CPS Mastering Owner/ENGINEER


"I aim to demystify the mastering process. It has a bit of a reputation for being magic, but it's much more related to science. If I can help people to realize that, I think they can further appreciate what professional mastering brings to a project."


What is your mission, goal, objective?

My main goal is to make my client's records sound as good as they possibly can and I aim to demystify the mastering process. It has a bit of a reputation for being magic, but it's much more related to science. If I can help people to realize that, I think they can further appreciate what professional mastering brings to a project. In a broader sense, I would love to help listeners understand and appreciate the quality that is possible to obtain in music reproduction. I hope at some point we start to move away from low quality files like MP3's, and toward higher resolution files and playback systems. The way most music is being consumed today barely scratches the surface of what is possible in a listening experience.

How did you get into the industry?

I wanted to combine my fascination with music, studio equipment and science, so I left university, where I was studying physics, to move to Vancouver and attend audio school. There I met my (now) very good friend and mentor, Shawn Cole. He helped me get my foot in the door at the infamous Mushroom Studios where I worked for close to six years. I gained a lot of experience in those mixing and tracking environments, but began to feel a pull back toward analytical sciences. This interest eventually drew me into the deep dark depths of the mastering world, which has fulfilled my love of both music and science. 

What is it you love about mastering, and why?

I've been fascinated with stereo equipment and the reproduction of music for as long as I can remember. My mom loves to tell the story about me at 5 years old, already experimenting and curious about how these things work. She found me trying to play cotton balls on her beautiful Bang and Olufsen turntable because I "wanted to know what they sounded like". All these years later and I'm still captivated by audio. I get to bring a fresh perspective to projects at the tail end of what is often a long process for the client. I work in a beautiful and specialized listening environment, with great music, and help deliver a cohesive and polished final product for listeners to enjoy. It's pretty much the best job I can imagine for myself.

How long have you been the business?

A bit over ten years in the business. After audio school I got started in the music industry as an engineer at Mushroom and Hipposonic Studios. I've been operating CPS Mastering full-time since 2012, and have been  in the room I designed and built myself, here in Vancouver BC since 2013.

How many clients have you served?

I master around 350 projects a year, so I'm likely well past 1000 records.

Watch the CPS Mastering 'about' video here.