Des Grey Mastering

Mastering select tracks for Charles Webster & The South African Connection: ‘From The Hill’ The release of Charles Webster & The South African Connection – From The Hill (Stay True Sounds) marks a pivotal moment in the global deep house and jazz-fusion landscape. Recorded at the historic Flame Studios inside South Africa’s Constitution Hill, the album’s sonic DNA is rooted in political history and emotional weight. Charles Webster – From The Hill | Stereo + Vinyl Mastering About Charles Webster Charles Webster is a revered figure in the global electronic music scene, widely considered the “king of electronic soul.”With a career spanning over four decades, he has moved seamlessly between deep house, jazz, downtempo, and broken beat, maintaining a reputation for sophisticated, emotive production that transcends club trends The Aliases & Labels Webster is famously prolific, having released music under over 30 different pseudonyms. Some of his most iconic projects include: Presence: Known for the classic album All Systems Gone (1999), which received a rare 11/10 rating from DJ Magazine. Furry Phreaks: Responsible for deep house staples like “Soothe,” featuring longtime collaborator Terra Deva. Megatonk: The alias behind the 1992 club anthem “Belgium.” He has founded several influential labels, including Love From San Francisco, Remote, and legendary imprint, Miso Records. At Des Grey Mastering, our task was to preserve that visceral atmosphere, tone and feel across all delivery formats, with a specific focus on the 2xLP Vinyl release. From Prison Cells to High-Fidelity: The Selection Process Mastering an album produced and partially recorded in a former prison cell—where Nelson Mandela and other political icons were once held—requires a unique approach to feel preservation. The Goal: Maintain the “air” and natural ambiance of the Flame Studios environment and the specific tone Charles Webster was pursuing, while ensuring the tracks felt cohesive despite having multiple collaborators. The Choice: We utilized a hybrid analog chain—specifically the Manley Massive Passive and Crane Song Ibis—to add harmonic depth without clouding the intricate, infused textures of tracks like “Rain.” The choice between following an “industry standard” versus following the intention behind the music is a crossover where many engineers tend to sway toward the wrong end. Switching off the analyzers and, most importantly, switching off the need to process music with your eyes will lead to a more musical outcome in the majority of sessions. It’s all about the music. Fans don’t care what the LUFS numbers are or what the latest “tips and tricks” you used were—it’s all about feeling. While mastering this record, “feel” was at the forefront of our decision-making process. The amount of harmonics introduced by the Crane Song Ibis on a specific band, combined with the tube saturation of the Manley Vari-Mu and the musical curves of the Massive Passive, all contributed to a sound that avoids the usual “make it loud and bright” approach. Instead, it provides a sense of warmth and nostalgia that many of the tracks benefited from. With the tracks ultimately being cut to vinyl, loudness was not a major concern. While keeping sibilance and phase in line is non-negotiable for the format, leaving the dynamics free is ultimately what gives this record its unique, breathable feel. Charles Webster & Allan Nicoll Charles Webster + Sio Charles Webster + FKA MASH   Critical Acclaim & Reviews The industry response to the album’s production quality has been overwhelming. “Quality oozes from every pore of this record… typically for Charles Webster, this is cool deep house music but with something extra.” — Arcana.fm “The quality threshold is extremely high throughout… it is magnificently brooding, and the rolling beats prove the ideal match.” — Ben Hogwood, Switched On “A vivid and physical reimagining that recentres jazz’s Arabic roots while pushing them somewhere thrillingly new.” — Juno Records Review   https://youtu.be/sJ4kycJPG8I?si=2GMZMWhsNWV1irjE  Technical Specifications Project Name: Charles Webster & The South African Connection – From The Hill Label: Stay True Sounds (STS228LP) Mastering Studio: Des Grey Mastering, Johannesburg, South Africa & Engineered By Chymamusique Format Deliverables: High-Res Digital,Vinyl Masters. Key Gear Used: Manley Massive Passive (Tube EQ), Crane Song HEDD (Conversion), Crane Song Ibis (EQ) About Des Grey: With over two decades in the music industry, Des Grey is a seasoned mastering engineer specialising in precision audio enhancement for artists, labels, and producers. Known for a meticulous ear and a passion for sonic excellence, Des offers multi genre mastering—from hip-hop and electronic to rock and jazz.  Credits: Worked with independent artists & major-label projects. View Credits Specialties: Dynamic range optimisation, loudness balancing, and streaming-ready formats. Philosophy: “Music Should Feel Good—enhancing the tone, respecting the artist intent.” Based in South Africa, Des Grey Mastering is committed to helping artists achieve professional, competitive sound for digital platforms, vinyl, and beyond. Recent Clients: Massh, Keinemusik, Black Motion, Mi Casa, Thando Zide, FiNE Music, Busiswa, Money Badoo, Solo, Charles Webster  Other Releases we have mastered for Charles Webster. Decision Time – Outtakes Vol 1 by Charles Webster | Stereo Mastering Decision Time – Remixes Part 4 by Charles Webster | Stereo Mastering I’ll Heal Your Body (2025 edits/re-masters) by Positive | Stereo Mastering Decision Time – Remixes Part 3 by Charles Webster | Stereo Mastering City Of Angels – You Make Me Feel | Stereo Mastering

Nomination for Best Engineered Album at the South African Music Awards (SAMA31) In 2025 the Black Motion’s album The Cradle of Art,  received a nomination for Best Engineered Album at the South African Music Awards (SAMA31). The album was also nominated for Best Produced Album and Best Dance Album, highlighting its high-quality production and sound engineering.  Black Motion – Cradle of Art | Stereo Mastering  Black Motion, one of South Africa‘s most iconic house music duos, has been relatively quiet throughout 2024. Their last major project, Rebirth of the Drum in 2023, left fans eagerly waiting for a new release. As the final months of 2024 approach, the duo has made a powerful return with their latest offering, The Cradle of Art. This 16-track album is a collection of innovative house music that reaffirms why Black Motion remains a dominant force in the South African music industry. The Cradle of Art is a sonic journey that blends the duo’s signature Afro-house rhythms with fresh, dancefloor-inspired beats. Every track is progressive and tailored for the dance scene, creating an atmosphere of melodic bliss. In true Black Motion fashion, the album features an array of talented collaborators, adding depth and variety to the project. Artists like Spice Drums, Drip Gogo, SthiboDeBeat, Boontle RSA, Philharmonic, Nathaniel, Msongi, and many others contribute their unique flavors to the tracks. Standout features include powerful vocalists like Toshi, Nokwazi, and MissP, as well as contributions from well-known producers and musicians such as DJ Sbu, Mörda, and Mac G. Des Grey approach to Mastering The Cradle of Art for Black Motion  This album allowed Des Grey Mastering to fine-tune its Mastering from Separates approach, which later became one of our most in-demand services. For the technical nerds: it’s a multi-bus approach that focuses on retaining the original vibe and tone while offering a clean, modern presentation. This is achieved by using minimal actual processing, relying instead on gain management to sculpt the overall sound, while the master bus processing provides that final sheen many artists long for. Real tubes matter; the inconsistency and variability of electricity running through electronics is a real thing. We set up the analog chain to work across the entire album with minimal changes needed, ensuring a consistent tone and feel that gives the listener a cohesive experience. The mastering chain starts with dither into the Crane Song HEDDdigital-to-analog converter, with harmonic generation set at the DAC. We used a touch of the “Tape” setting to emulate the characteristics of magnetic recording tape, introducing odd harmonic distortion that increases with signal level. This was used in conjunction with the “Pentode” setting, which creates mostly third-harmonic information along with some higher-order odd harmonics—similar to driving a pentode tube into controlled distortion. This tends to make the audio sound brighter and brings out more detail. Next in the chain was the Manley Massive Passive, known for its midrange magic, providing a gentle balance adjustment. This was followed by the Manley Vari Mu; no actual gain reduction was happening here, but rather we used the input and output gain to shape the tone into a “snappy” Stam Audio SSL clone compressor for bounce and movement. The analog-to-digital converter was not clipped, as loudness was not the ultimate goal and maintaining transient information was a priority. Once back “in the box,” gentle limiting was provided by the Ozone Maximizer into an expander, and finally into the FabFilter Pro-L 2 for the final push. Our goal is never to change the balance of the mix provided. If you tore the Black Motion sound apart to focus on every instrument, the sum would sound nothing like a Black Motion record. It’s about reframing the sound, not reinventing it. Black Motion – The Cradle of Art SAMA Nominated Album | Best Engineered Album Master from Separates In the traditional mastering world, there are two paths: a Stereo Master (one file) or a Stem Master (usually 4–6 grouped files like Drums, Bass, Instruments, and Vocals). At Des Grey Mastering, I’ve introduced a third, more surgical approach: Mastering from Track Separates. While this might sound like “mixing,” it is a fundamentally different philosophy. It’s not about changing your creative vision; it’s about Gain Management, Phase Integrity, and Sonic Flexibility BOOK A MASTRING FROM SEPARATES SESSION   About Des Grey: With over two decades in the music industry, Des Grey is a seasoned mastering engineer specialising in precision audio enhancement for artists, labels, and producers. Known for a meticulous ear and a passion for sonic excellence, Des offers multi genre mastering—from hip-hop and electronic to rock and jazz.  Credits: Worked with independent artists & major-label projects. View Credits Specialties: Dynamic range optimisation, loudness balancing, and streaming-ready formats. Philosophy: “Music Should Feel Good—enhancing the tone, respecting the artist intent.” Based in South Africa, Des Grey Mastering is committed to helping artists achieve professional, competitive sound for digital platforms, vinyl, and beyond. Recent Clients: Massh, Keinemusik, Black Motion, Mi Casa, Thando Zide, FiNE Music, Busiswa, Money Badoo, Solo, Charles Webster  Contact details below.

The Sonic Alchemy of “All I Got”: A Deep Dive into Massh, Ninae, Adam Port, Keinemusik, and the Art of Des Grey Mastering In the ever-evolving landscape of electronic music, certain tracks emerge not just as songs, but as cultural touchstones, embodying the spirit of a moment while pushing the boundaries of sound. “All I Got” by Massh & Adam Port featuring Ninae, released under the esteemed Mordainthehouse collective, is one such masterpiece. More than just a sum of its parts, this track is a testament to collaborative genius, the power of a distinct sonic identity, and the meticulous craft of audio mastering. From its highly anticipated release on September 27th, 2024, on Madorasindahouse Records, “All I Got” quickly became a celebrated staple in sets around the globe, making memorable appearances, notably in Adam Port’s set at The Lot Radio in NYC. It is a track that effortlessly fuses the cathartic emotionality that Adam Port is known for with authentic South African soul, a testament to the powerful collaboration at its core. Massh. Ninea. Adam Port. Keinemusik | Stereo + Vinyl Mastering The Architects of Sound Massh, a name that resonates deeply within the Afro House scene, brings the raw, soulful energy that anchors “All I Got.” Ninae: The Voice of Emotion and Connection. The ethereal and captivating vocals of Ninae are undeniably one of the standout features of “All I Got.” Ninae’s vocal performance is not about overt technical prowess but rather about raw emotion and impeccable phrasing. Adam Polaszek, known professionally as Adam Port, is a German DJ and record producer who needs little introduction to anyone familiar with the melodic and Afro house genres. As a founding member of the highly influential Keinemusik collective. Keinemusik, which translates to “no music” in German, is arguably one of the most influential and innovative collectives in electronic music today. Founded in 2009 by Adam Port, Rampa, &ME, Reznik, and artist Monja Gentschow, Keinemusik is more than just a record label or a DJ crew; it’s a philosophy, a lifestyle, and a distinct artistic movement. Their name itself is a playful nod to a mother’s critique that their early sounds were “no music,” which they ironically adopted as their trademark. The Mastering The “less is more” approach featured heavily during this mastering session. The chain was kept as simple as possible, and most of the processing was used to negate the effects of the limiter for the digital release. Maximum loudness was not a concern; as always, we used the Manley Massive Passive to help the vocals sit better in the mix while ensuring the vocal tone remained unaffected. With no clipping or aggressive EQ in sight, a touch of tube saturation and EQ ensured the vibe and intent of the music were respected. For the vinyl version, we removed the limiter completely, with the goal being to maximize dynamics and transient information. The more I work with analog, the more I trust in “letting the gear do the work.” These boxes have a tone and presence unique to themselves, and at times, simply choosing the right combination is all that is needed to make an artist’s work shine. About Des Grey: With over two decades in the music industry, Des Grey is a seasoned mastering engineer specialising in precision audio enhancement for artists, labels, and producers. Known for a meticulous ear and a passion for sonic excellence, Des offers multi genre mastering—from hip-hop and electronic to rock and jazz.  Credits: Worked with independent artists & major-label projects. View Credits Specialties: Dynamic range optimisation, loudness balancing, and streaming-ready formats. Philosophy: “Music Should Feel Good—enhancing the tone, respecting the artist intent.” Based in South Africa, Des Grey Mastering is committed to helping artists achieve professional, competitive sound for digital platforms, vinyl, and beyond. Recent Clients: Massh, Keinemusik, Black Motion, Mi Casa, Thando Zide, FiNE Music, Busiswa, Money Badoo, Solo, Charles Webster  Contact details below.

Inside the Mastering Chain: Essential Tools We Use at DesGrey Mastering At DesGrey Mastering, the final stage of your music’s journey – mastering – is where your meticulously crafted mix transforms into a polished, competitive, and “Release Ready” track. This transformation isn’t just about making it louder; it’s about balance, clarity, punch, and ensuring your music translates perfectly across every listening system. Achieving this requires a carefully curated set of tools, meticulously chosen and expertly operated. We call this sequence of equipment and software our “mastering chain.” It’s more than just a collection of gear; it’s a strategic pathway designed to enhance your music without compromising its integrity. Let’s pull back the curtain and explore some of the essential tools that form the backbone of our mastering process. The Foundation: Our Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) Every mastering session begins in a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) In our case Pro Tools. This environment allows us to: Load High-Resolution Files: Work with your WAV or AIFF files at their native sample rate and bit depth. Precise Editing: Handle subtle fades, track sequencing for albums, and noise reduction with surgical accuracy. Plugin Hosting & Routing: Integrate our suite of digital processors and route signals through our analog gear. The heart: Metric Halo takes control. At the heart of our workflow, the Metric Halo ULN-2882 serves as the undisputed control center and the purest digital brain of our studio. Far more than just an interface, its robust, integrated DSP engine handles critical routing, sum/difference processing, and ultra-transparent volume control entirely in the digital domain, ensuring no degradation of audio. Crucially, in our setup, we bypass its analog inputs and outputs, leveraging its  processing power to provide the cleanest, most uncolored monitoring control available. This purely digital signal flow guarantees that every decision made during mastering is based on an absolutely pristine and accurate representation of your music. The Monitoring System. The Vivid K1 speakers powered by Hypex amplification. This combination is nothing short of amazing and utterly critical to our mastering process. The Vivid K1s, with their unique cabinet design and meticulously engineered drivers, deliver an incredibly transparent, uncolored, and detailed soundstage. Paired with the pristine power and pinpoint accuracy of Hypex Class D amplifiers, they reveal every nuance, every subtle frequency balance, and every minute dynamic shift in your mix. This unparalleled clarity allows us to make truly informed, precise decisions, ensuring your music is mastered with a level of accuracy that would be impossible on lesser systems. The Converters In the pursuit of uncompromising audio quality, our mastering studio integrates a trifecta of world-class converters: the Crane Song HEDD 192, the Benchmark DAC1, and the Lavry Blue. The Crane Song HEDD 192 is a cornerstone of our analog loop, renowned for its pristine conversion and unique ability to impart musically pleasing harmonic enhancement (Triode, Pentode, Tape emulation) into the digital domain, adding warmth and depth when desired, effectively bridging the gap between digital precision and analog soul. For our critical main monitoring, the Benchmark DAC1 stands out with its legendary transparency and “UltraLock™” jitter immunity, ensuring that what we hear through our Vivid K1 speakers is an unadulterated, bit-perfect representation of your music, revealing every minute detail and nuance. Complementing this, the Lavry Blue converters handle our headphone and subwoofer feeds, providing another layer of reference-grade accuracy and clarity, crucial for meticulously assessing low-end translation and subtle spatial information. Together, these converters form an extraordinary chain, offering unparalleled sonic insight and versatility that is truly amazing for mastering, empowering us to craft masters that are both technically flawless and artistically compelling The analog Loop – Its all about TONE ! Our analog loop is where the magic of tone and vibe truly comes alive, meticulously woven into your tracks when their character demands it. Anchoring this exquisite chain is the Manley Massive Passive, a passive EQ revered for its organic, musical shaping and rich, expansive sound that can imbue warmth, clarity, or air with unparalleled grace. Complementing its broad strokes is the Crane Song Ibis, an incredibly versatile and transparent EQ that offers surgical precision for detailed tonal adjustments, yet can also add a distinct, smooth musicality. Finally, the legendary Manley Vari-Mu compressor serves as our dynamic sculptor, known for its ability to add incredible glue, depth, and a luxurious sonic sheen, capable of making tracks feel more cohesive and vibrant. This trio of world-class analog processors allows us to impart a unique warmth, richness, and professional polish that simply cannot be replicated in the digital realm, ensuring your music possesses an undeniable character and impactful vibe. It’s About the “Why,” Not Just the “What” While we’ve highlighted some of the essential tools in our mastering chain, it’s crucial to understand that the tools themselves are only as good as the hands and ears guiding them. The true value lies in the experience, the critical listening, and the artistic intuition that determines how and why each tool is applied. At DesGrey Mastering, our deep understanding of these tools, combined with years of dedicated experience and a finely tuned listening environment, allows us to unlock the full potential of your music. We choose the right tool for the right job, ensuring your track receives the precise attention it needs to sound its absolute best. About Des Grey: With over two decades in the music industry, Des Grey is a seasoned mastering engineer specialising in precision audio enhancement for artists, labels, and producers. Known for a meticulous ear and a passion for sonic excellence, Des offers multi genre mastering—from hip-hop and electronic to rock and jazz.  Credits: Worked with independent artists & major-label projects. View Credits Specialties: Dynamic range optimisation, loudness balancing, and streaming-ready formats. Philosophy: “Music Should Feel Good—enhancing the tone, respecting the artist intent.” Based in South Africa, Des Grey Mastering is committed to helping artists achieve professional, competitive sound for digital platforms, vinyl, and beyond. Recent Clients: Massh, Keinemusik, Black Motion, Mi Casa, Thando Zide, FiNE Music, Busiswa, Money Badoo, Solo, Charles Webster  Contact details below.

Stereophile Review by John Marks   I’ve had Vivid Audio’s Oval K1 loudspeaker here for several months. Over many years, the only other speaker brands I’ve written about as much as I have Vivid have been Wilson Benesch and Shahinian Acoustics, whose speakers I still revere and can recommend without reservation—to the right listener. But Vivid’s high-tech sorcery has raised the bar. The Vivids I’ve had here are among the best loudspeakers I’ve ever heard, and that’s a consensus that seems headed in the direction of critical mass. Vivid’s designer, Laurence Dickie, is an alumnus of another British speaker manufacturer, Bowers & Wilkins, and was the chief designer of B&W’s flagship model, the Nautilus. Dickie’s designs for Vivid aim to achieve extraordinary performance by minimizing cabinet resonances and diffraction through the use of unique cabinet shapes and high-tech materials and fabrication techniques. He also aims to achieve uncolored, distortion-free sound by making all drivers from the same proprietary alloy, and by keeping driver behavior as pistonic as possible through careful driver and crossover design. (For more details of Vivid’s backstory, see Wes Phillips’s review of Vivid’s range-topping Giya G1 in the July 2010 Stereophile, and my coverage of their entry-level Oval V1.5 in my October 2010 column) I was curious as to what Vivid would offer in the model above the wonderful Oval B1, which John Atkinson extensively reviewed and measured in the October 2011 issue. The B1 costs $15,000/pair, the K1 $25,000/pair. The only apparent differences are that the K1 has two woofers each on its front and rear panels (the B1 has single woofers fore and aft), and its cabinet extends lower to accommodate them. Correspondingly, the K1’s integral pedestal is shorter than the B1’s, its cabinet taller. The two models have identical tweeter and midrange drivers. I expected to report that the K1 is just like the B1, but with more bass. While that’s true as far as it goes, it’s less than the whole story. I was taken aback by how much more I liked the K1’s midrange than the B1’s—and I liked the B1’s midrange a lot. One track I’ve listened to often over the past 25 years when evaluating equipment but don’t believe I’ve mentioned in print—perhaps because it begins well, then suffers from overproduction—is the poignant ballad “Arrow,” from Cheryl Wheeler’s eponymous debut album (LP/CD, North Star W0001), in which she expresses the wish “to give myself as truly as an arrow flies / In windless skies.” Very nice.   A little more than the usual moon-and-June is going on here. “I’d fool myself and gladly, just to feel I was / In love,” the singer admits, as well as “Maybe love is not as gentle as my memory / Maybe time and wishful half-remembered fantasy are the greatest part.” In short, “Arrow” is that rare commodity: an adult song about love. The track begins well, with two well-recorded acoustic guitars delivering both a heartbeat-like rhythmic pulse and a web of counterpoint to Wheeler’s pensively undemonstrative, folkie singing. All of which the Oval K1s just reveled in. However, perhaps out of concern that that arrangement would grow monotonous over the course of three verses, the producer ordered up some synthesizer and drum-machine effects that might have been with-it in 1986, when Cheryl Wheeler was released, but that have not aged well. Even at the time, some persons of discernment and taste were unsmiling. If memory serves, Michael Fremer, writing in The Abso!ute Sound, likened the result to doggie diarrhea. I wouldn’t go that far; I still listen to the track, loving the first half, then wincing a bit when the production loses confidence in the song and the artist. Wheeler must have thought so too; she remixed “Arrow” for her third album. In that arrangement, Mark O’Connor contributes a violin solo. (Mary Chapin Carpenter contributed backup vocals to other tracks on Cheryl Wheeler.) Wheeler’s career as a performer never achieved critical mass; she remains a minority enthusiasm. Perhaps that was because, by the time Wheeler got a record contract, “confessional” singer-songwriters of the James Taylor/Joni Mitchell school were no longer the height of musical fashion; popular taste was moving toward bands whose music had more propulsion and surface sheen, and less angst; from Pet Shop Boys to Duran Duran. However, the quality of Wheeler’s songwriting attracted enough interest that there were some noteworthy covers, the most successful of which was Dan Seals’s cover of “Addicted” (also from Cheryl Wheeler), which reached No.1 on Billboard‘s Country chart. There’s a lovely live performance by Wheeler of “Arrow” on YouTube, introduced by Chet Atkins, with a backing band that includes O’Connor. North Star Records has closed its doors, but Cheryl Wheeler is available on the used market, and her third album, Circles and Arrows, can be found in the iTunes Store; its remix of “Arrow” is available as an MP3 single. Another favorite female-vocal disc that showed off the Oval K1’s midrange magic—and one that I have previously recommended—is Mary Black’s No Frontiers (CD, Gift Horse G2-10002; I haven’t heard the LP). Black is more of a singer than Wheeler, in a broader range of styles. The title song and the eerie “Columbus” are excellent examples of her approach, while her cover of Bacharach and David’s “I’ll Say a Little Prayer” may strike you as charming or as off the mark. Regardless, No Frontiers, released in 1989, has aged well. A belated new discovery for me is Charlie Haden and Pat Metheny’s Beyond the Missouri Sky (Short Stories), from 1997 (CD, Verve 314 537 130). I became aware of this wonderful recording while listening to Pandora.com, which I think of more as an interactive jukebox than an Internet radio station. I asked Pandora to create a “Bill Evans and Jim Hall” station. Because Evans and Hall recorded only two albums together, Pandora’s algorithms set about choosing music of the same vibe, which I’d characterize as “pensive but not necessarily depressive.” In short order I was captivated by Metheny and Haden’s restrained acoustic-guitar-and-double-bass treatment of Ennio Morricone’s “Love Theme” from the film Cinema Paradiso. I sure hope there’s overdubbing on … Read more