Kenneth Mitchell Sound
I’m a mastering engineer, an audio specialist working in museums and galleries, and a cassette restoration nerd.
I am also a sonic artist with an MFA from the University of Sydney.
My studio - cloudforest mastering is located in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.
Mastering
I provide audio mastering and restoration services and specialise in working with sound that overlaps with the loose and porous fringes of ambient, experimental, electroacoustic and concrete music, and time-based art. I've worked on material for Kali Malone, The Louise Bourgeois Foundation, Lea Bertucci, Flume, Dean Hurley, Rachel Lyn and many others who are looking for a specialised and context sensitive ear.As the final step in quality control and enhancement of recorded audio prior to release, mastering is inherently a collaborative process where I work closely with you to ensure that your work sounds the absolute best it can and will translate with depth, clarity and immersive detail across any playback medium or exhibition context.
I utilise my experience and precisely tuned setup to bring clarity and consistency to your sonic world and remove any barriers between audience and artistic intentions so that the work truly speaks on its own unique terms.
Cassette Digitisation and Restoration
I also provide archival grade digitisation and restoration of analogue cassette tapes, as well as restoration of other digitized audio.I maintain excellent playback equipment including decks from Tascam and Marantz as well as high end AD converters for the cleanest possible transfer to capture every nuance and detail that’s on the tape all in line with current archival standards.Once recording have been digitised, I have access to several specialised tools to remove undesirable noises and enhance the material.Please reach out via the contact form below to discuss any cassette or other audio restoration projects.
Formats and inclusions
A standard Master includes all elements required for release:- High Resolution Audio files for download / streaming
- Cassette and vinyl premasters
- DDP image for CD replicationAdditional formats and options:
I am also able to prepare unique masters for exhibition and installation contexts, optimised for the specific space and playback system that the work will be experienced through. In general, work mastered for release will be suitable for exhibition however occasionally there are unique requirements for exhibition and so a bespoke exhibition master can be optimised for any unique playback conditions within a specific acoustic space or installation environment.
Please reach out and I would be happy to help optimise your exhibition audio.
Studio
I maintain a small, carefully chosen selection of precision mastering tools including:
- AD + DA Conversion by Merging Technologies.
- Monitoring via ATC, Audeze and Neumann.
- Digital tools including those from DMG audio, Spectralayers, iZotope and Tone Projects.
- Hand built analogue processing chain with elements by Terry Audio and JLM Audio.
Rates
Each project is a unique collaboration, please contact me directly to discuss your specific requirements and I can prepare a quote that suits your requirements.As a general guide for Mastering:Full album master including all of the listed inclusions and revisions of generally comes in around $650 AUD.Individual tracks the cost is variable depending on song length. Usually individual track masters are $100 AUD unless they are exceptionally long and in this case I can quote a fair price.Cassette digitisation $100 -150 AUD per tape depending on condition and any additional preparation (repair or cleaning) required for the transfer.Restoration and post production of digitised recordings is variable depending on complexity and time needed. Please reach out to discuss your project directly.
Get in touch
Message here with any mastering or cassette related questions, or to simply connect and I'll get back to you as soon as I can