Xarc Mastering online, anyone used these guys yet? Cheap...

[tubedude]

www.xarcmastering.com
wondering if anyone has tried these guys out. Price is nice if they are good.

[no-sleep]

It does say they'll offer you 1 track mastered for free so you know what your paying for before you pay...

[sjoko2]

Interesting.
Especially as:
1. Their main mastering engineer's experience is in audio for film and television - a completely different field than mastering music for disk.
2. They do not show or say anything about their mastering equipment.
3. No "partners" they mention are record labels.
4. And now for the most essential point - whilst headway is being made in on-line transfers, so far the only real way of doing it with accuracy is via DSL lines, a peer-to-peer connection with each side having dedicated transfer equipment. Downloading to a server is thusfar NOT a viable option.

[kylen]

Also Lorenz has samples of their work - and could probably post more if specific examples were cited !

It's an on-line line world - yes ?

kylen

[ryanlikestorock]

I don't think it does anyone any good to come up with reasons why this company isn't doing the job properly. If people are happy with their service for the price, it'll work out for them. Regardless of whether or not we're ready for it, someone should be pushing the limits of technology in the feild of audio mastering. I'm glad someone out there is doing it.

[Blue Bear Sound]

Originally posted by ryanlikestorock
...someone should be pushing the limits of technology in the feild of audio mastering. I'm glad someone out there is doing it.

In what way are they "pushing the limits of technology"??????

[ryanlikestorock]

Well, maybe not pushing limits as much as just attempting new distribution methods within the limits that are available. If nobody has tried running a mastering company by sending wav files back and forth online, I'm glad someone is trying it. I don't have to like it or use it, but I'm glad the option is available to those who want it.

[sjoko2]

Originally posted by ryanlikestorock
If nobody has tried running a mastering company by sending wav files back and forth online, I'm glad someone is trying it. I don't have to like it or use it, but I'm glad the option is available to those who want it.

What I thought I explained quite clearly is that technology does NOT allow for master quality transfers other than those via peer-to-peer DSL connection, using specialist equipment on both sides.
This is not a perhaps, maybe or anything like that, but a fact.

If it was possible, don't you think everyone would do it? Would save us a small fortune on next day carriers and the like.

There are many companies, including Avid / Digidesign, working very hard to establish viable on-line services. I can assure you that, the minute they find an answer, you'd hear from them loud and clear, as we all would like to use it.

I have done quite a few recordings with "remote" artists, the last one using a well-known singer who went into Estafan's studio in Miami to lay down her vocal on a music we were tracking here. Using the right gear, this went very well. Would I send a master through the same channels? Hell no.
Also consider that a majority of voice-over work is done remote, all using peer-to-peer DSL connections and specialist equipment. We have such a set-up here, associated costs are around $50 a month subscription for the lines, patching and encoding / decoding gear totalling a fair few thousands of $$'s.
I can assure you that the minute I could do away with that and just dump stuff on a server - I would, as would everybody else in the business involved in audio.

[ryanlikestorock]

What are the limitations here that prevent "master quality" from being maintained over a high speed internet connection? Is it something I could hear? I've transfered WAV files over an internet connection before and didn't notice any sound difference from those same WAV files send by CD in the mail.

Now, just because I didn't hear it doesn't mean it isn't there... I guess that's why I'm asking.

In any case, I think the online mastering attempt is a good one from a business perspective. I like seeing people try new things, even if we're not quite ready for it.

[Slackmaster2K]

There is absolutely *no* reason why wave files cannot be transfered over the internet. There will be no quality loss. None. Zero. Nada. Ever.

Over high speed internet connection mastering quality wave files can be transfered easily. Not instantly or even quickly, but easily, in a matter of hours.

It's not ridiculous for a mastering house to offer this kind of service either, and does not require a "peer to peer" transfer. Intermediate servers on huge connections and high bandwidth can be leased nowadays for a few dollars a day. The client transfers to the server, and the mastering house downloads later. Reverse the process for transfer back. Simple, and can be automated with minimal modest scripting knowledge.

Whether XARC is a good place I have no idea, but it's not wise to doubt them just because they have an FTP server.

Slackmaster 2000

[caryindy]

Originally posted by sjoko2
Interesting.
Especially as:
<snip>
4. And now for the most essential point - whilst headway is being made in on-line transfers, so far the only real way of doing it with accuracy is via DSL lines, a peer-to-peer connection with each side having dedicated transfer equipment. Downloading to a server is thusfar NOT a viable option.

Why do you think this is true? Mastering engineers have been here and commented on this recently. This IS a viable option.