studio
studio
The Umastering studio is a true haven of peace and joy.
Our critical listening room is located in Utrecht, The Netherlands. It is acoustically tuned to perfection and fitted with only the highest quality components. These interact with extraordinary synergy and were carefully selected for exactly that purpose. This allows the clearest choices to be made within the delicate balance of the sound image, resulting in a musical experience of the purest caliber.
With this working method and philosophy, the translation of the music on other media and in other settings becomes an extension of this atmosphere.
Both digital and analogue processing is done in the studio. This hybrid setup makes it possible to implement the best of both worlds for the perfect result.
| the gear
Acoustics
Custom measured & built bass trapping, broadband absorption & diffusion
Custom designed & built acoustically transparent mastering desk
Conversion
Weiss DAC1 ‘pitch’ D/A converter
Weiss ADC1 mk2 ‘catch’ A/D converter
RME ADI-2 pro FS D/D and DSD D/A – A/D converter
Monitoring
Weiss DAC 202 monitoring D/A converter
Cranesong Avocet II monitor controller & D/A converter
Nord One Hypex NC1200 dual mono amplifier
Bowers & Wilkins 802D full range loudspeakers
Bowers & Wilkins ASW CDM subwoofers
Dynaudio BM5a MKII active monitors
Beyerdynamic DT880 special edition headphones
Beyerdynamic DT770 pro headphones
Routing & cabling
DuTCH.audio IM2.c ‘UM’ custom master insert matrix
Cabling by Vovox, Sommer, Avid, Cordial & custom
Analog equalization
Elysia MusEQ class A equalizer
Gyraf Audio G14-S tube/solid state equalizer
Custom Audio Germany HDE-250A mastering equalizer w. full mod
SPL Vitalizer MK2-T tube equalizer/enhancer w. NOS tube mod
Analog dynamics
Millennia TCL-2 Platinum tube/solid state optical compressor (mastering version)
Stam Audio SA-4000 mk2 VCA compressor w. API mod
Rupert Neve Designs Portico II Master Bus Processor
Elysia Nvelope transient shaper
DAW, Software & Plugins
Custom Core i9 ‘The BEAST’ workstation
Core i7 notebook
Steinberg Wavelab & Cubase
Sound It! 8 Pro
Hofa CD/DDP Creator Pro
Acustica, Brainworx, DMG Audio, Fabfilter, Izotope, Softube, Sonnox, Waves
..And a whole selection of other great stuff!
| the engineer
Umastering can ultimately be reduced to 1 person. That person is Lennart Haman, better known to much of the world as Nox (or vice versa).
Everyone can somehow trace their serious profession back to fascinations that originated early in childhood. The history of how Lennart became a mastering engineer is no exception.
It can be said that early in his entrance into sound and psychoacoustics, which would eventually spiral out of control so unforseen, the audiophile in him was sparked. After a number of fruitful years, in which the creative and technical elements of a music production were cultivated in harmony, the technical aspect gradually and insurmountably took over. Investments in knowledge, equipment and acoustics expanded rapidly.
These developments and qualities did not go unheard of, and were greatly appreciated by both small time artists as well as those of name and fame. Production, recording and mixing gave way to a specialization in mastering, which Lennart had already amply proven to be very skilled at. An SAE certification, a deep dive into many different music styles and philosophies, and a proper dose of innate perfectionism, laid a strong foundation for the mastering studio as it is today.
With great aesthetic judgment and a keen ear for detail, Lennart creates a true projection of the music in his masters.
Although something can always be made ‘louder’ or ‘thicker’ and this is certainly amongst the possibilities, it is often musicians who have dealt with masters of this caliber elsewhere who prefer the tranquility and control of a Umaster, which stands its ground without having to raise its voice.
The Umastering studio is a true haven of peace and joy.
Our critical listening room is located in Utrecht, The Netherlands. It is acoustically tuned to perfection and fitted with only the highest quality components. These interact with extraordinary synergy and were carefully selected for exactly that purpose. This allows the clearest choices to be made within the delicate balance of the sound image, resulting in a musical experience of the purest caliber.
With this working method and philosophy, the translation of the music on other media and in other settings becomes an extension of this atmosphere.
Both digital and analogue processing is done in the studio. This hybrid setup makes it possible to implement the best of both worlds for the perfect result.
| the gear
Acoustics
Custom measured & built bass trapping, broadband absorption & diffusion
Custom designed & built acoustically transparent mastering desk
Conversion
Weiss DAC1 ‘pitch’ D/A converter
Weiss ADC1 mk2 ‘catch’ A/D converter
RME ADI-2 pro FS D/D and DSD D/A – A/D converter
Monitoring
Weiss DAC 202 monitoring D/A converter
Cranesong Avocet II monitor controller & D/A converter
Nord One Hypex NC1200 dual mono amplifier
Bowers & Wilkins 802D full range loudspeakers
Bowers & Wilkins ASW CDM subwoofers
Dynaudio BM5a MKII active monitors
Beyerdynamic DT880 special edition headphones
Beyerdynamic DT770 pro headphones
Routing & cabling
DuTCH.audio IM2.c ‘UM’ custom master insert matrix
Cabling by Vovox, Sommer, Avid, Cordial & custom
Analog equalization
Elysia MusEQ class A equalizer
Gyraf Audio G14-S tube/solid state equalizer
Custom Audio Germany HDE-250A mastering equalizer w. full mod
SPL Vitalizer MK2-T tube equalizer/enhancer w. NOS tube mod
Analog dynamics
Millennia TCL-2 Platinum tube/solid state optical compressor (mastering version)
Stam Audio SA-4000 mk2 VCA compressor w. API mod
Rupert Neve Designs Portico II Master Bus Processor
Elysia Nvelope transient shaper
DAW, Software & Plugins
Custom Core i9 ‘The BEAST’ workstation
Core i7 notebook
Steinberg Wavelab & Cubase
Sound It! 8 Pro
Hofa CD/DDP Creator Pro
Acustica, Brainworx, DMG Audio, Fabfilter, Izotope, Softube, Sonnox, Waves
..And a whole selection of other great stuff!
| the engineer
Umastering can ultimately be reduced to 1 person. That person is Lennart Haman, better known to much of the world as Nox (or vice versa).
Everyone can somehow trace their serious profession back to fascinations that originated early in childhood. The history of how Lennart became a mastering engineer is no exception.
It can be said that early in his entrance into sound and psychoacoustics, which would eventually spiral out of control so unforseen, the audiophile in him was sparked. After a number of fruitful years, in which the creative and technical elements of a music production were cultivated in harmony, the technical aspect gradually and insurmountably took over. Investments in knowledge, equipment and acoustics expanded rapidly.
These developments and qualities did not go unheard of, and were greatly appreciated by both small time artists as well as those of name and fame. Production, recording and mixing gave way to a specialization in mastering, which Lennart had already amply proven to be very skilled at. An SAE certification, a deep dive into many different music styles and philosophies, and a proper dose of innate perfectionism, laid a strong foundation for the mastering studio as it is today.
With great aesthetic judgment and a keen ear for detail, Lennart creates a true projection of the music in his masters.
Although something can always be made 'louder' or 'thicker' and this is certainly amongst the possibilities, it is often musicians who have dealt with masters of this caliber elsewhere who prefer the tranquility and control of a Umaster, which stands its ground without having to raise its voice.