Ilpo Kärkkäinen

Three decades of context, applied to each record.

I've spent thirty years on the other side of mastering. Sending demos. Handing finished records to labels. Waiting to hear what someone else did with my music. DJing from prime-time Fabric to festivals and a long run of underground rooms.

That perspective helps me understand what the music needs and what the client is looking for.

Gear

Tools

Analog rack: Elysia Museq, Elysia Xmax, Cranborne Carnaby HE2
Analog
EQ
Elysia Museq
Compression
Elysia Xpressor Neo
Comp / clip / image
Elysia Xmax
Color
Neve Master Bus Transformer
Color
Cranborne Audio Carnaby HE2
Color
Nihon Kohden vintage transformers
Conversion / clip
Prism Sound Titan AD/DA
Close-up of mastering rack knobs
Digital
DAW
WaveLab Pro
Spectral
SpectraLayers
EQ
Weiss, MAAT
Dynamics
Weiss, Tone Projects, DMG Audio
Limiting
Weiss, Naturl Audio, Izotope, Acustica
Special
Olhorst Digital, Tokyo Dawn Labs
Metering
MAAT, FLUX::
Genelec monitor speaker on a wooden post, with monitor controller and rack in the foreground
Monitoring
System
Genelec UNIO PRM
Room
GLM calibrated
Monitors
Genelec 8351B
Headphones
Genelec 8550A
Controller
Genelec 9320A
Records

Selected work

V/A, Zero Six EP
Straight Up Breakbeat
2026
Pihka Is My Name, Lost In Encryption
Self-released
2026
Mineral, Kage no Michi EP
Metalheadz
2025
Outrage, Goodbye
Over/Shadow
2024
Antagonist, Kalpa EP
Dispatch
2023
Modal, Tomorrow Is Today EP
Repertoire
2023
Quotes

From artists I've worked with

“Had some mastering work done by Ilpo recently. This is a personal recommendation to labels and artists out there. Attention to detail is high. The tracks are ten times more alive.”
Antagonist
“I’ve worked with Ilpo on various projects and the results have been excellent. More than that, he’s incredibly knowledgable, open, and easy to talk to.”
Modal
“There is a clear before-and-after Ilpo sound quality to my music. I couldn’t have got to this point without your help.”
Raj Judge
“I've worked with Ilpo for years across several styles: house, hip hop, and mostly drum and bass. No matter the style, he finds the right master for the tune. He also gives constructive feedback on sound design, arrangement, and workflow. A true master of his craft.”
Sascha Römer (S-Capade)
“I tested your master of Existence on a massive sound system the other day and was very pleased. Loud can be achieved easily. The master you did was so clean. Extremely impressed.”
Firmament
“The results sound great. I love how it sounds more cohesive, and the bottom end seems to have more solid weight.”
Trevor Hyde
“I knew as soon as I heard it, but I wanted to give it the decks, car, and morning-after test. The beats sound awesome and the sub seems a lot more at home.”
Phil Microcosm
Pricing

Rates & specifics

Reasonable revisions included.

Rates
Stereo mastering
per song
72 EUR
Stem mastering, up to 8 stems
per song
130 EUR
Priority delivery
per song
+50 EUR
Vinyl/cassette-ready master
per song
+20 EUR
Alternative version, same session
per song
+20 EUR
Premaster changes mid-job
per change
+25 EUR

All prices include tax. EU business reverse-charge applies. Payment via Stripe. 1% of revenue goes to carbon removal through Stripe Climate.

At a glance
Turnaround
5–10 working days
Revisions
reasonable included
Delivery
in all required formats
Workflow

How to send work

Two steps. The brief first, then the files.