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News and Community at Mike Wells Mastering
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June 2009: Audio Outreach "Soldering Basics" Seminar |
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Seminar: Soldering Basics
Next in the Audio Outreach series we entered the world of soldering basics, covering tools, techniques, safety, and troubleshooting.
Targeted towards current audio students and home enthusiasts, this demonstration seminar was led by myself, John Flores and Jeremy Rosenblum of Studio SQ in San Francisco.
We brought a load of tools, supplies, cable, and other solutions (dental tool, anyone?) to demonstrate techniques, share ideas and experiences, and collaborate with the attending group.
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May 2009: Mike Wells Mastering contributes to ongoing Katrina Relief effort |
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Mastering donation to aid ongoing relief
MWM was approached by STS9 to contribute mastering work towards a new remix compliation for the "Make It Right" foundation, a non-profit organization that is committed to building 150 sustainable homes in the New Orlean's Lower 9th Ward, an area hard hit by Hurricane Katrina.
STS9 have assembled a double-CD length compilation of remixes of it's successful "Peaceblaster" 2009 release. Remix artists on this compilation include Richard Devine, The Glitch Mob, Prefuse 73, and Deru to name a few of the 30 artists who have contributed to this effort.
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Released in June 2009, all proceeds will be donated to the Make It Right foundation.
Mike Wells Mastering donated mastering duties to complete the compilation.
Learn more at:
1320 Records & STS9
Make It Right.org
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April 2009: Mike Wells featured in EQ Magazine |
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Mike Wells in feature interview
The April 2009 issue of EQ Magazine hosted an article by Craig Anderton on Mastering, featuring an interview with Mike Wells.
The article spans the topics of mastering at home, gear considerations, and leveraging the value of a professional mastering engineer.
Read the whole article at EQ Online.
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March 2009: Mike Wells featured in book "Indie Rock 101" |
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Mike Wells in feature interview
Part of Focal Press's "Mastering Music" series, this book is geared towards beginning to mid-level musicians looking for a clear, concise, all-in-one primer on running a band, audio production and promoting their music.
The book covers all the basics that can take years to collate from more specialized or technical books, magazines and websites.
Written by a independent musician Richard Turgeon, the book also features photos and Q&As from some of today's artists and industry players on the indie rock landscape / several from the Bay Area.
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Learn more at: Indie Rock 101 Online.
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Feb 2009: Audio Outreach "Effective Collaboration" Seminar |
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Seminar: Effective Collaboration
Next in the Audio Outreach series, this was our first panel-based format.
Targeted towards all levels of audio skills, this special panel-format seminar focused on the topic of collaboration.
We reached many points of lively debate and it was a treat to have such a wealth of experience on-hand to share their experiences and field questions from the audience.
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We had some very special guests on the panel for this event which included (besides myself):
Mr. Ski (Christin, Jay-Z, Dawn Robinson, Calvin Richardson)
Gabriel Sheppard (Cake, Mark Kozelek, Frank Black, Pharaoh Sanders)
Michael Denton (Bobby Brown, Tupac, Digital Underground, Snoop Dogg)
Richard Turgeon (Author of Indie Rock 101)
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Dec 2008: Mike Wells featured in Mix Magazine |
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Mike Wells in feature interview
Mike Wells was interviewed for the annual Masters on Mastering issue of Mix Magazine.
It was an honor to be included in this feature alongside such well respected Mastering Engineers.
Read the full article at Mix Online. |
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Nov 2008: Audio Outreach "Intro to Calibration" Seminar |
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Seminar: Intro to Calibration
The 2nd in the Audio Outreach series, this hands-on seminar focused on calibration concepts for the beginner.
Targeted towards current audio students and home enthusiasts, this seminar focused on "Getting Out of the Box" and understanding levels in a more technical way as they relate to the Analog and Digital world. Gain structure concepts, measurement, testing, and troubleshooting techniques were all covered.
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I brought an array of testing gear a few converters to the seminar to create an environment where the attendees could really get involved.
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October 2008: Audio Oktoberest @ AES San Francisco 2008 |
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San Francisco, October 2008
Following the success of our 1st AES Audio Oktoberfest in 2006, Mercury Recording Equipment, Dangerous Music, Focal Audio, Hyde Street Studios, and Mike Wells Mastering teamed-up to present another killer AES party. I held a "Mastering Shootout" one night with special guests Dominick Maita and Jim Wilson from Airshow Mastering.
We each took turns mastering tracks in my mastering suite. The room was packed both nights of the party with guests enjoying the lively discussion of techniques and approach, all centered around the Dangerous Mastering Console.
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September 2008: Mix & Leo's Pro Audio host In-Depth Mastering Seminar |
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San Francisco, September 2008
This was the introduction of what has now become the "Audio Outreach" series created and hosted by Mike Wells Mastering and Leo's Pro Audio.
The series was created to offer a forum where audio profesionals and those curious about audio could have access to other engineers, share experiences, learn from each other, and increase the value of our audio community by helping each other.
The promotion of this event created such a buzz that we had to add a 2nd session due to over-sold-out attendance through RSVP alone.
Mix Magazine became interested in filming the event, and as a result of its' success Mix has hosted the video content as a mini-series on Mix TV Online.
Below are Links to each of the videos hosted by Mix Magazine Online at Mix TV:
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Preparing For Mastering (VIDEO)
An in-depth look into preparing for mastering sessions. |
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Mastering Signal Flow (VIDEO)
An examination of what makes Mastering unique in signal flow, perspectives, and techniques. |
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Compression & Limiting (VIDEO)
A discussion of Compression and Limiting, approaches and techniques for each are discussed. |
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Let's talk LOUDNESS (VIDEO)
The ever-present topic of competitive loudness is discussed. |
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July 2008: Mike Wells sponsors 2008 11th Annual "Tidal Wave" festival |
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Another year of celebrating Tonus Atkin's metal creation, the annual SF Tidal Wave festival.
This year I remembered to bring my camera, and got some great shots with old friends and bands alike.
Metal is such a wonderful celebration of energy and aggression, and headliners Exodus did not dissappoint!
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Enjoy the pics and thank you Tonus for putting on the best metal event in SF each year.
For more information see: The Tidal Wave
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June 2008: Mike Wells on "Future of Music" panel at Pot Luck Con 2008 |
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Pot Luck Con 2008 (formerly Tape Op Con) in New Orleans, LA.
A lively discussion with a fantastic group. |
It was a privilege to be included in such a passionate group. Thanks to other panelists George Massenburg, Matt Silbert, Tardon Feathered, Peter Reardon, John Congleton, and also to panel moderator Larry Crane. George treated us to a great presentation on presenting quality in the digital distribution space by owning the quality of the content to be purchased by the consumer. Larry presented great examples of re-issues standing the test of time. Tardon gave a passionate speech regarding the future of surround sound. My main contribution was in the metadata/future of liner notes & credits area.
It was great catching up with old friends and meeting new ones. Below are some pics from the show.
Special thanks to Craig Schumacher for making this conference happen!
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February 2008: Sacramento City College - AES Mastering Class |
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In February 2008, I had the opportunity to give a 3 hour presentation on CD Mastering and digital formats at Sacramento City College.
In attendance were students of the Sacramento City College audio program along with local AES chapter members interested in mastering. It was a great audience with many questions and a long, lively discussion took place.
Topics included:
- Signal Flow
- Metering & Analysis
- DAW setup & M/S modes
- Equalization
- Compression/Limiting
Special thanks to Andrew Fujikawa and Eric Chun again for making this class happen!
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December 2007: Happy Holidays & Performer Article |
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San Francisco, December 2007
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It's been a very busy winter season at Mike Wells Mastering, seeing releases from WHY? and Son Lux of Anticon Records, international act Kultur Shock (mixed by Jack Endino), and local favorites The Downfalls, PinPoint Mercy, Curt Yagi, Chi McClean, and many more.
Additionally, Performer Magazine hosted an article on Digital Asset/Post-Mastering solutions by Mike Wells in their October print issue.
Addressing the fidelity issue as it relates to digital distribution, the article is also available at the Performer website.
View the article at Performer Magazine Online.
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July 2007: Mike Wells sponsors 2007 10th Annual "Tidal Wave" festival |
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San Francisco, July 2007
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Continuing in the tradition of supporting community and local music, Mike Wells Mastering once again sponsors this year's Tidal Wave music festival in San Francisco.
A music festival that showcases the heavier side of music, the Tidal Wave celebrates its 10th anniversary this year for its annual 2-day free music festival in McClaren Park in San Francisco.
For more information see:
The Tidal Wave
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June 2007: Mike Wells Moderates "Internet & Recording" panel at Tape Op Con |
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Tuscon, AZ., June 2007
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A late-breaking addition, Mike was asked to lead & moderate the "Internet & Recording" panel at the 2007 Tape Op convention in Tuscon, AZ.
Also appearing on the panel were Dave Allen (Gang of Four), Alex Maiolo (The Future Music Coalition), and Ben London (NARAS).
The panel focused on recording/mixing/mastering strategies using the internet, encoding & digital distribution, metadata, rights management, and future direction discussion of how the internet continues to change the recording & music industry.
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May 2007: Mike Wells Mastering sponsors Blue Bear music school benefit. |
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San Francisco, CA., May 2007
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The 2nd annual Blue Bear music school "Music for Youth" benefit was held Saturday, May 12th at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. |
The benefit is an annual fundraiser for the school, and Mike Wells Mastering became a sponsor of the event by providing a mastering session as a silent auction item. The event was a big success with industry veterans such as Booker T. Jones performing, along with young aspiring musicians involved with the school.
Learn more at Blue Bear Music School Online
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April 2007: Mike Wells gives mastering seminar to Producer Forum |
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San Francisco, CA., April 2007
The Producer's Forum, led by Wylie Way, is a Bay Area collective of audio engineers and audio enthusiasts, which meets once a month at rotating locations throughout the bay covering mutliple topics regarding the audio engineering community. This month Mike Wells Mastering had the pleasure to host the forum at the studio for a 3 hour panel on mastering. Topics included mixing strategies, mastering formats, handling cd loadback, replication, and encoding strategies. The panel was a huge success and fun for all in attendance.
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March 2007: American River College - Master Class |
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In April 2007, I had the honored opportunity to give a 1/2-day mastering class to the Sacramento AES chapter at American River College.
A room full of enthusiastic audio engineering students was well-equipped with questions and it was a real treat having the opportunity to speak to so many people curious about mastering.
Topics included:
- Introduction to system calibration
- Metering
- DAW setup
- Equalization
- Compression/Limiting
Following the class, trainer Eric Chun led the class and myself on a tour of the on-site facility, where we had the opportunity to look into some techniques discussed in real-time using the tools on-hand at the studio.
Special thanks to Andrew Fujikawa and Eric Chun of Creative Music Services for making the class happen.
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Feb 2007: Mike Wells Mastering sponsors 15th annual Noise Pop music festival |
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San Francisco, CA., February 2007
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By now a Bay Area tradition, Mike Wells Mastering is proud to be one of the sponsors for this years' Noise Pop music festival. Check the online schedule, and be sure to see a few of these shows featuring up-and-coming bay area talent. Additionally, Noise Pop continues it's "Indie Night School" seminar series, which aims to help educate bands and artists in the skills of navigating the music industry.
Learn more at Noise Pop online. |
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October 2006: 121st AES Party - Hosting Dangerous Music |
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AES San Francisco
It was a real treat hosting the Dangerous Music crew for the 121st AES Convention in San Francisco.
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Their mastering console solution is truly a thing of elegant design and visual beauty, and having the opportunity to demonstrate its features was a treat not only for myself but for all those who attended the jam-packed two-night sessions we held until the weeeee hours of each night.
Thank you to everyone who came-out to the demonstrations with ample questions regarding mastering, workflow, and gear. Thanks also to the Dangerous Music crew for making the demonstration a helluva lotta fun for all.
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Mike Wells interviewed on "The Belly of the Bay" (Episode 19) |
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San Francisco, CA., August 2006
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The Tower Podcast network hosts "The Belly of the Bay", a show hosted by Misha to showcase Bay Area music talent and current music & studio events, features an interview with Mike Wells discussing the current studio scene in the Bay Area, mastering advice for local bands, and a showcase on the creation of the Los Kamikaze Records "Bay Collective" compilation.
 Go to the podcast
Go to Los Kamikaze Records |
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Mike Wells interviewed on "The Musician's Cooler" (Episode 86) |
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Cleveland, OH., July 2006
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The Musician's Cooler, a podcast created by Dave Jackson to empower independent musicians, features an interview with Mike Wells discussing the subject of audio mastering, considerations when choosing a facility, and a focus on answering common questions about the subject of mastering.
Go to the podcast
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MWM sponsors 2006 Tidal Wave Festival |
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San Francisco, CA., Jun 17, 18 2006 - Annual metal festival supporting local artists.
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Mike Wells Mastering is proud to be a sponsor of another Tidal Wave festival, a 2-day free metal festival in San Francisco's McClaren park. This will be the 9th year of the festival, if you are in San Francisco on June 18-19th, stop by and enjoy the show.
More info can be found at The Tidal Wave website.
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Dunlavy SC-V loudspeakers added to studio |
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San Francisco, CA., Dec 2005
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Mike Wells Mastering is proud to announce the addition of a pair of John Dunlavy Labs SC-V full-range loudspeakers. The SC-V, a legendary speaker among the audiophile community, provide the listener with a beautifully accurate reproduction of program material that is simply unmatched in the monitor world.
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Performer Magazine features manufacturing article by Mike Wells Mastering |
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San Francisco, CA., Aug 2005 - National music magazine for the independent musician.
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The August 2005 issue of Performer Magazine features an article written by Mike Wells titled "Choosing the right CD Manufacturer". The article provides an in-depth look at assessing your options in the marketplace of what to look for, what to watch-out for, and how to get the most out of making CD's for your release.
The article is available in our Library here.
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Mike Wells writes feature article for July issue of Performer Magazine |
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San Francisco, CA., Jul 2005 - National music magazine for the independent musician.
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The July 2005 issue of Performer Magazine featured an article written by Mike Wells titled "Find Your Mastering Facility". Written for the musician and independent label market, the article focuses on what qualities to look for in choosing a mastering engineer that's best-suited for your project.
The article is available in our Library here.
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MWM sponsors 2005 Tidal Wave Festival |
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San Francisco, CA., Jun 2005 - Annual metal festival supporting local artists.
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Mike Wells Mastering is proud to be a sponsor of this years Tidal Wave festival, a 2-day free metal festival in San Francisco's McClaren park. This will be the 8th year of the festival, if you are in San Francisco on June 18-19th, stop by and enjoy the show.
More info can be found at The Tidal Wave website.
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2004 AES 117 Updates |
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San Francisco, CA., Oct 29, 2004 - Mike Wells Mastering showcased by ATR Services
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I had the honor of working directly with the ATR Services team for the San Francisco AES conference this year, and had my very own Aria ATR-102 featured on the show floor.
The show was a blast, and I would like to thank the ATR team for making this opportunity possible.
Find out more at ATR Service Co.
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Mike Wells Mastering now offering Gracenote (CDDB) Submissions |
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San Francisco, CA. 2004 - Mike Wells Mastering becomes Gracenote Partner.
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Mike Wells Mastering joins Gracenote Content Partner program. |
With Apple's iTunes as a premiere client, Gracenote's CDDB metadatabase service supplies data to many popular clients for recognizing CD's inserted into various platforms (Mac, PC, etc) and showing contextual metadata information. Mike Wells Mastering is thrilled to join Gracenote as a Content Partner and is now supplying all CD Mastering project metadata to Gracenote.
Learn more about Metadata through our online article here.
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Mike Wells Mastering now offering ISRC generation |
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San Francisco, CA., July 13, 2004-Mike Wells Mastering becomes licensed ISRC Agent.
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Online services such as Apple's I-Tunes are now requiring submitted digital files to contain ISRC codes. Mike Wells Mastering has become a licensed agent by the RIAA, and now offers ISRC generation into delivered masters at no additional charge.
Learn more about ISRC Codes through our online article here.
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Mike Wells Mastering featured in Mix Online |
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San Francisco, CA., July 20, 2004-Mike Wells Mastering features first West-Coast Aria-equipped ATR-102.
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Mike Wells Mastering (San Francisco, Calif.) has taken delivery of an ATR-102 recorder equipped with the optional David Hill–designed Aria Reference Series electronics. The high-end analog deck is the first of its kind to take up permanent residence on the West Coast.
Read the full article here
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Mike Wells Mastering Announces New Facility & Analog Upgrades |
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San Francisco, CA 2003 - Mike Wells Mastering has relocated to downtown San Francisco.
In addition to the facility move, Mike Wells Mastering has also added additional analog tools. Equipment additions include a custom-spec'd ATR Service Ampex ATR-102 "One-Two" with Aria electronics & Flux heads in 1", 1/2", and 1/4" headstack configurations, and renowned analog mastering components such as the GML 9500 and Manley Massive Passive.
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5-25 Audio changes name to Mike Wells Mastering |
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San Francisco, CA 2003 - 5-25 Audio changes name.
After years of service under the studio name 5-25 Audio in the outer Mission District of San Francisco,
Mike Wells has changed the name of the business to Mike Wells Mastering.
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