast turnover. Recommended.
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Flexible, fast and professional service - 100% recommend
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Excellent mastering engineer. Worked with him for a second time and as expected, great results with a fast turnover. Will definitely be back, again.
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Always a pleasure! Will return for sure for other projects.
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Dave really did a great work!!
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One word.. SICK! I don't know what he did, but he did it.
Dave is a true professional, he delivers the highest quality without compromise, is fast, approachable and FAIR with his fee. I could not ask for more and I'll be a regular client for life. - check_circleVerified
Dave is efficient and professional as always. We are very happy about his work!
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Very good quality of work. Kind to give me a few versions of work and advices. Great job done.
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Great Job! Easy to communicate very fast and the sound is killer. Will use again for sure.
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We just finished the first EP of our new project, and we are very happy with the result, sonic wise and the service was also amazing. We highly recommend Hiltongrove Mastering. Nice job Dave.
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Hilton is very efficient and talented. He worked his magic and made the song better :)
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Went above and beyond to make sure we were happy with our sound- professional and fun to work with. Super accommodating and did a fantastic job at communicating to make sure we knew how to move forward. Can't express with words how grateful we are for the sound and service Dave provided for our album.
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the best if you need a great mastering engineer FAST.
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Dave managed to clean up the mud / open the top-end of my (admittedly dense) mix while retaining the vibey spirit. Exactly what I had requested and was very accommodating in making a quick revision. Would happily recommend and use again for more projects.
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Dave is wonderful to work with and I'm delighted with the results. I can't recommend him highly enough--a true professional!
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Dave was a treat to work with. He was fast and did a terrific job overall. Highly recommended.
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A really seamless and pro experience. Dave was very helpful and quick with his turnaround. And it sounds huuuuuge!
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amazing
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Dave was really quick and did a great job. Thanks!
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DOPE!
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excellent work, very professional and fast turnaround
easily handled changes that I requested. - check_circleVerified
It was great working with Dave, he was super prompt and really put some nice finishing touches to my track. Hope to use his services again.
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Great job and really close to what asked. Fast communication and gives feedback on your track/mix.
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GREAT ! ! ! Really fast and professional would be using them again and again.
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Very happy with the master, and Dave was even kind enough to give me some feedback on my mix.
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Great experience and is without a doubt one of the top mastering engineers on SoundBetter. Dave was very helpful and patient. Once he had all the tracks, he finished them within a day. The results were astounding. I will surely visit again.
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He's done a wonderful job mastering out tracks. Thanks!
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Great work and I will continue to work with Dave! Easy communication and timely delivery :)
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Working with Dave from Hiltongrove Mastering was a real pleasure: great sound, good and helpful service.
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Working with Dave, has been a really nice experience, and we are very happy with the job he made in our song. I recommend completely Hiltongrove Mastering. Also the service very fast and friendly. Looking forward on working again with them.
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Dave was great to work with. My song benefited enormously through his mastering. He breathed further life and excitement into the song & gave it cohesion and consistency. It amazes me that some people leave out this crucial step in the record making process. It truly is the icing on the cake.
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Extremely easy to work with, right on the money in terms of the master. Couldn't ask for more.
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Dave did an amazing job like always, incredibly talented and professional engineer, I don't even look for other mastering engineers anymore, Hiltongrove Mastering is my first and only option for mastering.
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It was a real pleasure to work with Dave, he is really professional,works fast and understands what the song needs, he really took it to another level. I will work with him again for sure, 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
I've employed Dave's services on more than one occasion and he always delivers; reliable, professional and, for a modest-budget musician like myself, great value.
Dave has mastered two albums for me in the past, both times he did a professional and artistic job, kept me informed throughout and delivered on time.
Very glad to have Dave around. I got an excellent master back and quickly too.
He accommodated my deadline which was around the Holidays.Really enjoyed working with Dave, he really cares about making sure that you end up with masters tracks that you're 100% happy with. Would recommend to anyone.
Interview with Hiltongrove Mastering
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Billy Joel - simply because I'm a massive, massive fan. (I'm a piano player in my spare time!)
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My room has been designed and built from the ground up for mastering. Its a classic room-in-a-room design, floated on rubber and isolated from the surrounding building in order to prevent sound transference. The audio response is very flat at the monitoring position, and translates very well to the outside world. Monitoring is handled by a pair of B&W 801 Nautilus monitors which have been with me for over 10 years. These are fed by a Cranesong Avocet monitor controller, providing and extremely clean signal path. The Avocet also makes level matched A/Bing as simple as a button press. The equipment here is all chosen to do a specific job. I have both clean and vibey EQs and compressors, both analogue and digital, and everything is mounted into the desk in front of me, meaning I never have to move from the monitoring position while applying processing. Capture, editing, PQ list-building and parts generation is handled by my SADiE digital audio workstation.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: We do mastering here, and just mastering - all day everyday. This involves chatting to my client about the sound they're trying to achieve, and what the aims of the project are, and then applying any relevant processing that may be required. We have several really nice pieces of equipment available here, and we'll use whatever is necessary to get where my client wants to go. Once approved we run out the parts and files required for distribution and replication.

I was the Mastering Engineer in this production
- Mastering EngineerAverage price - $70 per song
- RestorationAverage price - $150 per hour
First revision free. Then billed at hourly rate.
- Prism Sound MLA-2
- Barry Porter custom EQ
- Thermionic Culture Phoenix Mastering Plus
- DAV Electronics BG3 EQ
- TC Electronic S6000
- B&W 801 Nautilus monitors
- Crane Song Avocet monitor controller