Coast Mastering

Michael Romanowski a Grammy nominated mastering engineer. Based in Berkeley, he is the owner and chief mastering engineer at Coast Mastering and Co-owner and founder of the analog tape label The Tape Project. Michael is currently a Trustee of the The Recording Academy San Francisco Chapter (NARAS), Former Chair of the National Presidents Council, former president of the S.F. chapter and serves on the National Advisory Council to the Producers & Engineers Wing.

Since 1994, Michael has worked to support the tradition of the diverse San Francisco sound, and has become a national expert in the art and science of mastering (Mix Magazine, Electronic Musician, AES, NAMM, SXSW, Tape Op, Potluck Con, AES Mexico, AES Europe). Michael started his audio career as a musician and live sound engineer in Nashville, where he quickly progressed to recording and mixing pop, rock and alternative acts. In 1994, he relocated to the Bay Area to apprentice at Rocket Lab with Paul Stubblebine and Ken Lee, learning the art and craft of the mastering engineer. In 1999, he became the chief mastering engineer for Sausalito’s Plant Studios, in 2001 he reunited with Paul Stubblebine and built two new mastering rooms at the former location of Coast Records. In 2007, Michael acquired the business and continued to expand the facility.

He teaches at San Francisco State University and is a guest lecturer at other regional colleges. Michael’s extensive credits include Third Eye Blind, Pat Monahan, Devotchka, Chuck Prophet, Pentatonix, Train, Alasdair Fraser, Los Amigos Invisibles, Laura Pausini, Matt Nathanson, America, Jacqui Naylor, Will Kimbrough, The Dynamites, Ant Banks, Norton Buffalo, Too $hort, Colorado Symphony, Chanticleer, Dredg, !!!, Junior Toots, Bad Finger, and several thousand more.

Jessica Thompson Is a Grammy-nominated mastering and restoration engineer and archiving specialist. She has digitized, restored and revived historic recordings from the Bottom Line, Caffe Lena, Erroll Garner and Woody Guthrie Archives and the Newport Jazz and Folk Festival, including performances by Pete Seeger, Roger McGuinn, Dave Von Ronk, Lightnin' Hopkins, Doc Watson, Miles Davis and Jean Ritchie. Her remaster of Erroll Garner's iconic recording The Complete Concert By The Sea (Sony/Legacy) was nominated for the Best Historical Album Grammy, 2016.

She has cleaned, digitized and restored rare vinyl and cassette recordings for Awesome Tapes From Africa and many Numero Group complications. (She wrote about restoring Ata Kak's cassette Obaa Sima for Pink Noise.)

In her previous career as a radio producer, she interviewed drummer Max Roach and the organ player at Fenway Park for WGBH. She has spun records and CDs on the airwaves of WGBH, WFMU, WZBC and WESU.