NOT YOUR MAMA’S MASTERING.
ROSE QUARTZ MASTERING
Rose Quartz Mastering is a dedicated analog mastering facility in San Diego, California. The studio is home to Sam Kumar Tandon, a mastering engineer known for his work with artists like T H R O N E, Paul Wall, Plastique Tiara, Jelani Aryeh, Strong Maurice, Lutan Fyah, As Living Arrows, Beauty Sleep, Abbie Callahan, & hundreds more.
Sam Kumar Tandon has worked with artists, engineers, and producers from all over the world. Having started his audio career in San Diego live music venues and label-owned recording studios, his experience in eclectic listening environments allows him to work with all kinds of source material without sacrificing quality standards.
Whether he is working with mixes from a two million dollar studio or a two hundred dollar bedroom, the record always receives 100% of his attention. Tandon is obsessed with creating emotional and unapologetic listening experiences that stand the test of time. When he isn’t in the studio, you will find him managing projects at Tandon House, teaching at Gallery 130, and designing audio technology at Breakaway Dynamics.
“Sam is one of the very few mastering engineers I trust to enhance the music while still doing justice to the song, leaving my mix and productions intact. The clients are given the best version of their vision. Period.”
- Richie Beretta, Mixer & Producer (Beyoncé, Major Lazer, Diplo, A$AP Ferg)
“An acute ear. It’s the most important piece of gear that a mastering engineer has at their disposal. This is what Rose Quartz brings to mastering, and it's why I continually bring them my mixes. Besides having killer gear; I know that they will take the time to listen to the music and craft a master that always exceeds my expectations."
- Rich Stine from The Byrd House in Richmond, VA
T H R O N E - Singing Bear Speaks (2024)
kojima plus - delusions in the color, blue (2024)
T H R O N E - Lionfish (2022)
Lilly Legit - LOSS HAS TO BE BEAUTIFUL (2024)
Jade - Sketching Pearls (2024)
Layth - DAYTONA (2024)
T H R O N E - Tempest (2024)
kojima plus - THE MACHINE IS LEARNING (2023)
HAI-LIFE - Call Me Baby (2023)
Sid Mason - bleed4 (2023)
Beauty Sleep - I Love It Here I Hate It (2022)
Jasper Typical, Jelani Aryeah, blonder - RIDE AGAIN (2022)
Agent Envy - No Friend (2022)
T H R O N E - DUOTHANGZ (2022)
T H R O N E - TOXIC JUNGLE (2023)
Layth - UNCONDITIONAL FAVORS (2024)
Jasper Typical - KINDRED SPEARMINT (2022)
SolH - Arabic Subtitles (2024)
OUR APPROACH
Is mastering a dark art? It can be. But for those of us who aren’t particularly enamored with the occult, mastering is a process wherein an audio engineer with years of critical listening experience prepares “nearly finished” audio for commercial release.
Typically, the process of mastering involves fine-tuning a song’s spectral response, stereo image, microdynamics and macrodynamics, and loudness. Sometimes it involves adding the “it” factor to a track if a song needs excitement or some extra vibe. In addition, mastering ensures that a song translates effectively to various consumer listening environments.
Mastering engineers may employ all kinds of techniques like equalization, compression, spectral editing, harmonic excitement, resonance suppression, phase correction… the list goes on.
Every project is different, so our mastering approach changes song-to-song -- for example, a punk rock jam is a little bit different than a hyperpop bop. Therefore, each song demands a bespoke process. No matter the genre, we will work with you to create a master that sounds immersive, dynamic, and larger-than-life -- whether it’s playing on a CD, vinyl, or streaming service.
