LOS ANGELES ― GRAMMY® Award-winning Mastering Engineer Jett Galindo is proudly continuing the legacy of her iconic mentor, mastering legend Doug Sax of The Mastering Lab. With over a decade of experience, she recently opened her own studio, Jett Galindo Mastering, which is meticulously designed to uphold the traditions and philosophies passed down to her.
“I’ve had the privilege of having access to a high-quality, award-winning mastering signal chain throughout the entire decade that I worked at The Mastering Lab and The Bakery,” says Galindo. “When building my studio, I knew I wanted to maintain that authentic, uncompromised fidelity in my sound. I wasn’t going to cut corners; I was going to build a workstation that was thoughtful and intentional from the ground up. I’m proud to say that I built a mastering studio that lives up to those standards.”
Equipped with the highest caliber, custom-built, analog hardware, crafted by renowned engineer Josh Florian of JCF Audio, Jett Galindo Mastering features The Mastering Lab’s signature line amps and EQs, alongside JCF Audio’s acclaimed Latte A/D-D/A converters. On the digital side, Galindo incorporates a variety of solutions, including multiple plug-ins from NUGEN Audio, to complement her signal chain. “My studio is where my analog and digital worlds truly come together. Both elements need to complement each other to meet that impeccable standard for mastering,” she says.
Among Galindo’s specialties is vinyl cutting, for which she says NUGEN’s Monofilter plug-in is essential. “With vinyl, it’s the stereo imaging of the subharmonics in the low end that can cause the needle to skip, and you don’t want that to happen, especially when you’re listening to hip-hop or electronic records,” she explains. “While this was very important for me back at The Bakery, now that I don’t have my own cutting lathe, it’s even more critical. I need to be able to maintain a proper quality check of my low-end. Monofilter provides control and creates the least sonic compromises for the music.”
Galindo also equipped her studio with the brand’s MasterCheck and Stereoizer plug-ins. “Many mastering facilities spend months perfecting the acoustics of a room and our decisions are often made through our ears; most of us produce the best work this way,” she says. “MasterCheck helps inform my decisions in the mastering stage without getting in the way of my creative juices. Meanwhile, Stereoizer helps with the width and balance of the stereo imaging in relation to the center. Stereoizer works in a way where it’s very subtle, nuanced and transparent, and it gets the job done without sounding overly processed. You can create a lot of magic with that tool.”
Similarly, Galindo often deploys the brand’s SEQ-S for EQ stereo imaging. “Mastering engineers have very little room to get the job done because the mixer, artist and producer have all approved the mix before it gets to us,” she explains. “Anytime we need something done, like EQ stereo imaging, we want a tool that lets us execute our creative vision without compromising the original sound. SEQ-S gives me the ability to make transparent, nuanced changes to the stereo field, even in the mid or side channels, without sacrificing musical integrity. With SEQ-S, things sound organic, even with the broad adjustments I make.”
“As I said, when I built my studio with my analog chain, I wanted my mastering signal chain to be the least compromised possible,” adds Galindo. “I feel that the NUGEN Audio plug-ins are the digital equivalent of my analog gear.”
Beyond mastering and vinyl cutting, Galindo serves as elected Secretary of the Recording Academy’s LA Chapter Board and is a member of the National Producers & Engineers Wing (P&E Wing) Advisory Council. She is also a board member of “Women in Vinyl,” a non-profit organization championing education and representation in the vinyl industry, and remains actively involved with “SoundGirls,” an organization supporting women and LGBTQ+ professionals in audio. Additionally, she has written over 30 published articles on mastering, which all aim to educate and empower independent artists.