"Sterling": The Masters at Work
Before music is released in its final form and shared with the world through audio files, music streaming apps, cds, and vinyl, the original recordings must be altered and perfected to the artist's liking. This is achieved through a process called "mastering." I recently payed a visit to Sterling Sound Mastering Studio NYC. Tucked between brick walls and industrial-plated doors, "Sterling" sits on the top floor of the Chelsea Market. The "biggest mastering studio in the world," settled above the heads of tourists and shop owners, unaware of the importance that this space occupies. Here, mastering was explained to me by one of the senior engineers and partners, Chris Gehringer. "Mastering is the last creative step in the music-making chain," and separates what is heard in the studio from what is played on the radio.
The engineers must take the tracks found as computer files and play them "through a series of equipment," listening for the tiniest imperfections and "shape the sound the way [they] want to." This is done by playing with the equalizers on the board, adjusting the sound to the desired frequency, making it brighter if it's too dull, taking some bass away if it's too heavy, and so on.
This process goes beyond how the engineers tweak the recordings, but how the whole space is built to accommodate the sound being produced. As I stepped into one of the sound rooms, it seemed eerily quiet, as if all of the excess white noise normally found in a room was squeezed from the space and what was left was perfect silence. I discovered that this is due to the construction of the studios. "The room is basically a floating box built separately from the structure," Chris revealed, "it floats off the floor so that outside sound doesn't interfere and inside sound doesn't carry outside." The goal is to have the released music that the listeners hear sound the same as the way it plays back in the room.
Having worked with big names like Madonna, Lady Gaga, Jay-Z, Drake, Rihanna, and many more, Chris explained that people come to them for what they do. Having heard the personal styles of the engineers on other projects they've worked on, the artists use this reference to scout out masters for their own work. Sterling's clients are not all Grammy-award winning artists, but first-time recording musicians and producers as well, and Chris has worked with all kinds from various genres. Starting in Punk, moving onto Metal, and eventually finding his place in Rap and Pop, he recalls his sessions with certain artists fondly, responding "it's like having kids, like saying who's your favorite kid" when I asked him who his favorites were to work with. "If nobody comes in, it doesn't mean I don't like the project but when people come in, it becomes a different level of a session. You're interacting with them as opposed to me just sitting in the chair listening to the music and turning knobs."
"I've always wanted to be a rock-star," Chris told me, "I've always been attracted to the music and the sound and where it takes me. I just found myself in a mastering studio one day and I was like, this is really my thing. I'm home, this is where I want to be, this is what I want to do." After our interview we spoke about my future and ambitions. He asked me what my plans were and sensing my hesitation encouraged me not to give him a preconceived answer meant to avoid the topic at family gatherings, "dream job, perfect world, no fillers, what do you want to do?" As I found the word "musician" slip out of my mouth it occurred to me this was the most judgement-free zone if there ever was one. "You have to go through this whole experience and figure out what you want to do and where it takes you and everything that comes at you you have to embrace. If you're on the right path, you'll find your way home."
Despite the studio's success, Sterling will be moving from their home of 18 years as rent in the city is becoming increasingly steep, especially in such high real estate as the Chelsea Market. The business will be hosted by two new locations, one in Edgewater New Jersey and one in Nashville, where the music industry is booming. This relocation is bittersweet, "there's a million things great about New York but all of us who have been working here have been here for a long time and we're just looking to step back and take it easier. When you come out to us, you'll be in the studio."
