Marcos Abreu is an audio and acoustics engineer with over 30 years of experience. He has mastered works by Vitor Ramil , José Miguel Wisnik , Nei Lisboa , Cachorro Grande , and Fresno. and Renato Borghetti , among many others (there are more than six thousand records with his signature), passing through record labels such as Sony , EMI and Warner , in Brazil and abroad, in countries such as Argentina and the United States. In the area of acoustics and sound reinforcement, Marcos worked on projects such as the OSPA Recital Hall , the Unisinos Theater and the studios of the Porto Alegre Cinema House .

Here at NOIZE Record Club , we're honored to have the expertise of one of Brazil's leading mastering experts. Marcos helps us constantly improve the sound quality of our records. In fact, for a good portion of our releases, he's also been involved. Or rather, he's been involved in the mastering.

We chatted with him about basic vinyl recording topics to introduce you, the reader, to the topic from the perspective of someone who truly understands the subject. We also asked Marcos to share some behind-the-scenes stories about the production of NRC records, so you can learn a little more about our process.



Marcos, let's start at the beginning: what is mastering?

That's the golden question [laughs]! Mastering is the final polishing process of the mixed record. Or, the process of better adjusting the sound content to the intended medium. In other words, if I'm going to make a master for CD, I'll adjust the sound in the best way for CD. If I'm going to make a master for vinyl, I'll adjust it in the best way for vinyl. If it's cassette, the same applies. In other words, mastering is the process of adjusting to achieve the best sound on a specific medium.


So, is it a master for each place the same sound plays?

Yes, a master for each. Ideally, they should always be different masters. I can't use the same master for three different purposes. The finalization process of the mixed sound for the intended medium is necessary.


And the importance of this…

The key is to achieve the best sound for that medium. If I have the right master for vinyl, I'll get the best sound from the vinyl. It's the same with CDs, cassettes, films, movies, and soap operas. So, all of this requires a final master, a final adjustment, where the volumes, equalizations, and compression of the record are adjusted for that specific medium. A CD master is typically not suitable for vinyl.



Which NOIZE master did you enjoy working with the most? Why?

That's a tough one [laughs]! I think Tim Maia was a great master to do. Elza Soares was too. These are historic records that have come out. And I really enjoy working with this historical aspect, with restoration. I've done a lot of record restoration, so I really like these reissues. For Marku's record, I copied the original vinyl, restored it, cleaned it completely, and made a new master. I digitize it and then edit it in the software.


And what was the most unusual master for you?

Maybe Don L. It was a huge album, and I really enjoyed making it. Rap isn't the style I'm used to working with. And the album is really good. It was a surprise, that's why I liked it. There were also Liniker and Marina Sena.


And what advice would you give to anyone who wants to delve deeper into the world of vinyl?

If you want to delve deeper into the world of vinyl… start by investing in a good turntable. Good sound is directly proportional to the quality of the turntable. The better your turntable, the better the playback will be. This is a mechanical process. The better the tonearm, cartridge, more stable rotation, etc., all of this will help improve the final result. So, if you're going to invest in anything, make it a better turntable.


Is analog sound only better if we have good equipment?

Yes, just like that. I once heard a very interesting explanation. The guy said that CD quality is practical. If you put a CD in any device, you get more or less the same sound quality on all of them, without much variation. In the car, on a portable device, at home, the sound is always the same. Vinyl doesn't. With vinyl, the needle will produce a sound, the tonearm will produce a sound, the preamp will produce a sound, the amplifier will produce a sound. So, each element will give you a different result. With better parts, the sound is better. The advice is this: invest in a good turntable.