What happens when you take four songs from four different artists, a room full of vintage and modern gear and a world-class mastering engineer? You get an intimate real-time look at the art of mastering with Stefan Brown at the legendary Abbey Road Studios. In this session captured as part of the Produce Like A Pro Academy, Stefan walks us through his approach to mastering using a hybrid setup that includes plugins like the Oxford Inflator, Invisible Limiter, Magic Death Eye Compressor, TDR Arbiter and Michelangelo EQ alongside carefully chosen analogue tools. With the camera rolling he breaks down every decision, EQ move, compressor setting and piece of gear revealing not just the how but the why behind each step.
All four songs were submitted by members of the Produce Like A Pro Academy (except one of mine from a review!), showcasing a range of genres, sonic aesthetics and mixing approaches.
Download the before-and-after mastered tracks to listen for yourself and practise your own mastering skills:
Download the tracks here
The Roebucks Track: Punk Rock Energy, Minimal Intervention
The first song by Roebucks came straight from a whirlwind one-day session at Brighton Electric Studios where I tracked, mixed and produced it all in a single day using an 8-track setup and a vintage Neve broadcast console. Despite being crafted on the fly in a completely unfamiliar room, the mix held its own.
Stefan’s job was to preserve the energy. He applied just a gentle dynamic EQ dip at 60Hz to tame an overly aggressive kick transient and a minor cut around 242Hz to soften some low-mid congestion. Using tools like the Invisible Limiter and Oxford Inflator he enhanced loudness without compromising vibe. Subtle stereo widening with the MSED plugin and delicate harmonic shaping from the Michelangelo EQ and Black Box added polish while staying true to the rawness of the mix.
“It already sounded great,” Stefan explains. “I didn’t want to change that. I just wanted to bring out more of what made it feel special.”
The Jack Pine’s “Punching Up”: Modern Pop with a Live Feel
The Jack Pine’s track brought a more dynamic pop-oriented structure requiring a balance of power and punch. Stefan began by establishing loudness upfront using a pre-release limiter developed by Andrew Rhinehart. This approach allowed him to identify imbalances early and work with the track at a realistic playback level.
Analog gear was central to this master. The SPL Vitalizer, Whitestone P331 and Elysia Alpha Compressor were used to add warmth, saturation and cohesion. Stefan also used automation to finesse transitions between sections adjusting EQ and dynamics to ensure intros and choruses each hit with appropriate impact.
A combination of plugins and hardware gave the master a sense of space and movement while maintaining pop clarity. Subtle compression, high-frequency limiting and Oxford Inflator helped glue the track together and add that extra sheen.
Tim Hoek’s Track: Ambient Guitars and Cinematic Texture
Tim Hoek’s composition was atmospheric and wide, filled with lush guitar layers and punchy drums. Stefan focused on enhancing transients and expanding the stereo field without losing the dreamy cinematic quality of the mix.
He used Split EQ to isolate and boost transients coupled with subtle dynamic EQ moves to carve space and enhance presence. Analog treatment was minimal but strategic, focused mostly on high-end sparkle and gentle low-end shaping. Stefan favoured restraint, allowing the song’s depth and emotional weight to shine through.
“Essentially, this master just made it a bit more dense and a bit more exciting,” he said. “The mix was already there. It’s about bringing out the emotional intent.”
Kwame Rigii’s “Wa Nyonia”: Emotional Weight, Retained Dynamics
Kwame Rigii’s track mixed by Lem Meador was highly dynamic and atmospheric. Stefan prioritised preserving the emotional integrity and natural space of the recording. He enhanced side information subtly to bring out reverb tails and layered textures using stereo widening and analog EQ for a delicate lift.
Tape-style saturation from the SPL Iron plugin and light use of the Magic Death Eye compressor added a warm cohesive tone. Final touches included a high-frequency limiter and tiny EQ boosts to maintain vocal clarity and low-end balance.
Bonus: Stem Mastering with Little Empire
As a bonus Stefan also tackled a stem master of “Stronger” by Little Empire, remixed by Chris Ibbetson. This session demonstrated his hybrid workflow, processing the overall track while making targeted moves on individual stems using clip gain and dynamic EQ.
The goal was a radio-ready dancefloor-friendly master. It needed to be punchy, controlled and modern. With articulate transient shaping, dynamic mid-side EQ and selective analog compression the final result had that polished forward pop sound without sacrificing musicality.
Takeaways from Stefan Brown’s Masterclass at Abbey Road
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Stefan’s mastering philosophy is rooted in enhancement not repair. “I’m not trying to fix what isn’t broken. I’m trying to bring out what’s already beautiful.”
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His workflow combines digital precision with analog vibe. He uses tools like the Invisible Limiter, Oxford Inflator, Magic Death Eye Compressor and Michelangelo EQ alongside analogue units like the SPL Vitalizer, Elysia Alpha and Whitestone P331.
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Real-time demonstrations allow viewers to follow each move as it happens, seeing how small EQ tweaks or half-decibel gain changes can make a massive musical difference.
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Downloadable before-and-after masters are included so you can compare your own results with Stefan’s or experiment with alternate approaches.
Whether you’re new to mastering or looking to refine your technique, watching a world-class engineer like Stefan Brown work in real time is a rare and valuable opportunity. It is not just about signal chains and meters. It is about understanding music emotionally and knowing exactly when to step in and when to get out of the way.
🎧 Download the before-and-after mastered tracks to listen for yourself and practise your own mastering skills:
👉 Download the tracks here
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