ANYTHING BUT ROUTINE: LONDON’S UNITY MASTERING
AND THE LAVRY ENGINEERING DA-924

Intricate Sonic Details Revealed by LavryGold DA-924 96 kHz Stereo Converter Help Master Tracks by Amy Winehouse, Pet Shop Boys, VV Brown and More

LONDON: Conformity just doesn’t cut it at Unity Mastering: the London mastering house founded by Chris Parmenidis routinely rejects rules on the way to finalizing projects for its elite clients. Ready to master to digital or vinyl, Unity’s sunlight-filled stereo/5.1 suite has taken the music of Amy Winehouse, Sugarbabes, the Pet Shop Boys, Beck, Portishead, VV Brown, and more to the next level on the way to the airwaves.    

Parmenidis’ choice of equipment like the Lavry Engineering DA-924 (www.lavryengineering.com) is just one example of how he looks to bring something extra -- up-close and personal -- to his clients, every time. “I don't believe in formulas like ‘distort it’, ‘make it as loud as possible’ or ‘put as much bass as possible’, which are expected from the fast turn around of internet-based mastering,” he explains. “I think interesting and individual mastering takes time and a few trials to establish what is really needed for the specific piece of music, and it is not possible to get that level of attention and high-end results over the internet.

“The difference lies in the vital relationship between the mastering engineer and the client for the creation of something new, rather than the bland re-creation of an existing sound. I hope that this is what our clients find when they bring their music to us: we offer the means for them to find the particular frame in which to place their music.”

Before setting up his own shop in 2002, Parmenidis built up his reputation for individualized service at Chop ‘Em Out, and then Battery Studios, mastering for artists ranging from R Kelly to Britney Spears. A highly discerning ear led to an equal love for analog and digital, with a vinyl cutting console worthy of a 24-bit signal just one example of where his ears and attention to detail are at.

“The only criterion for a piece of equipment that makes it into Unity is accuracy and neutrality,” says Parmenidis, “which translates to changes without too many negative side effects. Also we try to blend different analogue and digital processors in order to minimize and neutralize the occasional characters the different pieces of equipment might have.”

For the critical mastering task of digital-to-analog conversion, Unity Mastering employs two LavryGold DA-924 units. “In the LavryGold DA-924 we found a slightly different, very attractive and superbly detailed description of sound which actually makes it easier for the mastering engineer to make decisions,” Parmenidis says. “We use the DA-924 as the source playback and the front end to the analog processing chain, and another DA-924 as the monitor of the final result because they offer the highest level of detail.

“We found that other converters tended to offer the same proportions and body of sound, but the Lavry offers an astonishing level of accuracy of timbre and rhythm of the played music. The latest clients which I’ve used the Lavry Engineering DA-924 on was the new Pet Shop boys single, Paolo Nutini's newest vinyl album, and also the new VV Brown album.”

Considered by Lavry Engineering founder Dan Lavy to be the masterpiece of his product line, the DA-924 is truly a reference standard featuring 96kHz, 88.2kHz, 48kHz, 44.1kHz and 40-50kHz wide mode conversion frequencies, multi-bit architecture with 24 bits, increased low-level accuracy, fast transient response, support for high-density I/O format, and much more. The LavryGold DA-924 digital-to-analog converter showcases the most innovative design of Dan Lavry. Dan considers DA924 his masterpiece. It features extremely small quantization steps, low noise performance, and introduced CrystalLock™, Lavry's jitter eliminator circuitry, to the industry.

For London’s master mastering resource, the clarity, focus and pioneering spirit of the Lavry Engineering DA-924 is the perfect conversion complement. “Every track is a new challenge and a potential trip to somewhere new -- arriving to a higher plane where the music unfolds all its potential,” says Chris Parmenidis. “What makes me tick is when that becomes evident to me and the client.”

 About Lavry Engineering:
Lavry Engineering, located in Poulsbo, Washington, was founded by digital audio expert Dan Lavry in 1993. The company specializes in products for professional audio, broadcast, audiophile and surround markets designed to satisfy the growing demand for hi-res digital audio performance. Lavry Engineering’s Gold, Black and Blue product lines offer a range of systems accommodating a wide range of budgets and applications. For more information, please visit www.lavryengineering.com.

All referenced product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

About Unity Mastering:
For more information, please visit http://www.unitymastering.com/