panicStudios — Audio Mastering near Asheville, NC
Audio Mastering
John McCaig
Mastering Engineer
MUSIC IS MORE
IMPORTANT…
…than most people give credit.
It is more than a soundtrack to one's social media post, background sounds for studying, or even something to just break the silence. You're here because you believe, like I do, that music is an essential art form that reaches deep inside our humanity and ignites what makes us real.
In this modern time of AI dominated musical technology, I am here to bring the indispensable human touch to your finalized music. Send me a message to chat about your next project, or book a session below.
Book a session →About
A Little More About Me
I believe high quality mastering should be affordable to everybody because it is a very important and often misunderstood step in producing an album. Luckily, mastering is all I do.
A great mastering engineer must have a good set of ears plus plenty of experience listening to a wide variety of music. I listen for and correct the slightest deviation in tone, balance, or wavelength before exporting your finished product. My carefully curated set of tools also ensures I get the exact sound I want reliably and efficiently.
I am a musician too. I have been playing, making, sampling, mixing and synthesizing music all my life. I've released music as effacer on Asthmatic Kitty Records, audiobulb, Kikapu, and panicRecordings, and as fell on en:peg digital, Neo Ouija, and Papergoose records.
I received my BFA from the University of Washington in Digital Signal Processing and Music Composition in 1997. After becoming increasingly interested in Audio Mastering, panicStudios began in 2001.
I was born and raised in Seattle Washington and after forty years in the Northwest, left to travel the country for a few years, and then relocated to the Blue Ridge Mountains, just outside of Asheville, NC. In addition to the beauty and quietness of the mountains, I enjoy riding my bicycle and helping my wife with her farm. I also still buy and sell gear on a regular basis — see what's in the room.
FAQ
Where?
The studio is located about 20 miles north of Asheville NC in a small town called Barnardsville. I encourage attended sessions and actually prefer them! However, if you're not in the area, I can easily work with you online.
Turn around?
Normal turn around time is 7–10 business days (Monday–Friday). Need something sooner? Please contact me about your special deadlines.
File formats
WAV or AIFF at 16, 20, 24 or 32-bit, any sample rate up to 192kHz. Feel free to leave your sample rate at whatever native rate you are currently working at. Please compress your files before uploading for a quicker and safer transfer.
Analog tape, DAT or CD?
Transfers from tape, DAT and CD are possible by arrangement. I no longer keep a tape machine in the room, so there is a rental charge for the playback deck and a little extra lead time — contact me before booking.
Master CDR and DDPi
When preparing your music for release on a physical CD, a proper master must be made — either a Master CDR or a DDP image, properly sequenced, coded and checked for errors. If your music will only be delivered digitally (Spotify, Apple Music, Bandcamp), there is no need for one.
Giving credit
Please use "Mastered by John McCaig at panicStudios" on your liner notes. It's John McCaig — no "r", don't forget the "g". The studio is panicStudios (only the "S" in Studios is capitalized). Please do not refer to us as Panic Mastering.
Upload
After booking you'll receive a secure upload link. If you'd rather use your own file transfer service, that's fine too — just send the link.
More detail on mastering, CD masters & DDP and vinyl pre-masters.
Partial Discography
Selected credits spanning two decades of mastering work across genres from Appalachian folk to experimental electronic.
View at AllMusic.com →Mastering
Master CDR / DDPi
Physical CD master or DDPi image for disc replication. Required if you are producing a physical CD.
$100 flat
Vinyl Pre-Master
Specialized mastering optimized for the vinyl cutting process. Required if your project is going to vinyl.
$100 flat
Contact
Questions about a project? Want to talk through the process before booking? Just reach out.
Sent — thanks.
I read everything myself and usually reply within a business day.
Barnardsville, NC · 20 mi north of Asheville