July 11th, 2005 is a date I will always remember. I can hardly believe it was 20 years ago. It was my first day as a full-time mastering engineer. I tell the story often during public speaking engagements responding to the "How did you get your start?" question. It begins in December of 2004 during a mastering session with Kris Kimura for his Shue's Cafe record. Followed by lots of phone calls, an internship to finish my coursework in the SRT program, and the offer to transition from intern to full-time mastering engineer fourteen days later. It's an easy day to remember because everyone celebrates my anniversary with a free Slurpee®.
At the time, I wasn’t thinking about how long the journey would last. I was happy doing great work for artists and helping bring their artistic vision to fruition. Two decades later, I’m still at it, and I’m incredibly proud of the projects I’ve helped bring to life and the relationships I’ve built along the way.
Whether it was a quick single or a sprawling concept album, every project has mattered. I’ve worked with indie bands, singer-songwriters, seasoned producers, up-and-comers, Grammy winners, and local legends. Every one of them brought something unique to the studio — and I’m grateful for each session.
Why Mastering Still Matters
Over the years, technology has changed, formats have evolved, and tastes have shifted. But the need for a dedicated, objective ear at the final stage of the process has never gone away.
Mastering is the final artistic step in the music creation process, and it’s not just about loudness or EQ. It’s about storytelling, polish, emotional impact, and making sure your track sounds great everywhere. This coupled with the first technical step in the music distribution process, is what we call mastering today.
I still get excited when I hear a project come together in those final moments, and I’m thankful to everyone who has trusted me to be a part of that process.
20th Anniversary Giveaway
Win Free Mastering for a Single
To celebrate the milestone, I’m giving away free mastering for one single.
Want to enter? Here’s how:
- Post a memory, track, or story from a project we worked on together.
- Use the hashtag #MasteredByNick
- Tag me on Facebook (preferred), Instagram (preferred), Threads, or TikTok
Entries close July 31, 2025, and I’ll announce the winner in early August. This is a small thank-you for 20 years of collaboration, creativity, and trust. Here are all the rules that I'm making up for this giveaway Terms & Conditions
Booking for New Projects
If you’ve got new music in the works — let’s talk.
I’m booking mastering sessions now for late summer and fall. Whether you’re prepping your first single or wrapping a full-length album, I’d love to help bring it across the finish line. If you're interested in booking a session or just have some questions, I'm always glad to hear about your project.
Historical Pictures
The Studios
Early Days
This is where my journey in mastering began. At Terra Nova, I had the chance to learn from one of the best in the business, Jerry Tubb. The room, the records, and the people all played a part in shaping my understanding of what mastering could be. I was fortunate to start in a place that valued both precision and creativity. You'll note the early equipment I used including a PowerMac G4 "silver face" and Genelec S30 monitors and some old standby like the Manley Vari-mu.
Very shortly into my time as a mastering engineer, I upgraded to proper floor-standing monitors (pictured below). I took a 12-hour road trip with another mentor, Bill Johnson, to pick them up. I had a Chevy Camaro at the time, so wouldn't be able to transport large speakers. I don't recall if Bill volunteered or if I somehow convinced him to go on a roadtrip in his minivan with no back seats. Either way, it was quite an adventure and I still use these spears today.
Evolving My Craft
After a few years, I found my rhythm. I was mastering more projects, developing long-term client relationships, and becoming part of the larger recording community in Austin. These were formative years where my confidence and style started to take shape. The learning never stopped, but I was no longer just getting started. This evolution of the studio you'll notice my more ergonomic desk and the mastering-grade speaker stands.
This photo represents a period of steady progress and refinement. I had established my workflow and was handling a wide range of projects. The tools stayed mostly the same, but you'll notice the new Rupert Neve P2 Master Buss Processor. Although these pics were both taken in 2011, I was an early beta-tester for the unit and even kept the prototype until they provided my production unit (signed by Rupert Neve himself in sharpie on the top of the case) I use still today. The compressor complimented the Vari-mu perfectly and took my work to a whole new level.
The First Nick Landis Mastering Studio
Starting my own studio was a huge step, both professionally and personally. Every decision about the room was about the sound and functionality. It wasn’t fancy, but it was exactly what I needed. In this space, I had complete creative control and a closer connection to the clients who trusted me with their music. You'll notice almost all the same gear from Studio B, I was basically able to transplant everything in to my new studio and was up and running very quickly. It was only 3 days between my last session at Terra Nova and my first session at Nick Landis Mastering.
The Current Studio
Today, this is where the work happens. Every part of the studio, from the acoustic treatment to the mastering chain, has been refined through years of experience. You'll see lots of familiar gear here, I didn't change a ton of things over the years. This room reflects two decades of growth, experimentation, and dedication. It’s not just a workspace; it’s a culmination of everything I’ve learned so far, and I’m excited to see where it leads next.
This is one of the most current pics of the studio. Nothing fancy, just and iPhone pic with this one. This does show the Dolby Atmos setup, but the speakers are hiding in the shadows. I also shuffled the gear around in the racks too.
While Working
Most of the time, when clients took pics during sessions it was of the back of my head. There was a time when facial recognition would suggest the back of almost anyone's head as "Maybe Nick Landis" to me. Anyways, here's some pics of the back of my head.
Some Kind Words from the Past 20 Years
Over the past two decades, I’ve had the privilege of working with an incredible variety of artists, producers, and studios. From debut albums to seasoned professionals, each project has brought something unique. I’m deeply grateful for the trust my clients have placed in me. Below are just a few kind words they’ve shared over the years. I've kept all the thank-you notes over the years and even have them published here on the site. Their feedback means the world to me, and I’m honored to have played a role in helping bring their music to life.
Hey Nick
Love the masters!! You did a kick ass job thanks again for being a badass and making my stuff sound so much better. . . You are the best. . .
Thanks,
Simply put, Nick Landis will give your music the subtle edge it needs, in order for it to compete in today's industry. Nick did a rock album for me and I couldn't be happier. I'm definitely looking forward to working with him again.
Thanks,
Hi,
The entire process was so easy and professional and you guys made me feel comfortable throughout the whole thing. I wanted to let you know that Nick was fantastic. Very cool guy, answered all of my questions, made me feel at ease and told me a lot about the process as we went along. He did an outstanding job and my CD sounds better than I could have ever imagined when we started recording it almost 4 years ago!
I'm EXTREMELY pleased with the final outcome. I'm glad I listened to everyone and I chose to go with the best!
Thanks so much,
Nick
Thanks so much for all of your help with "Seven Cities." It wouldn't have been the same without you. Enclosed is a handful of MP3 download cards for your family + friends (or anyone else who might like the album).
Thanks again,
Pics with Friends
Behind every project are the relationships that make this work so meaningful. Over the years, I’ve been lucky to cross paths with some truly inspiring people. Friends who’ve become collaborators, classmates who’ve become colleagues, mentors who’ve guided me, and clients who’ve trusted me with their music. These moments and connections are just as much a part of my journey as the music itself. This first picture is Jerry, my most-influential and closest mentor, and Mark, the director of recording arts at the school I graduated from. This was taken sometime within the first year of me starting my internship.
Early in my career, I was elected to the Board of Governors for The Recording Academy. Joe Stallone was my assigned "big brother" on the board and Dan Workman became a mentor in my board service and professionally. This was taken on a trip to Los Angeles while we were having dinner somewhere downtown near our hotel during Grammy Week festivities.
Ryan is awesome. We were were from the same town but went to different high schools, eventually became best friends while in recording school, he was a groomsman in my wedding, and eventually a client. He showed me around Los Angeles on a visit to the area.
James Hannah was the Band Director and Cathy Koziatek was the AP Music Theory teacher at my high school. Both of these educators were highly influential in my career path, none more so than James Hannah. When PWSHS won the GRAMMY Signature School award in 2011, I was on the Board of Governors for The Recording Academy and they needed volunteers to present the awards. My hand shot up so fast, the president was surprised at my enthusiasm. When I mentioned it was my alma mater it was unanimously decided I should be the one to present the award.
During my time at Terra Nova, I was often surrounded by wise and experienced audio engineers. Here is a pic of some of my closest mentors just hanging out in my studio. Bill Johnson, Jerry Tubb, and Chet Himes are some of the most influential mentors shaping me to the engineer I am today.
During my time in recording school, other than the director, Mark, there were two other teachers that I spent a lot of time with. I've got a pic of Bobby later, but this is Gary. Gary Hickinbotham was the head engineer of The Fire Station Studios, the studio that is now the recording school I graduated from, and faculty member at the school. He taught several of the classes I took and introduced me to Jerry at Terra Nova. We were on The Recording Academy board together in 2014 and this pic was between sessions of one of our orientation meetings.
Greg White is owner, operator, and chief engineer at SG Studios near Fort Worth, TX. I visited the studio only a few times, but he quickly became a repeat client. Greg and his team focus on delivering high-quality recording experiences while mentoring clients toward artistic and financial success in the music industry.
Merel Brigante is owner and operator of Crib Works Digital Audio in the country just outside Austin, TX. We've worked on a few install projects together in a consulting capacity and I helped build his studio at his current location. You can see pics of his studio featured in my Studio Design page for my consulting.
Bobby Arnold was my most influential teacher during my time at the SRT program at Texas State. I probably spent more time in the studio and with Bobby than I did in my dorm or apartment during my 3 years getting my bachelor's degree. Bobby works at a wonderful studio in Wimberley called Blue Rock Artist Ranch and Studio. I was able to tour the facility several times during construction with Bobby and this pic was taken several years later during one of the events held at the studio.
Jake Lummus was also a student at the SRT program and became a client of mine. I was able to visit him at Grand Street Recording in Brooklyn, NY during the week of the AES convention.
During that trip, I was also able to visit two other friends. Tim Boyce is a fellow mastering engineer and we would frequently interact on the REW mastering message board, back when that was a thing. One of the things the group would do, other than just talk and exchange ideas, was to host mastering competitions. not exactly a competition, but an opportunity for everyone in the group to master the same song and then critique each other in the process. Tim was frequently among my favorite masters in the blind test and we exchanged many techniques approaches.
The third friend and client on this list form the 2019 trip is Howie Beno. Here we are making faces at the camera in his Brooklyn studio.
Matthew Clark is an engineer and musician in Austin and originally from Chicago. This pic got a lot of views when it originally was posted to his social media and Ryan often gets cropped out of it. So, here's the full pic from the day they were filming their music video at Orb Recording Facility in 2019.
Another one of the pics with my mentors. Occasionally I got to hang back stage at the ACL Live when Bill or Chet were engineering broadcasts for stuff like KGSR or similar. This day included another of Bill's mentee's, Wayne.
More recently in the post COVID times, my group of fellow mastering engineers have taken to a quarterly lunch to hang out or just share a meal. Our self-proclaimed title of the "ATX Mastering Mafia" hosts a rotating lunch when we have time to get together. We even let non-mastering guys come too... sometimes.
Thanks again for being part of this journey. Here’s to the next 20 years. I'm sure I've got more pics and couldn't put a selfie with everyone, but if you think I've forgotten something let me know.
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