Kathy Naunton from dB Mastering is not only an exquisite person, but has the best mastering ears in Sydney. Having worked with us on our last 3 releases, Kathy has brought new life to already great-sounding recordings, and mastered for us the highest selling Australian jazz release of 2012, the ‘Best Jazz Album’ Aria-nominated album from 2011, and the ‘Best Jazz Album’ ARIA winner from 2013. The beautiful warmth and intricate nuance she brings to her work is matched only by her great depth of innate understanding of what any given recording needs from her expert sonic ‘polishing’. Not to mention how incredibly easy she is to work with. As long as Kathy’s still mastering, we won’t be going anywhere else in a hurry.
– Nick Begbie, The Idea Of North
No matter how well you play, what great mikes you use, or who records your work – the result will always depend very heavily on how it’s mastered. That’s why I trust my music to dB Mastering, Kathy treats the sound with the same care and attention to detail as the musicians themselves.
– James Morrison (“In Good Company†– James Morrison and Don Burrows – ARIA nominated album 2016)
Kathy Naunton is always my first port of call when it comes to mastering my releases. Not only does she have an amazing ear with sound, but what I dig about Kathy is that she genuinely loves what she does for a living. That love and attention to detail that she provides is so very important in producing a quality end product. It’s always a pleasure hanging out and working on a project with Kathy.
– Emma Pask (“Cosita Divina†– ARIA nominated album 2016)
Pride, Care and Detail are 3 words that come to mind when I think of Kathy’s work ethic. She has the ability to master your recordings better than what you’d expect. She is professional and incredibly talented. I don’t trust anyone but her to bring my music to life.
– JD Smith, Singer/Songwriter/Ten Tenors
I’ve sent work to some of the most famous mastering studios in NYC, Nashville and elsewhere, and Kathy Naunton is the best mastering engineer I’ve ever worked with.
I encourage anyone not to be distracted by an aussie postcode – the world is a small place and Kathy’s work is demonstrably WORLD CLASS.  My mixes always comes back sounding better – I hear the dB Mastering sound as big, satisfying and timeless, and the top end has an almost tactile quality that is to die for.
Additionally, Kathy’s communication, sensitivity to creative intent, pragmatism and gut instinct are as good as it gets.
I enthusiastically recommend Kathy to every engineer and producer I speak with and will forever!
– Chris Bernauer, Musician – Producer – Audio Engineer
I have been coming back to DB Mastering for many years now for a few specific reasons. Naturally the sound quality is fantastic so I always end up with masters that I am happy with. In addition to this I love working with Kathy Naunton because she always makes me feel like she has the time to discuss the finer pints of not only each job but each track that we are working on. This makes me feel like the end result is guaranteed to be exactly what I am after for my mixes and the work of the artists being mastered.
– Ben Karsay / Honey+Stone Music, Mixing Engineer
I was initially introduced to Kathy’s work at dB Mastering after a strong recommendation from my recording/mixing engineer. I now have had my 2 latest EP releases mastered by Kathy and am thrilled by the final results – Kathy’s attention to the finest details within the mix and an enthusiasm to serve the collection of tracks in the best light possible (based on genre, feel and overall theme) is just one of the many reasons I will continue to work with Kathy for my next release and projects in the future!
– Matt Katsis, Singer/Songwriter & Guitarist.
Mastering is a mysterious process, and not one I pretend to understand well, but as a producer who is often entrusted with the precious goods at the end of hundreds of hours of work, it is very reassuring to be in the safe hands of an expert with very good ears and a room full of good equipment. I have had the pleasure of working with Kathy many times on different projects for more than ten years now, and I’ve always been overwhelmed with the quality of the masters she delivers. She has a great way of dealing with people, and a great touch for sweetening your records before they are handed over to the audience.
-Â Anton Monsted, Executive Music Supervisor “Australia”
I trust Kathy Naunton’s ear more than anyone else in the industry,
I always get the exact sound that I want plus more, I wouldn’t go anywhere else for mastering. And I love you!
– Sean Carey, Producer (ex Thirsty Merc)
I never go past the shine and wonderful master-after touches that Kathy puts into all my music deliveries……  whether it be music for production music libraries, scores to television series or features. I always book into dB Mastering for all my final tweaking — and it makes such a difference.  And best of all, Kathy is a pleasure to work with, and I have a solid 15 year history with them to prove it !
– Art Phillips, Composer and President of The Australian Guild of Screen Composers
Sydney Symphony’s live CD releases are mastered by dB Mastering. We have found in Kathy Naunton a dedicated and professional musical mind, who gives our audio product its final lift in sound, and assures an excellent CD master every time.
– Raff Wilson, Artistic Administration Manager – Sydney Symphony
It was an absolute pleasure to work with Kath as our mastering engineer. On recommendation from our producer we were guided to her. We were absolutely delighted with her work on the entire album. Skilful hands and ears. The turn around was fast, all communication was professional, quick and sensitive. She did the job thoroughly to the finest detail. It has lifted the entire work to the next level, a dream for our ears. Highly recommended. Grateful!
– Lulu & Mischka
While we have swapped and changed studios and producers, Kathy has been our single constant pillar in the recording process.  We have used dB Mastering since the inception of our band and intend to continue doing so. Kathy’s quality of work and professionalism are second to none. The translation of the song from studio to mastered version is always night & day. She enables us to clearly hear everything that is going on in the mix, ultimately giving a warm, fully rounded, radio quality song.
– The Iron Horses
I found Kathy Naunton’s ear for what was going on in my mixes phenomenal. She recently mastered my record Songs from the Belfry and not only impressed me with her focus and capacity for listening but thrilled me with her much appreciated intention to ensure I was thoroughly and hugely happy with the result. Thanks again.
– Robyne Dunn
When mastering I choose dB Mastering as I find Kathy Naunton has the most musical ears I know. She can make my home mixes sound a million bucks. I have mastered my solo albums at dBM and particularly loved the sound KATHY NAUNTON pulled with the Dissociatives album. It sounds fresh and not shredded to death, whilst still being loud as fuck.
– Paul Mac, Producer
Kathy at dB Mastering knows how to listen. She is focused, attentive and analytical; she takes her work seriously but handles it lightly, always using imagination and musicality. It’s these very attributes Kathy seeks and celebrates in the high quality equipment she chooses.  The team!!
– Tania Bowra, Producer
Kathy Naunton was able to do things that I thought were impossible. She has a way of making up for all those human failings that dog the recording artist.
– Kris Spike. Composer
Ear driven not gear driven…
– Melvin Tree, Producer
Kathy at dB Mastering has been in control of mastering my last half dozen albums.
I wouldn’t go anywhere else.  It didn’t  phase Kathy that each of these albums was a completely different genre… from the classical ‘Jeff Duff Orchestra’ to my funk band ‘The Prophets’, my glam rock band ‘The Alien Sex Gods’ my Big Band or whatever else I throw her way; Kathy is the king or should I say queen of mastering. The equipment & facilities are constantly upgraded & world class…
dBM. . . the only choice in Australia – NO CONTEST!
– Jeff Duff
I approached Kathy Naunton at dB Mastering after a recommendation from Alister Spence, who was very pleased with her work on his latest release ‘fit’. I was glad I followed it up, as I found her work on Bernie McGann’s live double CD excellent, in fact we felt we came away with an even better aural result than the raw materials promised. And Kathy was very good to work with — proactive, clear, concise and pleasant in the studio. Thanks, Kathy!
– Tim Dunn, Rufus Records
Ears aren’t just good for working out what to tweak sonically, they’re also good for listening to clients, and Kathy Naunton uses her enviable set for both. She’s not just a great mastering engineer – polishing even our most ‘problematic’ tracks into gems and ensuring our albums get radio play and score things like Triple J feature album – Kathy’s also a highly affable person who makes 10 hours in the studio seem like a fun way to spend a day!
– Paris Pompor - GROOVESCOOTER Records / da dada
Having worked with dB Mastering since it’s inception with the Volition label, I find a high level of skill and expertise
that I can rely on – I return and always get the goods.
What I look for and get from Kathy at dB Mastering, is a quality finish for a quality album and over 15 years of consistency counts for a lot in my books.
On a personal level, it also pleases me greatly that the idea of establishing a superior mastering facility in Australia with her late great dB partner, Robert Racic, when the first Volition releases were coming through, is a reality that lives on. Respect!
– Andrew Penhallow, Resolution Music
Recording, editing and mastering the Complete Brahms for Clarinet (ABC Classics) with Kathy Naunton was an experience in professionalism and of supreme quality. We were trying to create a sound that resembled the feeling of playing within the ensemble. I was stunned with the finished product – it is just as I experience, as I perform. The recorded sounds seem to generate from within the actual clarinet quintet. As if in an actual live performance, the clarinet is surrounded by all the nuances of the strings. On another project, Kathy had to match many different live and studio recording tracks and marry them into one unified CD tone. Kathy asked what were some of my favourite recordings and, amazingly, was able to reproduce exactly the sound that I had enjoyed so much from other samples and my verbal descriptions. She was able to reproduce my ‘live’ sound – such a rare gift in mastering. During the period that we worked on these projects, Kath astounded me with a high awareness of production techniques and finesse. She exacted edits with a classical musicians awareness of tempo, volume, intonation and even the subtleties of interpretation never escaped her.
– Deborah de Graaff
I have used dB Mastering for my last four CD releases. Every time I have had compliments from radio programmers which includes college radio in the US about the quality of the sound. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
– Garth Adam
I have known Kathy Naunton for many years and have the greatest respect for her both as a person and a professional audio engineer, mastering engineer and editor. As Managing Director of Zomba Production Music Australia from 1992 until 2003 I was responsible for producing around 150 CD’s for the Company, all of which were edited, mastered and compiled by Kathy at db Mastering.
Kathy’s attention to detail is second to none and her knowledge of all aspects of audio is superb. She constantly keeps abreast of new technology and musical trends. As a client who produced a wide variety of genres of music for Zomba’s world wide companies, I found Kathy capable of finishing off our productions to our very high standards and a testament to this is the many comments we received over the years from overseas distributors saying how good the mastering was.
Finally, I would like to add a finishing gloss to Kathy’s talents. It was, and will always be, a pleasure to walk into the studio with Kathy knowing that she listens to what you want, makes sensible comments and suggestions that will help you achieve your desired finished product. All this with a warm smiling personality and a pretty good cuppa……what more could a client want? World class!
– Stuart Livingston, Sonic OZault Pty Ltd
Kathy came highly recommended from our studio engineer and we were not disappointed. Â She took great care in listening to our recording and worked with us to really hone in on the right sound for our production – as an independent act her generosity of time and commitment to our project was well-received. Â The results sound great in a wide variety of settings in which we reviewed the mastered work and everyone who has heard the tracks has commented on the high quality product. We are delighted with Kathy’s work and are now following our engineer’s lead in recommending dB Mastering to other recording artists.
– Grant Young, FUZU
On the hunt for sensitive ears and heart, sistermadly had been advised of Kath Naunton from dB Mastering. The pleasure was all ours upon first meeting Kath, and from that initial meeting a respectful and professional relationship grew. Our project was far from straight forward and would have tested the most patient and experienced of subjects. I commend and highly recommend dB Mastering.
– Nicci Heffernan – sistermadly 2007
KATHY NAUNTON made the music come alive . . . crisper, more clarity, noticeable increase in sound stage and dynamics. As artists we were overwhelmed by Kathy’s professionalism, hospitality and efficiency. Now that we run our own recording studio we can comfortably refer our clients to dB Mastering knowing that they will receive quality service at the final stage of the process. Highly recommended!
– James Englund & Steve Iuliano, Crash Symphony Studios
I have had the pleasure of working with Kathy Naunton and dB Mastering since 1992, both as electronic music producer and now independent record company manager. During that time Kathy/dB Mastering has never once failed to meet my expectations, and more often than not completely exceeds them. Kathy is extremely professional, talented, courteous, and a joy to be around. That aside, she also gets the warmest bottom end of any mastering engineer I have ever worked with! Whenever I need audio mastered, dB Mastering is always my first port of call.
– Stuart McCarthy, General Manager, Undercover Music
….there’s something very earthbound about dB Mastering.  Kathy Naunton has an exceptionally fine, experienced set of ears and an empathetic touch that considered our record as whole as well as individual parts. Her skill polished the dynamics in our album in the best possible way – with warmth, clarity and respect for the original mixes.  I would personally recommend dB Mastering to anyone, however large or small the recording project.
– Christian Paul Sargeant, Drummer/Producer, ‘The Tonights’ /Â The Sun & Air Recording Co.
I have been using dB Mastering for the last 12 years for all the different types of music that I produce. From contemporary pop to big band Jazz oriented music and everything in between such as legit Fado music and intimate trio and quartet style Jazz. Kathy fitted this mould perfectly. She is a delight to work with and has an innate understanding of just what I am trying to achieve in my finished product.. When working with someone in close quarters for sometimes up to 8 or 10 hours you need someone such as Kathy to keep the mood of the session up and not get stressed. Again Kathy fits the mould perfectly. I have no hesitation in recommending dB Mastering to all my clients and to others who just need sound advice on this critical area of music production.
– Paul J Baker, Shandar Media Productions Pty Ltd.
When it came to the mastering process of the new FORT album, we had trouble getting exactly what we wanted (using other Mastering Suites) until dB Mastering/Kathy Naunton came onboard. Kathy gave the album a true representation of what we were going for. I think I can safely say she bloody nailed it! This was the first time we had used dB Mastering’s services…and don’t think it will be the last.
– George Christie – GUITARIST/SONGWRITER FOR FORT
Tramtracks has been fortunate to have Kathy Naunton master our CDs. Kathy’s work is second-to-none. Not only has she done a fantastic job but she has also been of invaluable assistance with trouble-shooting production issues in our studio. We would recommend her services to anyone who is looking for the best.
– Robert Forbes