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Geometry-Aware DSP for Vinyl Mastering

Working Backwards from Physical Constraints

Mastering for vinyl is usually approached as an audio processing problem. In reality, the limiting factors are geometric: lateral and vertical modulation of the groove determine whether a record can be cut successfully, tracked reliably, and fit onto the disc in the first place.

This talk introduces geometry-aware signal processing, a different way of thinking about mastering. By transforming the audio waveform into a virtual representation of the groove, we can measure the resulting physical geometry directly and apply processing only where it is actually needed, rather than relying on processing tools in the time or frequency domain.

Using practical examples from a real mastering workflow, I’ll show how groove-based analysis enables more targeted processing and discuss why working backwards from the physical medium can fundamentally change the way we solve cutting and tracking problems.