Meet Rachel Field | Mastering Engineer and Studio Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rachel Field and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rachel, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I didn’t set out to be a studio owner. In fact, my original plan was to work out of other people’s studios for my entire career. I thought, “let someone else worry about rent, gear purchases, computer upgrades, maintenance, security…” But when I sat down at the mastering console it quickly became pretty clear that mastering was where I fit in to the music production world. I loved it instantly and took to it very naturally, with a lot of help from a couple of experienced mastering engineers of course. Becoming studio owner was a way to get to keep doing the work in a studio I loved. I started in 2011 as Production Manager at RFI Mastering, in Seattle. Rick Fisher was the owner and he also hospitably welcomed me into the studio and shepherded me as a budding mastering engineer starting in about 2012. In 2016 he was ready to back away from ownership. So Ed Brooks and I partnered up, scraped together every single resource we could imagine into existence, and bought the studio. We rebranded as Resonant Mastering, because we knew we wanted to make it our own entity.
It wasn’t the plan to own a business, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It is a lot of work and a lot of worry, but as owner, there is an immense sense of pride and satisfaction with the successes of the studio and the work that comes out of it. I get to choose what gear we adopt and constantly be honing my craft as well as the customer service aspect of the job. Part of my personality is to constantly be tweaking (maybe what makes me a good mastering engineer), so it suits me to always have something to be improving and working on.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I’ve been working in audio since 2010, and as a mastering engineer since 2012. I’ve mastered hundreds of projects and over a decade later each new set of tunes still feels exciting. I love the work itself, and I love the people I get to do it with and for. In addition to putting out quality mastering, I love to contribute and participate in the community, both locally and more broadly in the industry. I help out where I can and aim to be a positive force. I knew right away that I wanted Resonant Mastering to be music and people centric, rather than strictly exchanging services for pay. I’m proud of the way the business is connected to the people and the community.

The road to get here was challenging, no doubt. I’m not sure I could or would do it again, but at the time I was up for it. I had worked many years as a server and bartender, and was beyond ready to be out of that industry. I put my head down and said yes to every opportunity that came my way. It was a couple years straight of working every single day on whatever opportunity was in front of me so that I could gain experience, develop skills, make connections and explore different areas of audio work. At one point I was going to school, working a waitressing gig, holding two internships and still doing freelance recording and mix sessions. At some point I realized that I was working enough in the field I wanted to be part of that I quit both school and waitressing and just went all in. It felt like jumping off a cliff and hoping for a landing to appear.
I was up for working really hard, but the bigger challenge getting my career started was the industry-wide misogyny. I was not prepared for that and I’m not sure I always handled it with grace. Honestly I still don’t.
While it’s gotten a lot better over the last decade, the industry is still pretty male dominated. Women and non binary people have a much harder time getting a foothold. This is why I stay as visible as possible, even though I am a painfully shy person. I want other women to see that this work is for them if they want it and have the chops.

In the end I want to be recognized for the quality mastering work I put out, and the customer service myself and the studio has developed over the years. I hope to be a positive part of the process for artists and producers.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First, the culinary scene in Seattle is incredible. It has just about any kind of food you could want. I have a HUGE list of great restaurants but to be brief- Chengdu Memory for hot pot, Mashiko for sushi, Krungthep Thai (in Burien) for Thai food, Walrus and Carpenter for fresh seafood and creative dishes, Plum Bistro for tasty vegan dishes.
My favorite place in the city is probably Discovery Park. Walk out along the bluff edge and take the stairs down to the light house. The place is magic with incredible views. You’ll forget you’re in the middle of a city. Don’t litter!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’ve been very lucky to have several great influences and guides along the way, but one person stands out. Rick Fisher was such a great support and teacher when I entered the mastering world. He welcomed me in and went out of his way to teach me things and provide opportunity. I would likely have found a path in audio either way, but I’m not sure I would have gone down the road of mastering had it not been for him.

Website: https://www.resonantmastering.com/ https://www.rachelfieldaudio.com/

Instagram: @rachelfieldaudio

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachel.field2?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/resonant-mastering-seattle

Image Credits
Angela Goodman (all photos)