Almost three years have passed since we last had the pleasure of interviewing Duo Mastering (Cro, Shindy, Mike Singer, Morgen, DXVE, etc.) in Hamburg for audio.tips. In the meantime a lot has happened, which is why in this two‑part interview we speak with the founders about, among other things, analog outboard gear, AI in music production and songwriting with production budgets.
Today we meet Farzad Rahnavard in Hamburg. It’s not only the magical place where most of the mastering for Cro’s Trip album and the Spacejam EP was created, but also the place where Farzad lives with his loving family. Up in the attic on roughly 20 m² you’ll find the Duo Mastering studio. A mastering studio that, despite the unusual room structure — which resembles a pyramid — impresses with optimized acoustics and high‑quality analog outboard gear.
How Farzad managed to turn this space into a state‑of‑the‑art mastering studio? That and many more exciting stories you’ll hear in today’s interview.
Q: Hey Farzad, great that we could meet today! Tell our readers what’s been happening and which new gear is now in the studio.
Thanks for coming today! As you know, over the past year we mastered a ton of songs, were speakers at Audiowerk & Elysia at beatcon 2023 and forged numerous new partnerships.
Three out of four Duo Mastering studios are now equipped with new gear from our partners Elysia, SPL and WES Audio. In my studio you’ll now find an Elysia Alpha Compressor, an Elysia Museq as well as two Elysia Skulpter Preamps. These units are truly excellent and in my opinion mastermind Ruben Tilgner from Elysia is a genius of our time, because the gear he develops simply sounds incredible.
Also installed is the WES Audio 500‑series module line, which I can fully control digitally via the Titan.
The SPL PQ Mastering Equalizer and the SPL Iron Variable Mu compressor have been in use for some time. Oh yes, and my studio now also features a Prism Sound Dream ADA‑128. The converter now runs via Dante and the protective film is still on it. laughs
Q: Why did you choose exactly this gear?
As an engineer you’re always looking for that next device that pulls the last few percent out of a mix or master, so naturally we keep an eye on the market and what might help us reach our goal faster. Our newest finds are from Elysia, SPL and WES Audio.
We’ve been using some of these units for years and believe that a healthy mix of digital and analog tools delivers the best results. That these manufacturers strive for perfection in their gear, design and sound — you simply hear it. And since our clients and labels demand a high standard, only the best counts for us.
Simply the fact that I can digitally control the WES Audio 500‑series modules and thus enjoy a fast recall function is brilliant. In combination with my other devices and high‑quality digital tools, I’ve found a chain in my studio that perfectly blends efficiency and sound.
Q: Tell us more about that.
I fell especially for the Elysia Alpha Compressor. It’s pretty much the holy grail of compressors, especially when it comes to discrete Class‑A hardware compressors. In my opinion, nothing currently beats it.
I’ve heard all kinds of devices, but when you buy something you never want to sell again, then it’s simply the Alpha Compressor. What it can do is unreal.
The Elysia Museq is the perfect counterpart to the Alpha Compressor and the cherry on the top. It colours the material so musically, making the music instantly more alive and deeper.
We’ve been using the SPL gear for a long time and it was already used in the final mastering of Trip. The entire mastering suite is in my studio and the PQ is an absolute masterpiece. Especially when you want to pull out interfering frequencies. I haven’t heard anything better in the analog domain.
The new WES Audio 500‑series format is gear that takes my efficiency to a new level. With Titan I have linked all the modules and can control them digitally. A parametric EQ, a passive EQ, a VCA compressor and a vari‑mu compressor — so Hyperion, Prometheus, Dione, Reha. All in a refined chassis and with a dedicated power supply so the modules get the power they need.
They’re purely analog, but can be controlled digitally. Nowadays everything is so fast‑paced and if a client needs a new revision, then being able to load your settings and presets at the push of a button is simply super useful.
Q: How does Duo Mastering work in the mastering process?
We like to work hybrid and I believe that most others do so now as well. That means we use both analog outboard gear and digital tools. A healthy mixture simply achieves the best results.
When we receive the mix, the team and I consider what we can control or polish and then we start from there. Typically we work in‑the‑box initially and then using a good D/A converter we bring the audio into the analog world. We’re not twisting the sound for the sake of it — we’re always working for the music and the artist.
Q: What would you say makes a good master for an artist?
When we get a client’s request it’s usually about stereo width and spatial depth. The frequency distribution depends heavily on the genre and the song itself. The loudness and thus the translation must simply work — meaning it fits all streaming platforms, and still sounds great in the car or on the phone whether listened to quietly or loudly. If the artist can get excited about their own song then you’ve done everything right.
Q: Do you have favourite digital tools?
One company that codes with exceptional ear for sound and thus really appeals to me is Pulsar Modular. I’m a beta‑tester of their audio tools and I’m truly impressed. They have a huge pool of engineers, songwriters and producers who constantly test the tools and provide feedback. New ideas for updates always come out of that.
Q: Which analog outboard gear is currently your top three?
laughs Oh man… So number one, the Alpha, then the SPL PQ and then the Reha from WES Audio. If I were to go to a desert island and could only take one device, I’d probably take the Elysia Alpha Compressor with me. It’s simply ultra‑versatile. It has a level filter, a soft‑clipper, is transformer‑free, has feed‑forward/feedback technology, auto‑release and auto‑attack. That’s seriously wild… Mid/side. Link. Unlink. It’s very, very versatile. So, number one I’d say: Elysia Alpha Compressor.
Q: Was there a specific tool that made the difference in Cro’s final productions?
Hmm, I believe so. Back then, during Trip, I didn’t have some of the devices yet, so I think it was the SPL gear that made the final difference.
They feature 120‑volt technology and therefore have incredible headroom. You can push them with extreme gain without distortion. So even if you’re already loud in the digital domain, you can still go into the analog world — which you can’t do with many other devices. These units also create stereo width and a phantom centre. It’s hard to describe, but in my opinion they make a small but significant difference..
Q: You recently held an event with Audiosteps and SPL where you demonstrated use‑cases of the gear and explained them. How does such an event work?
These events are pretty amazing, because you not only get information but especially you get to test and hear the gear live. The participants were totally impressed when we played the end result with and without analog gear, because the special thing was that we took the gear we used —SPL PQ and SPL Iron — and emulated them in realtime using the corresponding Plugin Alliance software.
We then disabled the plugins and ran the exact same settings through the hardware. The difference was huge — not just audible, but also tangible.
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Q: Who makes up Duo Mastering and what does Duo Mastering do?
Duo Mastering consisted until 2020 of songwriter/artist/engineer Tonee Jukeboxx and myself. As Beshko became part of the team, recently Tayib Thomas also joined, who with us runs the Audio Engineering Coaching (AEC). We’re extremely happy because he is a composer, mixing and mastering engineer and the team is truly well complemented.
From songwriting, composing, producing, recording, to mixing & mastering — Duo Mastering can support your audio production from A to Z. Interested parties can gladly submit an inquiry via our website to discuss their project.
Q: What is the Audio Engineering Coaching?
We thought about how we can help engineers and producers finish their projects successfully — and from that came the Audio Engineering Coaching (AEC). It’s a live coaching where you can learn everything you need. You simply apply on our homepage and describe your challenge, for example “What’s missing in my mix?” or “How do I bring my mastering to the next level?”. Via livestream we then show you how we approach it in your studio and with your monitor setup. The students are mostly, I’d say 99 % of the time, very excited because you can do it from home and don’t have to go anywhere. So if you want to learn how Duo Mastering works, this Coaching is exactly right for you.
Q: Which monitors do you use in your studio and which do you recommend?
The choice of monitors depends heavily on your listening habits and on the acoustic conditions too.
Back then when Markus Bertram from mbakustik measured the room with me, three monitors were shortlisted and we eventually chose the Barefoot MM26.
In the meantime I also have a pair of Auratone 5C as a reference in the studio, kindly provided by Audiowerk.
Even Quincy Jones listened to Michael Jackson songs on Auratones. If the music and the feeling still get across in mono then you’ve won.
Q: How do you believe audio mastering will change in the future and what challenges face audio engineers?
AI is indeed a cool buzzword at the moment, but we’ve been using artificial intelligence for some time now to our advantage. In my view it would be foolish and intolerant to ignore this technology. Everyone should make the best use of the tools at their disposal in their industry.
The smartest thing would be if audio engineers position themselves in time and embrace possibilities and opportunities — because it could give them a noticeable advantage in a few years.
Q: Which AI tools does Duo Mastering use for audio mixing & mastering?
We use AI for example when we’re not exactly sure where to start. The audio plugin Ozone by iZotope can give suggestions for potential improvements by comparing the audio material automatically with other material. That can be especially useful if you work in a genre you don’t usually work in, for example classical or Goa. This way we can also handle requests that are less typical for us.
Tools like iZotope RX for audio restoration or Gullfoss EQ we also like to use. If you employ artificial intelligence you’ll always get suggestions and it’s up to the human to decide how to deal with them.
Q: What use‑cases do you see for AI‑assisted audio mastering?
Nowadays many providers like LANDR or Waves Audio offer AI‑assisted audio mastering. There are interesting findings from tests in which clients could choose between different masterings — and in most cases they still chose the human‑created master.
For demanding productions where highest quality is expected, human mastering is indispensable and remains the status quo. AI‑assisted mastering can make sense however — for example for amateurs who don’t have the budget, for home‑recording, or when speed is more important than absolute quality. I think AI‑mastering is acceptable to a certain degree, but the danger is that people get too accustomed to the artificial sound.
Q: How do you expect studio outboard gear to evolve?
I believe especially recall‑functions of analog outboard gear are very promising. I see many manufacturers — above all WES Audio — who are trying to create new analog devices that are digitally controllable.
Cranborne Audio, a manufacturer not so well known to many, built the Carnaby HE2 hardware equaliser based purely on saturation and digitally controllable. Something similar already exists in‑the‑box from Wavesfactory and is called Spectre. The company Bettermaker also recently released a new device that runs fully analog but is digitally controllable. That is simply the future of analog gear.
Q: What are the next steps for Duo Mastering and what can we look forward to?
Working with Cro naturally has the highest priority for us, yet we continue to collaborate with national and international artists on new productions and will also be present at several trade shows and events in 2024 to provide insights into our mixing & mastering process.
Tonee Jukeboxx was recently a speaker at a Masterclass of Beatunit e.V. in Hamburg and in all likelihood we’ll also be at beatcon in Berlin this year. In October we’ll also be at Studioszene / LEaTcon 24 in Hamburg. In addition we’ve planned something very special together with the GEMA, because there we engineers will not only lecture but also mix songs from GEMA members live on site and give tips!
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In closing I’d like to mention that none of this would be possible if our partners Audiosteps, Audiowerk, audio.tips, SPL, Elysia, WES Audio, o2 Music Studios by DIY, Trinnov, SessionDesk, Pulsar Modular and many others weren’t so dedicated and supportive. Only thanks to a solid foundation and a positive environment were we able to evolve and constantly grow. We look forward to all upcoming events, meetings, and old and new friendships!
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