revox tape machine in mastering control room with b&w 801 matrix s2 monitoring

Technically precise, humanly cared.

Qualia Audio Lab is a professional mastering studio, audio restoration and preservation laboratory based in Lisbon, Portugal. It features an extremely flat and aligned custom sound system and lab grade standards for precise monitoring, signal processing and technical analysis. We specialize in mastering and audio restoration within a scientific but also human approach.

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Carlos Nascimento is an audio engineer specializing in mastering, post-production, and the restoration of archival media. His work bridges technical precision and musical sensitivity, grounded in a background in sound recording, music, electronics, and radio frequency systems.

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Audio Mastering

At Qualia Audio Lab we offer mastering services for any kind of music with the highest standards. We can provide DDP assembly, Vinyl pre-mastering, Apple Digital Masters for Apple Music and high-resolution digital files for digital distribution / streaming platforms, ISRC embedding and a careful attention to detail, making sure your music sounds the best in every possible system.

Audio Restoration & Enhancement

Qualia is an independent preservation laboratory; we’re able to provide transfer and audio digitization services on many different media supports with the highest standards in digital signal processing. Salvaging 1/4’’ tapes, a damaged acetate disc from the 40s, removing unwanted noise from your favorite vinyl records, recovering PCM masters from a F1 encoded Betamax tape or a digital recording needing noise reduction, we’re here for you. Every artifact is physically evaluated and handled with the highest care and processed with the finest detail while staying faithful to its original intended sound.

Qualia Audio Lab Apple Digital Masters Provider

steinberg wavelab in mastering control room with b&w 801 matrix s2 monitoring

Preservation and archival

We are members of the International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives. We follow best practices and guidelines from major archival institutions. We offer careful assessment, cleaning, digitization and preservation of legacy audio collections with proper metadata embedding. Our main goal is to provide you with a recording that is true to the cultural and artistic intentions of its time. If you need help with a particular project get in touch with your request.

IASA International Association of Sound and Audiovisual Archives

Audio Forensics and Analysis

With an extensive array of software tools and options for signal processing at hands, at Qualia we’re able to offer you detailed analysis and audio recovery/enhancement from analog and digital sources to the highest degree of precision. From tape digitization and speech intelligibility optimization to spectral recovery and processing, we’re happy to collaborate. Let us know your needs.

Quality control and consulting

Unfortunately, many mass transfers done today lack the proper quality control and suffer from transfer artifacts and defects which most clients will be led to believe were present in the original media such as poor frequency response, flutter/wow, incorrect or unstable playback speed, etc. This is one field where our experience and knowledge plays a very important role. We inspect every item to ensure you get a detailed transfer conforming with every aspect of QC.

As such, we provide consultation services for studios and institutions with legacy recording preservation projects in hands. We’re happy to collaborate.