Service · Mastering
At Hot Milk Studio in Berlin, Robert Cummings masters your songs on an analog chain, by ear – for streaming, vinyl and CD. Albums he mastered have won the German Record Critics' Award (Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik) and the Songlines Music Award. Mastering is €50 net per track. Send your mixes from anywhere, or join the session live for €10 net extra per track.
Loudness
Robert decides by ear, not by numbers. As a guide:
Streaming services turn loud masters down anyway. So Robert plays you different versions the way they'll actually sound on Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube (using Loudness Penalty Studio by MeterPlugs). Most artists then choose the more dynamic master at −10 to −12 LUFS over the squashed one at −8. The final call is always yours.
Signal chain
The chain combines analog outboard from Summit Audio, Tegeler Audio, Warm Audio and others with high-precision maximizers from iZotope Ozone and Slate Digital. For notch filtering and dynamic EQ, Robert deliberately uses digital EQs – that's where they beat hardware.
How much of the chain is analog depends on the genre: rock, pop and jazz benefit from the gentle saturation of hardware. Opera and orchestral music usually need a much cleaner, lighter-handed approach.
Four ways of listening – a master has to work everywhere:
The mix and mastering room is acoustically designed to minimise standing waves and reflections, and it is very linear. SoundID also runs on the master bus, with individual calibrations for the Dynaudio and Klein + Hummel monitors.
Delivery
Process
Pricing
Awards
Albums Robert Cummings mixed and mastered at Hot Milk Studio:
More on the production: The Devil Rides Again case study.
I've trusted Rob with my mixes for over four years, and I'm consistently impressed with the results. His passion for music, creative perspective, and collaborative approach make every project a pleasure. Revisions are handled quickly and professionally, and you always feel supported throughout the process. Rob remains my go-to mastering engineer and a recommendation I can make without hesitation.
€50 net per track (€59.50 incl. VAT). Attending the session adds €10 net per track. EPs and albums get a reduced rate.
As loud as is good for the song. Rock and pop usually land around −12 LUFS, jazz and classical between −13 and −16 LUFS. If your genre needs it, we master up to −8 LUFS. Robert plays you the versions side by side, and you decide.
Yes. Every vinyl release gets a dedicated vinyl pre-master with adapted sibilance handling, side-length awareness and cutter-friendly low end. If it helps, we coordinate directly with your cutting studio.
Yes – usually with three to five stems (drums, bass, music, vocals, FX) when the mix can't be reopened.
Yes, mastering works well remotely. Send your mixes as WAV at the original sample rate, without a limiter on the master bus, ideally with reference tracks.
Typically 2–4 days, depending on workload and scope.
Let's plan a session together.
Tell us about the music, the players and the sound you'd like to hear back. We'll come back with a plan.
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Mixing
Final polish together at the desk.
Session Drums
Benedikt Stehle on drums, Robert behind the desk.
Recent work
Records mixed and mastered at Hot Milk.
Get a quote
Tell us about the record — we'll come back with a number.
Inside the studio
The four connected rooms, acoustics and instruments behind every session.
