DEATH BY STEREO
Writing, Production, Mixing & Mastering on The Gold Coast, QLD
Welcome to Death by Stereo, a Gold Coast studio offering services in writing, production, mixing and mastering.
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Are your tracks lacking the depth, energy and character needed to grab the attention of your listeners?
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Could your pre-existing material benefit from additional writing or production?
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Would re-amping, triggers, programming and outboard analogue processing help your recordings sound world class?
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No matter the size, complexity or scope of your project I can help. This is Death by Stereo.
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Get in touch today and I can make your music sound second to none!
My name is Jake Jason Read, I am a Music Producer and for the last 10 years I have owned and operated my own self-built, residential recording studio, Death by Stereo in Ealing, West London. From here I spent every day developing my craft. Writing, producing, recording, mixing and mastering with some amazingly talented, wonderful and like-minded people. With each passing year I honed my skills, learning not only how to challenge my own creative processes, but also how to unlock and actualise the ideas within others and “commit it to tape” before those fleeting moments pass!
Alongside this I also managed touring/pre-production space Bell Music in Chiswick, West London during which time I coordinated and hosted tour prep, studio recording, live engineering and TV spots for Gorillaz, Blur’s Damon Albarn, The Cure, McFly, the BBC’s Young Jazz Musician of the Year, Gregory Porter, Jacob Collier, auditions for both Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody, Sabian Cymbals, and Sophie Ellis Bextor.
In tandem with these two major projects I also found myself working at Elton John’s Rocket Entertainment in production, writing and development for young artists, touring alongside James Blunt for supporting acts, touring Europe with Sandi Thom as head monitor engineer, completing several tours with Made in Chelsea’s Andy Jordan including TV appearances to viewing audiences of over 1 million, engineering the soundtrack to Jumanji the Video Game and occasionally dropping in at BIMM London as a deputy Music Production tutor.
Now, almost 12 years into an incredibly fulfilling journey I find myself on The Gold Coast, QLD looking to start the next chapter and to continue making some incredibly awesome music!
Pillars
Producer & Artist
Death By Stereo brought my EP to life! Making what seemed like a daunting process, so easy.
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I couldn't recommend working with him enough!
Tadhg Daly
Singer-Songwriter
Death By Stereo approaches each session with a passion and energy that is second to none!
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You can feel that you're in a creative and loving environment.”
Marco Casaluce
Mixing Engineer
Death By Stereo's approach is unique and what he gets out of his equipment is tasty and clever.
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He really captures the heart and soul of music in a beautiful way.
Justin Gartry
Multi-Instrumentalist
Death By Stereo is fun, creative and incredibly professional. He is a true master of everything from arranging and producing, to mixing and mastering.
Lenny Filipova
Singer-Songwriter
Death By Stereo is wonderful!
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He is fast, reliable and always do their best. It’s an honour for me to be working with him.
Loria Boban
Songer-Songwriter
If you have the chance to work with Death By Stereo, you should.
WRITING
8 hours of writing, 8 hours of recording and production, 8 hours of mixing and mastering, 24 hours total.
2 song-writing, 2 recording/production and 2 mixing/mastering revisions included in the price.
14 business days turnaround.
Copyright free and you keep 100% ownership of your track.
You have the lyrics and the idea, but you’re missing a big chunk of the picture. You need a producer and co-writer to guide the process. I specialise in offering complete packages that include everything you will need from writing to release. Starting from your basic idea, which can be anything from a voice memo on your phone to a recording you’ve put together in your DAW of choice I’ll do everything from writing, arranging, production, performance, recording, mixing and mastering!
First I’ll build a solid foundation and make your track the best it possibly can be! During my first session I’ll listen to your demo, taking out parts that aren’t working, replacing them with more cohesive and effective arrangements. I’ll also write new, additional parts for your tracks, utilising instruments and techniques that you may never have heard of! Throughout this whole process I’ll also be recording a brand new demo that not only reflects the progress and tonal choices made but will also serve as a rope map for when it’s time to start production.
Next I’ll produce your track, meticulously shaping its overarching sound, theme and aesthetic whilst also adding that indefinable quality. This will range from simple decisions such as choosing drum sounds and microphone placement, to broader strokes such as emotional impact and performance delivery. As I dive into the recording process I’ll not only use the highest quality, industry standard microphones, hardware and software, but also a choice selection of rare and sought after effects pedals and analogue outboard to load your track with a unique combination of vibe, personality and character. Utilising my extensive collection of musical instruments, from guitars to synths to drums, I’ll also play any instruments that you can’t - making sure your track is recorded exactly as envisioned.
It’s at this point you’ll send me your final vocal recordings, ready for me to mix seamlessly into your new track. I’ll be on hand to give guidance, advising that you provide doubles, harmonies, pedal leads and backing vocals to compliment your lead vocal. If you can't record your own vocals I can arrange recording them at my own home studio where you'll have access to the best recording equipment available!
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Next I’ll add the finishing touches to your track, mixing them with both broad strokes and subtle nuance to add depth, width, fullness and clarity. Finally your track will be mastered, making sure that it not only translates beautifully across multiple playback devices (from AirPods to the largest speakers,) but that it’s also at a volume that’s sure to grab your listeners attention.
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PREPARING YOUR TRACK FOR WRITING:
1. Create a new folder on your desktop, labelling it appropriately, such as the name of the track being mixed. This is where you’ll save everything in the below steps!
2. Take any voice memos or relevant audio and label them appropriately.
3. If you’ve create a demo in a DAW, export your mix, leaving all plugins and processing as they are.
4. If you have any MIDI to accompany your demo please export this too.
5. Compress your folder into a .zip file.
6. Upload your folder onto a cloud storage platform of your choice, Google Drive, WeTransfer or DropBox for example.
7. Email a downloadable link to your folder along with the following information to ‘thisisdeathbystereo@gmail.com’:
1. Song and artist name.
2. Any additional information you feel is important, such as ideas and guidance for the track. This should also include a few reference tracks.
Please see the FAQ page for tutorials if you are struggling with any of the above.
PRODUCTION
4 hours total.
1 revision included in the price.
7 business days turnaround.
Copyright free and you keep 100% ownership of your track.​
Send me the stems to your track and I’ll add percussion, drum triggers, double tracking, guitar re-amping, ambient effects and analogue processing through both boutique effects pedals and sought after outboard gear.
Your new stems will be oozing with vibe, personality and character. Complementing your pre-existing material perfectly, your track will now sit side-by-side with your favourite commercial releases!
PREPARING YOUR TRACK PRODUCTION:
1. Create a new folder on your desktop, labelling it appropriately, such as the name of the track being mixed. This is where you’ll save everything in the below steps!
2. Leaving all plugins on, export your mix. I will use this as a reference and starting point.
3. Remove ALL plugins from every track, this should also include effects (such as reverbs and delays,) auxiliaries, busses and your master channel.
4. Make sure none of your individual tracks clip (go into the red,) pulling the faders down where necessary.
5. Export each individual track from the start of the session, labelling them appropriately. For example, ‘Kick Drum,’ ‘Acoustic Guitar Left,’ ‘Acoustic Guitar Right.’
6. MIDI files and dry/DI signals from guitars and keyboards are essential for getting the most out of this process, please export these as well!
7. Compress your folder into a .zip file.
8. Upload your folder onto a cloud storage platform of your choice, Google Drive, WeTransfer or DropBox for example.
9. Email a downloadable link to your folder along with the following information to ‘thisdeathbystereo@gmail.com':
1. Song and artist name.
2. The tempo of track, including any changes that may happen throughout.
3. Any additional information you feel is important, such as ideas and guidance for the production.
Please see the FAQ page for tutorials if you are struggling with any of the above.
MIXING
8 hours total.
2 revisions included in the price.
Heavy pitch and/or timing correction available at an additional cost of £25ea.
7-14 business days turnaround.
Your mix will be delivered back to you in multiple formats including WAV, MP3 and instrumental.
The music industry has never been more competitive and having an amazing song simply isn’t good enough anymore - the quality of your mix has to be second to none.
I’ll achieve this using both broad strokes and subtle nuance to add depth, width, fullness and clarity.
Not only will I use the latest digital software - but also a plethora of sought after analogue hardware and sonically unique effects pedals that will bring your track to life and make it stand out above the rest.
Oozing with vibe, personality and character your finished track is sure to grab the attention of your listeners.
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PREPARING YOUR TRACK FOR MIXING:
1. Create a new folder on your desktop, labelling it appropriately, such as the name of the track being mixed. This is where you’ll save everything in the below steps!
2. Leaving all plugins on, export your mix. I will use this as a reference and starting point.
3. Remove ALL plugins from every track, this should also include effects (such as reverbs and delays,) auxiliaries, busses and your master channel.
4. Make sure none of your individual tracks clip (go into the red,) pulling the faders down where necessary.
5. Export each individual track from the start of the session as a WAV file, labelling them appropriately. For example, ‘Kick Drum,’ ‘Acoustic Guitar Left,’ ‘Acoustic Guitar Right.’
6. If you have any dry/DI signals from guitars (acoustic, electric, bass, etc.) please export these as well.
7. If you have MIDI to accompany any of your tracks please export these as well.
8. Compress your folder into a .zip file.
9. Upload your folder onto a cloud storage platform of your choice, Google Drive, WeTransfer or DropBox for example.
10. Email a downloadable link to your folder along with the following information to ‘thisisdeathbystereo@gmail.com’:
1. Song and artist name.
2. The tempo of track, including any changes that may happen throughout.
3. Any additional information you feel is important, such as ideas and guidance for the mix.
Please see the FAQ page for tutorials if you are struggling with any of the above.
MASTERING
2 hours total.
1 revision included in the price.
7 business days turnaround.
Your master will be delivered back to you in multiple formats including WAV, MP3 and those suitable for video.
Your audio will be fully compliant with industry standards and guidelines at a bit depth and sample rate suitable for your platform(s.)
Mastering is the process of getting your track ‘radio ready.’ But what does that really mean?
I’ll make sure that your track is not only at an industry standard playback level, but that is also translates clearly and beautifully across multiple devices - from your iPhone and AirPods to the largest speaker systems.
This is achieved through the subtle, yet precise use of EQ, compression, spacial enhancement, limiting and studio wizardry.
PREPARING YOUR TRACK FOR MASTERING:
1. Create a new folder on your desktop, labelling it appropriately, such as the name of the track being mastered. This is where you’ll save everything in the below steps!
2. Remove ALL plugins from your master channel, this should include everything from EQ and compression to harmonic enhancement and ESPECIALLY limiters.
3. Make sure your track doesn’t clip (go into the red) at any point, pulling faders down where necessary.
4. Export your mix as a stereo WAV file.
5. Compress your folder into a .zip file.
6. Upload your folder onto a cloud storage platform of your choice, Google Drive, WeTransfer or DropBox for example.
7. Email a downloadable link to your folder along with the following information to ‘thisisdeathbystereo@gmail.com’:
1. Song and artist name.
2. Let me know where you will be uploading/distributing your track so I can provide you with correctly formatted tracks that meet industry standards.
3. Any additional information you feel is important, such as ideas and guidance for the master.
Please see the FAQ page for tutorials if you are struggling with any of the above.
FAQ
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How do I prepare my tracks and audio?
Instructions can be found under each applicable service type, but if you’re struggling please refer to the links below:
Pro Tools: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVttS0kA7Uc
Ableton Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3biB6GTnWk
Logic Pro X & 9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfzhOGSiS0I
GarageBand: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLuaf3f7wQ8
Cubase: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-4C1P3c5uM
Studio One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiC0-YlI8NA
Propellerhead Reason: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOJDkHPfzzU
Cockos REAPER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naJfJxThl18
FL Studio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAq1WSpc1hg
Alternatively head to Google or YouTube to find the most up-to-date tutorials and user guides for your chosen software.
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What if I use all of the revisions included in my service?
You can purchase four additional revisions for only $50.
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How do I place an order?
Get in touch via email, ‘thisisdeathbystereo@gmail.com’ and then follow the instructions found under the applicable service(s.)
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How does the service work?
Once you’ve made an order and your prepared folder has been approved I’ll get to work and send you an audition MP3.
You can then approve the work or request revisions.
Once approved I’ll send you the final high quality audio files over Google Drive.
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How do I properly create and submit revisions?
Once you receive your audition MP3 take a listen to it! Listen to it quiet, listen to it loud and everything in-between.
If you’re listening to a mix use the highest quality headphones or speakers you have available. If you’re listening to a master use a variety of playback devices from your iPhone and AirPods to the highest quality headphones and speaker you have available.
Whilst listening think of the following:
Is the track balanced across the frequency spectrum? I.e. not too bright, not too bass heavy, balanced mids.
Can you hear all of the instruments? I.e Kick is audible and not fighting with the bass.
Are all of the important parts of the track audible? I.e. nothing gets in the way of the vocal, lead instruments cut without being overpowered by rhythmic elements.
Also pay attention to effects (such as reverb and delay,) stereo imaging and overall volume levels throughout the track.
Once you’ve listened through your audition MP3 several times create a new text document on you software of choice (Notes, Pages, Word, Google, etc.) and list all of your revision notes. For example:
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The kick drum needs a little more ‘click’ to cut through the mix.
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The vocals are being drowned out a little by the reverb.
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The lead synth is a little too loud after the first chorus.
Once you’re done upload your document into your reply email!
When creating mixing and mastering notes remember that your track can be improved, sweetened and altered within reason: a lower quality quality recording can never be made to sound like a world-class recording and your chunky Les Paul will never sound like a chicken-pickin’ Telecaster. Be realistic from the onset and it’s true what they, you really can’t fix it in the mix!
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Do you offer refunds?
I do not offer refunds. Carefully read each services description, take a look at some of my testimonials and listen to my past work: make an informed decision.
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Are there any others T&Cs I should be aware of?
I reserve the right to terminate work at any point, without refund, for any abusive or rude behaviour.
Please read your applicable service(s,) along with the entire FAQs/T&Cs section. It details most, if not all of the information you need to know before purchasing a service: it is your responsibility to do this, not mine.
Finally, if you have any questions that have not been answered please do not hesitate to ask! I’m here to help and am always happy to do so!
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What's the best way to contact you?
Email is best, I aim to get back in touch within 24 hours or less.
Email: thisisdeathbystereo@gmail.com
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Can you burn my project to a CD or DVD?
No, it’s 2023.
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My performance is a little out of tune/time, can you fix it?
Yes, for an additional cost of $50 for tuning and $50 for timing.
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Do I need to credit you for your work?
That’s up to you! I love to be credited for my work and it’s always appreciated.
Please credit ‘JJR at Death By Stereo Studios.’
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Can I visit your studio?
I am an online only service and do not offer attended sessions at this moment. Location recording is possible though!
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How good will my track(s) sound?
Your track will sound better than when you gave it to me, but I can’t polish a turd!
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What equipment do you use?
Monitoring
Focal Solo6 Be // Yamaha NS-10 // Sony MDR 7506 // Cambridge Audio A1 // SonarWorks Reference SystemWide
DAW
Mac Pro // Pro Tools // Industry standard plugins from Waves, Slate Digital, iZotope, Spectrasonics, TAL, EastWest, Fab Filter and others
Outboard
Digidesign Digi 003 // Warm Audio WA76 // dbx 160X // Joe Meek SC2 // Tascam MX-80 // Tascam PE-40
Microphones
Coles 4038 (x2) // AEA R88 // Neumann TLM 102 (x2) // Neumann KM 184 (x2) // AKG C414 // Warm Audio WA-478 // Warm Audio WA-251 // Warm Audio WA-87 // Vintage ‘beige’ Sennheiser MD421 (x2) // Sennheiser e906 (x2) // Electro-Voice RE20 // AKG D112 // AKG D190e // Avantone AV10MLF // Shure SM7B // Shure SM57 // Shure Beta 57A // Shure Unidyne III 545s (pistol grip) // Shure BG3.1
Guitars, Pedal and Amps
Early 1980’s Fender Precision Bass // Fender Telecaster // Epiphone Masterbilt DR-500MCE Acoustic Guitar // Harley Benton Lap Steel
1983 ‘Holy Grail’ Ibanez TS9 Tube Screamer // 1981 Ibanez CP-835 Compressor // 1985 Boss DC-2 Dimension C // Strymon Big Sky // Line 6 DL4 Delay // Electro Harmonix Soul Food // Rocktek CHR-01 Chorus // Nobels TR-X Tremolo // Markbass Distorsore // SansAmp Bass Driver DI // Avid Eleven Rack
Keyboards, Controllers and Synths
Dave Smith Instruments Mopho // Yamaha DX7 // Behringer Model D // Jen Piano 73
Drums and Percussion
1960’s MIJ Del Rey drum kit // 1950’s Slingerland Radio King snare drum // More cymbal and percussion options than any one human reasonably needs