Explore the world of professional mastering through an intimate interview with Felix Davis, son of legendary mastering engineer John Davis, as he shares his journey at London's prestigious Metropolis Studios. Discover how Felix carries forward his family's musical legacy while working on high-profile projects including Led Zeppelin remasters with Jimmy Page, learning the craft from the ground up as a studio runner, and developing his expertise in both analog and digital mastering techniques. Learn about the technical aspects of modern mastering including hybrid workflows that blend analog warmth with digital precision, signal chain configurations featuring Prism converters and premium outboard gear, and the strategic use of equipment like Maselec EQ, Avalon compressors, and Summit EQ. Gain insights into contemporary mastering challenges such as optimizing masters for various playback systems from high-end monitors to laptop speakers and mobile devices, working with immersive audio formats including Dolby Atmos, and balancing loudness standards while serving the musical content. Understand the cultural nuances of mastering for different markets, the importance of frequency balance particularly around 250 Hz for punch and impact, and professional approaches to managing sibilance and vocal clarity across different languages and musical styles. Examine the evolution of the mastering engineer's role in today's music industry, best practices for preparing mixes for mastering, and the philosophy behind making the mastering process collaborative and accessible rather than intimidating for artists and producers.

Syllabus

00:00 – Introduction at Metropolis Studios in Chiswick
00:06 – Felix on joining Metropolis and his father John Davis
00:14 – Working with Jimmy Page on the Led Zeppelin remasters
00:42 – Felix’s first paid job: quality checking Led Zeppelin CDs
01:07 – Remembering his father and continuing the Led Zeppelin cuts
01:26 – Advice from John Davis: “Jimmy wants it loud”
01:49 – Staying busy and building a career in mastering
02:09 – Starting out as a runner and learning from the ground up
02:35 – Inside Mastering Room 5 “Dylan”
02:47 – Hybrid workflow: blending analogue and digital
03:01 – Signal chain overview: Prism converters, desk and outboard
03:27 – Maselec EQ, Avalon compressor and Summit EQ explained
04:09 – Using analogue for tone and digital for precision
05:00 – Balancing colour, clarity and control
06:19 – Why Felix uses digital limiting for recall and flexibility
07:45 – Mastering engineer superstitions and favourite gear
09:19 – Tube gear, heat management and room workflow
09:41 – Moving from assistant to mastering engineer
09:47 – Monitoring with PMC and Audeze headphones
10:26 – Working remotely and checking mixes on headphones
10:48 – Dolby Atmos mastering downstairs at Metropolis
11:32 – Stereo vs 5.1 and immersive formats
12:26 – SPL headphone monitoring and crossfeed
13:08 – Spotting clicks and pops with headphones
13:15 – Favourite plugins: Ozone and FabFilter Pro-L2
13:45 – Pushing yourself creatively and avoiding habits
14:12 – Managing brightness and sibilance
15:13 – Tape, transformers and smoothing transients
15:32 – Cultural nuances in de-essing
16:08 – Avoiding “lisps” when mastering vocals
16:38 – Working on Chinese records with Paul
17:02 – Comparing converters: Prism vs Lavry Gold
17:32 – Keeping the chain consistent and reliable
18:20 – The 250 Hz conversation: low-mid weight and punch
19:27 – Why removing too much low-mid kills impact
20:34 – Mastering for TV and playback translation
21:02 – Masters optimised for laptop and phone speakers
21:22 – Steely Dan levels vs modern pop on Spotify
22:00 – Mastered for iTunes and Apple Digital Masters
22:59 – 96kHz workflow and high-resolution mastering
23:30 – Loudness philosophy: serving the song, not the meter
24:42 – Mono bass and using elliptical EQ
26:03 – Balancing width and punch in the low end
26:25 – Remembering John Davis’s MPG Awards
26:55 – Why mastering should never feel like “going to the dentist”
27:33 – Demystifying mastering and learning from experience
28:21 – The mastering engineer’s evolving role
31:10 – Preparing mixes for mastering
31:47 – Closing reflections