Sterling Demo

A native New Yorker, Jay Franco began his mastering career at the top, Sterling Sound. Since joining the staff in 2001, Jay has lent his technical expertise to a variety of top-selling releases from such varied artists as Coldplay, The Neptunes, Athlete, Erykah Badu, Johnny Cash, Stephen and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley, Art Brut, Rick Ross, CéU, The Beastie Boys, Ben Folds, Chris Brown, Ash, The Brazilian Girls, Diddy and Usher. Universal Records, Capitol, Warner Music, and Sony BMG have all hired Jay to help master some of their most successful releases.

Having worked closely with renowned mastering engineer Chris Athens since his arrival at Sterling Sound, Franco has had the opportunity to learn from one of the greats, while developing a virtuosic technique, which blends old-school methods with cutting-edge technology. Consistently turning out hits for major labels, as well as Independent Artists, Jay has gained a reputation for achieving an impossibly dynamic sound, at even the hottest of levels. Being a musician he always does what makes the most musical sense, without compromising a record's competitive place in the market or in the clubs.

Recognizing trends in the music business and the way records are produced is part of the mastering process. Franco is adept at tuning his craft to fit the needs of each and every project. He refuses to tweak every track into a generic sound that so often gets lost in the musical landscape. Jay also believes that catering to smaller record labels and independent clients has never been more important. He is committed to the future and their success by offering free test mastering and mix evaluations for their select projects. Confident that this, as well as open communication and honest feedback, will help these projects reach their maximum potential and sound as if they are big budget productions released by a major label.

Technically, Jay continues to push the boundaries of mastering. His specialized mastering console contains an impressive array of custom analog gear incorporated into a state-of-the-art digital system for maximum flexibility and speed. Now, mastering a project from "stems" for a single, EP, or an entire album is no problem in this one-of-a-kind system. Being able to master from most any file format or sample rate and have the end result sound superior when played on any system is Franco's obligation to each and every project.