The directors of NRK have opened up a brand new, state of the art, mastering studio in the NRK hometown of Bristol. Optimum Mastering have been trading for a few months now, and services on offer include vinyl cutting, CD mastering and digital editing. Top dance labels are already using the facilities at Optimum, including Soma, Azuli, The End, Gourmet, Fat City, BBE and many more, but NRK liked it so mucfh they have decided to purchase it. Nick from NRK rates the mastering process as one of the key elements in production:”“the mastering process is the most essential element after signing music. A good cut goes a long way in determining the success of a record. We’ve sat in mastering studios for years, and we felt the time is right to put our knowledge and experience into a studio of our own”.
The new studio (pictured) has been designed by Roger D’arcy (Recording Architecture), one of the most prolific studio architects in the world, with work for Abbey Road, Lenny Kravitz and The Cure to name but a few. Optimum’s two engineers, Shawn Jospeh and Matt Colton, have over thirteen years’ experience in the mastering field, and has worked for the likes of New Order, Jazzy Jeff, Primal Scream, Kylie Minougue, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and St. Etienne. Any interested artists and labels can contact the optimum-mastering crew at the below website.