Old Cottage Audio is a new online mixing and mastering studio dedicated to crafting organic sounding records

Old Cottage Audio is a new online mixing and mastering studio based on the outskirts of Bristol, UK, housed in an old stone miner's cottage.

But Nick Lewis, studio owner, and mixing and mastering engineer, says the name also reflects his audio aesthetic, "I tend towards organic textures and tones. Bringing out the grain and detail, making records that feel alive. Records that people want to spend time exploring." He says he achieves this through a mixture of where his ears lead him and the equipment he uses, "Every audio engineer's ears are tuned differently. Mine like rich, warm, dusty tones."

Lewis says this aesthetic guides the decisions he makes when mixing and mastering, but also his choice of tools - digital and analogue both. "Everything in my rack is mastering grade, and it can be incredibly clean and precise. But I can also switch in transformers and really push the tubes to make a track gooey and delicious, or really abrasive, depending." The rack boasts pieces by big hitters like API, Crane Song, and Manley, as well as lesser known and custom equipment from Custom Audio Germany, DAV Electronics, and Gyraf.

The studio specialises in leaning into organic recordings, but that doesn't have to mean live instruments. It can mean luscious acoustic and singer-songwriter. It can mean crackling beats and fizzing synthesizers - hip-hop or electronica. It can mean downright filthy rock 'n' roll. The point is to make the record feel like its own little universe; a place where listeners can live and explore. The antithesis of hyped digital mixes that clutter streaming services.

It's an ethos that extends to the décor of the studio itself. "Even though most of my mixing and mastering sessions are unattended, I think my clients appreciate knowing their music's being worked on in a beautiful space," says Lewis. The room is filled with plants. The acoustic panels are soothingly neutral. The desk is bespoke, handmade from reclaimed wood.

Old Cottage Audio may be new, but it's a rebrand of a mastering studio with form. Lewis ran Brighton Mastering for 11 years, working with some of the city's favourite artists, producers, and sound designers. His work has appeared on iconic labels like Fierce Panda and Talitres, as well as advertisements for Mercedes and Red Bull. He has even performed final mixes for award winning independent films.

But having moved to Bristol, Lewis decided he could no longer trade under the Brighton Mastering name. Instead, he says he tried to capture what makes his work different in a crowded market, especially compared to automated AI mastering platforms.

"You can make a 'pro' sounding record using plugins and AI," says Lewis. "But I want more than that. I want it to feel timeless and alive. I want that fairy dust."

Contact information:

nick@oldcottageaudio.co.uk
+44 (0) 7795484452

Old Cottage Audio
6 Ansteys Road
Hanham
Bristol
BS15 3DT
United Kingdom

About Old Cottage Audio

Old Cottage Audio provides online mixing and mastering services from its base in Bristol, UK. It specialises in crafting natural textures and tones that stand out from the bright and the hype, the sterile and the flat. With an experienced, audiophile engineer, and a carefully selected set of digital and mastering-grade analogue tools, Old Cottage Audio is mixing and mastering done right.

Find out more about Old Cottage Audio's online mixing and mastering services. Visit https://www.oldcottageaudio.co.uk

This release was published on openPR.