Engineer Biography

Sam John

I started my mastering career in 2000 after successfully completing a high graded diploma from Alchemea Audio Engineering College London. I was lucky enough to land my first job working in a cutting room based underneath Planet Phat Record shop in North London.  On my 1st day I was shown the basic running’s of the Neumann VMS70 lathe and by that afternoon I was cutting a dub plate.  This was the start of my passion for mastering and cutting.  I was their chief mastering and cutting engineer for 4 years and I also learnt the workings of their pressing plant.

In 2004 I was head hunted by a busy cutting room in East London.  I excelled my mastering and cutting skills on a modified Neumann VMS 70 lathe.  I continued to build up my clientele and successfully got their galvanic department up and running by solving the formula for silvering a master lacquer.  A key process in the production of a vinyl record!  I ran a busy schedule dividing my time between mastering, cutting and managing the galvanic's.  Wow it was a busy time!  

This job gave me hands on knowledge of what it takes to produce a top quality record from cut to press and put me in good stead for where I am today. 

In 2005 I joined Alchemy Soho's mastering rooms in Central London as a freelance mastering engineer. Here I had the fortune of being able to use two highly equipped rooms and accustomed myself to their Neumann VMS 80 and VMS 82 lathes.  It was at this point when I started to get itchy fingers for my own mastering and cutting room.

Precise Mastering has been successfully running since 2005 and has grown immensely.  I started from the bottom and built my studio slowly, working hard to find the best sound there is... I’m always looking to push the boundaries. Today I have a complete hardware mastering chain, consisting of a fine mixture of valve and solid state tools.  My latest achievement was the purchase of my very own Neumann VMS 66 lathe which I imported from NYC and spent roughly a year rebuilding and customising to my spec. This was a serious test of will power and determination but it is now my pride and joy and cuts beautifully.