Dave Kutch: The Mastering Palace and the Power of Sonnox Plug-ins
Tucked away behind an unassuming door on 121st Street in uptown Manhattan is The Mastering Palace, a unique space where comfort and vibe meet the best of analog and digital technology. Owned by Grammy-nominated Mastering Engineer Dave Kutch, whose extensive background includes stints at Hit Factory Mastering, Masterdisk, and Sony Studios, The Mastering Palace has become a go-to destination for Hip Hop and R&B mastering. We visited Dave at his studio to discuss his experiences, workflow, and how Sonnox Oxford plug-ins have become a staple in his mastering process.
Working with Alicia Keys: A Unique Collaboration
How was working with Alicia Keys?
Working with Alicia was special! She has incredible musical and technical talents that most people haven’t seen yet. For her “As I Am” LP, Alicia and Ann Mincieli came up with the idea to move my mastering gear into her live room at Oven Studios—something nobody does. When Sony Studios shut down, I shipped all my gear to Alicia’s, and we set everything up in the middle of her Studio A live room. The timing couldn’t have been better.
How did the workflow progress in that setup?
We had a great setup where Tony Maserati was mixing down the street, Manny Marroquin was mixing upstairs at Oven Studios, Ann, Kerry, and Alicia were finalizing productions in Studio A’s control room, and I was mastering in the live room. Having everyone so close allowed us to work incredibly fast. If Alicia wanted to change a vocal or piano line, we could record, mix, and master the new version in under an hour. This happened with several songs, including “Empire State of Mind – Part II,” which came together just hours before it had to be delivered to the pressing plant. Alicia cut new vocals at 1 a.m., the bass player laid down new lines at 2 a.m., Ann combined mixes from Manny and Tony at 3 a.m., and I mastered it at 4 a.m. By 9 a.m., the master was sent off to the plant. It was an amazing experience that not many people get to have.
Sonnox Plug-ins in the Mastering Process
Did you use Sonnox plug-ins while mastering Alicia’s albums?
Absolutely. The Oxford Limiter is all over both of those records. Manny Marroquin is actually one of the reasons I started using Sonnox. I master a lot of his work, and he has a very clear vision for his mixes. He doesn’t like them to be altered or compressed too much, which I completely understand. Fortunately, his mixes rarely need much tweaking. If I do need to add compression, I reach for Sonnox because of their transparency. They allow me to get the desired effect without changing the dynamic feel of the track. With Sonnox, it’s all about giving the mix a little ‘massage’ and finishing with a ‘happy ending.’
Your Mastering Workflow
Can you describe your typical workflow?
I like to start with half of my compression using plug-ins before I leave Pro Tools, especially for Hip Hop and R&B material. Plug-ins have better read-ahead capabilities for allowing transients to pass through compared to analog compression, and they offer more creative choices, which can be both a blessing and a curse. This is where Sonnox plug-ins, particularly the Limiter, come in handy. I use presets that I’ve created, tweaking the Input Gain to control how much I’m compressing and adjusting the Release as needed. If I notice the vocals getting too compressed or if the mix starts pumping, I’ll adjust the Release to balance it out.
I also use the Enhance feature on the Oxford Limiter when dealing with tracks that are overly bright due to poor tracking or excessive levels on individual tracks. Traditional EQ can make things worse in such cases, but the Enhance feature adds harmonic detail and ‘air’ without additional harshness. On dull tracks that need some sparkle, I use Enhance to lift elements like vocals, snares, and hi-hats without overcomplicating the mix.
The Oxford Limiter: A Go-To for Precision
What makes the Oxford Limiter your go-to choice?
The Oxford Limiter gives me the flexibility to achieve both subtle and dramatic effects, depending on the needs of the track. For mix engineers who want their work to sound as close to their original mix as possible, the Limiter maintains clarity and transients while still significantly boosting peak levels. Whether I’m working on Hip Hop, R&B, or any other genre, the Oxford Limiter allows me to fine-tune the sound to perfection without compromising the integrity of the mix.
Exploring Other Sonnox Tools
What other Sonnox plug-ins do you use?
I’m a big fan of the SuprEsser—it’s a magic toolbox that everyone needs. I’ve recommended it to so many people. I mainly use it to address bass guitar overtones that result from poor tracking or problematic live rooms. Those annoying resonant frequencies at 140, 220, and 300 Hz can really jump out.
I’m a big fan of the SuprEsser—it’s a magic toolbox that everyone needs. I’ve recommended it to so many people.
The SuprEsser lets me pinpoint and control just those problematic frequencies without affecting the rest of the track.
How did you handle these issues before using the SuprEsser?
Before the SuprEsser, I would use an outboard EQ to notch out the troublesome frequencies, but this approach had limitations. It would apply the notch throughout the entire track, often compromising other elements like vocals or snare drums. With the SuprEsser, there’s no compromise—it only activates when the problematic tone appears, making it an excellent problem solver and de-esser.
The SuprEsser’s design is user-friendly, allowing quick adjustments with just a few faders in Simple Mode or detailed control over attack, response times, and more. I usually turn off the Auto Level Tracking when using it as a De-Esser or Bass Filter since it’s not needed for stereo program levels. Sonnox doesn’t flood the market with hundreds of plug-ins—they focus on making unique, high-quality tools that are slightly different from what everyone else offers. I’d rather have a few exceptional plug-ins that work perfectly than a thousand mediocre ones.